Ru-Yi Meditation Center
Therigatha · 5.5

Nanduttarā

Nanduttarā — The Book of the Fives · Poem 5 of 12

Setting
No narrative setting beyond what the verses state; no closing attribution
Speaker
The nun Nanduttarā, recounting a religious life before the Buddha's path, then her going forth
Form
Five four-line verses
Length
under 1 minute to read
Northern parallel
This reading guide does not assert a specific matching text for this poem in other Buddhist literatures.
Difficulty
★★★☆☆ — juxtaposes ascetic observance with unresolved vanity in the same account

Why this text

This poem's speaker describes a religious life already underway before she ever went forth as a Buddhist nun — worshiping the sacred flame, the sun and moon, undertaking many vows, sleeping on the ground — and admits, in the very next verse, that she still ‘loved ornaments and decorations’ and pandered to her own body. Only when she ‘gained faith’ and went forth to homelessness did her account describe an actual change.

Reading guide

A religious life, before this collection's own tradition

‘In the past I worshiped the sacred flame, the moon, the sun, and the gods’ describes devotional practice outside the Buddha's path — vows undertaken, half her head shaved, sleeping on bare ground, no food eaten at night.

Vanity, admitted alongside the austerity

The very next verse undercuts any sense of steady progress: ‘I loved my ornaments and decorations, and with baths and oil-massages, I pandered to this body’ — elaborate external observance sitting, by her own account, beside unresolved attachment to appearance.

Faith named as the actual turning point

‘But then I gained faith, and went forth to homelessness’ marks a distinct change from everything before it — not another vow or austerity, but ‘saddhā’, faith, named as what actually produced change where ritual observance alone had not.

Seeing the body, where austerity had not reached

‘Truly seeing the body, desire for sensual pleasure is eradicated’ completes the contrast: the same body that survived years of vows and worship untransformed is resolved not by further austerity, but by seeing it ‘as it really is’.

Key terms

Nanduttarā — this poem's speaker, whose account juxtaposes ascetic observance with admitted vanity before her actual going forth.
vata — vows or observances — the many undertaken in this poem's second verse, part of a religious life outside the Buddha's path.
vibhūsā — ornaments and adornment — named directly as what she loved, alongside baths and oil-massages, even during her ascetic period.
saddhā — “faith” — named as the specific turning point that led to her actual going forth, distinct from her earlier vows.
yoga — the “yokes” this poem's closing verse describes as entirely unyoked, alongside all wishes and aspirations cut off.

The text

The text in full: five verses. Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0, SuttaCentral).

§1In the past I worshiped the sacred flame, the moon, the sun, and the gods. Having gone to a river ford, I plunged into the water.

§2Undertaking many vows, I shaved half my head. Preparing a bed on the ground, I ate no food at night.

§3I loved my ornaments and decorations; and with baths and oil-massages, I pandered to this body, racked by desire for pleasures of the senses.

§4But then I gained faith, and went forth to homelessness. Truly seeing the body, desire for sensual pleasure is eradicated.

§5All rebirths are cut off, wishes and aspirations too. Unyoked from all yokes, I’ve found peace of mind.

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Self-check quiz

Ten questions. Click an answer to see immediate feedback. No score is recorded — this is for your own checking.

Question 1 of 10
What does this poem's opening verse describe Nanduttarā worshiping?
Correct: C. Devotional practice outside the Buddha's path, described first.
Question 2 of 10
What ascetic practices does the second verse describe?
Correct: A. A concrete list of austere observances.
Question 3 of 10
What does the third verse admit, immediately after describing this austerity?
Correct: B. Unresolved vanity, admitted alongside the austerity just described.
Question 4 of 10
What does the poem name as the actual turning point toward change?
Correct: D. 'Saddhā' — distinct from the vows and worship described before it.
Question 5 of 10
What does the poem say happened once she truly saw the body?
Correct: A. Where austerity alone had not resolved her attachment, seeing the body did.
Question 6 of 10
What does 'vibhūsā' mean?
Correct: B. Named directly as what she still loved, alongside baths and oil-massages.
Question 7 of 10
How does this poem's structure differ from a simple story of steady progress?
Correct: B. Ritual observance and unresolved attachment sit side by side in her own account.
Question 8 of 10
What does the poem's closing verse say about 'yoga', the yokes?
Correct: D. A complete, unqualified claim, closing the poem.
Question 9 of 10
What position does this poem hold in the Book of the Fives?
Correct: C. Following Thig 5.4, continuing the Book of the Fives.
Question 10 of 10
What does 'saddhā' mean?
Correct: A. Distinct from the many vows and worship described earlier in the poem.
Answered 0 of 10 · Correct 0

Further reading

← PreviousThig 5.4 · Sundarīnandā