Uttarādhyayana Sūtra 20

The Great Duty of the Nirgranthas

Piously adoring the perfected and the restrained saints, listen to my true instruction which (teaches the real) profit (of men), religion, and liberation.

King Srênika, the ruler of Magadha, who possessed many precious things, once made a pleasureexcursion to the Mandikukshi Kaitya.

It was a park like Nandana, with trees and creepers of many kinds, peopled by various birds, and full of various flowers.

There he saw a restrained and concentrated saint sitting below a tree, who looked delicate and accustomed to comfort.

When the king saw his figure, his astonishment at that ascetic's figure was very great and unthe noble man, O his tranquillity, O his perfection, O his disregard for pleasures!'

Adoring his feet and keeping him on his right side (he sat down), neither too far off nor too close by, and asked him with his hands clasped:

Though a young nobleman, you have entered the order; in an age fit for pleasure you exert yourself as a Sramana, O ascetic; I want to hear you explain this.'

"I am without a protector, O great king; there is nobody to protect me, I know no friend nor any one to have sympathy with me.”

Then king Srênika, the ruler of Magadha, laughed 'How should there be nobody to protect one so accomplished as you?'

'I am the protector of religious men; O monk; enjoy pleasures together with your friends and relations; for it is a rare chance to be born as a human being.'

"You yourself are without a protector, Srênika, ruler of Magadha; and as you are without a protector, how can you protect anybody else?"

When the saint had addressed this unprecedented speech to the king, who was greatly moved and astonished, and struck with astonishment, (he answered):

'I have horses, elephants, and subjects, a town and a seraglio, power and command: enjoy human the owner to enjoy all pleasures, how could he be without protection? Reverend sir, you speak origin of (the word) ' without protection,' nor how one comes to be without protection or with protection, O ruler of men.

'Hear, O great king, with an undistracted mind in what way a man can be said to be 'without protection,' and with what purpose I have said all among towns what Indra is (among the gods); there lived my father, who possessed great wealth.

"In my childhood, O great king, I caught a very bad eye-disease and a severe burning fever in all my limbs, O ruler of men.

'My eyes ached as if a cruel enemy thrust a sharp tool in the hollow of my body.

'In the back, the heart, and the head, I suffered dreadful and very keen pains equal to a stroke of lightning.

'Then the best physicians came to my help, who cure by their medical art and by spells, who were versed in their science, and well knew spells and roots.

They tried to cure me according to the fourfold science which they had been taught; but they could not rid me of my pains: hence I say that I am without protection.

"My father would have spent all he possessed, for my sake; but he could not rid me of my pains, hence I say that I am without protection.

"My mother, O great king, was agonized with grief about her son; but she could not, &c.

"O great king, my own brothers, the elder and younger ones, could not rid me of my pains, &c.

"O great king, my own sisters, the elder and younger ones, could not, &c.

"O great king, my loving and faithful wife moistened my breast with the tears of her eyes.

"The poor lady did not eat, nor drink, nor bathe, nor use perfumes, wreaths, and anointment, with my knowledge or without it.

"O great king, she did not leave my side even for a moment; but she could not rid me of my pains, hence I say that I am without protection.

"Then I said: It is very hard to bear pains again and again in the endless Circle of Births.

"If I, for once, shall get rid of these great pains, I shall become a houseless monk, calm, restrained, and ceasing to act.

"While I thought so, I fell asleep, O ruler of men; and after that night my pains had leave of my relations and became a houseless monk, calm, restrained, and ceasing to act.

"Thus I became the protector of myself and of others besides, of all living beings, whether they move or not.

"My own Self is the river Vaitarant, my own Self the Sâlmali tree'; my own Self is the miraculous cow Kâmaduh, my own Self the park Nandana.

"My own Self is the doer and undoer of misery and happiness; my own Self, friend and foe, according as I act well or badly.

But there is still another want of protection, O king; hear, therefore, O king, attentively with concentrated thoughts, how some easily discouraged men go astray after having adopted the Law of the Nirgranthas 2

"If an ordained monk, through carelessness, does not strictly keep the great vows, if he does not restrain himself, but desires pleasure, then his fetters will not be completely cut off.

'One who does not pay constant attention to his walking, his speaking, his begging, his receiving and keeping (of things necessary for a monk), and his easing nature, does not follow the road trod by the Lord.

One who for a long time wears a shaven crown and mortifies himself, but who is careless with regard to the vows, and neglects penance and self-control, will not be a winner in the battle (of life).

'He is empty like a clenched fist, (of no value) like an uncoined false Kârshâpana or like a piece of glass resembling turquoise, he is held lightly by men of discernment.

He who has the character of a sinner, though he lays great stress on the outward signs of his calling as a means of living; he who does not control himself, though he pretends to do so; will come to grief for a long time.

"As the poison Kâlakûta kills him who drinks it; as a weapon cuts him who awkwardly handles it; as a Vêtâla kills him who does not lay him; so the Law harms him who mixes it up with sensuality.

"He who practises divination from bodily marks and dreams, who is well versed in augury and superstitious rites, who gains a sinful living by practising magic tricks, will have no refuge at the time (of retribution).

"The sinner, always wretched, goes from darkness to darkness, to utter misery; the unholy man who breaks the rules of monks, rushes, as it were, to hell, and to be born again as a brute.

"He who accepts forbidden alms, viz. such food as he himself asks for, as has been bought for his sake, or as he gets regularly (as by right and custom), who like fire devours everything, will go to hell from here, after having sinned.

"A cut-throat enemy will not do him such harm as his own perversity will do him; the man without pity will feel repentance in the hour of death.

"In vain he adopts nakedness, who errs about matters of paramount interest; neither this world nor the next will be his; he is a loser in both respects in the world.

Thus the self-willed sinner who leaves the road of the highest Ginas, who with the appetite of an osprey is desirous of pleasure, will grieve in useless instruction full of precious wisdom, and who deserts every path of the wicked, should walk the road of the great Nirgranthas.

"He who possesses virtuous conduct and life, who has practised the best self-control, who keeps from sinful influences, and who has destroyed his Karman, will reach (in the end) the greatest, best, and permanent place (viz. mukti)."

Thus the austere and calm, great ascetic and great sage who kept great vows and possessed great fame, preached at great length this great sermon: the great duty of the Nirgranthas.

And king Srênika, pleased, spoke thus: 'You have truly shown what it is to be without proyou have made a true gain, O great sage, you are a protector (of mankind at large) and of your relations, for you have entered the path of the best O ascetic; I ask you to forgive me: I desire you to put me right.

'That by asking you I have disturbed your meditation, and that I invited you to enjoy pleasures, all this you must forgive me.'

When the lion of kings had thus, with the greatest devotion, praised the lion of houseless monks, he, together with his wives, servants, and relations, became a staunch believer in the Law, with a pure joyfully erected, bowed his head (to the monk), keeping him on his right side, and departed.

And the other, rich in virtues, protected by the three Guptis, and abstaining from injuring (living beings) in the three ways (viz. by thought, words, and acts), travelled about on the earth, free like a bird, and exempt from delusion. Thus I say. SAMUDRAPÂLA. In Kampâ there lived a Srâvaka, the merchant Pâlita, who was a disciple of the noble and venerable of the Nirgranthas. Once he went by boat to the town of Pihunda on business. (2) A merchant gave him his daughter while he was doing business in Pihunda. When she was big with child, he took her with him on his returning at sea; as the boy was born at sea (samudra), he was named Samudrapâla. (4) Our merchant, the Srâvaka, went leisurely to Kampâ, to his house; in his house the boy grew up surrounded by comfort. (5) He studied the seventy-two arts, and acquired knowledge of the world; he was in the bloom of youth, and had a fine figure and good looks. (6) His father procured him a beautiful wife, Rûpini, with whom he amused himself in his pleasant palace, like a Dôgundaga god. (7) Once upon a time he saw from the window of his palace a man sentenced to death, dressed for execution, on his way to the place of execution. (8) Agitated by what he saw, Samudrapâla spoke thus: 'Of wicked actions this is the bad result.' (9) He became enlightened at once, the venerable man, and he was immensely agitated; he took leave of his parents, and entered the state of houselessness. (10) Abandoning the great distress to which the worldly are liable, the great delusion, and whatever causes fear, one should adopt the Law of monks, the vows, the virtues, and the (endurance of) calamities. (11) One should keep the five great vows, viz. not to kill, to speak the truth, not to steal, to be chaste, to have no property whatever; a wise man should follow the Law taught by the Ginas. (12) A monk should have compassion on all beings, should be of a forbearing character, should be restrained and chaste, and abstaining from everything sinful; he should live with his senses under taking into consideration its resources and his own ability; like a lion he should not be frightened by. any noise; and whatever words he hears, he should not make an improper reply. (14) In utter indifference he should walk about, and bear everything, be it pleasant or unpleasant; he should not approve of everything everywhere, nor care for respectful treatment or blame. (15) There are many opinions here among men, which a monk places in their true light; there will rise many dangerous and dreadful calamities, caused by gods, men, or animals, which are difficult to be borne and cause easily-discouraged men to sink under them; but a monk who comes in contact with them will not be afraid, like a stately elephant at the head of the battle. (16, 17) Cold and heat, flies and gnats, unpleasant feelings, and many diseases attack the body; without flinching he should bear them, and should not recall to his memory the pleasures he once enjoyed. (18) Giving up love, hatred, and delusion, a monk who is always careful and who is steadfast even as Mount Mêru cannot be shaken by the storm, should bear calamities, guarding himself. (19) A great sage should be neither too elevated by pride nor too humble, he should not care for respectful treatment nor blame; an ascetic who has ceased (to act), will by means of his simplicity enter the path of Nirvâna. (20) He is neither grieved nor pleased (by anything), he abandons his relations with men, he ceases (to act), is intent on the benefit of his soul, he strives for the highest good (viz. mukti), and uses the means to reach it, free from sorrow, egoism, and any kind of property. (21) A merciful (monk) should use beds distant from others, which are not got ready for his sake nor strewn (with leaves or things considered to be possessed of life); he should sustain such hardships as the sages are accustomed to. (22) The great sage (Samudrapâla), understanding the sacred lore and practising completely the best Law, shone forth like the sun in the sky, being possessed of the highest knowledge and glory. (23) Having annihilated his Karman both meritorious and sinful, being steadfast, and free from all fetters, Samudrapâla crossed the ocean-like Flood of worldly existence and obtained exemption from transmi-