The Questions of Puṇṇaka

“To the imperturbable, the seer of the root,” said Venerable Puṇṇaka, “I have come seeking with a question. On what grounds have seers and men, aristocrats and brahmins here in the world performed so many different sacrifices to the gods? I ask you, Blessed One; please tell me this.”

“Anejaṁ mūladassāviṁ, (iccāyasmā puṇṇako) Atthi pañhena āgamaṁ;*Atthi → atthī (sya-all)Kiṁ nissitā isayo manujā, Khattiyā brāhmaṇā devatānaṁ; Yaññamakappayiṁsu puthūdha loke, Pucchāmi taṁ bhagavā brūhi me taṁ”.

“To the imperturbable, the seer of the root,” “Anejaṁ mūladassāviṁ, said Venerable Puṇṇaka, (iccāyasmā puṇṇako) “I have come seeking with a question. Atthi pañhena āgamaṁ;*Atthi → atthī (sya-all)On what grounds have seers and men, Kiṁ nissitā isayo manujā, aristocrats and brahmins here in the world Khattiyā brāhmaṇā devatānaṁ; performed so many different sacrifices to the gods? Yaññamakappayiṁsu puthūdha loke, I ask you, Blessed One; please tell me this.” Pucchāmi taṁ bhagavā brūhi me taṁ”.

“Whatever seers and men,” replied the BuddhaBuddhaEl nombre dado a quien redescubre por sí mismo el sendero liberador del Dhamma, tras un largo período de haber sido olvidado por el mundo. Según la tradición, una larga línea de Buddhas se extiende hasta el pasado distante. El Buddha más reciente nació como Siddhattha Gotama en la India alrededor del año 500 a.e.c. Un joven bien educado y acomodado, renunció a su familia y su herencia principesca en la flor de la vida para buscar la verdadera libertad y el fin del sufrimiento (dukkha). Después de siete años de austeridades en el bosque, redescubrió el «camino medio» y alcanzó su meta, convirtiéndose en el Buddha.Ver en el glosario, “aristocrats and brahmins here in the world have performed so many different sacrifices to the gods: all performed sacrifices bound to old age, longing for this place.”

“Ye kecime isayo manujā, (puṇṇakāti bhagavā) Khattiyā brāhmaṇā devatānaṁ; Yaññamakappayiṁsu puthūdha loke, Āsīsamānā puṇṇaka itthattaṁ;*itthattaṁ → itthabhāvaṁ (bj, pts-vp-pli1); itthataṁ (sya-all)Jaraṁ sitā yaññamakappayiṁsu”.

“Whatever seers and men,” “Ye kecime isayo manujā, replied the Buddha, (puṇṇakāti bhagavā) “aristocrats and brahmins here in the world Khattiyā brāhmaṇā devatānaṁ; have performed so many different sacrifices to the gods: Yaññamakappayiṁsu puthūdha loke, all performed sacrifices bound to old age, Āsīsamānā puṇṇaka itthattaṁ;*itthattaṁ → itthabhāvaṁ (bj, pts-vp-pli1); itthataṁ (sya-all)longing for this place.” Jaraṁ sitā yaññamakappayiṁsu”.

“As to those seers and men,” said Venerable Puṇṇaka, “and aristocrats and brahmins here in the world who have performed so many different sacrifices to the gods: being diligent in the technique of sacrifice, have they crossed over rebirth and old age, good fellow? I ask you, Blessed One; please tell me this.”

“Ye kecime isayo manujā, (iccāyasmā puṇṇako) Khattiyā brāhmaṇā devatānaṁ; Yaññamakappayiṁsu puthūdha loke, Kaccissu te bhagavā yaññapathe appamattā;*Kaccissu → kacciṁ su (pts-vp-pli1); kaccisu (cnd5:132 [Pucchāniddesa/ Puṇṇakamāṇavapucchāniddesa])Atāruṁ jātiñca jarañca mārisa, Pucchāmi taṁ bhagavā brūhi me taṁ”.

“As to those seers and men,” “Ye kecime isayo manujā, said Venerable Puṇṇaka, (iccāyasmā puṇṇako) “and aristocrats and brahmins here in the world Khattiyā brāhmaṇā devatānaṁ; who have performed so many different sacrifices to the gods: Yaññamakappayiṁsu puthūdha loke, being diligent in the technique of sacrifice, Kaccissu te bhagavā yaññapathe appamattā;*Kaccissu → kacciṁ su (pts-vp-pli1); kaccisu (cnd5:132 [Pucchāniddesa/ Puṇṇakamāṇavapucchāniddesa])have they crossed over rebirth and old age, good fellow? Atāruṁ jātiñca jarañca mārisa, I ask you, Blessed One; please tell me this.” Pucchāmi taṁ bhagavā brūhi me taṁ”.

“Hoping, invoking, praying, and worshiping,” replied the Buddha, “they pray for pleasure derived from profit. Devoted to sacrifice, besotted by rebirth, they’ve not crossed over rebirth and old age, I declare.”

“Āsīsanti thomayanti abhijappanti juhanti, (puṇṇakāti bhagavā) Kāmābhijappanti paṭicca lābhaṁ; Te yājayogā bhavarāgarattā, Nātariṁsu jātijaranti brūmi”.

“Hoping, invoking, praying, and worshiping,” “Āsīsanti thomayanti abhijappanti juhanti, replied the Buddha, (puṇṇakāti bhagavā) “they pray for pleasure derived from profit. Kāmābhijappanti paṭicca lābhaṁ; Devoted to sacrifice, besotted by rebirth, Te yājayogā bhavarāgarattā, they’ve not crossed over rebirth and old age, I declare.” Nātariṁsu jātijaranti brūmi”.

“If those devoted to sacrifice,” said Venerable Puṇṇaka, “have not, by sacrificing, crossed over rebirth and old age, who then in the world of gods and humans has crossed over rebirth and old age, good fellow? I ask you, Blessed One; please tell me this.”

“Te ce nātariṁsu yājayogā, (iccāyasmā puṇṇako) Yaññehi jātiñca jarañca mārisa; Atha ko carahi devamanussaloke, Atāri jātiñca jarañca mārisa; Pucchāmi taṁ bhagavā brūhi me taṁ”.

“If those devoted to sacrifice,” “Te ce nātariṁsu yājayogā, said Venerable Puṇṇaka, (iccāyasmā puṇṇako) “have not, by sacrificing, crossed over rebirth and old age, Yaññehi jātiñca jarañca mārisa; who then in the world of gods and humans Atha ko carahi devamanussaloke, has crossed over rebirth and old age, good fellow? Atāri jātiñca jarañca mārisa; I ask you, Blessed One; please tell me this.” Pucchāmi taṁ bhagavā brūhi me taṁ”.

“Having appraised the world high and low,” replied the Buddha, “there is nothing in the world that disturbs them. Peaceful, unclouded, untroubled, with no need for hope—they’ve crossed over rebirth and old age, I declare.”

“Saṅkhāya lokasmi paroparāni,*paroparāni → parovarāni (bj, sya-all, pts-vp-pli1)(puṇṇakāti bhagavā) Yassiñjitaṁ natthi kuhiñci loke; Santo vidhūmo anīgho nirāso, Atāri so jātijaranti brūmī”ti.

“Having appraised the world high and low,” “Saṅkhāya lokasmi paroparāni,*paroparāni → parovarāni (bj, sya-all, pts-vp-pli1)replied the Buddha, (puṇṇakāti bhagavā) “there is nothing in the world that disturbs them. Yassiñjitaṁ natthi kuhiñci loke; Peaceful, unclouded, untroubled, with no need for hope—Santo vidhūmo anīgho nirāso, they’ve crossed over rebirth and old age, I declare.” Atāri so jātijaranti brūmī”ti.