[379] 2.
I was born in a low family — poor, with little food;
my work was lowly: I was a disposer of flowers.
[Siam ed. footnotes: ¹ Yu.: abhibhāsanaṃ; ² M., Yu.: sīlamābharaṇaṃ; ³ Po.: sabalam evaggaṃ — variant readings pertaining to the preceding poem.]
Loathed by people, despised and reviled,
humbling my mind, I paid homage to many folk.
Then I saw the Fully Awakened One, attended by the Saṅgha of bhikkhus —
the Great Hero — entering the chief city of the Magadhans.
Setting down my carrying-pole, I approached to pay homage;
out of compassion for me alone, the Supreme Person stood still.
Having paid homage at the Teacher's feet, standing then to one side,
I begged for the going forth (pabbajjā) from him, the supreme among all beings.
Then the compassionate Teacher, sympathetic to all the world,
said to me, "Come, bhikkhu!" — that was my full ordination (upasampadā).
Then I, dwelling alone in the forest, unwearied,
carried out the Teacher's word, just as the Victor (Jina) had instructed me.
In the first watch of the night I recollected my former births;
in the middle watch of the night I purified the divine eye (dibbacakkhu);¹
in the last watch of the night I shattered the mass of darkness.
Then, as night was ending, toward the rising of the sun,
Inda and Brahmā came and venerated me with joined palms:
"Homage to you, thoroughbred among men! Homage to you, supreme among men!
You whose taints (āsava) are destroyed — you are worthy of offerings, dear sir."
[Siam ed. footnote: ¹ Yu.: visodhitaṃ.]
Then the Teacher, seeing me attended by the host of gods,
displayed a smile and spoke this meaning:
"By austerity (tapa), by the holy life (brahmacariya), by restraint (saññama), and by self-control (dama) —
by this one becomes a brahmin (brāhmaṇa); this is the supreme brahminhood."
The Elder Sunīta.
Summary (Uddāna):
Sīlava and Sunīta — these two elders of great psychic power;
in the Book of the Twelves there are twenty-four verses.
The Book of the Twelves (Dvādasakanipāta) is concluded.
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The Book of the Thirteens (Terasakanipāta) of the Theragāthā
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.