Ānanda Sutta

At that time,

The venerable Ānanda was living with the Kosalans,

In some forest woodland.

Then,

the Venerable Ānanda was spending

an excessive amount of time

teaching lay people.[1]

And at one point,

A devatā inhabiting the same forest woodland,

Approached the Venerable Ānanda;

moved by compassion,

out of a desire for his happiness,

wishing to move him by a sense of urgency, [2]

And spoke these verses:

“Plunge deep in the jungle,

at the root of a tree,

And uphold [3] Nibbāna in your heart. [4]

Meditate Gotama! Don’t be heedless.

What’s all this babbling going to do for you?” [5]

The Venerable Ānanda was shaken up

by the Devatā’s words,

and he was invigorated

by a renewed sense for earnest practice.[6]

[1] ativelaṃ gihisaññattibahulo viharati.

[2] āyasmato ānandassa anukampikā atthakāmā āyasmantaṃ ānandaṃ saṃvejetukāmā

[3] Opiya: Upiya [ger. of upeti] undergoing, going into, metri causa as ūpiya (—°) and opiya, viz. hadayasmiṁ opiya

[4] “Rukkhamūlagahanaṃ pasakkiya, Nibbānaṃ hadayasmiṃ opiya;

[5] Jhāya gotama mā pamādo, Kiṃ te biḷibiḷikā  karissatī”ti.

[6] Atha kho āyasmā ānando tāya devatāya saṃvejito  saṃvegamāpādīti.