---
title: "Verses of the Senior Monks · Theragāthā"
author: "The Elder Monks"
translator: "Bhikkhu Sujato"
languages: [pi, en]
shelf: "Pali Canon"
section: 13 of 22
url: https://scriptura.si/works/pali-theragatha/13/
cite: "The Elder Monks, tr. Bhikkhu Sujato, Verses of the Senior Monks · Theragāthā, section 13. Scriptura (scriptura.si), https://scriptura.si/works/pali-theragatha/13/"
---

# Verses of the Senior Monks · Theragāthā

*The Elder Monks, tr. Bhikkhu Sujato*

Poems of awakening by more than two hundred and sixty monks of the Buddha’s time.

> Pali: the Mahāsaṅgīti Tipiṭaka (Buddha Jayanti edition, 2500), from SuttaCentral’s bilara-data, dedicated to the public domain (CC0).

> English: Bhikkhu Sujato, from SuttaCentral’s bilara-data, dedicated to the public domain (CC0). Notes are not included.

> Rows follow the segment numbers the two texts share, gathered into paragraphs; verse keeps its lines.

## 13. Chapter One · Thag 2.1–2.10

Source: https://scriptura.si/works/pali-theragatha/13/ · cite a paragraph as https://scriptura.si/works/pali-theragatha/13/#p-N

[¶0] Thag 2.1 · Uttara (1st)

> Pali: Thag 2.1 · Uttarattheragāthā

[¶1] No life is permanent,
and no conditions last forever.
The aggregates are reborn
and pass away, again and again.

> Pali: “Natthi koci bhavo nicco,
saṅkhārā vāpi sassatā;
Uppajjanti ca te khandhā,
cavanti aparāparaṁ.

[¶2] Knowing this danger,
I have no need for another life.
I’ve escaped all sensual pleasures,
and attained the ending of defilements.

> Pali: Etamādīnavaṁ ñatvā,
bhavenamhi anatthiko;
Nissaṭo sabbakāmehi,
patto me āsavakkhayo”ti.

[¶3] That is how these verses were recited by the senior venerable Uttara.

> Pali: Itthaṁ sudaṁ āyasmā uttaro thero gāthāyo abhāsitthāti.

[¶4] Thag 2.2 · Bhāradvāja the Alms-Gatherer

> Pali: Thag 2.2 · Piṇḍolabhāradvājattheragāthā

[¶5] You can’t live by fasting,
but food doesn’t lead to peace of heart.
Seeing how this bag of bones is sustained by food,
I wander, seeking.

> Pali: “Nayidaṁ anayena jīvitaṁ,
Nāhāro hadayassa santiko;
Āhāraṭṭhitiko samussayo,
Iti disvāna carāmi esanaṁ.

[¶6] They know it’s just a swamp,
this homage and veneration in respectable families.
Honor is a subtle dart, hard to extract,
and hard for a reprobate to give up.

> Pali: Paṅkoti hi naṁ pavedayuṁ,
Yāyaṁ vandanapūjanā kulesu;
Sukhumaṁ sallaṁ durubbahaṁ,
Sakkāro kāpurisena dujjaho”ti.

[¶7] That is how these verses were recited by the senior venerable Bhāradvāja the Alms-Gatherer.

> Pali: Itthaṁ sudaṁ āyasmā piṇḍolabhāradvājo thero gāthāyo abhāsitthāti.

[¶8] Thag 2.3 · Valliya (2nd)

> Pali: Thag 2.3 · Valliyattheragāthā

[¶9] A monkey went up to the little hut
with five doors.
He circles around, knocking
on each door, again and again.

> Pali: “Makkaṭo pañcadvārāyaṁ,
kuṭikāyaṁ pasakkiya;
Dvārena anupariyeti,
ghaṭṭayanto muhuṁ muhuṁ.

[¶10] Stand still monkey, don’t run!
Things are different now;
you’ve been caught by wisdom—
you won’t go far.

> Pali: Tiṭṭha makkaṭa mā dhāvi,
na hi te taṁ yathā pure;
Niggahītosi paññāya,
neva dūraṁ gamissatī”ti.

[¶11] > Pali: … Valliyo thero ….

[¶12] Thag 2.4 · Gaṅgātīriya

> Pali: Thag 2.4 · Gaṅgātīriyattheragāthā

[¶13] My hut on the bank of the Ganges
is made from three palm leaves.
My alms-bowl is a funeral pot,
my robe is cast-off rags.

> Pali: “Tiṇṇaṁ me tālapattānaṁ,
gaṅgātīre kuṭī katā;
Chavasittova me patto,
paṁsukūlañca cīvaraṁ.

[¶14] In my first two rainy seasons
I spoke only one word.
In my third rainy season
the mass of darkness was shattered.

> Pali: Dvinnaṁ antaravassānaṁ,
ekā vācā me bhāsitā;
Tatiye antaravassamhi,
tamokhandho padālito”ti.

[¶15] > Pali: … Gaṅgātīriyo thero ….

[¶16] Thag 2.5 · Ajina

> Pali: Thag 2.5 · Ajinattheragāthā

[¶17] Even a master of the three knowledges,
undefiled, conqueror of death,
is looked down upon for being unknown
by ignorant fools.

> Pali: “Api ce hoti tevijjo,
maccuhāyī anāsavo;
Appaññātoti naṁ bālā,
avajānanti ajānatā.

[¶18] But any individual here
who gets food and drink
is honored by them,
even if they are of bad character.

> Pali: Yo ca kho annapānassa,
lābhī hotidha puggalo;
Pāpadhammopi ce hoti,
so nesaṁ hoti sakkato”ti.

[¶19] > Pali: … Ajino thero ….

[¶20] Thag 2.6 · Meḷajina

> Pali: Thag 2.6 · Meḷajinattheragāthā

[¶21] When I heard the Teacher
speaking Dhamma,
I wasn’t aware of any doubt
in the all-knowing, unconquered one,

> Pali: “Yadāhaṁ dhammamassosiṁ,
bhāsamānassa satthuno;
Na kaṅkhamabhijānāmi,
sabbaññūaparājite.

[¶22] the caravan leader, the great hero,
the most excellent of charioteers.
I have no doubt
in the path or practice.

> Pali: Satthavāhe mahāvīre,
sārathīnaṁ varuttame;
Magge paṭipadāyaṁ vā,
kaṅkhā mayhaṁ na vijjatī”ti.

[¶23] > Pali: … Meḷajino thero ….

[¶24] Thag 2.7 · Rādha

> Pali: Thag 2.7 · Rādhattheragāthā

[¶25] Just as rain seeps into
a poorly roofed house,
lust seeps into
an undeveloped mind.

> Pali: “Yathā agāraṁ ducchannaṁ,
vuṭṭhī samativijjhati;
Evaṁ abhāvitaṁ cittaṁ,
rāgo samativijjhati.

[¶26] Just as rain doesn’t seep into
a well roofed house,
lust doesn’t seep into
a well-developed mind.

> Pali: Yathā agāraṁ succhannaṁ,
Vuṭṭhī na samativijjhati;
Evaṁ subhāvitaṁ cittaṁ,
Rāgo na samativijjhatī”ti.

[¶27] > Pali: … Rādho thero ….

[¶28] Thag 2.8 · Surādha

> Pali: Thag 2.8 · Surādhattheragāthā

[¶29] Rebirth is ended for me;
the victor’s instruction is fulfilled;
what they call a “net” is given up;
the leash to existence is eradicated.

> Pali: “Khīṇā hi mayhaṁ jāti,
vusitaṁ jinasāsanaṁ;
Pahīno jālasaṅkhāto,
bhavanetti samūhatā.

[¶30] I’ve attained the goal
for the sake of which I went forth
from the lay life to homelessness—
the ending of all fetters.

> Pali: Yassatthāya pabbajito,
agārasmānagāriyaṁ;
So me attho anuppatto,
sabbasaṁyojanakkhayo”ti.

[¶31] > Pali: … Surādho thero ….

[¶32] Thag 2.9 · Gotama (1st)

> Pali: Thag 2.9 · Gotamattheragāthā

[¶33] Sages sleep at ease
when they’re not bound to women.
For the truth is hard to find among them
and one must always be guarded.

> Pali: “Sukhaṁ supanti munayo,
ye itthīsu na bajjhare;
Sadā ve rakkhitabbāsu,
yāsu saccaṁ sudullabhaṁ.

[¶34] Sensual pleasure, you’ve been slain!
We’re not in your debt any more.
Now we go to extinguishment,
where there is no sorrow.

> Pali: Vadhaṁ carimha te kāma,
anaṇā dāni te mayaṁ;
Gacchāma dāni nibbānaṁ,
yattha gantvā na socatī”ti.

[¶35] > Pali: … Gotamo thero ….

[¶36] Thag 2.10 · Vasabha

> Pali: Thag 2.10 · Vasabhattheragāthā

[¶37] First one kills oneself,
then one kills others.
One kills oneself, really dead,
like one who kills birds using a dead bird as a decoy.

> Pali: “Pubbe hanati attānaṁ,
pacchā hanati so pare;
Suhataṁ hanti attānaṁ,
vītaṁseneva pakkhimā.

[¶38] A brahmin’s color is not on the outside;
a brahmin is colored on the inside.
Whoever harbors bad deeds
is truly a dark one, Sujampati.

> Pali: Na brāhmaṇo bahivaṇṇo,
anto vaṇṇo hi brāhmaṇo;
Yasmiṁ pāpāni kammāni,
sa ve kaṇho sujampatī”ti.

[¶39] > Pali: … Vasabho thero …

[¶40] > Pali: vaggo paṭhamo.

[¶41] > Pali: Tassuddānaṁ

[¶42] > Pali: Uttaro ceva piṇḍolo,
valliyo tīriyo isi;
Ajino ca meḷajino,
rādho surādho gotamo;
Vasabhena ime honti,
dasa therā mahiddhikāti.