Tripiṭaka 5. Uposathavagga
5. Sabbath
Tip — double-click any Pāli word to look it up in the dictionary.
Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati pubbārāme migāramātupāsāde.
At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in the stilt longhouse of Migāra’s mother in the Eastern Monastery.
Atha kho visākhā migāramātā yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami …pe….
Then Visākhā, Migāra’s mother, went up to the Buddha, bowed, and sat down to one side.
“Catūhi kho, visākhe, dhammehi samannāgato mātugāmo idhalokavijayāya paṭipanno hoti, ayaṁsa loko āraddho hoti.
“Visākhā, a lady who has four qualities is practicing to win in this life, and she succeeds at it.
Idha, visākhe, mātugāmo susaṁvihitakammanto hoti, saṅgahitaparijano, bhattu manāpaṁ carati, sambhataṁ anurakkhati.
It’s when a lady is well-organized at work, manages the domestic help, acts lovingly toward her husband, and preserves his earnings.
Idha, visākhe, mātugāmo ye te bhattu abbhantarā kammantā—uṇṇāti vā kappāsāti vā—tattha dakkhā hoti analasā tatrupāyāya vīmaṁsāya samannāgatā alaṁ kātuṁ alaṁ saṁvidhātuṁ.
It’s when she’s deft and tireless in doing domestic duties for her husband, such as knitting and sewing. She understands how to go about things in order to complete and organize the work.
Evaṁ kho, visākhe, mātugāmo susaṁvihitakammanto hoti.
That’s how a lady is well-organized at work.
Kathañca, visākhe, mātugāmo saṅgahitaparijano hoti?
And how does a lady manage the domestic help?
Idha, visākhe, mātugāmo yo so bhattu abbhantaro antojano—dāsāti vā pessāti vā kammakarāti vā—
It’s when she knows what work her husband’s domestic bondservants, servants, and workers have completed, and what they’ve left incomplete.
tesaṁ katañca katato jānāti akatañca akatato jānāti, gilānakānañca balābalaṁ jānāti khādanīyaṁ bhojanīyañcassa paccaṁsena saṁvibhajati.
She knows who is sick, and who is fit or unwell. She distributes to each a fair portion of fresh and cooked foods.
Evaṁ kho, visākhe, mātugāmo saṅgahitaparijano hoti.
That’s how a lady manages the domestic help.
Kathañca, visākhe, mātugāmo bhattu manāpaṁ carati?
And how does a lady act lovingly toward her husband?
Idha, visākhe, mātugāmo yaṁ bhattu amanāpasaṅkhātaṁ taṁ jīvitahetupi na ajjhācarati.
It’s when a lady would not transgress in any way that her husband would not consider agreeable, even for the sake of her own life.
Evaṁ kho, visākhe, mātugāmo bhattu manāpaṁ carati.
That’s how a lady acts lovingly toward her husband.
Idha, visākhe, mātugāmo yaṁ bhattā āharati dhanaṁ vā dhaññaṁ vā rajataṁ vā jātarūpaṁ vā taṁ ārakkhena guttiyā sampādeti, tattha ca hoti adhuttī athenī asoṇḍī avināsikā.
It’s when she ensures that any income her husband earns is guarded and protected, whether money, grain, silver, or gold. She doesn’t overspend, steal, waste, or lose it.
Imehi kho, visākhe, catūhi dhammehi samannāgato mātugāmo idhalokavijayāya paṭipanno hoti, ayaṁsa loko āraddho hoti.
A lady who possesses these four qualities is practicing to win in this life, and she succeeds at it.
Catūhi kho, visākhe, dhammehi samannāgato mātugāmo paralokavijayāya paṭipanno hoti, paraloko āraddho hoti.
A lady who has four qualities is practicing to win in the next life, and she succeeds at it.
Idha, visākhe, mātugāmo saddhāsampanno hoti, sīlasampanno hoti, cāgasampanno hoti, paññāsampanno hoti.
It’s when a lady is accomplished in faith, ethics, generosity, and wisdom.
Idha, visākhe, mātugāmo saddho hoti, saddahati tathāgatassa bodhiṁ:
It’s when a lady has faith in the Realized One’s awakening:
‘itipi so bhagavā arahaṁ sammāsambuddho vijjācaraṇasampanno sugato lokavidū anuttaro purisadammasārathi satthā devamanussānaṁ buddho bhagavā’ti.
‘That Blessed One is perfected, a fully awakened Buddha, accomplished in knowledge and conduct, holy, knower of the world, supreme guide for those fit for training, teacher of gods and humans, awakened, blessed.’
Idha, visākhe, mātugāmo pāṇātipātā paṭivirato hoti …pe… surāmerayamajjapamādaṭṭhānā paṭivirato hoti.
It’s when a lady doesn’t kill living creatures, steal, commit sexual misconduct, lie, or consume beer, wine, and liquor intoxicants.
Idha, visākhe, mātugāmo vigatamalamaccherena cetasā agāraṁ ajjhāvasati muttacāgā payatapāṇinī vossaggaratā yācayogā dānasaṁvibhāgaratā.
It’s when she lives at home rid of the stain of stinginess, freely generous, open-handed, loving to let go, committed to charity, loving to give and to share.
Evaṁ kho, visākhe, mātugāmo cāgasampanno hoti.
That’s how a lady is accomplished in generosity.
Idha, visākhe, mātugāmo paññavā hoti …pe…
It’s when a lady is wise. She has the wisdom of arising and passing away which is noble, penetrative, and leads to the complete ending of suffering.
Imehi kho, visākhe, catūhi dhammehi samannāgato mātugāmo paralokavijayāya paṭipanno hoti, paraloko āraddho hotīti.
A lady who possesses these four qualities is practicing to win in the next life, and she succeeds at it.
Navamaṁ.