Evening Chanting (English)

The Verses of Tāyana

[ Handa mayaṃ tāyana-gāthāyo bhaṇāmase ] Chi꜓nda so꜕taṃ pa꜕rakkamma kā꜕me panūda brā꜓hm꜕aṇa Nappahā꜓ya mu꜕ni kāme n’ekattam-upa꜕pajja꜕ti Exert yourself a꜕nd cut t꜕he stream. Discard sense-pl꜓easu꜕res, Holy꜕ Man; Not letting sensu꜕al pleasu꜕res go, A sage will no꜓t re꜕ach uni꜕ty. Kayirā ce ka꜕yirāthe꜓naṃ da꜕ḷham-enaṃ pa꜕rakka꜕me Sithilo hi pa꜕ribbājo bh꜕iyyo ākira꜕te ra꜕jaṃ Vigorously, wi꜕th all on꜕e’s strength, It should be do꜓ne, wh꜕at should b꜕e done; A lax monast꜕ic life sti꜕rs up The dust of pa꜓ssio꜕ns all th꜕e more. A꜕kataṃ dukkaṭaṃ se꜓yyo pacchā tappati du꜓kk꜕aṭaṃ Katañca su꜕ka꜓taṃ seyyo yaṃ ka꜕tvā nānuta꜕ppa꜕ti Better is not t꜕o do ba꜕d deeds That afterwa꜓rds wo꜕uld bring re꜕morse; It’s rather go꜓od de꜕eds one sho꜕uld do Which having done on꜕e won’t re꜕gret. Kuso꜓ ya꜕thā du꜕ggahi꜕to hattham-evā꜓nu꜕kant꜕ati Sā꜓maññaṃ du꜕pparāma꜕ṭṭhaṃ nirayāyūpa꜕kaḍḍh꜕ati As Kusa-grass, wh꜕en wrongly꜕ grasped, Will only cu꜓t i꜕nto on꜕e’s hand So does th꜕e monk’s lif꜕e wrongl꜕y led Indeed drag on꜓e t꜕o hell꜕ish states. Yaṃ kiñci si꜕thi꜓laṃ kammaṃ sa꜓ṅki꜕liṭṭha꜓ñca꜕ yaṃ va꜓taṃ Sa꜓ṅka꜕ssaraṃ brahma-ca꜕ri꜓yaṃ na taṃ ho꜓ti ma꜕happh꜕alan’ti Whateve꜕r deed tha꜕t’s slackl꜕y done, Whatever vo꜓w co꜕rruptl꜕y kept, The Holy Life le꜕d in꜕ doubtf꜕ul ways — All these will ne꜓ve꜕r bear gr꜕eat fruit.