Jaccandhavaggo
6-7: Subhūtisuttaṁ (57)
The Discourse about Subhūti
Evaṁ me sutaṁ:
Thus I heard:
ekaṁ samayaṁ Bhagavā Sāvatthiyaṁ viharati,
at one time the Gracious One was dwelling near Sāvatthī,
Jetavane Anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme.
in Jeta's Wood, at Anāthapiṇḍika's monastery.
Tena kho pana samayena āyasmā Subhūti
Then at that time venerable Subhūti
Bhagavato avidūre nisinno hoti,
was sitting not far away from the Gracious One,
pallaṅkaṁ ābhujitvā, ujuṁ kāyaṁ paṇidhāya,
after folding his legs crosswise, and setting his body straight,
avitakkasamādhiṁ samāpannaṁ.
having attained a concentration free from thought.
Addasā kho Bhagavā āyasmantaṁ Subhūtiṁ avidūre nisinnaṁ,
The Gracious One saw venerable Subhūti sat not far away,
pallaṅkaṁ ābhujitvā, ujuṁ kāyaṁ paṇidhāya,
after folding his legs crosswise, and setting his body straight,
avitakkasamādhiṁ samāpannaṁ.
who had attained a concentration free from thought.
Atha kho Bhagavā, etam-atthaṁ viditvā,
Then the Gracious One, having understood the significance of it,
tāyaṁ velāyaṁ imaṁ udānaṁ udānesi:
on that occasion uttered this exalted utterance:
“Yassa vitakkā vidhūpitā,
o “For he who has dispelled thoughts,
Ajjhattaṁ suvikappitā asesā,
Totally cut (them) off within himself without remainder,
Taṁ saṅgam-aticca arūpasaññī, Arūpa, the formless, is defined as signifying nibbāna in the Commentary here.01
Perceiving the formless (nibbāna), beyond the shackle,
Catuyogātigato na jātu-m-etī” ti. There is another reading given in the Commentary, na jātim-eti, which might seem preferable, in which case the translation would run: ‘does not come to birth (again)’.02
Having overcome the four yokes - he surely does not come (to birth again).”