Rājantepurappavesanasutta — Reader

Entering a Royal Compound

Rājantepurappavesanasutta

“Mendicants, there are ten drawbacks to entering a royal compound. What ten? Firstly, a king is sitting with his chief queen when a monk enters.

“Dasayime, bhikkhave, ādīnavā rājantepurappavesane. Katame dasa? Idha, bhikkhave, rājā mahesiyā saddhiṁ nisinno hoti. Tatra bhikkhu pavisati.

When the queen sees the monk she smiles, or when the monk sees the queen he smiles. So the king thinks: ‘They’ve done it for sure, or they will do it.’ This is the first drawback of entering a royal compound.

Mahesī vā bhikkhuṁ disvā sitaṁ pātukaroti, bhikkhu vā mahesiṁ disvā sitaṁ pātukaroti. Tattha rañño evaṁ hoti: ‘addhā imesaṁ kataṁ vā karissanti vā’ti. Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, paṭhamo ādīnavo rājantepurappavesane.

Furthermore, a king has many duties, and much to do. He has sex with one of the women but doesn’t remember. She gets pregnant from that. So the king thinks: ‘No-one else has entered here, except that monk.

Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, rājā bahukicco bahukaraṇīyo aññataraṁ itthiṁ gantvā na sarati: ‘sā tena gabbhaṁ gaṇhāti’. Tattha rañño evaṁ hoti: ‘na kho idha añño koci pavisati, aññatra pabbajitena.

Could this be the monk’s doing?’ This is the second drawback of entering a royal compound. Furthermore, a gem is lost somewhere in the royal compound. So the king thinks:

Siyā nu kho pabbajitassa kamman’ti. Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, dutiyo ādīnavo rājantepurappavesane. Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, rañño antepure aññataraṁ ratanaṁ nassati. Tattha rañño evaṁ hoti:

‘No-one else has entered here, except that monk. Could this be the monk’s doing?’ This is the third drawback of entering a royal compound. Furthermore, secret deliberations in the royal compound are leaked outside.

‘na kho idha añño koci pavisati, aññatra pabbajitena. Siyā nu kho pabbajitassa kamman’ti. Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, tatiyo ādīnavo rājantepurappavesane. Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, rañño antepure abbhantarā guyhamantā bahiddhā sambhedaṁ gacchanti.

So the king thinks: ‘No-one else has entered here, except that monk. Could this be the monk’s doing?’ This is the fourth drawback of entering a royal compound.

Tattha rañño evaṁ hoti: ‘na kho idha añño koci pavisati, aññatra pabbajitena. Siyā nu kho pabbajitassa kamman’ti. Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, catuttho ādīnavo rājantepurappavesane.

Furthermore, in a royal compound, a father longs for their son, or a son longs for his father. They think: ‘No-one else has entered here, except that monk. Could this be the monk’s doing?’

Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, rañño antepure pitā vā puttaṁ pattheti putto vā pitaraṁ pattheti. Tesaṁ evaṁ hoti: ‘na kho idha añño koci pavisati, aññatra pabbajitena. Siyā nu kho pabbajitassa kamman’ti.

This is the fifth drawback of entering a royal compound. Furthermore, the king promotes someone to a higher position. Those who are upset by this think: ‘The king is close to that monk.

Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, pañcamo ādīnavo rājantepurappavesane. Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, rājā nīcaṭṭhāniyaṁ ucce ṭhāne ṭhapeti. Yesaṁ taṁ amanāpaṁ tesaṁ evaṁ hoti: ‘rājā kho pabbajitena saṁsaṭṭho.

Could this be the monk’s doing?’ This is the sixth drawback of entering a royal compound. Furthermore, the king demotes someone to a lower position. Those who are upset by this think:

Siyā nu kho pabbajitassa kamman’ti. Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, chaṭṭho ādīnavo rājantepurappavesane. Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, rājā uccaṭṭhāniyaṁ nīce ṭhāne ṭhapeti. Yesaṁ taṁ amanāpaṁ tesaṁ evaṁ hoti:

‘The king is close to that monk. Could this be the monk’s doing?’ This is the seventh drawback of entering a royal compound. Furthermore, the king dispatches the army at the wrong time.

‘rājā kho pabbajitena saṁsaṭṭho. Siyā nu kho pabbajitassa kamman’ti. Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, sattamo ādīnavo rājantepurappavesane. Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, rājā akāle senaṁ uyyojeti.

Those who are upset by this think: ‘The king is close to that monk. Could this be the monk’s doing?’ This is the eighth drawback of entering a royal compound.

Yesaṁ taṁ amanāpaṁ tesaṁ evaṁ hoti: ‘rājā kho pabbajitena saṁsaṭṭho. Siyā nu kho pabbajitassa kamman’ti. Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, aṭṭhamo ādīnavo rājantepurappavesane.

Furthermore, the king dispatches the army at the right time, but orders it to turn back while still on the road. Those who are upset by this think: ‘The king is close to that monk. Could this be the monk’s doing?’

Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, rājā kāle senaṁ uyyojetvā antarāmaggato nivattāpeti. Yesaṁ taṁ amanāpaṁ tesaṁ evaṁ hoti: ‘rājā kho pabbajitena saṁsaṭṭho. Siyā nu kho pabbajitassa kamman’ti.

This is the ninth drawback of entering a royal compound. Furthermore, in the royal compound there is a trampling of elephants, horses, and chariots, as well as arousing sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and touches that do not befit a monk. This is the tenth drawback of entering a royal compound. These are the ten drawbacks of entering a royal compound.”

Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, navamo ādīnavo rājantepurappavesane. Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, rañño antepuraṁ hatthisammaddaṁ assasammaddaṁ rathasammaddaṁ rajanīyāni rūpasaddagandharasaphoṭṭhabbāni, yāni na pabbajitassa sāruppāni. Ayaṁ, bhikkhave, dasamo ādīnavo rājantepurappavesane. Ime kho, bhikkhave, dasa ādīnavā rājantepurappavesane”ti.

Pañcamaṁ.