At Ajakalāpaka

Ud 1.7 · Ajakalāpakasutta

A weathered pine on a quiet rocky hillside.

So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying in Pāvā at the Ajakalāpaka Shrine, the haunt of the native spirit Ajakalāpaka. Now at that time the Buddha was meditating in the open during the dark of night, while a gentle rain drizzled down. Then Ajakalāpaka, wanting to make the Buddha feel fear, terror, and goosebumps, approached him, and while not far away yelled three times, “Havoc and heck!” Then he added, “Now that’s a goblin for you, ascetic!”

Then, understanding this matter, on that occasion the Buddha expressed this heartfelt sentiment:

“When a brahmin gets over their own issues, they transcend this goblin and his havoc.”

Connections

Collection & context

UdānaThe 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

Books

Handful of Leaves: an Anthology from the Sutta PiṭakaEarly Buddhist discourses; Ṭhānissaro Bhikkhu (translator and compiler) · Included in anthology

About this edition

Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato · 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.