How did it originate?

When the Lord was staying in Jeta's Grove a certain layfollower, who was a resident of Savatthi, went at evening-time with a good many layfollowers to the vihara, heard Dhamma and, when that company had risen, approached the Lord and said, “From now onwards, Lord, I will give four constant supplies of food to the Sahgha”.

Then the Lord talked Dhamma-talk suiting the occasion and dismissed him. He informed the one allocating (offers of) food saying,

“I have appointed four constant supplies of food for the Sangha, sir.

May the worthy ones come to my house from tomorrow onwards", and then went to his house. He told his servant-girl of the matter and said, "You are to be constantly diligent in this matter". “

Very well” she agreed.

She was by nature endowed with faith, desirous of merit and virtuous; therefore day in, day out, she would rise very early, prepare the choicest food and drink, thoroughly sweep the monks sitting-places, daub a floor-covering (of cow-dung), prepare the seats and, when the monks had arrived, would have them be seated there, salute them, worship them with scents, flowers, incense and lamps and then wait upon them with due care

Then one day when the monks had finished their meal she approached them, saluted them and then spoke thus, “Indeed how, sirs, is there complete release from the miseries of birth and so on?”

Some monks gave her the Refuges and the Five Precepts and, making visible to her the true nature of the body, incited her as to recognition of its loathsomeness; others talked Dhamma-talk connected with impermanence.

Keeping the precepts for sixteen years and properly striving time and again she one day gained the benefit of hearing Dhamma, developed vipassana through the ripening of knowledge and realised the sotapatti-fruit.

She died not long afterwards Se Be read sā aparcna samayena, in due course, here. and came into being as a favourite attendant of Sakka, Lord of Devas.

Being entertained by sixty thousand musical instruments and surrounded by a hundred thousand nymphs Reading paricariyamānā accharāsatasahassaparivutā with Se Be for text's parivāriyamānā. she roamed about the parks and so on Text adds ca here; Se Be omit with her retinue, joyous and enjoying herself and enjoying great heavenly excellence.

The venerable Mahamoggallana, seeing her in the same manner given above, asked her:

Like Sakka, Lord of Devas, even, you stroll about in the delightful Cittalata Grove, extolled on all sides . samantā; this might equally be taken as “You stroll about al! over (samantā) in the delightful Cittalata Grove, extolled by throngs of women". by throngs of women,

lighting up all directions like the Healing Star Reading osadhī with Se Be Te Vv for text's osadhi..

6. A layfollower of the renowned Gotama, of the One with Vision, as her there was for me renunciation in the Teaching of that one such as one should be.

A confidant of the king am I, of Sakka, of the one maintaining control.

Sixty thousand musical instruments awaken me:

Alamba On these names see SOM 42, Gaggara Reading Gaggaro with Se Be Te Vv for texfs Bhaggaro; cp SOM42, Bhima, Sadhuvadin Reading Sadhuvādī with Be Vv for text's Se Te Sadhuvādi. and Samsaya,

Pokkhara and Suphassa and the women Vinamokkha,

And Nanda, as well as Sunanda, Sonadinna So Se Be Te Vv for text's Sokatinnā; cp SOM 432. and Sucimhita Cp SOM 43 and Vv p 22, Alambusa, Missakesi Cp SOM 4 and Pundarika the Cruel Texts vary here: Se Vv read Pundarīkātidārunī, Be Te Pundarīkāti Danini, text Pundarīkā ti dārunī.,

Eniphassā Be Eniphassā, Te Eniphassā., Suphassā and Subhaddā, Muduvādinī . So Se Be Vv (Te Mudukāvadi) for text's Mudukā Carī; cp SOM 437 and (emended) cty below.

these and others of the nymphs more lovely still are awakeners.

Timely these devatas come to me and respectfully address abhibhāsanti, not listed by PED me saying；

“Come, let us dance, let us sing; come, let us delight you!”

This sorrow-free, delightful Nandana, great grove of the Thirty, is alone for those who have done meritorious deeds, not for those who have not done meritorious deeds.

For those who have not done meritorious deeds there is happiness neither here nor hereafter,

whereas for those who have done meritorious deeds there is happiness right here as well as hereafter.

Many a skilled deed is to be done of those desiring their companionship,

for those who do meritorious deeds are provided with enjoyments and rejoice in heaven

Herein:

1. Like Sakka, Lord of Devas, even (api Sakko va devindo)\ the word 'even' (api) is revering; the word Mike* (iva) is given after elision of the syllable 7,27 as a comparison, meaning, therefore, just as indeed might Sakka, Lord of Devas.

Being on a level with Sakka is stated in order to show the excellence of this devatā's retinue.

Some say that api is a mere particle.

In the Cittalatā Grove (Cittalatāvane): in the deva-park that has acquired the name ‘’the Cittalata Grove” since it came into being through the majesty of the meritorious deeds of the devadhita named Cittā，or alternatively on account of the abundance there of colourful (cittānam) outspreading creepers and so on exquisitely furnished with variously coloured flowers and fruits and so forth.

5. At the disposal of others (parapessiya) at the disposal of others in the family with respect to this and that task, meaning one in the service of others.

As her there was for me renunciation in the Teaching of that one such as one should be (tassa me nikkamo asi sasane tassa tadino): as her, whilst being that servant-girl, even, I became a lay follower of the Lord Buddha who is the One with Vision by way of the five eyes and, keeping the precepts and keeping my mind fixed upon my meditation-subject for sixteen years, there was (asi=ahosi, alternative grammatical form), there arose, for me (me=mayhaṃ alternative grammatical form), owing to that fixture of mind, immersion - the right effort that has acquired the name denunciation {nikkamo) on account of the departure {nikkhamanena) (it involves) from the defilement faction - in that Teaching so-called, in the thirty-seven items contributing to enlightenment that arise, of that one (who is) such as one should be on account of excellence with respect to such characteristics as are agreeable and so on, of the Teacher.

However to show the manner of occurrence of the former aspect of that renunciation, Gladly let this body be broken up - there will be herein simply no appeasement' was said.

This is the meaning: I eagerly practised vipassana, making keen my energy with the thought, “Let this body of mine be broken up, let it perish; even so, without paying attention, however slight, thereto, there will be herein, in the practice of this meditationsubject, simply no appeasement, no relaxation, of my energy".

Then having eagerly practised vipassana in this way she says (the following), showing the advantage acquired:

“The path of the five items of the training that makes for well-being,

that is auspicious, without thorns, without impenetrable thickets, straight, made known by the true ones

一 behold this fruit of renunciation a mere woman attained in this way”.

This is the meaning in brief here: the ariyan path that is united with the five items of the training since it is attained as a support condition of the five items of the training, of the five parts of the training, that are undertaken by way of those precepts permanently binding and on account of the fulfilment of these, that arose in that life-continuum, that makes for well-being (sovatthiko)y that makes for welfare (sotthiko), since it effects a state of well-being in all its aspects and since it makes for a state of wellness, that is auspicious since it is not overrun by states of mind that are defiling and by reason of the attainment of peace (thereby), [96] that is without thorns through being without the thorns of lust and so on, that is without impenetrable thickets on account of the extirpation of the impenetrable thickets of the defilements, of (wrong) view and of bad conduct, that is straight by reason of the disappearance of all conditions that are bent, tortuous and crooked, (and) that is made known by the true ones since it is made visible by sappurisas43 such as Buddhas and so on behold this fruit of that renunciation, of the aforementioned energy, in this way, this being the means by which a mere woman, being one whose wits were the thickness of two fingers even, attained that (same path) 一 she addresses Sakka in this way.

A confidant of the king am I, of Sakka of the one maintaining control (amantanika ranfio lmhi Sakkassa vasavattino)\ he is the one maintaining control (vasavattti') through his maintenance (vattanato) of a state of self-control (sayam vasibhdvena) or alternatively since he causes his control (vasavatti), his authority, to be maintained (vattetti) in the two devalokas; of that one maintaining control, of Sakka, King of Devas, am I a confidant (amantanika)y one fit for conversation, or alternatively one to be invited (amantetabba) by him when it is time for sporting. Behold the fruit of renunciation, of (the aforementioned) energy 一 this is how it should be construed.

The fivefold musical instruments 一 the sort that are drums with leather on one side, drums with leather on two sides, and so on 一 sound forth as one in twelve handfuls, making sixty (in all). Moreover, it was with reference to these now (numbering) as many as a thousand (each) that wait upon me by sitting around me paying me homage that she said, “Sixty thousand musical instruments awaken me”.

Herein awaken (patibodham): awaken joy and happiness (in me).

Alamba (Alambo) and so on: they say that these are in part the names given to the devaputtas playing the instruments but these are the names given to the instruments (themselves).

Vinamokkha and so forth are devadhitas.

Sucimhitd (Sucimhita): the one with the very bright smile, or alternatively this is just a name.

Muduvadini (Muduvadini): she is *Muduvadinī (softsounding) since she speaks quite softly (mudunā'va vadati), one by nature sounding extremely softly (mudukam ativiya vādanasīlā); or alternatively it is just a name. More lovely still:

seyyase=seyyatara (double comparative form).

Of the nymphs (accharanam): those more praiseworthy amongst the nymphs, amongst the chorus.

Are awakeners (pabodhikd): are those doing the awakening.

Timely (kalena): at a fitting and appropriate time.

Respectfully address (abhibhāsanti): speak (bhāsanti) to my face (abhimukhā)，or finding delight therein (abhiratā hutvā).

And to show the manner in which they speak, “Come, let us dance, let us sing; come, let us delight you!” was said.

This (idaṃ): this place gained by me.

Sorrow-free (asokam): lacking sorrow on account of the presence of forms that are wholly agreeable, pleasant, dear and liked,

whence it is (known as) *Nandana, on account of the increase in jubilation at all times.

Great grove of the Thirty (Tidasānam mahāvanam)\ great and glorious park of the devas of the Thirty-three.

After stating in a specific manner that heavenly excellence of such a kind is indeed (attained) by way of meritorious deeds alone she utters the verse (beginning:) "For those who have not done meritorious deeds (there is) happiness**, showing this once more in a universal manner.

Then she again uttered the concluding verse (beginning: "Many a skilled deed is to be done) of those desiring their companionship", talking Dhamma by way of the general desire by others for the heavenly place she had herself gained.

Their (tesam): of the devas of the Thirty-three.

Of those desiring companionship (sahavyakdmanam)*. by those wishing to be together (with them), for this is the genitive case in the sense of the agent.

Sahavo (?accompanying) results from (the word) saha (with) and (the particle) va；sahavyam (companionship) is its abstract noun, just as it is said that viriyam (strength) is the abstract noun of vīra (strong).

Thus when the devata had made clear her meritorious deeds the elder taught Dhamma to her together with her retinue, returned from the devaloka and informed the Lord of that incident.

The Lord took it as a matter arising and taught Dhamma to the company assembled there.

That teaching was of benefit to the world together with its devas.

The Exposition of the Servant-Girl Vimana is concluded.