Verses on Dhamma 11.2.p6

11.2.p6

Atha naṃ eko sahāyako bhikkhu yācantopi bhojetuṃ nāsakkhi. So chinnabhatto ahosi. Taṃ divasameva sāyanhasamaye sirimā kālamakāsi. Rājā satthu sāsanaṃ pesesi – ‘‘bhante, jīvakassa kaniṭṭhabhaginī, sirimā, kālamakāsī’’ti. Satthā taṃ sutvā rañño sāsanaṃ pahiṇi ‘‘sirimāya jhāpanakiccaṃ natthi, āmakasusāne taṃ yathā kākasunakhādayo na khādanti, tathā nipajjāpetvā rakkhāpethā’’ti. Rājāpi tathā akāsi. Paṭipāṭiyā tayo divasā atikkantā, catutthe divase sarīraṃ uddhumāyi, navahi vaṇamukhehi puḷavā pagghariṃsu, sakalasarīraṃ bhinnaṃ sālibhattacāṭi viya ahosi. Rājā nagare bheriṃ carāpesi – ‘‘ṭhapetvā geharakkhake dārake sirimāya dassanatthaṃ anāgacchantānaṃ aṭṭha kahāpaṇāni daṇḍo’’ti. Satthu santi kañca pesesi – ‘‘buddhappamukho kira bhikkhusaṅgho sirimāya dassanatthaṃ āgacchatū’’ti. Satthā bhikkhūnaṃ ārocesi – ‘‘sirimāya dassanatthaṃ gamissāmā’’ti. Sopi daharabhikkhu cattāro divase kassaci vacanaṃ aggahetvā chinnabhattova nipajji. Patte bhattaṃ pūtikaṃ jātaṃ, patte malaṃ uṭṭhahi. Atha naṃ so sahāyako bhikkhu upasaṅkamitvā, ‘‘āvuso, satthā sirimāya dassanatthaṃ gacchatī’’ti āha. So tathā chātajjhattopi ‘‘sirimā’’ti vuttapadeyeva sahasā uṭṭhahitvā ‘‘kiṃ bhaṇasī’’ti āha. ‘‘Satthā sirimaṃ daṭṭhuṃ gacchati, tvampi gamissasī’’ti vutte, ‘‘āma, gamissāmī’’ti bhattaṃ chaḍḍetvā pattaṃ dhovitvā thavikāya pakkhipitvā bhikkhusaṅghena saddhiṃ agamāsi. Satthā bhikkhusaṅghaparivuto ekapasse aṭṭhāsi, bhikkhunisaṅghopi rājaparisāpi upāsakaparisāpi upāsikāparisāpi ekekapasse aṭṭhaṃsu.

On that very day in the evening Sirimā died. Thereupon the king sent word to the Teacher, "Reverend Sir, Jīvaka's youngest sister Sirimā is dead." When the Teacher received that message, he sent back the following message to the king, "Sirimā's body should not be burned. Have her body laid in the burning-ground, and set a watch, that crows and dogs may not devour it.” The king did so. Three days passed, one after another. On the fourth day the body began to bloat, and from the nine openings of her body, which were like to sores, there oozed forth maggots. Her whole body looked like a cracked vessel of boiled rice.

The king caused a drum to go through the city and the following proclamation to be made, “Let all approach to behold Sirimā. Except watchmen of houses, all who refuse to do so shall be fined eight pieces of money.” And he sent the following message to the Teacher, “Let the Congregation of Monks presided over by the Buddha approach to behold Sirimā.” The Teacher made proclamation to the monks, “Let us go forth to behold Sirimā.”

Now that young monk had lain for four days without touching food, paying no attention to anything anyone said to him; the rice in his bowl had rotted, and his bowl was covered with mildew. The rest of the monks who were his fellows approached him and said to him, “Brother, the Teacher is going forth to behold Sirimā.” When the young monk, lying thus, heard the name Sirimā, he leaped quickly to his feet. Someone said to him, “The Teacher is going forth to behold Sirimā; will you also go?” “Indeed I will go,” he replied. And tossing the rice out of his bowl, he washed it and put it in his net and then set out with the company of monks.

The Teacher surrounded by the Congregation of Monks stood on one side of the corpse; the Congregation of Nuns and the king’s retinue and the company of lay disciples, both male and female, stood on the other side of the corpse, each company in its proper place. The Teacher then asked the king, “Great king, who is this woman?” “Reverend Sir, it is Jīvaka’s sister Sirimā.” “Is this Sirimā?” “Yes, Reverend Sir.” “Well! send a drum through the town and make proclamation, ‘Those who will pay a thousand pieces of money for Sirimā may have her.’” Not a man said “hem” or “hum.” The king informed the Teacher, “They will not take her, Reverend Sir.” “Well then, great king, put the price down.” So the king had a drum beaten and the following proclamation made, “If they will give five hundred pieces of money, they may have her.” But nobody would take her at that price. The king then proclaimed to the beating of a drum that anyone might have her who would give two hundred and fifty pieces of money, or two hundred, or a hundred, or fifty, or twenty-five, or ten, or five. Finally he reduced the price to a penny, then to a half-penny, then to a quarter of a penny, then to an eighth of a penny. At last he proclaimed to the beating of a drum, "They may have her for nothing." Not a man said "hem" or "hum." Then said the king to the Teacher, "Reverend Sir, no one will take her, even as a gift." The Teacher replied, "Monks, you see the value of a woman in the eyes of the multitude. In this very city men used to pay a thousand pieces of money for the privilege of spending one night with this woman. Now there is no one who will take her as a gift. Such was her beauty who now has perished and gone. Behold, monks, this body diseased and corrupt." So saying, he pronounced the following Stanza,