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Sutta Nipāta 1.12 Sutta Nipāta 1.12Anthology of Discourses 1.12
Munisutta The SageThe Sage
Santhavāto bhayaṁ jātaṁ, Danger is born from intimacy,1The Sutta Nipāta commentary glosses the dangers of intimacy as craving and views.Peril stems from intimacy,
niketā jāyate rajo; a home gives birth to dust.2The commentary glosses “dust” as passion, aversion, and delusion.dust comes from an abode.
Aniketamasanthavaṁ, Free from a home, free from intimacy:Freedom from abode and intimacy:
etaṁ ve munidassanaṁ. Such is the vision of the sage.3This verse is quoted in the Milindapañha. The poem as a whole appears to be the same Munigāthā mentioned in King Asoka’s Calcutta-Bairāṭ edict.that is the sage’s vision.
Yo jātamucchijja na ropayeyya, Who, destroying what’s born, wouldn’t plant (again)Having cut down what’s grown, they wouldn’t replant,
Jāyantamassa nānuppavecche; or nourish what’s taking birth:nor would they nurture what’s growing.
Tamāhu ekaṁ muninaṁ carantaṁ, They call him the wandering, solitary sage.That’s who they call a sage wandering alone,
Addakkhi so santipadaṁ mahesi. He, the great seer, has seen the state of peace.the great seer has seen the state of peace.
Saṅkhāya vatthūni pamāya bījaṁ, Considering the ground, crushing the seed,Having appraised the fields and measured the seeds, Taking pamāya as an absolutive of pamiṇāti per Snp 4.12:17.1, against the commentary’s sense of “crushed” (Sanskrit: pramṛṇati).
Sinehamassa nānuppavecche; he wouldn’t nourish the sap4The commentary explains “ground,” “seed,” and “sap” as follows: the aggregates, sense media, and properties form the ground in which the seed of constructive consciousness grows—the consciousness that develops into states of being and birth (compare SN 22:53-55). The sap of that seed is craving and views.they wouldn’t nurture them with moisture.
Sa ve munī jātikhayantadassī, —truly a sage— seer of the ending of birth,Truly that sage who sees the ending of rebirth
Takkaṁ pahāya na upeti saṅkhaṁ. abandoning conjecture, he cannot be classified.has left speculation behind and is beyond reckoning. Compare the stock idiom Saṅkhampi na upeti at eg. SN 20.2:1.7; also Snp 5.7:6.3.
Aññāya sabbāni nivesanāni, Knowing all dwellings,5The commentary glosses “dwellings” (nivesanāni) as states of becoming and birth; the term can also be rendered “entrenchments.” See Sn 4:3, note 2.Understanding all the planes of rebirth,
Anikāmayaṁ aññatarampi tesaṁ; not longing for any one anywherenot wanting a single one of them;
Sa ve munī vītagedho agiddho, —truly a sage— with no coveting, without greed,truly that sage freed of greed
Nāyūhatī pāragato hi hoti. he does not build,6 for he has gone beyond.The commentary explains “he does not build” as meaning he performs none of the good or bad deeds that give rise to further states of becoming and birth. See Dhp 39, 267, and 412.need not swim, for they have reached the far shore.
Sabbābhibhuṁ sabbaviduṁ sumedhaṁ, Conquering all, knowing all, wise,The vanquisher of all, knower of all, so very intelligent,
Sabbesu dhammesu anūpalittaṁ; with regard to all things: unsmeared,unsullied in the midst of all things,
Sabbañjahaṁ taṇhakkhaye vimuttaṁ, abandoning all, in the ending of craving, released:has given up all, freed in the ending of craving:
Taṁ vāpi dhīrā muni vedayanti. The enlightened call him a sage.that’s who the attentive know as a sage.
Paññābalaṁ sīlavatūpapannaṁ, With discernment his strength, well-endowed in habit & practice,Strong in wisdom, with precepts and observances intact,
Samāhitaṁ jhānarataṁ satīmaṁ; centered, delighting in jhāna, mindful,serene, loving absorption, mindful,
Saṅgā pamuttaṁ akhilaṁ anāsavaṁ, released from attachments, free from rigidity, free from effluent7:Effluent (āsava) refers to sensual desire, states of becoming, or ignorance—qualities that “flow out” of the mind and defile it. A fourth quality, views, is sometimes added, connecting these with the four floods (ogha), which are identical to the four yokes. See AN 4:10.released from chains, kind, undefiled:
Taṁ vāpi dhīrā muni vedayanti. The enlightened call him a sage.that’s who the attentive know as a sage.
Ekaṁ carantaṁ munimappamattaṁ, The solitary wandering sage, uncomplacent,The diligent sage wandering alone,
Nindāpasaṁsāsu avedhamānaṁ; unshaken by praise or blame—is unshaken by blame and praise—
Sīhaṁva saddesu asantasantaṁ, unstartled, like a lion at sounds,like a lion not startled by sounds,
Vātaṁva jālamhi asajjamānaṁ; uncaught, like the wind in a net,like wind not caught in a net,
Padmaṁva toyena alippamānaṁ, unsmeared, like a lotus in water,8See Sn 1:3.like water not sticking to a lotus.
Netāramaññesamanaññaneyyaṁ; leader of others, by others unled:Leader of others, not by others led:
Taṁ vāpi dhīrā muni vedayanti. The enlightened call him a sage.that’s who the attentive know as a sage.
Yo ogahaṇe thambhorivābhijāyati, Who becomes like the pillar at a bathing ford,9Cv V.1 describes the pillar at a bathing ford as an immovable post, buried deep and standing tall near a bathing place, against which young villagers and boxers would rub their bodies to toughen them. The commentary explains the “extremes” others speak as extremes of praise and criticism, which leave the sage as unmoved as the pillar.Steady as a post in a bathing-place
Yasmiṁ pare vācāpariyantaṁ vadanti; when others speak in extremes;when others speak endlessly against them,
Taṁ vītarāgaṁ susamāhitindriyaṁ, he, without passion, his senses well-centered:freed of greed, with senses stilled:
Taṁ vāpi dhīrā muni vedayanti. The enlightened call him a sage.that’s who the attentive know as a sage.
Yo ve ṭhitatto tasaraṁva ujju, Truly poised, straight as a shuttle,10The commentary glosses “straight as a shuttle” as having a mind unprejudiced by desire, aversion, delusion, or fear. See AN 4:19.Steadfast, straight as a spindle,
Jigucchati kammehi pāpakehi; he loathes evil actions.horrified by wicked deeds,
Vīmaṁsamāno visamaṁ samañca, Pondering what is consonant & discordant11:“Consonant” and “discordant” (sama and visama) draw on musical terminology used across ancient cultures to describe moral quality: discordant intervals or poorly tuned instruments as metaphors for evil, harmonious ones for good. In Pali, sama (“even”) described an on-pitch instrument—AN 6:55 has the Buddha telling Ven. Soṇa Kolivisa that a lute sounds right only when its strings are evenly tuned, an image resonant with the middle way. The term samaṇa (monk/contemplative) is traditionally derived from this same root sama, and sāmañña (“evenness”) also means the quality of being a contemplative—one always in tune with what is proper. See also DN 2, MN 61, MN 97. Nd II, commenting on Sn 4:2, equates discordant conduct with the ten kinds of misconduct described in MN 41.discerning the just and the unjust:
Taṁ vāpi dhīrā muni vedayanti. The enlightened call him a sage.that’s who the attentive know as a sage.
Yo saññatatto na karoti pāpaṁ, Restrained in mind, he does no evil.Restrained, they do no evil,
Daharo majjhimo ca muni yatatto; Young & middle-aged, the sage self-controlled,young or middle-aged, the sage is self-controlled.
Arosaneyyo na so roseti kañci, never angered, he angers none:Irreproachable, he does not insult anyone:
Taṁ vāpi dhīrā muni vedayanti. The enlightened call him a sage.that’s who the attentive know as a sage.
Yadaggato majjhato sesato vā, From the best, the middling, the leftovers,When one who lives on charity receives alms,
Piṇḍaṁ labhetha paradattūpajīvī; he receives alms, sustaining himself on what others give,from the top, the middle, or the leftovers,
Nālaṁ thutuṁ nopi nipaccavādī, neither flattering nor speaking disparagement:they think it unworthy to praise or put down:
Taṁ vāpi dhīrā muni vedayanti. The enlightened call him a sage.that’s who the attentive know as a sage.
Muniṁ carantaṁ virataṁ methunasmā, The wandering sage abstaining from sex,The sage lives refraining from sex,
Yo yobbane nopanibajjhate kvaci; in youth bound by no one,even when young is not tied down,
Madappamādā virataṁ vippamuttaṁ, abstaining from intoxication12 & complacency, totally apart:The three intoxications are intoxication with youth, with good health, and with life. See AN 3:39.refraining from indulgence and negligence, freed:
Taṁ vāpi dhīrā muni vedayanti. The enlightened call him a sage.that’s who the attentive know as a sage.
Aññāya lokaṁ paramatthadassiṁ, Knowing the world, seeing the highest goal,Understanding the world, the seer of the ultimate goal,
Oghaṁ samuddaṁ atitariya tādiṁ; crossing the ocean,13 the flood,14 —Such15—The commentary glosses “ocean” as the way defilement splashes into undesirable destinations, and “flood” as the flow of defilement—sensuality, becoming, views, and ignorance (see SN 45:171). “Such” (tādiṁ) describes one who is unchanging and unaffected by anything, while at the same time undefined.the unaffected one, having crossed the flood and the ocean,
Taṁ chinnaganthaṁ asitaṁ anāsavaṁ, his chains broken, unattached, without effluent:has cut the ties, unattached and undefiled:
Taṁ vāpi dhīrā muni vedayanti. The enlightened call him a sage.that’s who the attentive know as a sage.
Asamā ubho dūravihāravuttino, These two are different, they dwell far apart:The two are not the same, far apart in lifestyle and conduct—
Gihī dāraposī amamo ca subbato; the householder supporting a wife and the unselfish one, of good practices.the householder providing for a wife, and the selfless one true to their vows.
Parapāṇarodhāya gihī asaññato, Slaying other beings, the householder is unrestrained.The unrestrained householder kills other creatures,
Niccaṁ munī rakkhati pāṇine yato. Constantly the sage protects other beings, is controlled.while the restrained sage always protects living creatures.
Sikhī yathā nīlagīvo vihaṅgamo, Just as the crested, blue-necked peacock,As the crested blue-necked peacock flying through the sky
Haṁsassa nopeti javaṁ kudācanaṁ; when flying, never matches the wild goose in speed,never approaches the speed of the swan,
Evaṁ gihī nānukaroti bhikkhuno, even so the householder never keeps up with the monk—so the householder cannot compete with the mendicant,
Munino vivittassa vanamhi jhāyatoti. the sage secluded in the forest, doing jhāna.the sage meditating secluded in the woods.
Munisuttaṁ dvādasamaṁ. The Discourse on the Sage, the twelfth.
Uragavaggo paṭhamo. The first chapter: The Serpent.
Tassuddānaṁ Its summary:
Urago dhaniyo ceva, The Serpent, and Dhaniya,
visāṇañca tathā kasi; the Rhinoceros Horn, and Kasi Bhāradvāja,
Cundo parābhavo ceva, Cunda, and Decline,
vasalo mettabhāvanā. the Outcaste, and the Development of Goodwill.
Sātāgiro āḷavako, Sātāgira, and Āḷavaka,
Vijayo ca tathā muni; Victory, and the Sage:
Dvādasetāni suttāni, These twelve suttas
Uragavaggoti vuccatīti. are called the Uraga Chapter.See also: AN 3:123; Dhp 268-269; Iti 66-67; Sn 3:11.