This word always fascinated me for some reason.
An interesting book I am reading now on Bhaddekaratta Sutta.
http://www.nissarana.lk/pdf/Books/Eng/VenUD_Eng_Bhaddekarrata.pdf
“One Fine Night”
Thank you, Bhante.
What is the etymology?
Bhadda is “fine, excellent”. It’s less likely that the sense “auspicious” is meant, since this sense is rare for bhadda in the EBTs.
Ratta is “night”, an identification that is confirmed by a wide range of parallels in Sanskrit, Tibetan, and Chinese as noted by Vens Bodhi and Analayo.
The only element that there is any ambiguity about is eka. The Sanskrit, Tibetan, and Chinese versions all point to the form bhadraka, which here is just a synonym for bhadda adjusted for verse. Thus they would be translated “a fine night” rather than “one fine night”. So either the northern forms have lost the e, perhaps because it was unfamiliar (as suggested by Ven Bodhi), or it was added by mistake in the Pali. In any case, the difference in meaning between “a fine night” and “one fine night” is minimal, and I like the sound of the latter better, so I keep the “one”.
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In Sinhalese Eka means one and Ratti means night.
By the way, what is night got to do with this Sutta?
Why it is only one night?
It’s a poetic idiom.
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Just a matter of conversation, my understanding of Bhadde means the female of Bhante.
Am I right?
No, it’s a different word. Bhadda is an adjective meaning “fine”. It’s a common woman’s name, in which case it takes the feminine ending -ā.
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Bhante what is the difference between Bhaddekaratta sutta and the Satipathana?
By the way interesting analysis by Ven. Thanissaro.
If we look at idiomatic Pali usage, though, we find that there is good reason to stick with the traditional reading of “night.” There is a tendency in the Pali canon to speak of a 24-hour period of day and night as a “night.” This would be natural for a society that used a lunar calendar — marking the passage of time by the phases of the moon — just as it is natural for us, using a solar calendar, to call the same period of time a “day.” As the verse that forms the summary of this discourse explicitly mentions one practicing “relentlessly both day and night,” the “night” in the title of the discourse would seem to be a 24-hour, rather than a 12-hour, night — and so I have chosen to render the Pali idiom into its English equivalent: An Auspicious Day.
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.131.than.html
I see this as the single ‘positive’ desire.
The reason being that it talks entirely about craving for the future and dispelling this craving. This is a short discourse by the Buddha and in MN133 Ven. Mahakaccayana describes it in length: it turns out to be nearly entirely about craving arising at the six sense bases. It doesn’t make sense contextually to dispel craving only for a night or a night and day, as it is a constant practice to be performed habitually as and when craving arises. Ven Ananda in the Bhikkhuni sutta talks of craving to reduce craving as viable path. In terms of the Dhamma-vinaya, both translations are still suitable options.
With metta
What is the etymology?
bhadda: positive, wholesome
eka: single
ratta: see below:
"I.B. Horner drops the word “ratta” for her translation entirely; Ven Ñanamoli renders it as “attachment,” yielding “One Fortunate Attachment”;
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.131.than.html
Another translation:
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/nanananda/wheel188.html
In the Sinhalese language, Badda mean attaching. For example, we use this word for a heart transplant.
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Here it’s closer to ‘Badra’ as in badra-kalpa, the (current) ‘lucky’ aeon with many Buddhas appearing.
With metta
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I found this a very interesting topic. Here is a research paper supporting Bhante’s words: https://icabs.repo.nii.ac.jp/record/645/files/BIIBS_05_2022_053-080_Maithrimurthi.pdf
Some parallel or similar sutras include:
- Theranamaka Sutta SN21.10 talks about ekavihārī, living alone by giving up the past and future, as well as greed for the present
- Migajala Sutta SN35.63 teaches living alone by not attaching to the six senses
- MA 165, MA167 translated Bhaddekaratta homophonically to 跋地羅帝
- 佛說善夜經 T1362 translated the title to a fine night
- 尊上經 Taisho 77: Bhaddekaratta was translated as 賢善, meaning a fine sage
- 瑜伽師地論 本地分中思所成地 Yogācārabhūmi Cintāmayībhūmi also translated it to 賢善 and 第一賢善 (the finest sage).
One fine night is a common translation as Bhante mentioned.
Bhante Nanananda translated the title as “The ideal lover of solitude.”
Interestingly, Thay Nhat Hanh said that Bhadda means “good” or “ideal.” Eka means “one” or “alone.” Ratta means “to like.” He translated it as “knowing the better way to live alone” in the book “Our appointment with Life”. I personally would like to paraphase this as “enjoying wonderful solitude”.
“In conclusion, we have to accept that this rather enigmatic term, bhaddekaratta, might
remain a puzzle as regards its originally intended meaning, despite all these attempts at
interpretation”, said Mudagamuwe Maithrimurthi the Sri Lankan author.
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This compound word seems a puzzle that can never be solved.
There are compelling arguments for both interpretations.
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Bhadra in Sanskrit (derived from the verb-root √bhand) is similar in sense to kalyāṇa, maṅgala, śubhada, śukhada etc - and generally means ‘good’, ‘auspicious’, ‘giving comfort or joy’ - which in Pāli is spelled bhadda.
Skt. Bhadraikarātra (Bhadra-eka-rātra) = Pāli bhaddekaratta = An auspicious night, a beautiful night, a pleasant night, a fine night etc.
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Most of the debate actually centers around the piece ‘ratta’. ‘Bhadda’ seems quite clear.
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I don’t see a confusion here, Pāli ratta here stands for Sanskrit rātra (night) – rather than Sanskrit rakta (which could mean red colour, dyed, passionate etc) which latter cannot be sensibly compounded with either bhadra or eka.
I transliterate the verses to sanskrit (and translate to English) as follows:
atītaṃ na anvāgamayet , na pratikāṅkṣeta anāgatam
yad atītaṃ tat praheyam, aprāptaṃ ca anāgatam
Do not hanker after (i.e. feel nostalgia for) what is gone, nor wish for a future (wishful state of things)
what’s gone must be left alone, what is in the future and hasn’t been obtained yet as well (must be left alone).
pratyutpannaṃ ca yo dharmam, tatra tatra vipaśyati
asaṃhāryam asaṃkopyaṃ taṃ vidvān anubṛṃhayet
The intelligent man/person who discerns/perceives clearly the dharma as it exists in the present moment, here and there (i.e. everywhere),
Let him cultivate it (in himself) without being led astray and without getting agitated.
adyaiva kṛtyam ātapyam ko janīyād maraṇaṃ śvaḥ
na hi naḥ saṃgaraṃ tena mahāsenena mṛtyunā
Today is the day for striving; who knows, tomorrow may bring death
we have no chance of bargaining (for some more time) with Death and his great hordes.
evaṃ vihāriṇam ātāpinaṃ ahorātram atandritam
taṃ vai bhadraikaratra iti san ācaṣṭe muniḥ
For him alone indeed, who lives thus striving night and day unwearying
will nights be fine (i.e. he wont get traumatized about his past or be anxious about his future, and will sleep peacefully), says the wise sage.
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If you have a look at the recent article cited you will see the confusion.
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