The Discourse about Udena

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

Tena kho pana samayena Rañño Udenassa uyyānagatassa, I take the phrase Rañño Udenassa uyyānagatassa, as a genitive absolute.⁰¹
Then at that time when King Udena had gone to the pleasure park,

antepuraṁ daḍḍhaṁ hoti,
the inner quarters (of the palace) were burnt down,

pañca ca itthisatāni kālaṅkatāni honti Sāmāvatippamukhāni.
and five hundred women died with (Queen) Sāmāvatī at their head.

Atha kho sambahulā bhikkhū pubbanhasamayaṁ nivāsetvā,
Then many monks, having dressed in the morning time,

pattacīvaram-ādāya, Kosambiṁ piṇḍāya pavisiṁsu,
after picking up their bowls and robes, entered Kosambī for alms,

Kosambiṁ piṇḍāya caritvā, pacchābhattaṁ piṇḍapātapaṭikkantā,
and after walking for alms in Kosambī, while returning from the alms-round after the meal,

upasaṅkamitvā Bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā, ekamantaṁ nisīdiṁsu.
and after going and worshipping the Gracious One, they sat down on one side.

Ekamantaṁ nisinnā kho te bhikkhū Bhagavantaṁ etad-avocuṁ:
While sat on one side those monks said this to the Gracious One:

“Idha bhante Rañño Udenassa uyyānagatassa, antepuraṁ daḍḍhaṁ,
“Here, reverend Sir, when King Udena had gone to the pleasure park, the inner quarters (of the palace) were burnt down,

pañca va itthisatāni kālaṅkatāni honti Sāmāvatippamukhāni.
and five hundred women died with (Queen) Sāmāvatī at their head.

Tāsaṁ bhante upāsikānaṁ kā gati, ko abhisamparāyo?” ti
What is the destination of the female lay followers, reverend Sir, what is their future state?”

“Santettha bhikkhave upāsikāyo sotāpannā,
“There are in this female lay followers who are stream-enterers, monks,

santi anāgāminiyo, santi sakadāgāminiyo
there are once-returners, there are non-returners

- sabbā tā bhikkhave upāsikāyo anipphalā kālaṅkatā” ti.
- none of those female lay followers died, monks, without (having attained some) result.”

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:

“Mohasambandhano loko, ~ bhabbarūpo va dissati, SED gives the following definitions for bhavyarūpa : good figure or form; handsome, beautiful - which seems appropriate here.⁰²
“The world, in bondage to delusion, ~ is looked on as being beautiful,

Upadhisambandhano bālo, ~ tamasā parivārito.
The fool, in bondage to cleaving, ~ is surrounded by darkness.

Sassato-r-iva khāyati, BJT reads Sassativivakhāyati, in the last line, which is grammatically incorrect.

This verse, especially the last line, is very difficult, the translation follows the main Commentarial explanation, with the addition of but in brackets to give it some sort of sense.

Khāyati is a passive verb, and cannot be in construction with the nominative bālo. The line passato natthi kiñcanaṁ, recurs in 8.2 below.

That the tradition has also found the lines difficult is shown by the readings in the Sanskrit, Divyāvadāna, p. 534, reads:

   Mohasaṁvardhano lokobhavyarūpa iva dṛśyate
   Asat sad iti paśyanti paśyatāṁ nāsti kiñcanam.

Udānavarga (27.6) reads:

   Moṣasaṁbandhano lokobhavyarūpa iva dṛśyate,
   Upadhībandhanābālās tamasāparivāritāḥ,
   Asatsadiva dṛśyatepaśyato nāstikiñcanam.

There is also a reading bhavarūpovadissati in the Commentary.⁰³ ~ passato natthi kiñcanan”-ti.
It seems like it is eternal, ~ (but) there is nothing (to hold to) for the one who sees.”