After the serpent king Mucalinda stands guard over the Buddha during a rainstorm, the Buddha utters a verse on the happiness found in seclusion, harmlessness toward living beings, the transcendence of sensual desire, and the relinquishment of the conceit ‘I am.’
Evaṁ me sutaṁ—ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā uruvelāyaṁ viharati najjā nerañjarāya tīre mucalindamūle paṭhamābhisambuddho. Tena kho pana samayena bhagavā sattāhaṁ ekapallaṅkena nisinno hoti vimuttisukhapaṭisaṁvedī.
Thus have I heard—At one time, the Blessed One was dwelling at |Uruvelā::name of a town in Magadha, lit. broad banks [uruvelā]| on the bank of the river Nerañjarā at the foot of a goatherd’s banyan tree, having just attained full awakening. Then, for seven days, the Blessed One sat in one posture experiencing the ease of liberation.
Tena kho pana samayena mahā akālamegho udapādi sattāhavaddalikā sītavātaduddinī. Atha kho mucalindo nāgarājā sakabhavanā nikkhamitvā bhagavato kāyaṁ sattakkhattuṁ bhogehi parikkhipitvā uparimuddhani mahantaṁ phaṇaṁ vihacca aṭṭhāsi: “mā bhagavantaṁ sītaṁ, mā bhagavantaṁ uṇhaṁ, mā bhagavantaṁ ḍaṁsamakasavātātapasarīsapasamphasso”ti.
At that time, a great unseasonal rain cloud arose—a weeklong deluge marked by cold winds and bad weather. Then, the serpent king Mucalinda, came forth from his abode; he then encircled the body of the Blessed One seven times with his coils and, spreading his great hood over the head of the Blessed One, stood guard, thinking: “May the Blessed One not be affected by cold, heat, or come in contact with gadflies, mosquitoes, wind, sun, or creeping things.”
Atha kho bhagavā tassa sattāhassa accayena tamhā samādhimhā vuṭṭhāsi. Atha kho mucalindo nāgarājā viddhaṁ vigatavalāhakaṁ devaṁ viditvā bhagavato kāyā bhoge viniveṭhetvā sakavaṇṇaṁ paṭisaṁharitvā māṇavakavaṇṇaṁ abhinimminitvā bhagavato purato aṭṭhāsi pañjaliko bhagavantaṁ namassamāno.
At the end of those seven days, the Blessed One emerged from that |perfect peace of mind::stability of mind, stillness of mind [samādhi]|. The serpent king Mucalinda, seeing that the sky was now clear and cloudless, uncoiled his coils from the body of the Blessed One. He withdrew his serpentine form, and manifesting the appearance of a young lad, stood in front of the Blessed One honoring him with a reverential salutation.
Atha kho bhagavā etamatthaṁ viditvā tāyaṁ velāyaṁ imaṁ udānaṁ udānesi:
Then, understanding the significance of this, the Blessed One at that time expressed this inspired utterance:
“Sukho viveko tuṭṭhassa,
sutadhammassa passato;
Abyāpajjaṁ sukhaṁ loke,
pāṇabhūtesu saṁyamo.
“Pleasant is |seclusion::solitude, detachment [viveka]| for the content one,
who has heard the |Dhamma::teachings of the Buddha that point to the nature of reality, the ultimate truth [dhamma]| and who sees;
|Harmlessness::benevolence, kindness [abyāpajja]| is happiness in the world—
restraint towards living beings.
Sukhā virāgatā loke,
kāmānaṁ samatikkamo;
Asmimānassa yo vinayo,
etaṁ ve paramaṁ sukhan”ti.
Pleasant is |dispassion::fading of desire, absence of lust [virāga]| towards the world,
the surpassing of |sensual desire::sensual pleasure [kāma]|;
But for he who has given up the |conceit ‘I am’::egotism, self-conceit, self comparison [asmimāna]|,
this is the highest happiness.”
Thus have I heard—At one time, the Blessed One was dwelling at |Uruvelā::name of a town in Magadha, lit. broad banks [uruvelā]| on the bank of the river Nerañjarā at the foot of a goatherd’s banyan tree, having just attained full awakening. Then, for seven days, the Blessed One sat in one posture experiencing the ease of liberation.
At that time, a great unseasonal rain cloud arose—a weeklong deluge marked by cold winds and bad weather. Then, the serpent king Mucalinda, came forth from his abode; he then encircled the body of the Blessed One seven times with his coils and, spreading his great hood over the head of the Blessed One, stood guard, thinking: “May the Blessed One not be affected by cold, heat, or come in contact with gadflies, mosquitoes, wind, sun, or creeping things.”
At the end of those seven days, the Blessed One emerged from that |perfect peace of mind::stability of mind, stillness of mind [samādhi]|. The serpent king Mucalinda, seeing that the sky was now clear and cloudless, uncoiled his coils from the body of the Blessed One. He withdrew his serpentine form, and manifesting the appearance of a young lad, stood in front of the Blessed One honoring him with a reverential salutation.
Then, understanding the significance of this, the Blessed One at that time expressed this inspired utterance:
“Pleasant is |seclusion::solitude, detachment [viveka]| for the content one,
who has heard the |Dhamma::teachings of the Buddha that point to the nature of reality, the ultimate truth [dhamma]| and who sees;
|Harmlessness::benevolence, kindness [abyāpajja]| is happiness in the world—
restraint towards living beings.
Pleasant is |dispassion::fading of desire, absence of lust [virāga]| towards the world,
the surpassing of |sensual desire::sensual pleasure [kāma]|;
But for he who has given up the |conceit ‘I am’::egotism, self-conceit, self comparison [asmimāna]|,
this is the highest happiness.”
Evaṁ me sutaṁ—ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā uruvelāyaṁ viharati najjā nerañjarāya tīre mucalindamūle paṭhamābhisambuddho. Tena kho pana samayena bhagavā sattāhaṁ ekapallaṅkena nisinno hoti vimuttisukhapaṭisaṁvedī.
Tena kho pana samayena mahā akālamegho udapādi sattāhavaddalikā sītavātaduddinī. Atha kho mucalindo nāgarājā sakabhavanā nikkhamitvā bhagavato kāyaṁ sattakkhattuṁ bhogehi parikkhipitvā uparimuddhani mahantaṁ phaṇaṁ vihacca aṭṭhāsi: “mā bhagavantaṁ sītaṁ, mā bhagavantaṁ uṇhaṁ, mā bhagavantaṁ ḍaṁsamakasavātātapasarīsapasamphasso”ti.
Atha kho bhagavā tassa sattāhassa accayena tamhā samādhimhā vuṭṭhāsi. Atha kho mucalindo nāgarājā viddhaṁ vigatavalāhakaṁ devaṁ viditvā bhagavato kāyā bhoge viniveṭhetvā sakavaṇṇaṁ paṭisaṁharitvā māṇavakavaṇṇaṁ abhinimminitvā bhagavato purato aṭṭhāsi pañjaliko bhagavantaṁ namassamāno.
Atha kho bhagavā etamatthaṁ viditvā tāyaṁ velāyaṁ imaṁ udānaṁ udānesi:
“Sukho viveko tuṭṭhassa,
sutadhammassa passato;
Abyāpajjaṁ sukhaṁ loke,
pāṇabhūtesu saṁyamo.
Sukhā virāgatā loke,
kāmānaṁ samatikkamo;
Asmimānassa yo vinayo,
etaṁ ve paramaṁ sukhan”ti.