SN 9.14

Gandhatthenasutta

Ekaṁ samayaṁ aññataro bhikkhu kosalesu viharati aññatarasmiṁ vanasaṇḍe. Tena kho pana samayena so bhikkhu pacchābhattaṁ piṇḍapātapaṭikkanto pokkharaṇiṁ ogāhetvā padumaṁ upasiṅghati. Atha kho yā tasmiṁ vanasaṇḍe adhivatthā devatā tassa bhikkhuno anukampikā atthakāmā taṁ bhikkhuṁ saṁvejetukāmā yena so bhikkhu tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā taṁ bhikkhuṁ gāthāya ajjhabhāsi:

The Thief of Scent

At one time one of the mendicants was staying in the land of the Kosalans in a certain forest grove. Now at that time, after the meal, on their return from almsround, that mendicant plunged into a lotus pond and sniffed a pink lotus. The deity haunting that forest had sympathy for that mendicant, and wanted what’s best for them. So they approached that mendicant wanting to stir them up, and addressed them in verse:

“Yametaṁ vārijaṁ pupphaṁ, adinnaṁ upasiṅghasi; Ekaṅgametaṁ theyyānaṁ, gandhatthenosi mārisā”ti.

“This water flower has not been given. When you sniff it, this is one factor of theft. Good fellow, you are a thief of scent!”

“Na harāmi na bhañjāmi, ārā siṅghāmi vārijaṁ; Atha kena nu vaṇṇena, gandhatthenoti vuccati.

“I do not take, nor do I break; I sniff the water flower from afar. So how do you explain why you call me a thief of scent?

Yvāyaṁ bhisāni khanati, puṇḍarīkāni bhañjati; Evaṁ ākiṇṇakammanto, kasmā eso na vuccatī”ti.

Why don’t you accuse someone who does such vandalizing as digging up the roots, or breaking off the flowers?”

“Ākiṇṇaluddo puriso, dhāticelaṁva makkhito; Tasmiṁ me vacanaṁ natthi, tvañcārahāmi vattave.

“I have nothing to say to a person who is a crude vandal, soiled like a used nappy. You’re the one who deserves to be spoken to.

Anaṅgaṇassa posassa, niccaṁ sucigavesino; Vālaggamattaṁ pāpassa, abbhāmattaṁva khāyatī”ti.

To the man who has not a blemish, who is always seeking purity, even a hair-tip of evil seems as big as a stormcloud.”

“Addhā maṁ yakkha jānāsi, atho me anukampasi; Punapi yakkha vajjāsi, yadā passasi edisan”ti.

“Indeed, O spirit, you understand me, and you empathize with me. Please speak to me again, whenever you see something like this.”

“Neva taṁ upajīvāma, napi te bhatakāmhase; Tvameva bhikkhu jāneyya, yena gaccheyya suggatin”ti.

“We are no dependent of yours, nor are we your servant. You yourself should know, mendicant, the way that leads to a good place.”

Atha kho so bhikkhu tāya devatāya saṁvejito saṁvegamāpādīti.

Impelled by that deity, that mendicant was struck with a sense of urgency.