Chapter 11

Jar Vagga
Old Age
(Text and Translation by Ven. Nrada)
DHAMMAPADA
1. Ko nu hso kimnando
nicca pajjalite sati
Andhakrena onaddh
padpa na gavessatha 146.

http://www.metta.lk/english/Narada/
11-Jara%20Vagga.htm
SEEK THE LIGHT
1. What is laughter, what is joy, when the world is
ever burning? 1 Shrouded by darkness, would you
not seek the light? 146.
Story
Viskh, the chief lay benefactress of the Buddha, once
visited Him, accompanied by some women who, without her
knowledge, had become drunk. In their drunken state they
discourteously danced and sang before the Buddha. By His
psychic powers the Buddha created a darkness which brought
them to their senses. The Buddha then uttered this verse.

2. Passa cittakata bimba

arukya samussita
tura bahusakappa
yassa natthi dhuva hiti.
147.

Foul- adj, sujo, impuro, corrupto

GAILY- in a joyful, cheerful, or happy
manner, merrily
FOUL IS THIS GAILY DECKED BODY
2. Behold this beautiful body, a mass of sores, a
heaped-up (lump), diseased, much thought of, in
which nothing lasts, nothing persists. 2 147.
Story
A young monk fell in love with Sirim, a beautiful
courtesan. Unexpectedly she died. Even when the King
ordered the people to have a look at her corpse nobody cared
to look at it. Showing the decaying and worm-infested body to
the monks, the Buddha spoke on the loathsomeness of the
body.

3. Parijiam ida rpa

roganiha pabhagura
Bhijjati ptisandeho
maraanta hi jvita. 148.
LIFE ENDS IN DEATH
3. Thoroughly worn out is this body, a nest of
diseases, perishable. This putrid mass breaks up.
Truly, life ends in death. 148.
Story
Seeing an old nun stumble and fall, the Buddha spoke on
the fleeting nature of life.

4. Ynimni apatthni
alpn' eva srade

Kpotakni ahni
tni disvna k rati 149.
WHAT DELIGHT IN SEEING WHITE BONES?
4. Like gourds cast away in autumn are these dovehued bones. What pleasure is there in looking at
them? 149.
Story
Many monks went to a cemetery to meditate. Lust arose in
them while meditating on fresh corpses. Thereupon the
Buddha uttered this verse in admonition.

5. Ahna nagara kata

masalohitalepana
Yattha jar ca macc ca
mno makkho ca ohito. 150.
THIS BODY IS COMPOSED OF FLESH AND BLOOD
5. Of bones is (this) city made, plastered with flesh
and blood. Herein are stored decay, death, conceit,
and detraction. 150.
Story
A beautiful woman became a nun but lacked faith. Fearing
that the Buddha would speak depreciatingly of her beauty,
she would not visit the Buddha. One day when she came to
the preaching hall with the others, the Buddha conjured the
vision of a beautiful woman fanning Him. The Buddha then
caused the vision to change gradually, reflecting the ravages
wrought by old age and death. The Truth dawned upon the
woman. Thereupon the Buddha uttered this verse.

6. Jranti ve rjarath sucitt

atho sarram pi jara upeti.
Sata ca dhammo na jara upeti
santo have sabbhi
pavedayanti. 151.
RIGHTEOUSNESS DOES NOT WEAR AWAY
6. Even ornamented royal chariots wear out. So too
the body reaches old age. But the Dhamma 3 of the
Good grows not old. Thus do the Good reveal it
among the Good. 4 151.
Story
Queen Mallik was a pious woman. After her death when
the Buddha visited the palace the King wished to know her
place of rebirth. The Buddha revealed where she was reborn,
and inspecting the royal chariots, He uttered this verse.

7. Appassutya puriso
balivaddo' va jrati
Masni tassa vahanti
pa tassa na vahati.
152.
ONE WITH LITTLE LEARNING LACKS WISDOM
7. The man of little learning grows old like the ox.
His muscles grow; his wisdom grows not. 152.
Story
A monk always used to utter inappropriate things.
Concerning him the Buddha uttered this verse.

8. Anekajti sasra
sandhvissa anibbisa

Gahakraka gavesanto:
dukkh jti punappuna.
153.
9. Gahakraka diho' si
puna geha na khasi:
Sabb te phsuk bhagg
gahaka visakhita
Visakhragata citta
tahna khayam ajjhag.
154.
CRAVING IS THE BUILDER OF THIS HOUSE
8. Through many a birth I wandered in
sasra, 5 seeking, but not finding, the builder of
the house. Sorrowful is it to be born again and
again. 153.
9. O house-builder! Thou art seen. Thou shalt build
no house again. All thy rafters are broken. Thy
ridge-pole is shattered. My mind has attained the
unconditioned. Achieved is the end of craving. 154.
Story
Immediately after Enlightenment the Buddha uttered this
paean of joy.

10. Acaritv brahmacariya

aladdh yobbane dhana
Jiakoc'va jhyanti
khamacche' va pallale. 155.
11. Acaritv brahmacariya
aladdh yobbane dhana
Senti cptikhitt'va
purni anutthuna. 156.
THEY REPENT WHO DO NOT PROGRESS MATERIALLY AND
SPIRITUALLY

10. They who have not led the Holy Life, who in
youth have not acquired wealth, pine away like old
herons at a pond without fish. 155.
11. They who have not led the Holy Life; who in
youth have not acquired wealth, lie like worn-out
bows, sighing after the past. 156.
Story
A millionaire's son, owing to bad company, squandered all
his wealth and was reduced to penury. Concerning his sad
plight the Buddha uttered these verses.

End Notes
1 This world is perpetually consumed with the flames of
passions. It is completely surrounded by the veil of ignorance.
Being placed in such a world, the wise should try to seek the
light of wisdom.
2 As good and pleasant.
3 The nine supramundane states are the four Paths, the four
Fruits and Nibbna.
4 Such as the Buddhas.
5 These two verses, the first paean of joy (udna) uttered by
the Buddha immediately after His Enlightenment, are not
found elsewhere. As the Venerable Ananda heard them from
the lips of the Buddha they have been inserted here.
Here the Buddha admits his past wanderings in existence
which entails suffering, a fact which evidently proves the
belief in rebirth. He was compelled to wander and
consequently to suffer, as long as be could not discover the
architect who built this house, the body. In His final birth He
discovered by His own intuitive wisdom the elusive architect
dwelling not outside but within the recesses of His own heart.
The architect was Craving or Attachment (tah), a selfcreated force a mental element latent in all. The discovery of
the architect is the eradication of craving by attaining

Arahantship which, in this utterance, is alluded to as the end

of craving.
The rafters of this self-created house are the defilements
(kilesa). The ridge-pole that supports the rafters is ignorance
(avijj), the root cause of all defilements. The shattering of the
ridge-pole of ignorance by wisdom results in the complete
demolition of the house. The ridge-pole and the rafters are the
material with which the architect builds this undesired house.
With their destruction the architect is deprived of the
wherewithal to rebuild the house which is not wanted. With
the demolition of the house the mind attains the
unconditioned which is Nibbna.