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Thag 6.141 min read

Sabbakāmi

Sabbakāmittheragāthā

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

  • 0.1Theragāthā 6.14Verses of the Senior Monks 6.14
  • 0.2ChakkanipātaThe Book of the Sixes
  • 0.3PaṭhamavaggaChapter One

0.4SabbakāmittheragāthāSabbakāmi

1.1“Dvipādakoyaṁ asuci,This two-legged body is dirty and stinking,1.2duggandho parihīrati;full of different carcasses,1.3Nānākuṇapaparipūro,and oozing all over the place—1.4vissavanto tato tato.but still it is cherished!

2.1Migaṁ nilīnaṁ kūṭena,Like a lurking deer by a trick,2.2baḷiseneva ambujaṁ;like a fish by a hook,2.3Vānaraṁ viya lepena,like a langur by tar—12.4bādhayanti puthujjanaṁ.they trap an ordinary person.

3.1Rūpā saddā rasā gandhā,Sights, sounds, tastes, smells,3.2phoṭṭhabbā ca manoramā;and touches so delightful:3.3Pañca kāmaguṇā ete,these five kinds of sensual stimulation3.4itthirūpasmi dissare.are seen in a woman’s body.

4.1Ye etā upasevanti,Those ordinary people, their minds full of lust,4.2rattacittā puthujjanā;who pursue those women:4.3Vaḍḍhenti kaṭasiṁ ghoraṁ,they swell the horrors of the charnel ground,4.4ācinanti punabbhavaṁ.piling up future lives.

5.1Yo cetā parivajjeti,One who, being mindful,5.2sappasseva padā siro;avoids them5.3Somaṁ visattikaṁ loke,like a snake’s head with their foot,5.4sato samativattati.gets over clinging to the world.

6.1Kāmesvādīnavaṁ disvā,Seeing the danger in sensual pleasures,6.2nekkhammaṁ daṭṭhu khemato;seeing renunciation as sanctuary,6.3Nissaṭo sabbakāmehi,I’ve escaped all sensual pleasures,6.4patto me āsavakkhayo”ti.and attained the ending of defilements.

6.5… Sabbakāmitthero ….

6.6Chakkanipāto niṭṭhito.

7.0Tatruddānaṁ

7.1Uruveḷakassapo ca,7.2thero tekicchakāri ca;7.3Mahānāgo ca kullo ca,7.4mālukyo sappadāsako;7.5Kātiyāno migajālo,7.6jento sumanasavhayo;7.7Nhātamuni brahmadatto,7.8sirimaṇḍo sabbakāmī ca;7.9Gāthāyo caturāsīti,7.10therā cettha catuddasāti.

Translator’s notes

  1. The vānara is a type of human-like monkey often identified with the langur. See Ja 57.

    ↩ thag6.14:2.3