Tāyanasutta

Sāvatthinidānaṁ. Atha kho tāyano devaputto purāṇatitthakaro abhikkantāya rattiyā abhikkantavaṇṇo kevalakappaṁ jetavanaṁ obhāsetvā yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ aṭṭhāsi. Ekamantaṁ ṭhito kho tāyano devaputto bhagavato santike imā gāthāyo abhāsi:

At Sāvatthī. Then, late at night, the glorious godling Tāyana, formerly a religious founder, lighting up the entire Jeta’s Grove, went up to the Buddha, bowed, stood to one side, and recited these verses in the Buddha’s presence:

“Chinda sotaṁ parakkamma, kāme panuda brāhmaṇa; Nappahāya munī kāme, nekattamupapajjati.

“Cut the stream, striving! Cast aside sensual pleasures, brahmin. A sage who doesn’t give up sensual pleasures is not reborn in a unified state.

Kayirā ce kayirāthenaṁ, daḷhamenaṁ parakkame; Sithilo hi paribbājo, bhiyyo ākirate rajaṁ.

If one is to do what should be done, one should staunchly strive. For the life gone forth when laxly led just stirs up dust all the more.

Akataṁ dukkaṭaṁ seyyo, pacchā tapati dukkaṭaṁ; Katañca sukataṁ seyyo, yaṁ katvā nānutappati.

A bad deed is better left undone, for it will plague you later on. A good deed is better done, one that does not plague you.

Kuso yathā duggahito, hatthamevānukantati; Sāmaññaṁ dupparāmaṭṭhaṁ, nirayāyūpakaḍḍhati.

When kusa grass is wrongly grasped it only cuts the hand. So too, the ascetic life, when wrongly taken, drags you to hell.

Yaṁ kiñci sithilaṁ kammaṁ, saṅkiliṭṭhañca yaṁ vataṁ; Saṅkassaraṁ brahmacariyaṁ, na taṁ hoti mahapphalan”ti.

Any lax act, any corrupt observance, or suspicious spiritual life, is not very fruitful.”

Idamavoca tāyano devaputto; idaṁ vatvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā padakkhiṇaṁ katvā tatthevantaradhāyīti.

That is what the godling Tāyana said. Then he bowed and respectfully circled the Buddha, keeping him on his right, before vanishing right there.

Atha kho bhagavā tassā rattiyā accayena bhikkhū āmantesi: “imaṁ, bhikkhave, rattiṁ tāyano nāma devaputto purāṇatitthakaro abhikkantāya rattiyā abhikkantavaṇṇo kevalakappaṁ jetavanaṁ obhāsetvā yenāhaṁ tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā maṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ aṭṭhāsi. Ekamantaṁ ṭhito kho, bhikkhave, tāyano devaputto mama santike imā gāthāyo abhāsi:

Then, when the night had passed, the Buddha told the mendicants all that had happened. “Mendicants, tonight, the glorious godling Tāyana, formerly a religious founder, lighting up the entire Jeta’s Grove, came to me, bowed, stood to one side, and recited these verses in my presence.” The Buddha repeated the verses in full, adding:

‘Chinda sotaṁ parakkamma, kāme panuda brāhmaṇa; Nappahāya munī kāme, nekattamupapajjati.

Kayirā ce kayirāthenaṁ, daḷhamenaṁ parakkame; Sithilo hi paribbājo, bhiyyo ākirate rajaṁ.

Akataṁ dukkaṭaṁ seyyo, pacchā tapati dukkaṭaṁ; Katañca sukataṁ seyyo, yaṁ katvā nānutappati.

Kuso yathā duggahito, hatthamevānukantati; Sāmaññaṁ dupparāmaṭṭhaṁ, nirayāyūpakaḍḍhati.

Yaṁ kiñci sithilaṁ kammaṁ, saṅkiliṭṭhañca yaṁ vataṁ; Saṅkassaraṁ brahmacariyaṁ, na taṁ hoti mahapphalan’ti.

Idamavoca, bhikkhave, tāyano devaputto, idaṁ vatvā maṁ abhivādetvā padakkhiṇaṁ katvā tatthevantaradhāyi. Uggaṇhātha, bhikkhave, tāyanagāthā; pariyāpuṇātha, bhikkhave, tāyanagāthā; dhāretha, bhikkhave, tāyanagāthā. Atthasaṁhitā, bhikkhave, tāyanagāthā ādibrahmacariyikā”ti.

“That is what the godling Tāyana said. Then he bowed and respectfully circled me, keeping me on his right side, before vanishing right there. Mendicants, learn the verses of Tāyana! Memorize the verses of Tāyana! Remember the verses of Tāyana! These verses are beneficial and relate to the fundamentals of the spiritual life.”