Aṇguttara Nikāya
Chakka-Nipāta
II: Sārāṇīya-Vagga
The Book of the Gradual Sayings
The Book of the Sixes
Chapter II: Be Considerate
Sutta 16
Nakula-Pitu Suttaṃ
Nakula's Parents
Translated from the Pali by E.M. Hare.
Copyright The Pali Text Society
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Once, while the Exalted One was dwelling among the Bhaggis on Crocodile Hill
in the Deer Park at Bhesakaḷā [212] Grove,
the goodman of the house,
Nakula's father,[1] lay sick sad ailing,
grievously ill.
Now his dame, Nakula's mother,[2] spoke thus to him:
'I prithee, goodman, die not fretfully;[3]
ill is the fate of the fretful;
decried by the Exalted One
is the fate of the fretful.
■
Maybe, goodman, you think:
"Alas, when I am gone,
the goodwife, Nakula's mother,
will not be able[4] to support the children,
nor keep the household together!"[5]
But think not so, goodman;
for I am deft at spinning cotton,
at carding[6] the matted wool;
and I can support the children,
keep the household,
after you have gone.
Wherefore, goodman,
die not fretfully;
ill is the fate of the fretful;
decried by the Exalted One
is the fate of the fretful.
■
Or maybe you think:
"The goodwife, when I am gone,
will go to another man!"[7]
But think not so, goodman;
for you and I know
how for sixteen years
we have lived, as housefolk,
the godly life.[8]
Wherefore, goodman,
die not fretfully;
ill is the fate of the fretful;
decried by the Exalted One
is the fate of the fretful.
■
Or maybe you think:
"The goodwife, after I am gone,
will have no desire to see the Exalted One,
no desire to see the monks of the Order!"
But think not so, goodman;
for, verily, when you are gone,
greater shall be my desire to see the Exalted One
greater shall be my desire to see the Order.[9]
Wherefore, goodman,
die not fretfully;
ill is the fate of the fretful;
decried by the Exalted One
is the fate of the fretful.
■
Or maybe you think:
"The goodwife, after I am gone,
will not keep the virtues in full!"
But thlnk not so, goodman;
[213] so long as the Exalted One shall have white-robed women lay-diaciples,
folk with homes,
who keep the virtues in full,
I shall be one of them;
and if any shall doubt or deny it,
let him go and ask the Exalted One,
that Exalted One,
arahant,
fully enlightened,
who dwells here among the Bhaggis
on Crocodile Hill
in the Deer Park at Bhesakaḷā Grove.
Wherefore, goodman,
die not fretfully;
ill is the fate of the fretful;
decried by the Exalted One
is the fate of the fretful.
■
Or maybe you think:
"The goodwife, will not gain the calm of heart within herself!"
But think not so, goodman;
for so long as the Exalted One shall have white-robed women lay-disciples
who gain the calm of heart within,
I shall be one of them;
and if any shall doubt or deny it,
let him go and ask the Exalted One,
that Exalted One,
arahant,
fully enlightened,
who dwells here among the Bhaggis
on Crocodile Hill
in the Deer Park at Bhesakaḷā Grove.
Wherefore, goodman,
die not fretfully;
ill is the fate of the fretful;
decried by the Exalted One
is the fate of the fretful.
■
Or maybe you think:
"The goodwife, Nakula's mother,
will not, in this Dhamma and discipline,
win to the firm ground,[10]
win a firm foothold,[11]
win comfort,
dissolve doubt,
be freed of uncertainty,
win confidence,
become self-reliant,[12]
live in the Teacher's word!"
But think not so, goodman;
for so long as the Exalted One shall have white-robed women lay-disciples,
folk with homes,
who, in this Dhamma and discipline,
win to the firm ground,
win a firm foothold,
win comfort,
dissolve doubt,
become freed of uncertainty,
win confidence,
become self-reliant
and live in the Teacher's word,
I shall be one of them;
and if any shall doubt or deny it,
let him go and ask the Exalted One,
that Exalted One,
arahant,
fully enlightened,
who dwells here among the Bhaggis
on Crocodile Hill
in the Deer Park at Bhesakaḷā Grove.
Wherefore, goodman,
die not fretfully;
ill is the fate of the fretful;
decried by the Exalted One
is the fate of the fretful.
§
Now while the goodman was being counselled with this counsel
by Nakula's mother,
even as he lay there,[13]
his sickness subsided;
and Nakula's father arose from that sickness.
And thus that sickness was laid aside by the goodman of the house.
§
[214] Now, not long after he had got up, Nakula's father,
on a stick,
visited the Exalted Ohe,
saluted him,
and sat down at one side.
And to him, thus seated, the Exalted One said this:
'It has been to your gain, goodman,
you have greatly gained, goodman,
in having had the goodwife, Nakula's mother,
full of compassion,
and desiring (your) weal,
as a cousellor,
as a teacher.
Verily, so long as I have white-robed women lay-disciples,
folk with homes,
who keep the virtues in full,
the goodwife, Nakula's mother,
will be one of them;
■
verily, so long as I have white-robed women lay-disciples,
folk with homes,
who gain the calm of heart within the self,
the goodwife, Nakula's mother,
will be one of them;
■
verily, so long as I have white-robed women lay-disciples,
folk with homes,
who, in this Dhamma and discipline,
win a firm foothold,
win comfort,
dissolve doubt,
become freed of uncertainty,
win confidence,
become self-reliant
and live in the Teacher's word,
the goodwife will be one of those.
It has been to your gain, goodman,
you have greatly gained, goodman,
in having had the goodwife, Nakula's mother,
full of compassion,
and desiring (your) weal,
as a cousellor,
as a teacher.
[1] Cf. K.S. iii, 1; G.S. i, 24; AA. i, 400.
[2] G.S. i, 25; AA. i, 457; A. iv, 268.
[3] Sāpekho. Comy. sa-taṇho.
[4] Comy. reads sakkhati, S.e. -issati.
[5] Santharituṃ, to spread; but here the Comy. nicchiddaṃ kātuṃ, saṇṭhapetuṃ, pavattetun-ti attho. P.E.D. omits nicchiddaṃ.
[6] Veṇiṃ olikhituṃ. Comy. eḷaka-lomāni kappetvā, vijaṭetvā, veṇiṃ kātuṃ.
[7] The text reads gharaṃ, but we should read, with v.l., S.e. and Comy., vīraṃ.
[8] Brahma-cariya. Cf. above, p. 159, n. 2.
[9] Comy. observes that with these three items 'she roared her lion-roar'; but as to the last three she called the B. to witness.
[10] Ogādha-ppattā. Comy. ogādhaṃ anupavesaṃ pattā; cf. UdA. 345.
[11] Paṭigādha-. Comy. ... patiṭṭhaṃ pattā.
[12] This is stock; D. i, 110; Vin. i, 12; Ud. 49.
[13] Ṭhānaso.
