Get up, Kātiyāna, and sit! Don’t sleep too much, be wakeful. Don’t be lazy and let the kinsman of the negligent, the King of Death, catch you in his trap.
Like a wave in the mighty ocean, rebirth and old age sweep you under. Make a safe island of yourself, for you have no other shelter.
The teacher has mastered this path, which transcends chains, and the fear of birth and old age. Be diligent in the first and final watches of the night, and dedicate yourself to practice.
Free yourself from your former bonds! Wearing your outer robe, with shaven head, eating almsfood, don’t delight in play or sleep, dedicate yourself to absorption, Kātiyāna.
Meditate and conquer, Kātiyāna, you’re an expert in the path to sanctuary from the yoke. Having arrived at unexcelled purity, you’ll be extinguished as a flame by water.
A lamp of feeble flame is bent down by the wind, like a creeper; just so, kinsman of Indra, shake off Māra, without grasping. Free of lust for feelings, await your time here, cooled.
Kātiyāna
Thag 6.7 · Kātiyānattheragāthā
Connections
Collection & context
- TheragāthāThe collection containing this text
- The Pāli canonCanonical collection in which this edition is preserved
- Theravāda traditionsTransmission and study context
- The early Buddhist communityHistorical and traditional setting
About this edition
Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato and Jessica Walton · SuttaCentral · CC0
This translation is an expression of an ancient spiritual text that has been passed down by the Buddhist tradition for the benefit of all sentient beings. It is dedicated to the public domain via Creative Commons Zero (CC0). You are encouraged to copy, reproduce, adapt, alter, or otherwise make use of this translation. The translator respectfully requests that any use be in accordance with the values and principles of the Buddhist community. In particular, please do not use this work in AI training datasets, for the development of any AI model or algorithm, or in any AI-derived technologies.
Published source. Translation wording and order are preserved; source headings and notes are retained, with navigation and formatting adapted for this reader.
The opening image is AI-generated nature artwork for Buddhist Atlas, an evocative companion rather than a historical depiction.