Other Translations: Deutsch
From: , ,
Sutta Nipāta 3.8 Sutta Nipāta 3.8Anthology of Discourses 3.8
Sallasutta The ArrowThe Dart
Animittamanaññātaṁ, Without sign, unknownUnforeseen and unknown A nimitta is a sign or portent, and is commonly used in the context of omens, prophecy, or fortune-telling. Here it means that there is no portent or omen by which one can predict the extent of life.
maccānaṁ idha jīvitaṁ; —the life here of mortals—is the extent of this mortal life—
Kasirañca parittañca, difficult, short,hard and short
tañca dukkhena saṁyutaṁ. tied up with pain.and bound to pain.
Na hi so upakkamo atthi, For there’s no wayThere is no way that
yena jātā na miyyare; by which those who are born will not die.those born will not die.
Jarampi patvā maraṇaṁ, Beings are subject to deathOn reaching old age death follows:
evaṁdhammā hi pāṇino. even when they attain old age.such is the nature of living creatures.
Phalānamiva pakkānaṁ, Like ripe fruitsAs ripe fruit
pāto patanato bhayaṁ; whose downfall, whose danger is falling,are always in danger of falling, Accepting niccaṁ per Norman and Bodhi.
Evaṁ jātāna maccānaṁ, so for mortals, once born,so mortals once born
niccaṁ maraṇato bhayaṁ. the constant danger is death.are always in danger of death.
Yathāpi kumbhakārassa, As clay vessels made by a potterAs clay pots
katā mattikabhājanā; all end up broken,made by a potter
Sabbe bhedanapariyantā, so too lifeall end up being broken,
evaṁ maccāna jīvitaṁ. heads to death.1See the verse at the end of DN 16, part III.so is the life of mortals.
Daharā ca mahantā ca, Young & oldYoung and old,
ye bālā ye ca paṇḍitā; wise & foolish:foolish and wise—
Sabbe maccuvasaṁ yanti, All come under the sway of death;all go under the sway of death;
sabbe maccuparāyaṇā. all have death as their end.all are destined to die.
Tesaṁ maccuparetānaṁ, For those overcome by death,When those overcome by death
gacchataṁ paralokato; gone to the other world,leave this world for the next,
Na pitā tāyate puttaṁ, father cannot shelter son,a father cannot protect his son,
ñātī vā pana ñātake. nor relatives a relative.nor relatives their kin.
Pekkhataṁyeva ñātīnaṁ, See: Even while relatives are looking on,See how, while relatives look on,
passa lālapataṁ puthu; wailing heavily,wailing profusely,
Ekamekova maccānaṁ, mortals are one by one,mortals are led away one by one,
govajjho viya nīyati. led away, like cows to the slaughter.like a cow to the slaughter.
Evamabbhāhato loko, In this way is the world afflictedAnd so the world is stricken
Maccunā ca jarāya ca; with death & aging,by old age and by death.
Tasmā dhīrā na socanti, and so the enlightened don’t grieve,That is why the attentive do not grieve,
Viditvā lokapariyāyaṁ. knowing the way of the world.for they understand the way of the world.
Yassa maggaṁ na jānāsi, You don’t know the pathFor one whose path you do not know—
āgatassa gatassa vā; of his coming or going:not whence they came nor where they went—
Ubho ante asampassaṁ, seeing neither end,you lament in vain,
niratthaṁ paridevasi. you lament in vain.2See Thig 6:1.seeing neither end.
Paridevayamāno ce, If, by lamenting,If a bewildered person,
Kiñcidatthaṁ udabbahe; —confused, harming yourself—lamenting and self-harming,
Sammūḷho hiṁsamattānaṁ, any use could be gainedcould extract any good from that,
Kayirā ce naṁ vicakkhaṇo. the prudent would do it as well.then those who see clearly would do the same.
Na hi ruṇṇena sokena, But not by weeping & griefFor not by weeping and wailing
Santiṁ pappoti cetaso; do you gain peace of awareness.will you find peace of heart.
Bhiyyassuppajjate dukkhaṁ, Pain arises all the more.It just gives rise to more suffering,
Sarīraṁ cupahaññati. Your body is harmed.and distresses your body.
Kiso vivaṇṇo bhavati, You grow thin,Growing thin and pale,
Hiṁsamattānamattanā; pale, harming yourself by yourself.you hurt yourself.
Na tena petā pālenti, Not in that way are the dead protected.It does nothing to help the dead:
Niratthā paridevanā. Lamentation’s in vain.your lamentation is in vain.
Sokamappajahaṁ jantu, Not abandoning grief, a personUnless a personage gives up grief,
Bhiyyo dukkhaṁ nigacchati; suffers all the more pain.they fall into suffering all the more.
Anutthunanto kālaṅkataṁ, Bewailing one whose time is done,Bewailing those whose time has come,
Sokassa vasamanvagū. you fall under the sway of grief.you fall under the sway of grief.
Aññepi passa gamine, Look at others going along,See, too, other folk departing,
Yathākammupage nare; people arriving in line with their actions:passing on according to their deeds;
Maccuno vasamāgamma, falling under the sway of death,fallen under the sway of death,
Phandantevidha pāṇino. beings simply shivering here.beings flounder while still here.
Yena yena hi maññanti, For however they imagine it,For however they imagine it,
Tato taṁ hoti aññathā; it always turns out other than that.it turns out to be something else.
Etādiso vinābhāvo, That’s the type of (their) separation.Such is separation:
Passa lokassa pariyāyaṁ. See the way of the world.see the way of the world!
Api vassasataṁ jīve, Even if a person lives a centuryEven if a human lives
Bhiyyo vā pana māṇavo; —or more—a hundred years or more,
Ñātisaṅghā vinā hoti, he’s parted from his community of relatives,they are parted from their family circle,
Jahāti idha jīvitaṁ. he abandons his life right here.they leave this life behind.
Tasmā arahato sutvā, So, having heard the arahant,Therefore, having learned from the Perfected One,
Vineyya paridevitaṁ; subduing lamentation,dispel lamentation.
Petaṁ kālaṅkataṁ disvā, seeing the dead one whose time is done,Seeing the dead and departed, think:
Neso labbhā mayā iti. [think,] “I can’t fetch him back.”3These lines can also be read as an imperative: “So, having heard the arahant, subdue lamentation; seeing the dead one whose time is done, [and thinking,] ‘I can’t fetch him back.’”“I cannot escape this.” The commentary says this means, “I cannot bring back the dead”, which is followed by Norman and Bodhi. But I think the text elides a second negative and should read: na eso alabbhā, literally “This is not not-to-be-gotten by me”, i.e. “I cannot escape this”.
Yathā saraṇamādittaṁ, Just as one would put out a burning refugeAs one would extinguish
Vārinā parinibbaye; with water,a blazing refuge with water,
Evampi dhīro sapañño, so does the enlightened one—discerning,so too an attentive one—a wise,
Paṇḍito kusalo naro; skillful, & wise—astute, and skilled person—
Khippamuppatitaṁ sokaṁ, blow away any arisen grief,would swiftly blow away grief that comes up,
Vāto tūlaṁva dhaṁsaye. like the wind, a bit of cotton fluff.like the wind a tuft of cotton.
Paridevaṁ pajappañca, Your own lamentation & longing,One who seeks their own happiness
Domanassañca attano; & your own sorrow;would pluck out the dart from themselves—
Attano sukhamesāno, seeking your own happiness,the wailing and praying,
Abbahe sallamattano. you should pull out your own arrow.4These lines can also be construed with the previous verse, so that it is the enlightened one’s own lamentation, longing, & sorrow that get blown away like cotton fluff, leaving this verse to read simply: “Seeking your own happiness, you should pull out your own arrow.”and sadness inside.
Abbūḷhasallo asito, With arrow pulled out, independent,With dart plucked out, unattached,
santiṁ pappuyya cetaso; attaining peace of awareness,having found peace of mind,
Sabbasokaṁ atikkanto, all grief transcended,overcoming all sorrow,
asoko hoti nibbutoti. griefless you are, unbound.one is sorrowless and quenched.
Sallasuttaṁ aṭṭhamaṁ. The Arrow Sutta, the eighth.vv. 574–593. See also: MN 82; MN 87; SN 21:2; SN 36:6; SN 47:13; AN 5:49; Ud 8:8; Thig 3:5; Thig 6:1.