Punabbasusutta

Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme. Tena kho pana samayena bhagavā bhikkhū nibbānapaṭisaṁyuttāya dhammiyā kathāya sandasseti samādapeti samuttejeti sampahaṁseti. Te ca bhikkhū aṭṭhiṁ katvā manasi katvā sabbacetasā samannāharitvā ohitasotā dhammaṁ suṇanti. Atha kho punabbasumātā yakkhinī puttake evaṁ tosesi:

At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery. Now at that time the Buddha was educating, encouraging, firing up, and inspiring the mendicants with a Dhamma talk about extinguishment. And those mendicants were paying attention, applying the mind, concentrating wholeheartedly, and actively listening. Then the native spirit Punabbasu’s Mother soothed her little children, saying:

“Tuṇhī uttarike hohi, tuṇhī hohi punabbasu; Yāvāhaṁ buddhaseṭṭhassa, dhammaṁ sossāmi satthuno.

“Hush, little Uttarā! Hush, Punabbasu! For I want to listen to the teaching of the Teacher, the supreme Buddha.

Nibbānaṁ bhagavā āha, sabbaganthappamocanaṁ; Ativelā ca me hoti, asmiṁ dhamme piyāyanā.

Extinguishment, the Blessed One said, is the release from all ties. I have a lasting love for this teaching.

Piyo loke sako putto, piyo loke sako pati; Tato piyatarā mayhaṁ, assa dhammassa magganā.

In this world, your own child is dear; in this world, your own husband is dear; but even greater than that is my love for this teaching’s quest.

Na hi putto pati vāpi, piyo dukkhā pamocaye; Yathā saddhammassavanaṁ, dukkhā moceti pāṇinaṁ.

For neither son nor husband, dear as they are, can free you from suffering; as listening to the true teaching frees living creatures from suffering.

Loke dukkhaparetasmiṁ, Jarāmaraṇasaṁyute; Jarāmaraṇamokkhāya, Yaṁ dhammaṁ abhisambudhaṁ; Taṁ dhammaṁ sotumicchāmi, Tuṇhī hohi punabbasū”ti.

In this world mired in suffering, fettered by old age and death, I want to listen to the teaching through which the Buddha awakened, which frees you from old age and death. So hush, Punabbasu!”

“Ammā na byāharissāmi, tuṇhībhūtāyamuttarā; Dhammameva nisāmehi, saddhammassavanaṁ sukhaṁ; Saddhammassa anaññāya, ammā dukkhaṁ carāmase.

“Mom, I’m not speaking, and Uttarā is silent, too. Focus just on the teaching, for it’s nice to listen to the true teaching. And it’s because we haven’t understood the teaching that we live in suffering, Mom.

Esa devamanussānaṁ, sammūḷhānaṁ pabhaṅkaro; Buddho antimasārīro, dhammaṁ deseti cakkhumā”ti.

He is a beacon for those who are lost among gods and humans. The Buddha, bearing his final body, the Clear-eyed One teaches Dhamma.”

“Sādhu kho paṇḍito nāma, putto jāto uresayo; Putto me buddhaseṭṭhassa, dhammaṁ suddhaṁ piyāyati.

“It’s good that my child’s so astute, this child I bore and suckled! My child loves the pure teaching of the supreme Buddha.

Punabbasu sukhī hohi, ajjāhamhi samuggatā; Diṭṭhāni ariyasaccāni, uttarāpi suṇātu me”ti.

Punabbasu, may you be happy! Today, I rise. Hear me too, Uttarā: I have seen the noble truths!”