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With Dhaniya the Cowherd

Dhaniyasutta

A poetic dialogue contrasting the wealth and security of lay life with the wealth and security of a person who has lived the renunciate life to its culmination. If you have trouble relating to someone like Dhaniya who measures his wealth in cattle, then when reading this poem substitute stocks and bonds for cows and bulls, and economic downturn for rain.

Translated by Bhikkhu Sujato · Pāli: Mahāsaṅgīti Tipiṭaka · Public domain (CC0) via SuttaCentral

  • 0.1Sutta Nipāta 1.2Anthology of Discourses 1.2

0.2DhaniyasuttaThe Wealthy Rancher

1.1“Pakkodano duddhakhīrohamasmi,“I’ve boiled my rice and drawn my milk,”11.2(iti dhaniyo gopo)said Dhaniya the rancher,21.3Anutīre mahiyā samānavāso;“I stay with my family along the bank of the Mahī.31.4Channā kuṭi āhito gini,My hut is roofed, my sacred fire kindled:41.5Atha ce patthayasī pavassa deva”.so rain forth, heavens, if you wish.”5

2.1“Akkodhano vigatakhilohamasmi,“I boil not with anger <j>and have drawn out hard-heartedness,”62.2(iti bhagavā)said the Buddha,2.3Anutīre mahiyekarattivāso;“I stay for one night along the bank of the Mahī.2.4Vivaṭā kuṭi nibbuto gini,My hut is wide open, my fire is quenched:72.5Atha ce patthayasī pavassa deva”.so rain forth, heavens, if you wish.”

3.1“Andhakamakasā na vijjare,“No gadflies or mosquitoes are found,”3.2(iti dhaniyo gopo)said Dhaniya,3.3Kacche rūḷhatiṇe caranti gāvo;“cows graze on the lush meadow grass.3.4Vuṭṭhimpi saheyyumāgataṁ,They get by even when the rain comes:3.5Atha ce patthayasī pavassa deva”.so rain forth, heavens, if you wish.”

4.1“Baddhāsi bhisī susaṅkhatā,“I bound a raft and prepared it well,”84.2(iti bhagavā)said the Buddha,94.3Tiṇṇo pāragato vineyya oghaṁ;“and with it I crossed over, went to the far shore, <j>and dispelled the flood.4.4Attho bhisiyā na vijjati,Now I have no need for a raft:4.5Atha ce patthayasī pavassa deva”.so rain forth, heavens, if you wish.”

5.1“Gopī mama assavā alolā,“My wife is obedient, not wanton,”5.2(iti dhaniyo gopo)said Dhaniya,5.3Dīgharattaṁ saṁvāsiyā manāpā;“long have we lived together happily.5.4Tassā na suṇāmi kiñci pāpaṁ,I hear nothing bad about her:5.5Atha ce patthayasī pavassa deva”.so rain forth, heavens, if you wish.”

6.1“Cittaṁ mama assavaṁ vimuttaṁ,“My mind is obedient and freed,”6.2(iti bhagavā)said the Buddha,6.3Dīgharattaṁ paribhāvitaṁ sudantaṁ;“long nurtured and well-tamed.6.4Pāpaṁ pana me na vijjati,Nothing bad is found in me:6.5Atha ce patthayasī pavassa deva”.so rain forth, heavens, if you wish.”

7.1“Attavetanabhatohamasmi,“I am self-employed,”7.2(iti dhaniyo gopo)said Dhaniya,7.3Puttā ca me samāniyā arogā;“and my healthy children likewise.107.4Tesaṁ na suṇāmi kiñci pāpaṁ,I hear nothing bad about them:7.5Atha ce patthayasī pavassa deva”.so rain forth, heavens, if you wish.”

8.1“Nāhaṁ bhatakosmi kassaci,“I am no one’s lackey,”8.2(iti bhagavā)said the Buddha,8.3Nibbiṭṭhena carāmi sabbaloke;“with what I have earned I wander the world.8.4Attho bhatiyā na vijjati,I have no need for wages:8.5Atha ce patthayasī pavassa deva”.so rain forth, heavens, if you wish.”

9.1“Atthi vasā atthi dhenupā,“I have heifers and sucklings,”9.2(iti dhaniyo gopo)said Dhaniya,9.3Godharaṇiyo paveṇiyopi atthi;“cows in calf and breeding cows.9.4Usabhopi gavampatīdha atthi,I’ve also got a bull, captain of the herd here:9.5Atha ce patthayasī pavassa deva”.so rain forth, heavens, if you wish.”

10.1“Natthi vasā natthi dhenupā,“I have no heifers or sucklings,”10.2(iti bhagavā)said the Buddha,10.3Godharaṇiyo paveṇiyopi natthi;“no cows in calf or breeding cows.10.4Usabhopi gavampatīdha natthi,I haven’t got a bull, captain of the herd here:10.5Atha ce patthayasī pavassa deva”.so rain forth, heavens, if you wish.”

11.1“Khilā nikhātā asampavedhī,“The stakes are driven in, unshakable,”11.2(iti dhaniyo gopo)said Dhaniya,11.3Dāmā muñjamayā navā susaṇṭhānā;“The grass halters are new and well-woven,11.4Na hi sakkhinti dhenupāpi chettuṁ,not even the sucklings can break them:11.5Atha ce patthayasī pavassa deva”.so rain forth, heavens, if you wish.”

12.1“Usabhoriva chetva bandhanāni,“Like a bull I broke the bonds,”12.2(iti bhagavā)said the Buddha,12.3Nāgo pūtilataṁva dālayitvā;“like an elephant I snapped the vine.12.4Nāhaṁ punupessaṁ gabbhaseyyaṁ,I will never lie in a womb again:12.5Atha ce patthayasī pavassa deva”.so rain forth, heavens, if you wish.”

13.1Ninnañca thalañca pūrayanto,Right then a vast cloud rained forth,1113.2Mahāmegho pavassi tāvadeva;soaking the uplands and valleys.13.3Sutvā devassa vassato,Hearing the heavens rain down,13.4Imamatthaṁ dhaniyo abhāsatha.Dhaniya said this:

14.1“Lābhā vata no anappakā,“It is no small gain for us14.2Ye mayaṁ bhagavantaṁ addasāma;that we have seen the Buddha.14.3Saraṇaṁ taṁ upema cakkhuma,We come to you for refuge, Clear-eyed One.14.4Satthā no hohi tuvaṁ mahāmuni.O great sage, please be our Teacher.

15.1Gopī ca ahañca assavā,My wife and I, obedient,15.2Brahmacariyaṁ sugate carāmase;shall lead the spiritual life under the Holy One.1215.3Jātimaraṇassa pāragū,Gone beyond birth and death,15.4Dukkhassantakarā bhavāmase”.we shall make an end of suffering.”

16.1“Nandati puttehi puttimā,“Children bring you delight!”16.2(iti māro pāpimā)said Māra the Wicked,16.3Gomā gohi tatheva nandati;“Cattle also bring you delight!16.4Upadhī hi narassa nandanā,For attachments are a man’s delight;16.5Na hi so nandati yo nirūpadhi”.without attachments there’s no delight.”

17.1“Socati puttehi puttimā,“Your children bring you sorrow,”17.2(iti bhagavā)said the Buddha,17.3Gomā gohi tatheva socati;“Your cattle also bring you sorrow.17.4Upadhī hi narassa socanā,For attachments are a man’s sorrow;17.5Na hi so socati yo nirūpadhī”ti.without attachments there are no sorrows.”

17.6Dhaniyasuttaṁ dutiyaṁ.

Translator’s notes

  1. This verse evidently refers to his completion of a daily household (Sanskrit gṛhya) rite involving offering of cooked food (Sanskrit pākayajña), guaranteeing abundant cattle and offspring (Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa 1.8.1.9).

    ↩ snp1.2:1.1

  2. Dhaniya means “wealthy man”, and gopa, while it literally means “cowherd”, here refers to someone who owns and manages a substantial cattle estate, i.e. a “rancher”.

    ↩ snp1.2:1.2

  3. This is the modern Kosi River, known as the “sorrow of Bihar” due to its capricious and dangerous floods. The town of Mahishi near its banks is still subject to flooding.

    ↩ snp1.2:1.3

  4. “My fire kindled” (āhito gini, cf. Sanskrit āhitāgni) refers to one who has set up his fire altar.

    ↩ snp1.2:1.4

  5. Through his offering he invokes the god of thunder and rain (Indra or Pajjuna, Sanskrit Parjanya) to bless the land with life-giving waters (per eg. Atharva Veda 4.15).

    ↩ snp1.2:1.5

  6. The verse first puns pakkodano (“boiled rice”) with akkodhano (“without anger”), then khīra (“milk”) with khila (“hard-heartedness”).

    ↩ snp1.2:2.1

  7. The Buddha directly counters the kindled Vedic fire with Nibbāna as the quenching of the flame.

    ↩ snp1.2:2.4

  8. Compare the “well-prepared” reins at Rig Veda 1.38.12.

    ↩ snp1.2:4.1

  9. Norman points out that this verse is not a proper response to the previous and suggests that a verse has been lost. I agree, but I disagree there is a contradiction in the sense. Rather, the verse tells a story over time. I translate to bring out the meaning.

    ↩ snp1.2:4.2

  10. I’m not convinced by the commentary’s “not separated”. It doesn’t seem to occur in this meaning elsewhere, and lacks a connection with the opening line. Surely the whole verse must be about the children, which requires that there be a comparison made with the first line. The point is, I think, that the children follow the father and have become self-sufficient. This also echoes better with the Buddha’s response.

    ↩ snp1.2:7.3

  11. For all Dhaniya’s offerings, his capricious god deals out life-threatening flood instead of life-giving waters. It is not just that his supposed security turns out to be insecure, but that his religious devotions were misplaced, setting the stage for his conversion.

    ↩ snp1.2:13.1

  12. Norman and Bodhi apparently read the middle form carāmase as imperative, but I take it as the present indicative in the sense of definite future.

    ↩ snp1.2:15.2