From:
Sutta NipÄta 3.2 Anthology of Discourses 3.2
PadhÄnasutta Striving
āTaį¹ maį¹ padhÄnapahitattaį¹, āDuring my time of resolute striving
nadiį¹ neraƱjaraį¹ pati; back on the bank of the NeraƱjara River,
Viparakkamma jhÄyantaį¹, I was meditating very hard
yogakkhemassa pattiyÄ. for the sake of sanctuary from the yoke.
NamucÄ« karuį¹aį¹ vÄcaį¹, NamucÄ« approached,
bhÄsamÄno upÄgami; speaking words of kindness:
āKiso tvamasi dubbaį¹į¹o, āYouāre thin, discolored,
santike maraį¹aį¹ tava. on the verge of death.
SahassabhÄgo maraį¹assa, Death has a thousand parts of you,
ekaį¹so tava jÄ«vitaį¹; one fraction is left to life.
JÄ«va bho jÄ«vitaį¹ seyyo, Live worthy sir! Life is better!
jÄ«vaį¹ puƱƱÄni kÄhasi. Living, you can make merits.
Carato ca te brahmacariyaį¹, While leading the spiritual life
AggihuttaƱca jÅ«hato; and serving the sacred flame,
PahÅ«taį¹ cÄ«yate puƱƱaį¹, you can pile up abundant meritā
Kiį¹ padhÄnena kÄhasi. so what will striving do for you?
Duggo maggo padhÄnÄya, Hard to walk is the path of striving,
dukkaro durabhisambhavoāā; hard to do, a hard challenge to win.āā
ImÄ gÄthÄ bhaį¹aį¹ mÄro, These are the verses MÄra spoke
aį¹į¹hÄ buddhassa santike. as he stood beside the Buddha.
Taį¹ tathÄvÄdinaį¹ mÄraį¹, When MÄra had spoken in this way,
bhagavÄ etadabravi; the Buddha said this:
āPamattabandhu pÄpima, āO Wicked One, kinsman of the negligent,
yenatthena idhÄgato. youāre here for your own purpose.
Aį¹umattopi puƱƱena, I have no need for
Attho mayhaį¹ na vijjati; the slightest bit of merit.
YesaƱca attho puƱƱena, Those with need for merit
Te mÄro vattumarahati. are fit for MÄra to address.
Atthi saddhÄ tathÄ viriyaį¹, I have faith and energy too,
paĆ±Ć±Ä ca mama vijjati; and wisdom is found in me.
Evaį¹ maį¹ pahitattampi, When I am so resolute,
kiį¹ jÄ«vamanupucchasi. why do you beg me to live?
NadÄ«namapi sotÄni, The rivers and streams
ayaį¹ vÄto visosaye; might be dried by the wind,
KiƱca me pahitattassa, so why, when I am resolute,
lohitaį¹ nupasussaye. should it not dry up my blood?
Lohite sussamÄnamhi, And while the blood is drying up,
Pittaį¹ semhaƱca sussati; the bile and phlegm dry too.
Maį¹sesu khÄ«yamÄnesu, And as my muscles waste away,
Bhiyyo cittaį¹ pasÄ«dati; my mind grows more serene.
Bhiyyo sati ca paĆ±Ć±Ä ca, And all the stronger grow mindfulness
SamÄdhi mama tiį¹į¹hati. and wisdom and immersion.
Tassa mevaį¹ viharato, As I meditate like this,
Pattassuttamavedanaį¹; having attained the supreme feeling,
KÄmesu nÄpekkhate cittaį¹, my mind has no interest in sensual pleasures:
Passa sattassa suddhataį¹. behold a beingās purity!
KÄmÄ te paį¹hamÄ senÄ, Sensual pleasures are your first army,
DutiyÄ arati vuccati; the second is called discontent,
TatiyÄ khuppipÄsÄ te, hunger and thirst are the third,
CatutthÄ« taį¹hÄ pavuccati. and the fourth is said to be craving.
PaƱcamaį¹ thinamiddhaį¹ te, Your fifth is dullness and drowsiness,
Chaį¹į¹hÄ bhÄ«rÅ« pavuccati; the sixth is said to be cowardice,
SattamÄ« vicikicchÄ te, your seventh is doubt,
Makkho thambho te aį¹į¹hamo. contempt and obstinacy are your eighth.
LÄbho siloko sakkÄro, Profit, praise, and honor,
MicchÄladdho ca yo yaso; and misbegotten fame;
Yo cattÄnaį¹ samukkaį¹se, the extolling of oneself
Pare ca avajÄnati. while scorning others.
EsÄ namuci te senÄ, This is your army, NamucÄ«,
Kaį¹hassÄbhippahÄrinÄ«; the strike force of the Dark One.
Na naį¹ asÅ«ro jinÄti, Only a hero can defeat it,
JetvÄ ca labhate sukhaį¹. but in victory there lies bliss.
Esa muƱjaį¹ parihare, Let me gird myselfā
Dhiratthu mama jÄ«vitaį¹; curse my life!
Saį¹
gÄme me mataį¹ seyyo, Iād rather die in battle
YaƱce jÄ«ve parÄjito. than live on in defeat.
PagÄįø·hettha na dissanti, Here some ascetics and brahmins
Eke samaį¹abrÄhmaį¹Ä; are swallowed up, not to be seen again.
TaƱca maggaį¹ na jÄnanti, And they do not know the path
Yena gacchanti subbatÄ. traveled by those true to their vows.
SamantÄ dhajiniį¹ disvÄ, Seeing MÄra ready on his mount,
Yuttaį¹ mÄraį¹ savÄhanaį¹; surrounded by his bannered forces,
YuddhÄya paccuggacchÄmi, I shall meet them in battleā
MÄ maį¹ į¹hÄnÄ acÄvayi. theyāll never make me retreat!
Yaį¹ te taį¹ nappasahati, That army of yours has never been beaten
Senaį¹ loko sadevako; by the world with all its gods.
Taį¹ te paƱƱÄya bhecchÄmi, Yet I shall smash it with wisdom,
Ämaį¹ pattaį¹va asmanÄ. like an unfired pot with a stone.
VasÄ«karitvÄ saį¹
kappaį¹, Having brought my thoughts under control,
SatiƱca sÅ«patiį¹į¹hitaį¹; and established mindfulness well,
Raį¹į¹hÄ raį¹į¹haį¹ vicarissaį¹, I shall wander from country to country,
SÄvake vinayaį¹ puthÅ«. guiding many disciples.
Te appamattÄ pahitattÄ, Diligent and resolute,
Mama sÄsanakÄrakÄ; following my instructions,
AkÄmassa te gamissanti, they will proceed despite your will,
Yattha gantvÄ na socareā. to where there is no sorrow.ā
āSatta vassÄni bhagavantaį¹, āFor seven years I followed
Anubandhiį¹ padÄpadaį¹; step by step behind the Blessed One.
OtÄraį¹ nÄdhigacchissaį¹, I found no vulnerability
Sambuddhassa satīmato. in the mindful Awakened One.
Medavaį¹į¹aį¹va pÄsÄį¹aį¹, A crow once circled a stone
VÄyaso anupariyagÄ; that looked like a lump of fat.
Apettha muduį¹ vindema, āPerhaps Iāll find something tender,ā it thought,
Api assÄdanÄ siyÄ. āperhaps thereās something tasty.ā
AladdhÄ tattha assÄdaį¹, But finding nothing tasty,
VÄyasetto apakkami; the crow left that place.
KÄkova selamÄsajja, Like the crow that pecked the stone,
NibbijjÄpema gotamaį¹ā. I leave Gotama disappointed.ā
Tassa sokaparetassa, So stricken with sorrow
VÄ«į¹Ä kacchÄ abhassatha; that his harp dropped from his armpit,
Tato so dummano yakkho, that spirit, downcast,
TatthevantaradhÄyathÄti. vanished right there.
PadhÄnasuttaį¹ dutiyaį¹.