The Discourse about Udena

Evaṁ me sutaṁ—

ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā kosambiyaṁ viharati ghositārāme.

Tena kho pana samayena rañño utenassa uyyānagatassa antepuraṁ daḍḍhaṁ hoti, pañca ca itthisatāni kālaṅkatāni honti sāmāvatīpamukhāni.

Atha kho sambahulā bhikkhū pubbaṇhasamayaṁ nivāsetvā pattacīvaramādāya kosambiṁ piṇḍāya pāvisiṁsu.

Kosambiyaṁ piṇḍāya caritvā pacchābhattaṁ piṇḍapātapaṭikkantā yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkamiṁsu; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdiṁsu.

Ekamantaṁ nisinnā kho te bhikkhū bhagavantaṁ etadavocuṁ:

“idha, bhante, rañño utenassa uyyānagatassa antepuraṁ daḍḍhaṁ, pañca ca itthisatāni kālaṅkatāni sāmāvatīpamukhāni.

Tāsaṁ, bhante, upāsikānaṁ kā gati ko abhisamparāyo”ti?

“Santettha, bhikkhave, upāsikāyo sotāpannā, santi sakadāgāminiyo, santi anāgāminiyo.

Sabbā tā, bhikkhave, upāsikāyo anipphalā kālaṅkatā”ti.

Atha kho bhagavā etamatthaṁ viditvā tāyaṁ velāyaṁ imaṁ udānaṁ udānesi:

“Mohasambandhano loko,

bhabbarūpova dissati;

Upadhibandhano bālo,

tamasā parivārito;

Sassatoriva khāyati,

passato natthi kiñcanan”ti.

Dasamaṁ.

Tassuddānaṁ

Dve bhaddiyā dve ca sattā,

lakuṇḍako taṇhākkhayo;

Papañcakhayo ca kaccāno,

udapānañca utenoti.

Cūḷavaggo sattamo.

SC 1Thus I heard: At one time the Gracious One was dwelling near Kosambī, in Ghosita’s Monastery. Then at that time when King Udena had gone to the pleasure park, the inner quarters of the palace were burnt down, and five hundred women died with Queen Sāmāvatī at their head.

SC 2Then many monks, having dressed in the morning time, after picking up their bowl and robe, entered Kosambī for alms, and after walking for alms in Kosambī, while returning from the alms-round after the meal, went to the Gracious One, and after going and worshipping the Gracious One, they sat down on one side. While sat on one side those monks said this to the Gracious One:

SC 3“Here, reverend Sir, when King Udena had gone to the pleasure park, the inner quarters of the palace were burnt down, and five hundred women died with Queen Sāmāvatī at their head. What is the destination of the female lay followers, reverend Sir, what is their future state?”

SC 4“There are in this, monks, female lay followers who are stream-enterers, there are once-returners, there are non-returners,—none of those female lay followers died, monks, without having attained some result.”

SC 5Then the Gracious One, having understood the significance of it, on that occasion uttered this exalted utterance:

SC 6“The world, in bondage to delusion, is looked on as being beautiful,
The fool, in bondage to cleaving, is surrounded by darkness.
It seems like it is eternal, but there is nothing to hold to for the one who sees.”