Tipitaka >> Sutta Pitaka >> Khuddaka Nikaya >> Theragatha >> Thera(134):Somamitta
Adapted from the Archaic Translation by Mrs. C.A.F. Rhys Davids.
Commentary (Atthakatha) By Acariya Dhammapala
Note: 'C' in Pali text is pronounced as 'ch' as in 'China'.
Chapter II.
Two Verses[]
134. Somamitta[]
Reborn in this Buddha-age at Benares, in a brahmin's family and named Somamitta, he became an expert in the three Vedas, but achieved Sotapana(first samadhi of Nirvana) by the Thera Vimala[1] and took monk’s orders. He lived near the Thera, fulfilling his duties. But the latter was given to sloth and torpor. And Somamitta, thinking 'Who can be virtuous near a sluggard?' went to Kassapa the Great,[2] and attending his lectures, established insight, and soon after attained arahantship(enlightenment). Upon that he rebuked Vimala in these verses:
[147] Parittaɱ dārumāruyha yathā sīde mahaṇṇave,||
Evaɱ kusītamāgamma sādhujīvī pi sīdati,||
Tasmā taɱ parivajjeyya nusītaɱ hīnavīriyaɱ.|| ||
[148] Pavivittehi ariyehi pahitattehi jhāyihi,||
Niccaɱ araddhaviriyehi paṇḍitehi sahāvase' ti.|| ||
[147] As one who, climbed on a small plank,
Is in mid-ocean went beneath the waves,
So even he of blameless life did sink,
When thrown together with the man of sloth;
For that reason from such an one keep well apart
The sluggard and the poor in energy.
[148] Live you with them who live aloof,
With wise, with noble ones who have renounced,
Who in rapt meditation ever strive.[3]
Hearing him, Thera Vimala was deeply moved, and establishing insight, bestirred himself to win salvation, the which he will be seen hereafter to attain.
[1] Cf. the Vimala of CLXXXV., who was also of Benares.
[2] I.e., to Rājagaha (CCLXI).
[3] Repeated in CLXXXV.–
2.2-4 [134] Commentary on the stanza of Somamittatthera[]
The stanza starting with Parittaṃ dāruṃ constitutes that of the venerable Thera Somamitta. What is the origin” This one also, having done devoted deeds of service toward former Buddhas, accumulating meritorius deeds in this and that existence, was reborn in a family home, at the time of the Blessed One Sikhi, and on having attained the age of intelligence, he heard of the qualities of Buddha, became pious-minded, happened to have seen, one day, Kiṃsuka tree blooming with flowers, collected its blossoms and made his reverential offerings after throwing them up into the sky in dedication to the Master. On account of that meritorious act, he wandered about his rounds of repeated rebirths among divine and human beings and was reborn in a brahmin family in Benares, when this Buddha arose; he gained his name as Somamitta, became proficient in the three vedas, made himself familiar with a Thera, named Vimala, to whose presence he constantly went, listened to the thera’s teaching (dhamma), gained his pleasing faith in the dispensation (sāsana), became a monk, gained his fully complete ordination, and wandered about fulfilling his normal and reciprocal duties. On the other hand, the Thera Vimala spent his day and night by being lazy with much drowsiness. Saying to himself: “What is the benefit (guna) of depending on a lazy individual?’ Somamitta abandoned that Thera, approached the Thera Mahākassapa, whose advice he abided by, placed himself in the path of developing spiritual insight (vipassanā) and became established in Arahantship, but before long. Hence, has it been said in the Apadāna:–
“On having seen the Kiṃsuka tree blossoming
I lifted my clasped hands; having
remembered Buddha, the best, I made special
reverential offering in the sky.
On account of that act well-performed,
with my volition and resolution, I gave
up my human body and went to Tāvatiṃsa.
It was thirty-one aeons (kappa) ago, that
I then did my deed; I do not remember any
evil existence; this is the fruitful result
of reverential offering to Buddha.
My depravity had been burnt; all existences
has been eliminated. Similar to the ele-
phant which had cut off its bondage, I live
canker-free (anāsava). Indeed! My going
to the presence of Buddha was a good going.
I have accordingly attained the three-fold
science (tisso vijjā); Buddha’s instruction
had been carried out.”
Having, however, attained Arahantship, he spoke two stanzas, frightening the Thera Vimala with his advice, thus:–
147. “Having climbed on a small piece of wood
in whatever manner in the sinking large
ocean, in the same manner, depending on
a lazy person, even a leader of good life
sinks. Therefore, one should all-round
detach oneself from the lazy with inferior
exertion.”
148. “One should stay together with wise noble
people (ariya) who are physically secluded,
whose mind is directed towards nibbāna
(pahitatta), who are meditative (jhāyī)
and who are permanently up and doing
(āraddhavīrīya).
There, parittaṃ dārumāruyha, yathā sīde mahannave means: a son of a good family, even though he is fond of good moral precept (pesalo pi), depending upon an indolent lazy individual, sinks and falls into the rounds of repeated rebirths; he does not go to nibbāna, its further shore; since this is no, tasmātaṃ means: because of the sinking (sīdanato) contemptibly (kucehitaṃ) without lifting the head by way of items of higher righteousness (adhikusaladhamma), kusitaṃ hīnavīriyaṃ means: owing to absence of putting forth exertion, one should avoid that sort of individual; one should not meet with (āpajjeyya) the sign of his speculation (diṭṭhānugatiṃ); thus, is the meaning.
Having thus pointed out the disadvantage in laziness by means of the stanza with an individual bias (adhiṭṭhāna), now, in order to show the benefit in making exertion (vīriyārambha), the stanza starting with “Pavivittehi,” has been said. Its meaning is --- Pavivittā means: those, however, with the promotion (sambhava) of bodily seclusion; ariyā means: as a result of that bodily seclusion even, because of the state of being far from forms of depravity (kilesehi ārakattā); pahitattā means: because of the state of oneself having been fittingly despatched to nibbāna; jhāyino means: both by way of meditation (upanijjhāna) upon sense-object (ārammana) and meditation (upanijjhāna) on characteristic mark (lakkhana); āraddhavīriya cannotes: by the condition of having held-up exertion at all times; panḍitā means: by the state of being endowed with wisdom, classified as worldy (lokiya) and transcendental (lokuttara); saha means: but with them; āvase means: one, who is desirous of accomplishing (nipphādetukāmo) one’s own welfare (sadatthaṃ) should live together. After having heard it, the Thera Vimila became remorsefully-minded, placed himself in the path of developing spiritual insight, and accomplished (ārādhesi) his own benefit (sadatthaṃ). That this meaning (svāyamattho) will come later on (parato).
The Commentary on the stanza of the Thera Somamitta is complete.