The Discourse about the Naga (Elephant)

ekaṁ samayaṁ Bhagavā Kosambiyaṁ viharati, Ghositārāme.
at one time the Gracious One was dwelling near Kosambī, in Ghosita's Monastery.

Tena kho pana samayena Bhagavā ākiṇṇo viharati
Then at that time the Gracious One was living beset

bhikkhūhi bhikkhunīhi upāsakehi upāsikāhi,
by monks, and nuns, and male lay followers, and female lay followers,

rājūhi rājamahāmattehi titthiyehi titthiyasāvakehi,
and kings, and king's ministers, and sectarians, and sectarians' disciples,

ākiṇṇo dukkhaṁ na phāsu viharati.
he lived beset, unhappy, and uncomfortable.

bhikkhūhi bhikkhunīhi upāsakehi upāsikāhi,
by monks, and nuns, and male lay followers, and female lay followers,

rājūhi rājamahāmattehi titthiyehi titthiyasāvakehi,
and kings, and king's ministers, and sectarians, and sectarians' disciples,

ākiṇṇo dukkhaṁ na phāsu viharāmi.
I am living beset, unhappy, and uncomfortable.

Yannūnāhaṁ eko gaṇamhā vūpakaṭṭho vihareyyan”-ti.
Well now, I could dwell solitary, secluded from the group.”

Atha kho Bhagavā, pubbanhasamayaṁ nivāsetvā,
Then the Gracious One, having dressed in the morning time,

pattacīvaram-ādāya, Kosambiṁ BJT Kosambiyaṁ, but pavisati normally governs the accusative (see text passim), so this appears to be a mistake (but cf. Wijesekera's note in Syntax § 165b, where he argues that both accusative and locative are permissible).
ChS reads Kosambiṁ as here; and cf. 7.10 below, where Kosambiṁ is used in the same construction.⁰¹ piṇḍāya pāvisi.
after picking up his bowl and robe, entered Kosambī for alms.

Kosambiyaṁ piṇḍāya caritvā, pacchābhattaṁ piṇḍapātapaṭikkanto,
After walking for alms in Kosambī, when he had returned from the alms-round after the meal,

sāmaṁ senāsanaṁ saṁsāmetvā, pattacīvaram-ādāya,
after putting the dwelling place in order by himself, picking up his robe and bowl,

anāmantetvā upaṭṭhāke, anapaloketvā Bhikkhusaṅghaṁ,
without having addressed his attendants, without having taken leave of the Community of monks,

eko adutiyo, yena Pārileyyakaṁ tena cārikaṁ pakkāmi.
solitary, without a companion, went away on a walk towards Pārileyyaka.

Anupubbena cārikaṁ caramāno yena Pārileyyakaṁ tad-avasari.
While walking gradually on walking tour he arrived at Pārileyyaka.

Tatra sudaṁ Bhagavā Pārileyyake viharati,
There the Gracious One dwelt near Pārileyyaka,

Rakkhitavanasaṇḍe bhaddasālamūle.
in the Protected Jungle, at the root of the auspicious Sāl-tree.

Aññataro pi kho Hatthināgo ākiṇṇo viharati
Now also a certain Nāga elephant was living beset

hatthīhi hatthinīhi hatthikalabhehi hatthicchāpehi.
by male elephants, by female elephants, by young elephants, by baby elephants.

Chinnaggāni ceva tiṇāni khādati,
He ate grass that had the tips broken off,

obhaggobhaggañ-cassa sākhābhaṅgaṁ khādanti.
while they ate what he had broken down from the branches.

ogāhā cassa uttiṇṇassa hatthiniyo kāyaṁ upanighaṁsantiyo gacchanti,
and when he arose from the bathing place female elephants went along jostling his body,

ākiṇṇo dukkhaṁ, na phāsu viharati.
he lived beset, unhappy, and uncomfortable.

Atha kho tassa Hatthināgassa etad-ahosi:
Then it occurred to that Nāga elephant:

hatthīhi hatthinīhi hatthikalabhehi hatthicchāpehi.
by male elephants, by female elephants, by young elephants, by baby elephants.

Chinnaggāni ceva tiṇāni khādāmi,
I eat grass that has the tips broken off,

obhaggobhaggañ-ca me sākhābhaṅgaṁ khādanti.
while they eat what I have broken down from the branches.

ogāhā ca me uttiṇṇassa hatthiniyo kāyaṁ upanighaṁsantiyo gacchanti,
and when I arise from the bathing place female elephants go along jostling my body,

ākiṇṇo dukkhaṁ na phāsu viharāmi.
I am living beset, unhappy, and uncomfortable.

Yannūnāhaṁ eko gaṇamhā vūpakaṭṭho vihareyyan”-ti.
Well now, I could dwell solitary, secluded from the group.”

Atha kho so Hatthināgo, yūthā apakkamma,
Then that Nāga elephant, having gone away from the herd,

yena Pārileyyakaṁ Rakkhitavanasaṇḍo bhaddasālamūlaṁ,
^o went to Pārileyyaka, the Protected Jungle, the root of the auspicious Sāl-tree,

Tatra sudaṁ so Hatthināgo, yasmiṁ padese Bhagavā viharati,
There, in that place where the Gracious One dwelt, that Nāga elephant

taṁ padesaṁ appaharitañ-ca karoti, lit.: made that place have but little grass, which seems to be a rare idiom in early Pāḷi, though it appears in the Commentarial literature. See e.g. the nidāna to the 1st gāthā of Paṇḍitavagga in the Dhammapadaṭṭhakathā.⁰²
cleared that place of grass,

soṇḍāya Bhagavato pānīyaṁ paribhojanīyañ-ca upaṭṭhapeti.
and with his trunk provided the Gracious One with drinking water and washing water.

Atha kho Bhagavato rahogatassa patisallīnassa,
Then when the Gracious One had gone into hiding, into seclusion,

bhikkhūhi bhikkhunīhi upāsakehi upāsikāhi,
by monks, and nuns, and male lay followers, and female lay followers,

rājūhi rājamahāmattehi titthiyehi titthiyasāvakehi,
and kings, and king's ministers, and sectarians, and sectarians' disciples,

ākiṇṇo dukkhaṁ na phāsu vihāsiṁ.
I was living beset, unhappy, and uncomfortable.

Somhi etarahi anākiṇṇo viharāmi
However at present I am living unbeset

bhikkhūhi bhikkhunīhi upāsakehi upāsikāhi,
by monks, and nuns, and male lay followers, and female lay followers,

rājūhi rājamahāmattehi titthiyehi titthiyasāvakehi,
and kings, and king's ministers, and sectarians, and sectarians' disciples,

anākiṇṇo sukhaṁ phāsu viharāmī” ti.
I am living unbeset, happily, and comfortable.”

Tassa pi kho Hatthināgassa evaṁ cetaso parivitakko udapādi:
Also to that Nāga elephant this reflection arose in his mind:

hatthīhi hatthinīhi hatthikalabhehi hatthicchāpehi.
by male elephants, by female elephants, by young elephants, by baby elephants.

Chinnaggāni ceva tiṇāni khādiṁ,
I ate grass that had the tips broken off,

obhaggobhaggañ-ca me sākhābhaṅgaṁ khādiṁsu.
while they ate what I had broken down from the branches.

ogāhā ca me uttiṇṇassa hatthiniyo kāyaṁ upanighaṁsantiyo agamaṁsu,
and when I arose from my bathing place female elephants proceded to jostle me with their bodies,

ākiṇṇo dukkhaṁ, na phāsu vihāsiṁ.
I was living beset, unhappy, uncomfortable.

Somhi etarahi anākiṇṇo viharāmi
However at present I am living unbeset

hatthīhi hatthinīhi hatthikalabhehi hatthicchāpehi.
by male elephants, by female elephants, by young elephants, by baby elephants.

obhaggobhaggañ-ca me sākhābhaṅgaṁ na khādanti.
while they do not eat what I have broken down from the branches.

Anāvilāni ca pānīyāni pivāmi,
I drink water that has not been disturbed,

ogāhā ca me uttiṇṇassa hatthiniyo na kāyaṁ upanighaṁ santiyo gacchanti,
and when I arise from my bathing place female elephants do not proceed to jostle me with their bodies,

anākiṇṇo sukhaṁ, phāsu viharāmī” ti.
I am living unbeset, happily, and comfortable.”

Atha kho Bhagavā attano ca pavivekaṁ viditvā,
Then the Gracious One, having understood his own complete seclusion,

tassa ca Hatthināgassa cetasā cetoparivitakkam-aññāya,
and knowing with his mind the reflection that had arisen in that Nāga elephant's mind,

tāyaṁ velāyaṁ imaṁ udānaṁ udānesi:
on that occasion uttered this exalted utterance:

“Etaṁ Nāgassa Nāgena ~ īsādantassa hatthino
^o “This pole-toothed elephant Nāga's mind agrees

Sameti cittaṁ cittena: ~ yad-eko ramate vane” ti. The syntax is difficult here, owing to the remoteness of the instrumentals from each other, but we have to take cittena with Nāgena for it to make sense.⁰³
with the (Buddha) Nāga's mind: ~ that (a Nāga) delights in being solitary in the wood.”