Overwhelmed with grief for my son —
naked, demented,
my hair dishevelled
my mind deranged —
I went about here & there,living along the side of the road,
in cemeteries & heaps of trash,
for three full years,
afflicted with hunger & thirst.Then I saw
the One Well-gone,
gone to the city of Mithila:
tamer of those untamed,
Self-Awakened,
with nothing to fear
from anything, anywhere.Regaining my mind,
paying him homage,
I sat myself down.
He, Gotama, from sympathy
taught me the Dhamma.Hearing his Dhamma,
I went forth into homelessness.
Applying myself to the Teacher's words,
I realized the state of auspicious bliss.All griefs have been cut off,
abandoned,
brought to this end,
for I've comprehended
the grounds from which griefs
come into play.
thig.6.2 Therigatha
Vasitthi the Madwoman
- Translator: Thanissaro Bhikkhu
- Editor: Ayya Kathrin Vimalañāṇī
Vāseṭṭhī
Struck down with grief for my son,deranged, out of my mind,
naked, my hair flying,
I wandered here and there.
I lived on rubbish heaps,
in cemeteries and highways.
For three years I wandered,
stricken by hunger and thirst.
Then I saw the Holy One,
who had gone to the city of Mithilā.
Tamer of the untamed,
the Awakened One fears nothing from any quarter.
Regaining my mind,
I paid homage and sat down.
Out of compassion
Gotama taught me the Dhamma.
After hearing his teaching,
I went forth to homelessness.
Applying myself to the Teacher’s words,
I realized the state of grace.
All sorrows are cut off,
given up, they end here.
I've fully understood the basis
from which grief comes to be.