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Therīgāthā · Poems of the Elder Nuns

Thig 5:11 Paṭācārā’s Thirty Students

34 selected poems · translated by Ṭhānissaro Bhikkhu

Thig 5:11  Paṭācārā’s Thirty Students

[Paṭācārā taught:]

“Taking the pestle,

young men grind the corn.

Supporting their wives & children,

they gather up wealth.

Do the Awakened One’s bidding,

which, having done,

you’ll have no regret.

Intent on tranquility of awareness,

do the Awakened One’s bidding.

Quickly:

Having washed your feet,

go sit to one side.”

Hearing these words,

Paṭācārā’s bidding,

they washed their feet

and retired to one side.

Intent on tranquility of awareness,

they did the Awakened One’s bidding.

In the first watch of the night,

they recollected their previous lives.

In the middle watch,

purified the divine eye.

In the last,

burst the mass of darkness.

Getting up, they bowed down to her feet.

“We have done your bidding.

Like the thirty devas honoring Indra,

unvanquished in battle,

we—

endowed with the three knowledges,

effluent-free—

will continue honoring you.”

Translations & sourcesEditions & translators
Explore poems at Dhammatalks.org ↗

Ṭhānissaro Bhikkhu’s anthology of poems attributed to elder nuns. This source offers selections from the larger collection.

Edition & attribution

Translated by Ṭhānissaro Bhikkhu. These 34 selected poems are reproduced from dhammatalks.org under CC BY-NC 4.0. Formatting adapted for Buddhist Atlas; wording unchanged. This is a selection, not the complete Therīgāthā.

An introduction. Follow the source link below to read the translated text.

Introductions, reflection questions and added section headings are editorial material, separate from the attributed translation.

The opening image is AI-generated nature artwork created for Buddhist Atlas. It is an evocative companion, not a depiction of the text’s historical setting.

Selected translations · free

Source link checked October 1, 2026. The linked publisher provides the text and its usage terms.

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Therīgāthā — selected poems