In short: Paṭācārā lost her whole family and was overcome by grief, then found peace with the Buddha and became an awakened nun. Her own verses, in the Therīgāthā (Thig 5.10), describe the moment her mind was freed.
Paṭācārā is remembered in Buddhist tradition as a woman who lost her whole family, was overcome by grief, and found peace with the Buddha. Her own verses in the Therīgāthā tell of her awakening with quiet simplicity: watching her foot-washing water "flowing from high ground to low", then entering her hut with a lamp:
Then, taking a lamp, … I drew out the wick. … was like the quenching of the lamp.
Why her verses matter
They show that ordinary moments, water, a lamp, can open the heart, even after great loss. The story of her losses comes from the later commentary; the verses below are her own. See teachings on grief and what nirvana means.
Read the full guide
The full text in Pāli and English
Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato, from SuttaCentral (THIG5.10). Ellipses (…) are abbreviations in the original. Notes are ANEW's.
| Pāli | English |
|---|---|
| “Naṅgalehi kasaṁ khettaṁ, | Plowing the fields, |
| bījāni pavapaṁ chamā; | sowing seeds in the ground, |
| Puttadārāni posentā, | providing for partners and children, |
| dhanaṁ vindanti māṇavā. | young men acquire wealth. |
| Kimahaṁ sīlasampannā, | I am accomplished in ethics, |
| satthusāsanakārikā; | and I do the Teacher’s bidding, |
| Nibbānaṁ nādhigacchāmi, | being neither lazy nor restless— |
| akusītā anuddhatā. | why then do I not achieve quenching? |
| Pāde pakkhālayitvāna, | Having washed my feet, |
| udakesu karomahaṁ; | I took note of the water, |
| Pādodakañca disvāna, | seeing the foot-washing water |
| thalato ninnamāgataṁ. | flowing from high ground to low. |
| Tato cittaṁ samādhesiṁ, | My mind became serene, |
| assaṁ bhadraṁvajāniyaṁ; | like a fine thoroughbred steed. |
| Tato dīpaṁ gahetvāna, | Then, taking a lamp, |
| vihāraṁ pāvisiṁ ahaṁ; | I entered my dwelling, |
| Seyyaṁ olokayitvāna, | inspected the bed, |
| mañcakamhi upāvisiṁ. | and sat on my cot. |
| Tato sūciṁ gahetvāna, | Then, grabbing the pin, |
| vaṭṭiṁ okassayāmahaṁ; | I drew out the wick. |
| Padīpasseva nibbānaṁ, | The liberation of my heart |
| vimokkho ahu cetaso”ti. | was like the quenching of the lamp. |
| … Paṭācārā therī …. |
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Questions people ask
Who was Patacara?
An early Buddhist nun whose awakening verses are in the Therīgāthā (Thig 5.10). Later tradition tells that she lost her family before meeting the Buddha.