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Sutta NipÄta 4.6 Sutta NipÄta 4.6Anthology of Discourses 4.6
JarÄsutta Old AgeOld Age
Appaį¹ vata jÄ«vitaį¹ idaį¹, How short this life!Short, alas, is this life;
Oraį¹ vassasatÄpi miyyati; You die this side of a century,you die before a hundred years.
Yo cepi aticca jīvati, but even if you live past,Even if you live a little longer,
Atha kho so jarasÄpi miyyati. you die of old age.you still die of old age.
Socanti janÄ mamÄyite, People grieve for what they see as mine,People grieve over belongings,
Na hi santi niccÄ pariggahÄ; for nothing possessed is constant, nothing is constantly possessed.āNothing possessed is constant, nothing is constantly possessedāātwo readings of the phrase, na hi santi niccÄ pariggahÄ.yet there is no such thing as permanent possessions.
VinÄbhÄvasantamevidaį¹, Seeing this separation simply as it is,Separation is a fact of life; when you see this,
Iti disvÄ nÄgÄramÄvase. one shouldnāt follow the household life.you wouldnāt stay living at home.
Maraį¹enapi taį¹ pahÄ«yati, At death a person abandonsWhatever a person thinks of as belonging to them,
Yaį¹ puriso mamidanti maƱƱati; what he supposes as mine.that too is given up when they die.
Etampi viditvÄ paį¹įøito, Realizing this, the wiseKnowing this, an astute follower of mine
Na mamattÄya nametha mÄmako. shouldnāt incline to be devoted to mine-ness.would not be bent on ownership. Namati is usually rendered with āinclineā but I feel something stronger is meant here.
Supinena yathÄpi saį¹
gataį¹, what he met in a dream,Just as, upon awakening, a person does not see
Paį¹ibuddho puriso na passati; Just as a man doesnāt see on awakening,what they encountered in a dream;
Evampi piyÄyitaį¹ janaį¹, even so, those he held dear,so too you do not see your loved ones
Petaį¹ kÄlaį¹
kataį¹ na passati. he doesnāt see when they are dead ātheir time doneā.when they are dead and gone.
Diį¹į¹hÄpi sutÄpi te janÄ, When they are seen & heard,You used to see and hear those folk,
Yesaį¹ nÄmamidaį¹ pavuccati; people are called by this name or that,and call them by their name.
NÄmaį¹yevÄvasissati, but only the name remainsYet the name is all thatās left to tell
Akkheyyaį¹ petassa jantuno. to be pointed to when they are dead.of a personage when theyāre gone.
Sokapparidevamaccharaį¹, Grief, lamentation, & selfishnessThose who are greedy for belongings
Na jahanti giddhÄ mamÄyite; are not let go by those greedy for mine,donāt give up sorrow, lamentation, and stinginess.
TasmÄ munayo pariggahaį¹, so sages, letting go of possessions,Thatās why the sages, seers of sanctuary, The historical past tense here is unusual. It seems to be an allusion to legendary hermits of the past.
HitvÄ acariį¹su khemadassino. go about seeing the Secure.left possessions behind and wandered.
Patilīnacarassa bhikkhuno, A monk, living withdrawn,For a mendicant who lives withdrawn,
BhajamÄnassa vivittamÄsanaį¹; enjoying a dwelling secluded:frequenting a secluded seat,
SÄmaggiyamÄhu tassa taį¹, They say itās congenial for him,they say itās fitting
Yo attÄnaį¹ bhavane na dassaye. he who wouldnāt, in any realm, display self.to not show themselves in a home.
Sabbattha munī anissito, Everywhere the sage independentThe sage is independent everywhere,
Na piyaį¹ kubbati nopi appiyaį¹; makes nothing dear or undear.they donāt form likes or dislikes.
Tasmiį¹ paridevamaccharaį¹, In him lamentation & selfishness,Lamentation and stinginess
Paį¹į¹e vÄri yathÄ na limpati. like water on a white lotus, do not adhere.slip off them like water from a leaf.
Udabindu yathÄpi pokkhare, As a water bead on a lotus leaf,Like a droplet slips from a lotus-leaf,
Padume vÄri yathÄ na limpati; as water on a red lily, doesnāt adhere,like water from a lotus flower;
Evaį¹ muni nopalimpati, so the sage doesnāt adherethe sage doesnāt cling to that
Yadidaį¹ diį¹į¹hasutaį¹ mutesu vÄ. to the seen, the heard, or the sensed;which is seen or heard or thought.
Dhono na hi tena maƱƱati, for, cleansed, he doesnāt supposeFor the one who is cleansed does not conceive
Yadidaį¹ diį¹į¹hasutaį¹ mutesu vÄ; in connection with the seen, the heard, or the sensed.in terms of things seen, heard, or thought.
NÄƱƱena visuddhimicchati, In no other way does he wish for purity,They do not wish to be purified by another;
Na hi so rajjati no virajjatÄ«ti. for he neither takes on passion nor puts it away.Nd I: An arahant has put passion totally away once and for all, and so has no need to do it ever again.they are neither passionate nor growing dispassioned. In the suttas, virajjati is a stock term in the process of liberation. It follows nibbidÄ (ādisenchantmentā) and precedes vimutti (āfreedomā). Being free, the arahant has gone beyond this stage.
JarÄsuttaį¹ chaį¹į¹haį¹. Old Age, the sixth.vv. 804ā813. See also: SN 21:2; AN 4:184; Dhp 21; Sn 5:16.