Mahākhandhako The Great Chapter - Ancient Buddhist Texts

The Great Chapter - 30
sabbasaṅkhārasamatho, sabbūpadhipaṭinissaggo,
the tranquilising of all processes, the letting go of all bases for cleaving,
taṇhakkhayo, virāgo, nirodho, Nibbānaṁ.
the end of craving, dispassion, cessation, Emancipation. 72
Ahañ-ce va kho pana Dhammaṁ deseyyaṁ pare ca me na ājāneyyuṁ
But if I were to teach the Dhamma and others did not understand me
so mamassa kilamatho sā mamassa vihesā.” ti
that would be tiring for me, that would be troublesome to me.”
Apissu Bhagavantaṁ imā anacchariyā gāthāyo paṭibhaṁsu pubbe assutapubbā:
Further these truly wonderful verses, 73 unheard previously in the past, occurred to
the Gracious One: 74
“Kicchena me adhigataṁ halan-dāni pakāsituṁ
“Now is it suitable 75 for me to explain what was attained with difficulty
Rāgadosaparetehi nāyaṁ Dhammo susambudho.
For those overcome by passion and hatred this Dhamma is not easily understood.
Paṭisotagāmiṁ nipuṇaṁ gambhīraṁ duddasaṁ aṇuṁ,
Going against the stream, 76 it is profound, deep, hard to see, subtle,
Rāgarattā na dakkhanti, tamokkhandhena āvuṭā.” ti
Those delighting in passion, 77 obstructed by darkness, will not see (it).” 78
72 Two versions of this reflection are found in Girimānandasutta (AN 10:60) where they are
known as Virāgasaññā and Nirodhasaññā.
73 Comm: anacchariyā ti anu acchariyā; rather than being derived from na + acchariya, not
wonderful, which gives the opposite meaning.
74 As well as the following Lalitavistara 25.1 has another verse in Jagatī/Tuṭṭhubha
metre on the hesitation: Gambhīra śānto virajaḥ prabhāsvaraḥ, prāpto mi dharmo
hyamṛto ’saṁskṛtaḥ, deśeya cāhaṁ na parasya jāne, yan-nūna tūṣṇī pavane vaseyam;
deep, peaceful, unstained, luminous is the unconditioned Deathless state attained by
me, I shall not teach to other people, what if I were to live quietly in the forest
75 Comm: halan-ti ettha hakāro nipātamatto; alan-ti attho.
76 Comm: Nibbānagāmin-ti attho; going to Emancipation is the meaning.
77 Comm: kāmarāgabhavarāgadiṭṭhirāgena rattā; delighting through delighting in sensuality,
delighting in continuity in existence, delighting in views.
78 cf. Mahāvastū vol. iii. p. 314, has the verses in reverse order, and has a different
last line: pratiśrotagāminaṁ mārgaṁ gambhīraṁ durdṛśaṁ [mama], na rāgaraktā
dracyanti alaṁ dāni prakāśituṁ, kṛccheṇa me adhigato alaṁ dāni prakāśituṁ,
anuśrotaṁ hi vudyanti kāmeṣu grasitā narāḥ; the last line means: those people who
grasp at sensual pleasure are said to be going with the stream. Lalitavistara is
similar.