Piyajātikasutta

Majjhima Nikāya 87

Born From the Beloved · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral

Parallels & more translations on SuttaCentral

Glosses: Fluent · Literal · Off
Translation: Hide · Show

Tap any word for its dictionary entry.

“mallikā, bho gotama, devī bhoto gotamassa pāde sirasā vandati; appābādhaṁ appātaṅkaṁ lahuṭṭhānaṁ balaṁ phāsuvihāraṁ pucchati;
evañca vadeti:
‘bhāsitā nu kho, bhante, bhagavatā esā vācā—
piyajātikā sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsā piyappabhavikā’”ti.

“Worthy Gotama, Queen Mallikā bows with her head to your feet. She asks if you are healthy and well, nimble, strong, and living comfortably. And she asks whether the Buddha made this statement: ‘Our loved ones are a source of sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress.’”

“Evametaṁ, brāhmaṇa, evametaṁ, brāhmaṇa.
Piyajātikā hi, brāhmaṇa, sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsā piyappabhavikāti.

“That’s right, brahmin, that’s right! For our loved ones are a source of sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress.

Tadamināpetaṁ, brāhmaṇa, pariyāyena veditabbaṁ yathā piyajātikā sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsā piyappabhavikā.
Bhūtapubbaṁ, brāhmaṇa, imissāyeva sāvatthiyā aññatarissā itthiyā mātā kālamakāsi.
Sā tassā kālakiriyāya ummattikā khittacittā rathikāya rathikaṁ siṅghāṭakena siṅghāṭakaṁ upasaṅkamitvā evamāha:
‘api me mātaraṁ addassatha, api me mātaraṁ addassathā’ti?

And here’s a way to understand how our loved ones are a source of sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress. Once upon a time right here in Sāvatthī a certain woman’s mother passed away. And because of that she went mad and lost her mind. She went from street to street and from square to square saying, ‘Has anyone seen my mother? Has anyone seen my mother?’

Imināpi kho etaṁ, brāhmaṇa, pariyāyena veditabbaṁ yathā piyajātikā sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsā piyappabhavikāti.
Bhūtapubbaṁ, brāhmaṇa, imissāyeva sāvatthiyā aññatarissā itthiyā pitā kālamakāsi …
bhātā kālamakāsi …
bhaginī kālamakāsi …
putto kālamakāsi …
dhītā kālamakāsi …
sāmiko kālamakāsi.
Sā tassa kālakiriyāya ummattikā khittacittā rathikāya rathikaṁ siṅghāṭakena siṅghāṭakaṁ upasaṅkamitvā evamāha:
‘api me sāmikaṁ addassatha, api me sāmikaṁ addassathā’ti?

And here’s another way to understand how our loved ones are a source of sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress. Once upon a time right here in Sāvatthī a certain woman’s father … brother … sister … son … daughter … husband passed away. And because of that she went mad and lost her mind. She went from street to street and from square to square saying, ‘Has anyone seen my husband? Has anyone seen my husband?’

Imināpi kho etaṁ, brāhmaṇa, pariyāyena veditabbaṁ yathā piyajātikā sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsā piyappabhavikāti.
Bhūtapubbaṁ, brāhmaṇa, imissāyeva sāvatthiyā aññatarassa purisassa mātā kālamakāsi.
So tassā kālakiriyāya ummattako khittacitto rathikāya rathikaṁ siṅghāṭakena siṅghāṭakaṁ upasaṅkamitvā evamāha:
‘api me mātaraṁ addassatha, api me mātaraṁ addassathā’ti?
Imināpi kho etaṁ, brāhmaṇa, pariyāyena veditabbaṁ yathā piyajātikā sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsā piyappabhavikāti.
Bhūtapubbaṁ, brāhmaṇa, imissāyeva sāvatthiyā aññatarassa purisassa pitā kālamakāsi …
bhātā kālamakāsi …
bhaginī kālamakāsi …
putto kālamakāsi …
dhītā kālamakāsi …
pajāpati kālamakāsi.
So tassā kālakiriyāya ummattako khittacitto rathikāya rathikaṁ siṅghāṭakena siṅghāṭakaṁ upasaṅkamitvā evamāha:
‘api me pajāpatiṁ addassatha, api me pajāpatiṁ addassathā’ti?
Imināpi kho etaṁ, brāhmaṇa, pariyāyena veditabbaṁ yathā piyajātikā sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsā piyappabhavikāti.

And here’s another way to understand how our loved ones are a source of sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress. Once upon a time right here in Sāvatthī a certain man’s mother … father … brother … sister … son … daughter … wife passed away. And because of that he went mad and lost his mind. He went from street to street and from square to square saying, ‘Has anyone seen my wife? Has anyone seen my wife?’ And here’s another way to understand how our loved ones are a source of sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress.

Bhūtapubbaṁ, brāhmaṇa, imissāyeva sāvatthiyā aññatarā itthī ñātikulaṁ agamāsi.
Tassā te ñātakā sāmikaṁ acchinditvā aññassa dātukāmā.
Sā ca taṁ na icchati.
Atha kho sā itthī sāmikaṁ etadavoca:
‘ime, maṁ, ayyaputta, ñātakā tvaṁ acchinditvā aññassa dātukāmā.
Ahañca taṁ na icchāmī’ti.
Atha kho so puriso taṁ itthiṁ dvidhā chetvā attānaṁ upphālesi:
‘ubho pecca bhavissāmā’ti.
Imināpi kho etaṁ, brāhmaṇa, pariyāyena veditabbaṁ yathā piyajātikā sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsā piyappabhavikā”ti.

Once upon a time right here in Sāvatthī a certain woman went to live with her relative’s family. But her relatives wanted to divorce her from her husband and give her to another, who she didn’t want. So she told her husband about this. But he cut her in two and disemboweled himself, thinking, ‘We shall be together after death.’ That’s another way to understand how our loved ones are a source of sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress.”

Atha kho nāḷijaṅgho brāhmaṇo bhagavato bhāsitaṁ abhinanditvā anumoditvā uṭṭhāyāsanā yena mallikā devī tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā yāvatako ahosi bhagavatā saddhiṁ kathāsallāpo taṁ sabbaṁ mallikāya deviyā ārocesi. Atha kho mallikā devī yena rājā pasenadi kosalo tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā rājānaṁ pasenadiṁ kosalaṁ etadavoca:

Then Nāḷijaṅgha the brahmin, having approved and agreed with what the Buddha said, rose from his seat, went to Queen Mallikā, and told her of all they had discussed. Then Queen Mallikā approached King Pasenadi and said to him,

“Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, mahārāja,
piyā te vajirī kumārī”ti?
“Evaṁ, mallike, piyā me vajirī kumārī”ti.
“Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, mahārāja,
vajiriyā te kumāriyā vipariṇāmaññathābhāvā uppajjeyyuṁ sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsā”ti?
“Vajiriyā me, mallike, kumāriyā vipariṇāmaññathābhāvā jīvitassapi siyā aññathattaṁ, kiṁ pana me na uppajjissanti sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsā”ti?
“Idaṁ kho taṁ, mahārāja, tena bhagavatā jānatā passatā arahatā sammāsambuddhena sandhāya bhāsitaṁ:
‘piyajātikā sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsā piyappabhavikā’ti.

“What do you think, Great King? Do you love Princess Vajirī?” “Indeed I do, Mallikā.” “What do you think, Great King? If she were to decay and perish, would sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress arise in you?” “If she were to decay and perish, my life would fall apart. How could sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress not arise in me?” “This is what the Buddha was referring to when he said: ‘Our loved ones are a source of sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress.’

Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, mahārāja,
piyā te vāsabhā khattiyā”ti?
“Evaṁ, mallike, piyā me vāsabhā khattiyā”ti.
“Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, mahārāja, vāsabhāya te khattiyāya vipariṇāmaññathābhāvā uppajjeyyuṁ sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsā”ti?
“Vāsabhāya me, mallike, khattiyāya vipariṇāmaññathābhāvā jīvitassapi siyā aññathattaṁ, kiṁ pana me na uppajjissanti sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsā”ti?
“Idaṁ kho taṁ, mahārāja, tena bhagavatā jānatā passatā arahatā sammāsambuddhena sandhāya bhāsitaṁ:
‘piyajātikā sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsā piyappabhavikā’ti.

What do you think, Great King? Do you love Queen Vāsabhā? …

Lite mode — plain HTML for e-readers and old browsers. Full version