Hindu Materialism (Digha Nikaya)

The following passage from the Digha Nikaya is cited as "typical of Hindu materialist attitudes to the present day" (Julius Lipner, 1994, Hindus: Their religious beliefs and practices, Routledge, p. 168; citing A.L. Basham, 1967, The Wonder that was India, 299). Whether it is or not, the passage below certainly contains striking poetic images. The matching of the lines is probably a off a little since many of the words aren't in the dictionary, so the text as a whole is given at the end.


Parallel Pali and English:

‘‘evaṃ vutte, bhante,
When this was said,

ajito kesakambalo maṃ etadavoca –
Ajita Kesakambalin said to me,

‘natthi, mahārāja, dinnaṃ , natthi yiṭṭhaṃ, natthi hutaṃ,
'Great king, there is nothing given, nothing offered, nothing sacrificed.

natthi sukatadukkaṭānaṃ kammānaṃ phalaṃ vipāko,
There is no fruit or result of good or bad actions.

natthi ayaṃ loko paraloko (syā.),
There is no this world, no next world,

natthi mātā, natthi pitā,
no mother, no father,

natthi sattā opapātikā,
no spontaneously reborn beings;

natthi loke samaṇabrāhmaṇā sammaggatā samaggatā (ka.), samaggatā (syā.) sammāpaṭipannā, ye imañca lokaṃ parañca lokaṃ sayaṃ abhiññā sacchikatvā pavedenti.

no priests or contemplatives who, faring rightly and practicing rightly, proclaim this world and the next after having directly known and realized it for themselves.

cātumahābhūtiko ayaṃ puriso,
A person is a composite of four primary elements.

yadā kālaṅkaroti,
At death,

pathavī pathavikāyaṃ anupeti anupagacchati,
the earth (in the body) returns to and merges with the (external) earth-substance.

The fire returns to and merges with the external fire-substance.

āpo āpokāyaṃ anupeti anupagacchati,
The liquid returns to and merges with the external liquid-substance.

tejo tejokāyaṃ anupeti anupagacchati,
The wind returns to and merges with the external wind-substance.

vāyo vāyokāyaṃ anupeti anupagacchati, ākāsaṃ indriyāni saṅkamanti.
The sense-faculties scatter into space.

āsandipañcamā purisā mataṃ ādāya gacchanti.
Four men, with the bier as the fifth, carry the corpse.

yāvāḷāhanā padāni paññāyanti.
Its eulogies are sounded only as far as the charnel ground.

kāpotakāni aṭṭhīni bhavanti,
The bones turn pigeon-colored.

bhassantā āhutiyo.
The offerings end in ashes.

dattupaññattaṃ yadidaṃ dānaṃ.
Generosity is taught by idiots.

tesaṃ tucchaṃ musā vilāpo ye keci atthikavādaṃ vadanti.
The words of those who speak of existence after death are false, empty chatter.

bāle ca paṇḍite ca kāyassa bhedā ucchijjanti vinassanti,
With the break-up of the body, the wise and the foolish alike are annihilated, destroyed.

na honti paraṃ maraṇā’ti.
They do not exist after death.'


Full translation:

"When this was said, Ajita Kesakambalin said to me, 'Great king, there is nothing given, nothing offered, nothing sacrificed. There is no fruit or result of good or bad actions. There is no this world, no next world, no mother, no father, no spontaneously reborn beings; no priests or contemplatives who, faring rightly and practicing rightly, proclaim this world and the next after having directly known and realized it for themselves. A person is a composite of four primary elements. At death, the earth (in the body) returns to and merges with the (external) earth-substance. The fire returns to and merges with the external fire-substance. The liquid returns to and merges with the external liquid-substance. The wind returns to and merges with the external wind-substance. The sense-faculties scatter into space. Four men, with the bier as the fifth, carry the corpse. Its eulogies are sounded only as far as the charnel ground. The bones turn pigeon-colored. The offerings end in ashes. Generosity is taught by idiots. The words of those who speak of existence after death are false, empty chatter. With the break-up of the body, the wise and the foolish alike are annihilated, destroyed. They do not exist after death.'

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/dn/dn.02.0.than.html


Full Pali:

171. ‘‘evaṃ vutte, bhante, ajito kesakambalo maṃ etadavoca – ‘natthi, mahārāja, dinnaṃ , natthi yiṭṭhaṃ, natthi hutaṃ, natthi sukatadukkaṭānaṃ kammānaṃ phalaṃ vipāko, natthi ayaṃ loko paraloko (syā.), natthi paro loko, natthi mātā, natthi pitā, natthi sattā opapātikā, natthi loke samaṇabrāhmaṇā sammaggatā samaggatā (ka.), samaggatā (syā.) sammāpaṭipannā, ye imañca lokaṃ parañca lokaṃ sayaṃ abhiññā sacchikatvā pavedenti. cātumahābhūtiko ayaṃ puriso, yadā kālaṅkaroti, pathavī pathavikāyaṃ anupeti anupagacchati, āpo āpokāyaṃ anupeti anupagacchati, tejo tejokāyaṃ anupeti anupagacchati, vāyo vāyokāyaṃ anupeti anupagacchati, ākāsaṃ indriyāni saṅkamanti. āsandipañcamā purisā mataṃ ādāya gacchanti. yāvāḷāhanā padāni paññāyanti. kāpotakāni aṭṭhīni bhavanti, bhassantā āhutiyo. dattupaññattaṃ yadidaṃ dānaṃ. tesaṃ tucchaṃ musā vilāpo ye keci atthikavādaṃ vadanti. bāle ca paṇḍite ca kāyassa bhedā ucchijjanti vinassanti, na honti paraṃ maraṇā’ti.