Verses on Dhamma 10.9.p3

10.9.p3

Santatimahāmattopi nhānatitthe divasabhāgaṃ udakakīḷaṃ kīḷitvā uyyānaṃ gantvā āpānabhūmiyaṃ nisīdi. Sāpi itthī raṅgamajjhaṃ otaritvā naccagītaṃ dassetuṃ ārabhi. Tassā sarīralīḷāya dassanatthaṃ sattāhaṃ appāhāratāya taṃ divasaṃ naccagītaṃ dassayamānāya antokucchiyaṃ satthakavātā samuṭṭhāya hadayamaṃsaṃ kantitvā agamaṃsu. Sā taṅkhaṇaññeva mukhena ceva akkhīhi ca vivaṭehi kālamakāsi. Santatimahāmatto ‘‘upadhāretha na’’nti vatvā ‘‘niruddhā, sāmī’’ti ca vuttamatteyeva balavasokena abhibhūto taṅkhaṇaññevassa sattāhaṃ pītasurā tattakapāle udakabindu viya parikkhayaṃ agamāsi. So ‘‘na me imaṃ sokaṃ aññe nibbāpetuṃ sakkhissanti aññatra tathāgatenā’’ti balakāyaparivuto sāyanhasamaye satthu santikaṃ gantvā vanditvā evamāha – ‘‘bhante, ‘evarūpo me soko uppanno, taṃ me tumhe nibbāpetuṃ sakkhissathā’ti āgatomhi, paṭisaraṇaṃ me hothā’’ti. Atha naṃ satthā ‘‘sokaṃ nibbāpetuṃ samatthasseva santikaṃ āgatosi. Imissā hi itthiyā imināva ākārena matakāle tava rodantassa paggharitaassūni catunnaṃ mahāsamuddānaṃ udakato atirekatarānī’’ti vatvā imaṃ gāthamāha –

Santati the king’s minister spent a portion of the day at the bathing-place sporting in the water, and then entered his pleasure garden and sat down in his drinking-hall. Straightway that woman came down to the center of the stage and began to display her skill in dancing and singing. Now she had fasted for seven days that she might display more perfect grace of body; and the result was that on that particular day, as she was displaying her skill in dancing and singing, knife-like pains arose in her belly and as it were cut the flesh of her heart asunder. And then and there with open mouth and open eyes she died.

Said Santati the king’s minister, “Look to the lady!” “She is dead, master,” was the reply. As soon as Santati the king’s minister heard those words, he was overwhelmed with mighty sorrow; and in an instant the liquor he had drunk during the preceding week vanished away like a drop of water on a red-hot potsherd. Said he to himself, “With the single exception of the Teacher, who is likely to be able to extinguish this my sorrow?”

So in the evening, surrounded by his force of men, he went to the Teacher; and having saluted him, spoke as follows, “Reverend Sir, such and such sorrow has come upon me. I have come to you because I know that you will be able to extinguish my sorrow. Be my refuge.” Then said the Teacher to him, “You have indeed come into the presence of one who is able to extinguish your sorrow. On the numberless occasions when this woman has died in this very manner and you have wept over her, you have shed tears more abundant than all the water contained in the Four Great Oceans.” So saying, he pronounced the following Stanza,