Selections from the npnassatisutta

Sanskrit Equivalent, Translation and Commentary by Narsing Rao June, 2008

Introdu tion
T!e npnassatisutta is one o" t!e most im#ortant Suttas in t!e Ti#itaka$ It a##ears as t!e %%8t! Sutta o" t!e &a''!ima Nikaya$ T!e setting is as "ollo(s) *n e, t!e +udd!a (as d(elling at Savatt!i ,S!ravasti, lo ated in (!at is no( t!e nort!-eastern #art o" .ttar /rades!0 along (it! many (ell kno(n elder dis i#les$ Surveying t!e alm assembly o" b!ikk!us, t!e +udd!a made an observation t!at t!e assembly in "ront o" !im (as truly remarkable in t!at it ontained several b!ikk!us t!at (ere "ar advan ed in t!e s#iritual #at!$ Su ! an assembly, !e said, 1(ould be (ort! taking a long 'ourney (it! a travel-bag to see$2 3e t!en #ro eeded to give a dis ourse on t!e im#ortan e and bene"its o" attention to breat!ing ,npnasati0, and !o( it !el#s to establis! t!e "our "oundations o" attention and t!e seven "a tors o" enlig!tenment$ /resented !ere is t!e original /ali te4t, Sanskrit equivalent, translation, and ommentary on some o" t!e #assages in t!is (onder"ul Sutta$ It is im#ortant to remember t!at several /ali (ords do not !ave a Sanskrit equivalent$ T!is is be ause even t!oug! t!ey are derived "rom Sanskrit roots, t!ey are used in a (ay t!at is #e uliar to /ali$ T!e orres#onding usage in Sanskrit eit!er does not e4ist or !as a totally di""erent onnotation$ I" you (is! to omment on t!is, #lease get in tou ! (it! t!e aut!or at nbrao5dataone$in or at bnrao5inter(oven$ om $

Pali Text

SAnApAnsit, iBEKve, BAivtA bhulIktA mhFPlA hoit mhAinsMsA SAnApAnsit, iBEKve, BAivtA bhulIktA cAAro sitp Ane pirp!rie t cAAro sitp AnA BAivtA bhulIktA sA bo"#$e pirp!re%&t sA bo"#$A BAivtA bhulIktA iv"'Aivmu(A pirp!re%&t )k*M BAivtA c, iBEKve, SAnApAnsit k*M bhulIktA mhFPlA hoit mhAinsMsA+ ,-, iBEKve, iBEKu Sr./0to vA r1EKm!l0to vA su./A0Ar0to vA insI2it p3l4M SABui'5vA 6'uM kA7M pi8-A7 pirmuKM s(t 6p pe5vA so stov Sssit stov pssit
Transliteration npnassati, bhikkhave, bhvit bahulkat mahapphal hoti mahnisas. npnassati, bhikkhave, bhvit bahulkat catt ro satipahne paripreti. Cattro satipahn bhvit bahulkat satta bojjha e pariprenti. Satta bojjha bhvit bahulkat vijj vimutti pariprenti. !"atha bhvit ca, bhikkhave, npnassati katha bahulkat mahapphal hoti mahnisas# $%ha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu ara&&a ato v rukkhamla ato v su&& ra ato v nis%ati pallaka bhujitv uju k'a pa(i%h'a parimukha sati upahapetv. So satova assasati satova passasati. Translation 6ttention to breat!ing, +!ikk!us, (!en develo#ed and ultivated, yields great "ruit and great bene"it$ 6ttention to breat!ing, (!en develo#ed and ultivated, brings t!e "our "oundations o" attention to t!eir ulmination$ T!e "our "oundations o" attention, (!en develo#ed and ultivated, bring t!e seven "a tors "or a(akening to t!eir ulmination$ T!e seven "a tors "or a(akening, (!en develo#ed and ultivated, bring lear kno(ing and release to t!eir ulmination$ 1No( !o( is a(areness o" breat!ing develo#ed and ultivated so as to yield great "ruit and great bene"it72 13ere, +!ikk!us, a monk, !aving gone to t!e (ilderness, to t!e s!ade o" a tree, or to an em#ty building, sits do(n "olding !is legs ross(ise, !olding !is body ere t, and setting mind"ulness to t!e "ore$ 6l(ays mind"ul, !e breat!es in8 mind"ul !e breat!es out$

Commentary

SAnApAnsit, iBEKve, BAivtA bhulIktA mhFPlA hoit mhAinsMsA

6ttention to breat!ing, +!ikk!us, (!en develo#ed and ultivated, yields great "ruit and great bene"it$ T!e /ali (ord SAnApAnsit onsists o") , , and . means inhaling ! ' meaning

and means exhaling, b !h de"i#ed $" m !he %ans&"i! "

! b"ea!he. is de"i#ed $" m () , li!e"all* meaning "ememb"an+e. a"e $!en sim3li$ied 4 in !his +ase, !he se+ nd, i.e. 5 ,' is d" 33ed6.

,-ali has n . , /hi+h is + n#e"!ed ! " 0, $1"!he"m "e + n21n+! + ns nan!s 7n+iden!all*, !he %ans&"i! + n+e3!s 8 9 and mean :1i!e di$$e"en! !hings; 8 9 is gene"all* ass +ia!ed /i!h "es3i"a!i n /he"eas is ass +ia!ed /i!h elimina!i n < $ 1"ine, s! l, semen, and menses= $" m !he b d*.

iBEKve > ?@AB, # +a!i#e 3l1"al $ ?@ BAivtA > ? AC , li!. made ! be+ me, i.e. de#el 3ed " +1l!i#a!ed bhulIktA > DEFG H) , li!. made m1+h $, i.e. 3"a+!i+ed $"e:1en!l* mhFPlA > 5I JF , *ielding g"ea! $"1i!

hoit

> ?A , be+ mes > 5I K ,' highl* 3"aise/ "!h*

mhAinsMsA

SAnApAnsit, iBEKve, BAivtA bhulIktA cAAro sitp Ane pirp!reit

6ttention to breat!ing, (!en develo#ed and ultivated, brings t!e "our "oundations o" attention to t!eir ulmination$

cAAro

> LM NB , $ 1" > ()OP <() Q RP =, $ 1nda!i ns $ a!!en!i n <$" m N , a" 1nd Q T , ! $ill=, $ills + m3le!el* " b"ings !

sitp Ane

pirp!reit > NSNC

+1lmina!i n

Uhe $ 1" $ 1nda!i ns $ a!!en!i n a"e; V d*, Weelings, Xind, and Xen!al Y1ali!ies. ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

cAAro sitp AnA BAivtA bhulIktA sA bo"#$e pirp!r%e &t

T!e "our "oundations o" attention, (!en develo#ed and ultivated, bring t!e seven "a tors "or a(akening to t!eir ulmination$

sA > [ , se#en bo"#$e > D\] Q ^ , limbs " $a+! "s $ enligh!enmen!
Uhe se#en $a+! "s " enligh!enmen! a"e; _!!en!i n, 7n#es!iga!i n in! !he na!1"e $ `hamma, ane"g*, bhee"$1lness, celaxa!i n, b n+en!"a!i n, and a:1animi!*. ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

sA bo"#$A BAivtA bhulIktA iv"'Aivmu(A pirp!r%e &t

T!e seven "a tors "or a(akening, (!en develo#ed and ultivated, bring lear kno(ing and release to t!eir ulmination$

iv"'Aivmu(A > Ad A5e , &n /ledge and "elease <$"eed m=

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

k*M BAivtA c, iBEKve, SAnApAnsit k*M bhulIktA mhFPlA hoit mhAinsMsA+

No( !o( ,k*M0 is a(areness o" breat!ing develo#ed and ultivated so as to yield great "ruit and great bene"it7 ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

,-, iBEKve, iBEKu Sr./0to vA r1EKm!l0to vA su./A0Ar0to vA insI2it p3l4M SABui'5vA 6'uM kA7M pi8-A7 pirmuKM s(t 6p pe5vA
3ere, +!ikk!us, a monk, !aving gone to t!e (ilderness, to t!e s!ade o" a tree, or to an em#ty building, sits do(n "olding !is legs ross(ise, !olding !is body ere t, and setting mind"ulness to t!e "ore$

,- > 0I , he"e, n / Sr./0to > NfCg B, ha#ing g ne ! !he $ "es! r1EKm!l0to > A)@5SFg B, ha#ing g ne ! !he base <shade= $ a !"ee su./A0Ar0to > KSh g Ng B , ha#ing g ne ! an em3!* b1ilding insI2it > iGj , si!s d /n p3l4M SABui'5vA > Ckl Q ?m , ha#ing $ lded in his la3 6'uM kA7M pi8-A7 > .n H C 89] C , ha#ing made his b d* s!"aigh! <e"e+!= pirmuKM s(t 6p pe5vA > N5o RP CM , ha#ing es!ablished his a!!en!i n in
$" n! ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

so stov Sssit stov pssit

6l(ays mind"ul, !e breat!es in8 mind"ul !e breat!es out$

so > B , he stov > p, /i!h a!!en!i n Sssit > q C , b"ea!hes 1! pssit > 8q C , bea!hes in