3.1. The Leaving Home of Gotama

“Pabbajjaṁ kittayissāmi,

yathā pabbaji cakkhumā;

Yathā vīmaṁsamāno so,

pabbajjaṁ samarocayi.

Sambādhoyaṁ gharāvāso,

rajassāyatanaṁ iti;

Abbhokāsova pabbajjā,

iti disvāna pabbaji.

Pabbajitvāna kāyena,

pāpakammaṁ vivajjayi;

Vacīduccaritaṁ hitvā,

ājīvaṁ parisodhayi.

Agamā rājagahaṁ buddho,

magadhānaṁ giribbajaṁ;

Piṇḍāya abhihāresi,

ākiṇṇavaralakkhaṇo”.

Tamaddasā bimbisāro,

pāsādasmiṁ patiṭṭhito;

Disvā lakkhaṇasampannaṁ,

imamatthaṁ abhāsatha.

“Imaṁ bhonto nisāmetha,

abhirūpo brahā suci;

Caraṇena ca sampanno,

yugamattañca pekkhati.

Okkhittacakkhu satimā,

nāyaṁ nīcakulāmiva;

Rājadūtābhidhāvantu,

kuhiṁ bhikkhu gamissati”.

Te pesitā rājadūtā,

piṭṭhito anubandhisuṁ;

Kuhiṁ gamissati bhikkhu,

kattha vāso bhavissati.

Sapadānaṁ caramāno,

guttadvāro susaṁvuto;

Khippaṁ pattaṁ apūresi,

sampajāno paṭissato.

Piṇḍacāraṁ caritvāna,

Nikkhamma nagarā muni;

Paṇḍavaṁ abhihāresi,

Ettha vāso bhavissati.

Disvāna vāsūpagataṁ,

Tayo dūtā upāvisuṁ;

Tesu ekova āgantvā,

Rājino paṭivedayi.

“Esa bhikkhu mahārāja,

Paṇḍavassa puratthato;

Nisinno byagghusabhova,

Sīhova girigabbhare”.

Sutvāna dūtavacanaṁ,

Bhaddayānena khattiyo;

Taramānarūpo niyyāsi,

Yena paṇḍavapabbato.

Sa yānabhūmiṁ yāyitvā,

Yānā oruyha khattiyo;

Pattiko upasaṅkamma,

Āsajja naṁ upāvisi.

Nisajja rājā sammodi,

Kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ tato;

Kathaṁ so vītisāretvā,

Imamatthaṁ abhāsatha.

“Yuvā ca daharo cāsi,

Paṭhamuppattiko susu;

Vaṇṇārohena sampanno,

Jātimā viya khattiyo.

Sobhayanto anīkaggaṁ,

Nāgasaṅghapurakkhato;

Dadāmi bhoge bhuñjassu,

Jātiṁ akkhāhi pucchito”.

“Ujuṁ janapado rāja,

Himavantassa passato;

Dhanaviriyena sampanno,

Kosalesu niketino.

Ādiccā nāma gottena,

Sākiyā nāma jātiyā;

Tamhā kulā pabbajitomhi,

Na kāme abhipatthayaṁ.

Kāmesvādīnavaṁ disvā,

Nekkhammaṁ daṭṭhu khemato;

Padhānāya gamissāmi,

Ettha me rañjatī mano”ti.

Pabbajjāsuttaṁ paṭhamaṁ.

SC 1SC Verse 408Narrator
Now I’ll tell of the Leaving Home,
how he, the mighty seer, went forth,
how he was questioned and described
the reason for his Leaving Home.

SC 2SC Verse 409The crowded life lived in a house
exhales an atmosphere of dust:
but leaving home is open wide—
seeing this, he chose Leaving Home.

SC 3SC Verse 410By doing so did he reject
all bodily evil acts,
rejected too, wrong ways of speech,
his livelihood he purified.

SC 4SC Verse 411He went to Rājagaha town,
hill-guarded fort of Magadhans;
there he, the Buddha, walked for alms,
with many a mark of excellence.

SC 5SC Verse 412King Bimbisāra from within
his palace saw him passing by,
and when he saw such excellence
in all his marks,

SC 6SC Verse 413Bimbisāra
“Look, sirs”, he said,
How stately is that man, handsome,
how pure, how perfect is his gait;
with eyes downcast, mindful, he looks
only a plough-yoke’s length ahead.

SC 7SC Verse 414He’s surely not of humble birth!
Send forth royal messengers at once
upon the path the bhikkhu takes.”

SC 8SC Verse 415Messenger
The messengers were sent at once
and followed closely in his wake:
“Now which way will the bhikkhu go?
Where has he chosen his abode?

SC 9SC Verse 416He wanders on from house to house
guarding sense-doors with real restraint.
Fully aware and mindfully,
his alms bowl soon was full.

SC 10SC Verse 417His almsround is now done. The Sage
is setting out and leaving town,
taking the road to Paṇḍava—
he must be living on its hill.”

SC 11SC Verse 418Narrator
Now when he came to his abode
the messengers went up to him;
though one of them turned back again
to give the King reply:

SC 12SC Verse 419Messenger
The bhikkhu, sire, is like a lion,
or like a tiger, like a bull
and seated in a mountain-cave
on the eastern slope of Paṇḍava!

SC 13SC Verse 420Narrator
The Warrior hears the runner’s tale,
then summoning up a coach of state,
he drove in haste from out the town,
out to the hill of Paṇḍava.

SC 14SC Verse 421He drove as far as he could go,
and then descended from the coach;
the little distance that remained,
he went on foot, drew near the Sage.

SC 15SC Verse 422The King sat down, and he exchanged
greetings, and asked about his health.
When this exchange of courtesy was done,
the king then spoke to him these words:

SC 16SC Verse 423Bimbisāra
You are indeed quite young,
a youth, a man in life’s first phase,
you have the good looks of a man
of high-born warrior-noble stock,

SC 17SC Verse 424one fit to grace a first-rate force,
to lead the troops of elephants,
wealth can I give you to enjoy;
please tell me of your birth.

SC 18SC Verse 425Buddha
Straight over there, O king,
the Himalayas can be seen,
there, with wealth and energy,
living among the Kosalans

SC 19SC Verse 426are the Ādicca of solar race,
in that, the clan of Sakyas.
From that family I’ve left home
not desiring pleasures of sense.

SC 20SC Verse 427Having seen dangers in sense-desires,
renunciation seen as secure,
I shall go on to strive
for there does my mind delight