Tipitaka >> Sutta Pitaka >> Khuddaka Nikaya >> Theragatha >> Thera(189):Nandaka
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 IV.
Four Verses[]
189. Nandaka[]
Reborn in the time of our Exalted One(Buddha) at Sāvatthī in a clansman's family, he was called Nandaka. He entered the Monk’s order after hearing the Lord(Buddha) teach the Path(Dhamma), and developing insight won arahantship(enlightenment). Thereafter, while living in the bliss of emancipation(nirvana), he gave a lesson by the Lord(Buddha)'s order one feast-day to the bhikkhunīs(nuns), and caused 500 of them to attain arahantship(enlightenment). For that reason the Exalted One ranked him foremost among the teachers of the monks and sisters.[1]
Now, one day, while seeking alms in Sāvatthī, a woman, to whom he had been married, saw him and laughed with [179] sinful heart. The Thera, seeing her action, taught her the Path(Dhamma) under the aspect of emphasizing repugnance at the body,thus:
[279] Dhiratthu pure duggandhe mārapakkhe avassute,||
Navasotāni te kāye yāni sandanti sabbadā.|| ||
[280] Māpurāṇaɱ [34] amaññittho māsā desi tathāgate,||
Sagge'pi te na rajjanti kimaŋga pana mānuse.|| ||
[281] Ye ca kho bālā dummedhā dummantī mohapārutā,||
Tādisā tattha rajjanti mārakhittamhi bandhate.|| ||
[282] Yesaɱ rāgo ca doso ca avijjā ca virājitā,||
Tādītattha na rajjanti1 chinnasuttā abandhanā' ti.|| ||
[279] Bad on the foul things bad smelling!
A very tool of Mara(deathlord/devil), even this,
Your body, from where are oozing those many streams,
In number nine types, that never cease their flow.
[280] Build no conceits from former passages.
Try not to allure the Tathagata (one who returned from beyond)[2]
The very heavens delight them not, how then
Should aught that is merely earthly ever please?[3]
[281] The fools who lack discretion, they whose mind
Is dirty, and their heart by dullness covered,
Such men in charms of body take delight,
For they are fast in bonds by Mara(deathlord/devil) thrown.
[282] To them who are untouched by lust, or hate,
Or ignorance, these things no pleasures be.
Cut are the cords; they from all bonds are free.
[1] Ang. i. 25. The successful lesson is told in the Nandakovāda Sutta (Majjh., iii 270). The Anguttara Commentary leads up to that Sutta, but the occasion of these verses finds a fuller preface in the story it tells of Nanda, the Buddha's stepbrother (CXXXIX.). He, infatuated with a beautiful woman, is bv the Lord(Buddha) shown the nymphs in Sakka's(king of gods) heaven, and finds her plain as an ape in comparison.
[2] Tathāgate, made here by the Commentary to include all Buddha-savakas, or Ariya-savakas, who have 'come' with the conditions for saintship, or have attained the highest, are avabuddhā.
[3] I do not here follow Dr. Neumann's syntax. The woman's power to please humans was a source of danger. She was only incapable of moving tathāgatas, or saints, who have won too great to express pleasures.
4.4 [189] The Commentary on the stanza of Nandakatthera[]
The stanza starting with Dhiratthu constitutes that of the venerable thera Nandaka. What is the origin? It is said that this one became an abundantly wealthy banker in the city of Haṃsavatī at the time of the Blessed One Padumuttara; he happened to have noticed the Master, in whose presence he listened to the truth (dhamma), placing a monk, at the foremost place of those who give advice to monks, aspired for that ranking position, made his reverential offering of a garment, priced at a hundred thousand, to the Blessed One, and made his resolution. He brought about his reverential offering of lighted lamps also at the bodhi tree of the Master. From then onwards, he wandered about his rounds of repeated rebirths among divine and human beings and became a Karavika bird, at the time of the Blessed One Kakusandha; the bird made a circumambulation round the Master singing (Kūjanto) a sweet song (Kūjitaṃ). Subsequently, he became a peacock and showered down its shower of sweet song thrice daily, being pious-minded, at the door of the residential cave of a certain silent buddha. Having performed acts of merit in this manner here and there, he was reborn in a family home in Sāvatthi, at the time of our Glorious Buddha; having gained the name Nandaka, he, on having come of age, listened to the truth (dhamma) in the presence of the Master, aptly gained pious faith; became a monk, increasingly developed spiritual insight (vipassanā) and attained Arahantship. Hence, has it been said in the Apadāna:–-
“At the most excellent bodhi tree
of Buddha Padumuttara, pious-minded
and good hearted, I offered (adhārayiṃ)
three lighted torches.
It was a hundred thousand aeons (kappa)
ago, that I made my offering (adhārayiṃ)
of torches; I do not remember any evil
existence; this is the fruitful result
of torch-offering.
My depravity had been burnt. …
Buddha’s instruction had been carried
out.”
Having, however, become an Arahant, he was spending his time with (his) bliss of emancipation, when, he, being ordered by the Master to advise the nuns (bhikkhunī) made five hundred of them attain Arahantship with but a single advice on a certain sabbath (uposatha) day. On that account the Blessed One placed him at the foremost position of advisers to the monks. Then, one day, a certain lady who was his former wife made her smile after having looked at the thera who was wandering about for alms-food in Sāvatthi under the influence of depravity (kilesa). On having seen her making that smile, the thera spoke stanzas, teaching (her) the truth (dhamma) by way of making manifest the loathesomeness of the body.
270. “Shame be to you! There are in
your body which is full of foul
smell, siding (pakkhe) with Māra,
which is leaking (avasauta) in
nine streams (sota) which are
flowing out (sandanti) at all
times.
280. “Do not think of the past; do not
bemuse (sādasi) the disciple of
Buddha. Even to heavenly bliss
they are not attached (rajjanti)
not to say (kimaṅga), however, the
human (pleasure).
281. “Indeed, those foolish people who are
unintelligent, who think of bad things
and who are wrapped with delusion, those
like people attach themselves to that
place where Mara had laid his snare.
282. “Such people as those who are detached
from lust, anger, and ignorance do not
get themselves attached there, since the
snare for them is no more, with its threads
out off.
There, dhī is a particle in the sense of disgust; ratthu means: the letter ‘r’ is the making of word union (padasandhikaro); let there be shame (dhī atthu), I loathe you; let there be making of shame (dhikkāro) to you; thus, is the meaning. The expressions beginning with pūre constitute words of address illuminating the state in which shame should be made to her. Pūre means: well filled with divers dead-bodies and different varieties of impurities which are extremely despicable. Duggandha means: naturally foul-smelling but because of being filled with corpses. Mārapakkha means: Since the uncommon reality (visabhagavatthu) developes (vaḍḍheti) the Mara of depravity (kilesa) owing to the characteristic condition (nimittatā) of unwise mindfulness of blind (andha) common folks (puthujjana) and gives opportunity of entry (otāraṃ paviṭṭham) to Māra, the youthful divinity, therefore, he becomes a party (pakkho) to Māra; on that account it has been said: “mārapakkhe (at the wing of Māra).” Avassute means: at all times leaking with the oozing of depravity (kilesāvassavana) and flowing out of impurities, here and there. He now shows to her the place of leakage (avassavana) thus: “Navasotāni te kāye, yāni sandanti sabbada means: it has been said starting with “Akkhimhā akkhigūthako, (eye-dung from the eye).”
Knowing, according to the truth, however, in this manner, (your) body which bears (bharita) impurities, constantly oozing through nine holes (chidda) mā purāṇaṃ amaññittho, means: do not think of your old (puranaṃ) amilling (hasita), talking (lapita) and sporting (kīḷita) that occurred at the time of not knowing (ajānans); “Now also I shall regulate myself in this manner;” thus, do not consider. Ma’ sādesi tathāgate means: according as the prosperity pertaining to the past (purimaka) of sufficing qualification for attainment of Arahantship (upanissaya) disciples of Buddha have come, in other words, according as they have reached and aptly attained (paṭipannā) by means of right proper performance (sammāpaṭipatti), according also as they have reached (āgatā), achieved (adhigatā) and understood the noble (ariya) truths (saccāni), which is truth (dhamma) for certain (tatha), and the true characteristics (lakkhana) of formful (rūpa) and formless (arūpa) phenomena (dhamma), likewise, they also are thus; do not insult (āsādesi) approaching them under the influence of depravity (kilesa) under estimating (avaññaya) the noble (ariya) disciples (sāvaka) who had come likewise (tathāgate) for such benefit (attha) as reaching and so on, likewise, in this manner, as if they were normal (pakati) living beings. He said about the cause of such condition as should not be insulted thus: “Sagge pi te na rajjanti, kimangaṃ pana mānuse means: those disciples of Buddha do not get themselves attached (rajjañti) to heavenly bliss (sagga) even, which is such sort of happiness as being unable to be fully assessed by speaking of it (akkhānena pariyosāpetum) made by such a personage as omniscient Buddha Himself; they did not evoke lust (rāga) owing to the condition of their having fully seen well the disadvantage of confections (saṅkhāra); why bother (kimaṅgaṃ), however, over the strands of sensual pleasure pertaining to human-beings, resembling a heap of dung.
Ye ca kho bālā means: those who, however are foolish because of being urged by folly; dummedhā means: foolish owing to the absence of wisdom which constitutes the essence of truth (dhamma); dummanti means: bad thinker because of thinking bad thoughts owing to his continually perceiving pleasant phenomenon in an unpleasant thing (asubhe); mohapārutā means: wrapped up by delusion owing to the condition of the mind having been covered in all respects by deluded absence of knowledge; tādisā means: such blind common folks as that form (rūpa); tattha means: in that perception of woman (itthisaññita); mārakhittamhi bandhane means: in the snare of Māra set by Māra; rajjanti means: they remain (tiṭṭhanti) clung, coveted (giddhā), enslaved (gadhitā), infatuated (mucchitā) and absorbed (ajjhopañña) by lust (rāga).
Virājitā means: thus: yesaṃ means; to the cankerfree Arahants; however, rāgo means: lust which has the nature of difficulty of escape resembling the paint (rāga) of oil ointment; doso means: anger which has the nature of being offensive (dussana) as and when opportunity has been gained similar to being hostile (sapatto); avijjā ca means: absence of knowledge by nature; virājitā means: have been forsaken and well cut off in all respects by the detachment (virāga) of the noble (ariya) path (magga); chinna means: cut by the knife of foremost path (magga) like that; sutta means strings connecting existences; abandhanā tattha means: not being bound there, consequently even, owing to absence of bondage but any and everywhere whatsoever; na rajjanti means: they are not attached to that snare of Māra, according as has been said. In this manner, the thera taught the truth (dhamma) to that lady and went away.
The Commentary on the stanza of the thera Nandaka is complete.