Connected Discourses with the Kosalan

1Thus have I heard. On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s Park. Then King Pasenadi of Kosala approached the Blessed One and exchanged greetings with him. When they had concluded their greetings and cordial talk, he sat down to one side and said to the Blessed One: “Does Master Gotama too claim, ‘I have awakened to the unsurpassed perfect enlightenment’?”¹⁹⁹ King Pasenadi was to become one of the Buddha’s most devoted lay followers, though the texts never say that he attained any of the stages of sanctity. This sutta, it seems, records his first personal encounter with the Buddha. His cordial (as distinct from reverential) manner of greeting the Blessed One indicates that he has not yet acknowledged the Buddha as his master.

2“If, great king, one speaking rightly could say of anyone, ‘He has awakened to the unsurpassed perfect enlightenment,’ it is of me that one might rightly say this. For I, great king, have awakened to the unsurpassed perfect enlightenment.”

3“Master Gotama, even those ascetics and brahmins who are the heads of orders and companies, the teachers of companies, well known and famous founders of sects considered by the multitude to be holy men—that is, Pūraṇa Kassapa, Makkhali Gosāla, Nigaṇṭha Nātaputta, Sañjaya Belaṭṭhiputta, Pakudha Kaccāyana, Ajita Kesakambalī—even these, when I asked them whether they had awakened to the unsurpassed perfect enlightenment, did not claim to have done so.²⁰⁰ These are the six sectarian teachers (cha satthāro) or “ford makers” (titthakārā), of whom four are mentioned in 2:30. Of the two not mentioned above, Sañjaya Belaṭṭhiputta was a sceptic (DN I 58,23-59,7) and Ajita Kesakambalı̄ a materialist (DN I 55,15-56,31). So why then should Master Gotama [make such a claim] when he is so young in years and has newly gone forth?” [69]

4“There are four things, great king, that should not be despised and disparaged as ‘young.’²⁰¹ Spk: Na uññātabbā = na avajānitabbā; na paribhotabbā = na paribhavitabbā. Spk distinguishes between “to despise” and “to disparage” with respect to each of the four things mentioned by the Buddha. For example: One despises a young prince if, when one meets him, one does not yield way or remove one’s cloak or rise up from one’s seat, etc. One disparages him if one says such things as, “This prince has a big neck (Se: big ears) and a big belly. How will he be able to exercise rulership?” What four? A khattiya, great king, should not be despised and disparaged as ‘young’; a snake should not be despised and disparaged as ‘young’; a fire should not be despised and disparaged as ‘young’; and a bhikkhu should not be despised and disparaged as ‘young.’ These are the four.”

5This is what the Blessed One said. Having said this, the Fortunate One, the Teacher, further said this:

6, 374 “One should not despise as ‘young’
A khattiya of noble birth,
A high-born prince of glorious fame:
A man should not disparage him.
375 For it may happen that this lord of men,
This khattiya, shall gain the throne,
And in his anger thrash one harshly
With a royal punishment.
Therefore guarding one’s own life,
One should avoid him.

7, 376 “One should not despise as ‘young’
A serpent one may see by chance
In the village or a forest:
A man should not disparage it.
377 For as that fierce snake glides along,
Manifesting in diverse shapes,²⁰² Uccāvacehi vaṇṇehi. This line reflects the belief, widespread in Indian mythology, that serpents can change their appearance at will. As Spk testifies: “A serpent glides along in whatever form it finds prey, even in the form of a squirrel.” See Vin I 86-87, where a nāga serpent assumes the form of a young man in order to receive ordination as a monk.
It may attack and bite the fool,
Whether a man or a woman.
Therefore guarding one’s own life,
One should avoid it.

8, 378 “One should not despise as ‘young’
A blazing fire that devours much,
A conflagration with blackened trail:
A man should not disparage it.
379 For if it gains a stock of fuel,
Having become a conflagration,
It may attack and burn the fool,
Whether a man or a woman.
Therefore guarding one’s own life,
One should avoid it.

9, 380 “When a fire burns down a forest—
That conflagration with blackened trail—
The shoots there spring to life once more
As the days and nights pass by.
381 But if a bhikkhu of perfect virtue
Burns one with [his virtue’s] fire,
One does not gain sons and cattle,
Nor do one’s heirs acquire wealth.
Childless and heirless they become,
Like stumps of palmyra trees.²⁰³ The grim consequences of despising and disparaging a virtuous bhikkhu do not come to pass because he harbours vindictive intentions, but as natural fruits of the offensive deeds. Spk explains that a bhikkhu who retaliates when provoked is incapable of harming anyone with “(his virtue’s) fire” (tejasā); the transgressor is burned only when the bhikkhu bears up patiently. In this respect the bhikkhu contrasts with the archetypal Indian figure of the maligned holy man who deliberately inflicts a curse on his enemies (see below 11:10). [70]

10, 382 “Therefore a person who is wise,
Out of regard for his own good,
Should always treat these properly:
A fierce serpent and a blazing fire,
A famous khattiya,
And a bhikkhu of perfect virtue.”

11When this was said, King Pasenadi of Kosala said to the Blessed One: “Magnificent, venerable sir! Magnificent, venerable sir! The Dhamma has been made clear in many ways by the Blessed One, as though he were turning upright what had been turned upside down, revealing what was hidden, showing the way to one who was lost, or holding up a lamp in the dark for those with eyesight to see forms. I go for refuge to the Blessed One, and to the Dhamma, and to the Bhikkhu Saṅgha. From today let the Blessed One remember me as a lay follower who has gone for refuge for life.”

2. A Person

1At Sāvatthī. Then King Pasenadi of Kosala approached the Blessed One, paid homage to him, sat down to one side, and said to him:

2“Venerable sir, how many things are there which, when they arise within a person, arise for his harm, suffering, and discomfort?”

3“There are, great king, three things which, when they arise within a person, arise for his harm, suffering, and discomfort. What are the three? Greed, hatred, and delusion. These are the three things which, when they arise within a person, arise for his harm, suffering, and discomfort.

4, 383 “Greed, hatred, and delusion,
Arisen from within oneself,
Injure the person of evil mind
As its own fruit destroys the reed.”²⁰⁴ Tacasāraṁ va sam phalaṁ. Spk: As its own fruit injures, destroys, the bamboo or reed, so do they injure, destroy, him. The reed family is called tacasāra because its bark is hard like heartwood. Sam here is the reflexive pronominal adjective, glossed attano. See EV I, n. to 659, EV II, n. to 136, and n. 657 below. Compare the present verse with v. 597.
[71]

3. Aging and Death

1At Sāvatthī. Sitting to one side, King Pasenadi of Kosala said to the Blessed One: “Venerable sir, for one who has taken birth, is there anything other [to expect] than aging and death?”²⁰⁵ Atthi nu kho bhante jātassa aññatra jarāmaraṇā. Spk: He asks, “Is there anyone who is free from aging and death?”

2“For one who has taken birth, great king, there is nothing other [to expect] than aging and death. Even in the case of those affluent khattiyas—rich, with great wealth and property, with abundant gold and silver, abundant treasures and commodities, abundant wealth and grain—because they have taken birth, there is nothing other [to expect] than aging and death. Even in the case of those affluent brahmins … affluent householders—rich ... with abundant wealth and grain—because they have taken birth, there is nothing other [to expect] than aging and death. Even in the case of those bhikkhus who are arahants, whose taints are destroyed, who have lived the holy life, done what had to be done, laid down the burden, reached their own goal, utterly destroyed the fetters of existence, and are completely liberated through final knowledge: even for them this body is subject to breaking up, subject to being laid down.²⁰⁶ When speaking of the arahant, the Buddha does not describe his destiny as viewed from the outside, i.e., as aging and death, but in terms of the arahant’s own experience, as a mere breaking up and discarding of the body.

3, 384 “The beautiful chariots of kings wear out,
This body too undergoes decay.
But the Dhamma of the good does not decay:
So the good proclaim along with the good.”²⁰⁷ Santo have sabbhi pavedayanti. Spk offers three interpretations, of which only the first, which I follow, sounds plausible: “The good, together with the good, declare: ‘The Dhamma of the good does not decay.’ The Dhamma of the good is Nibbāna; since that does not decay they call it unaging, deathless.” The verse = Dhp 151, on which Dhp-a III 123,2-5 comments: “The ninefold Dhamma of the good—of the Buddhas, etc.—does not decay, does not undergo destruction. So the good—the Buddhas, etc.—proclaim this, declare it, along with the good, with the wise.” The ninefold supramundane Dhamma is the four paths, their fruits, and Nibbāna. Brough argues that sabbhi here must be understood to bear the sense of a dative, and he takes the point to be that “the doctrine does not wear out ‘because good men teach it to other good men,’ their disciples and successors” (p. 228, n. 160). I do not find his interpretation convincing, for the Dhamma-as-teaching must certainly decay, and only the supramundane Dhamma remains immune to aging and death.

4. Dear

1At Sāvatthī. Sitting to one side, King Pasenadi of Kosala said to the Blessed One: “Here, venerable sir, while I was alone in seclusion, a reflection arose in my mind thus: ‘Who now treat themselves as dear, and who treat themselves as a foe?’ Then, venerable sir, it occurred to me: ‘Those who engage in misconduct of body, speech, and mind treat themselves as a foe. Even though they may say, “We regard ourselves as dear,” still they treat themselves as a foe. For what reason? [72] Because of their own accord they act towards themselves in the same way that a foe might act towards a foe; therefore they treat themselves as a foe. But those who engage in good conduct of body, speech, and mind treat themselves as dear. Even though they may say, “We regard ourselves as a foe,” still they treat themselves as dear. For what reason? Because of their own accord they act towards themselves in the same way that a dear person might act towards one who is dear; therefore they treat themselves as dear.’”

2“So it is, great king! So it is, great king!”

(The Buddha then repeats the entire statement of King Pasenadi and adds the following verses:)

3, 385 “If one regards oneself as dear
One should not yoke oneself to evil,
For happiness is not easily gained
By one who does a wrongful deed.

4, 386 “When one is seized by the End-maker
As one discards the human state,
What can one call truly one’s own?
What does one take when one goes?
What follows one along
Like a shadow that never departs?²⁰⁸ “The End-maker” (antaka), in pāda a, is a personification of death; elsewhere (e.g., at v. 448) the word refers expressly to Māra.

5, 387 “Both the merits and the evil
That a mortal does right here:
This is what is truly one’s own,
This one takes when one goes;
This is what follows one along
Like a shadow that never departs.

6, 388 “Therefore one should do what is good
As a collection for the future life.
Merits are the support for living beings
[When they arise] in the other world.”

5. Self-Protected

1 At Sāvatthī. Sitting to one side, King Pasenadi of Kosala said to the Blessed One: “Here, venerable sir, while I was alone in seclusion, a reflection arose in my mind thus: ‘Who now protect themselves and who leave themselves unprotected?’ Then, venerable sir, it occurred to me: ‘Those who engage in misconduct of body, speech, and mind leave themselves unprotected. Even though a company of elephant troops may protect them, or a company of cavalry, or a company of chariot troops, [73] or a company of infantry, still they leave themselves unprotected. For what reason? Because that protection is external, not internal; therefore they leave themselves unprotected. But those who engage in good conduct of body, speech, and mind protect themselves. Even though no company of elephant troops protects them, nor a company of cavalry, nor a company of charioteers, nor a company of infantry, still they protect themselves. For what reason? Because that protection is internal, not external; therefore they protect themselves.’”

2“So it is, great king! So it is, great king!”

(The Buddha then repeats the entire statement of King Pasenadi and adds the following verse:)

3, 389 “Good is restraint with the body,
Restraint by speech is also good;
Good is restraint with the mind,
Restraint everywhere is good.
Conscientious, everywhere restrained,
One is said to be protected.”

6. Few

1At Sāvatthī. Sitting to one side, King Pasenadi of Kosala said to the Blessed One: “Here, venerable sir, while I was alone in seclusion, a reflection arose in my mind thus: ‘Few are those people in the world who, when they obtain superior possessions, do not become intoxicated and negligent, yield to greed for sensual pleasures, and mistreat other beings. Far more numerous are those people in the world who, when they obtain superior possessions, become intoxicated and negligent, [74] yield to greed for sensual pleasures, and mistreat other beings.’”

2“So it is, great king! So it is, great king!”

(The Buddha then repeats the entire statement of King Pasenadi and adds the following verse:)

3, 390 “Enamoured with their pleasures and wealth,
Greedy, dazed by sensual pleasures,
They do not realize they have gone too far
Like deer that enter the trap laid out.
Afterwards the bitter fruit is theirs,
For bad indeed is the result.”²⁰⁹ Spk resolves pacchāsaṁ, in pāda c, into pacchā tesaṁ. Saṁ is from esaṁ, a genitive plural form of the third person pronoun; see Geiger, Pāli Grammar, §108.1. In pāda f, hissa = hi ssa < Skt hi sma. See EV I, nn. to 225, 705.

7. The Judgement Hall

1At Sāvatthī. Sitting to one side, King Pasenadi of Kosala said to the Blessed One: “Here, venerable sir, when I am sitting in the judgement hall,²¹⁰ Be: aṭṭakaraṇa; Se and Ee1 & 2: atthakaraṇa. See CPD, s.v. aṭṭa, for hypotheses concerning the derivation. Spk-pṭ explains aṭṭakaraṇa as vinicchayaṭṭhāna, a place for making judgements (regarding litigation). I see even affluent khattiyas, affluent brahmins, and affluent householders—rich, with great wealth and property, with abundant gold and silver, abundant treasures and commodities, abundant wealth and grain—speaking deliberate lies for the sake of sensual pleasures, with sensual pleasures as the cause, on account of sensual pleasures. Then, venerable sir, it occurs to me: ‘I’ve had enough now with the judgement hall! Now it is Good Face who will be known by his judgements.’”²¹¹ Spk: One day, when the king was sitting in the judgement hall, he saw his ministers accepting bribes and deciding cases in favour of their benefactors. He thought, “When they do such things right in front of me, the sovereign, what won’t they do behind my back? Now it is General Viḍūḍabha who will be known through his own reign. Why should I sit in the same place with these bribe-eating liars?” The exact purport of this last sentence is obscure, and neither Spk nor Spk-pṭ sheds much light on it . Bhadramukha, “Good Face,” is a term of affection (see MN II 53,27, 210,11 foll.; Ja II 261,14; Vism 92,21), which according to Spk and Spk-pṭ here refers to Viḍūḍabha, the king’s son and commander-in-chief. However, the prologue to Ja No. 465 (Ja IV 148-50) relates that King Pasenadi’s earlier commander-in-chief was a warrior named Bandhula, who assumed the role of judge when he learned that the official judges had become corrupt. Thus, despite the gloss, it is possible the king here uses the term with reference to Bandhula rather than his son.

2“So it is, great king! So it is, great king! Even affluent khattiyas, affluent brahmins, and affluent householders … speak deliberate lies for the sake of sensual pleasures, with sensual pleasures as the cause, on account of sensual pleasures. That will lead to their harm and suffering for a long time to come.

3, 391 “Enamoured with their pleasures and wealth,
Greedy, dazed by sensual pleasures,
They do not realize they have gone too far
Like fish that enter the net spread out.
Afterwards the bitter fruit is theirs,
For bad indeed is the result.” [75]

8. Mallikā

1At Sāvatthī. Now on that occasion King Pasenadi of Kosala had gone together with Queen Mallikā to the upper terrace of the palace. Then King Pasenadi of Kosala said to Queen Mallikā: “Is there, Mallikā, anyone more dear to you than yourself?”²¹² Mallikā had been a poor flower girl whom King Pasenadi met by chance after a military defeat. He fell in love with her, married her, and appointed her his chief queen (see prologue to Ja No. 415). Spk: The king had asked her this question expecting her to say, “You are dearer to me than myself,” and then to ask him the same question, to which he would have given the same reply, so that they would have strengthened their mutual love. But Mallikā, being wise and learned, answered with complete honesty (sarasen’ eva) and the king too had to reply in the same way. The translation of attā as soul at KS 1:101 is misleading, despite the attempt at justification in the accompanying footnote. The sutta (inclusive of the verse) is at Ud 47, with the verse described as an “inspired utterance” (udāna).
The conversation between King Pasenadi and Mallikā is strikingly reminiscent of the discussion between the sage Yājñavalkya and his wife Maitreyı̄ recorded at Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad II.4.5 (also at IV.5.6): “Verily, a husband is not dear, that you may love the husband; but that you may love the Self, therefore a husband is dear. Verily, a wife is not dear, that you may love the wife; but that you may love the Self, therefore a wife is dear” (Muller, The Upanishads, 2:109-10, 182-83). It is conceivable that the Buddhist conversation is modelled after the Upaniṣad but with a different message. Whereas Yājñavalkya affirms a transcendent Self—the Ātman—which is “to be seen, to be heard, to be perceived, to be marked,” the Buddha extracts an ethical maxim: since one loves oneself above all others, one should realize the same is true of others and treat them with kindness and respect.

2“There is no one, great king, more dear to me than myself. But is there anyone, great king, more dear to you than yourself?”

3“For me too, Mallikā, there is no one more dear than myself.”

4Then King Pasenadi of Kosala descended from the palace and approached the Blessed One. Having approached, he paid homage to the Blessed One, sat down to one side, and related to the Blessed One his conversation with Queen Mallikā. Then the Blessed One, having understood the meaning of this, on that occasion recited this verse:

5, 392 “Having traversed all quarters with the mind,
One finds none anywhere dearer than oneself.
Likewise, each person holds himself most dear;
Hence one who loves himself should not harm others.”

9. Sacrifice

1At Sāvatthī. Now on that occasion a great sacrifice had been set up for King Pasenadi of Kosala. Five hundred bulls, five hundred bullocks, five hundred heifers, [76] five hundred goats, and five hundred rams had been led to the pillar for the sacrifice. And his slaves, servants, and workers, spurred on by punishment and fear, were busy making the preparations, wailing with tearful faces.²¹³ Spk relates the background story, also found (in greater detail) at Dhp-a II 1-12; see BL 2:100-7 and Ja No. 314. In brief: The king had become infatuated with a married woman and planned to have her husband killed so that he could take his wife. One night, unable to sleep, he heard eerie cries of inexplicable origin. The next day, when he anxiously asked his brahmin chaplain to explain the meaning, the priest told him that the voices portended his imminent death, which he could avert only by performing a great sacrifice. When the king later inquired from the Buddha about the voices, the Buddha told him these were the cries of adulterers boiling in a cauldron in the great hell.

2Then, in the morning, a number of bhikkhus dressed and, taking their bowls and robes, entered Sāvatthī for alms. When they had walked for alms in Sāvatthī and had returned from their alms round, after the meal they approached the Blessed One, paid homage to him, sat down to one side, and said: “Here, venerable sir, a great sacrifice has been set up for King Pasenadi of Kosala. Five hundred bulls ... have been led to the pillar for the sacrifice. And his slaves ... are busy making preparations, wailing with tearful faces.”

3Then the Blessed One, having understood the meaning of this, on that occasion recited these verses:

4, 393 “The horse sacrifice, human sacrifice,
Sammāpāsa, vājapeyya, niraggaḷa:
These great sacrifices, fraught with violence,
Do not bring great fruit.²¹⁴ The sacrifices are also referred to at It 21,12-17, and their origin related at Sn 299-305. Spk explains that in the times of the ancient kings the first four sacrifices were actually the four bases of beneficence (saṅgahavatthu)—giving, pleasant speech, beneficent conduct, and equality of treatment—by means of which the kings conferred benefits on the world. But during the time of King Okkāka the brahmins reinterpreted the bases of beneficence (which they augmented to five) as bloody sacrifices involving slaughter and violence. In pāda c, I include mahāyaññā, found in Se and Ee2 but absent from Be and Ee1. Spk explains mahārambhā as mahākiccā mahākaraṇīyā, “great activities, great duties,” which Spk-pṭ clarifies: bahupasughātakammā, “the action of slaughtering many animals.”

5, 394 “The great seers of right conduct
Do not attend that sacrifice
Where goats, sheep, and cattle
Of various kinds are slain.

6, 395 “But when sacrifices free from violence
Are always offered by family custom,²¹⁵ Yajanti anukulaṁ sadā. Spk-pṭ explains anukulaṁ as kulānugataṁ, “what has come down in the family (as family tradition).” Spk: The regular meal offering that was started by people earlier—this the people give in uninterrupted succession through the generations.
Where no goats, sheep, or cattle
Of various kinds are slain:
The great seers of right conduct
Attend a sacrifice like this.

7, 396 “The wise person should offer this,
A sacrifice bringing great fruit.
For one who makes such sacrifice
It is indeed better, never worse.
Such a sacrifice is truly vast
And the devatās too are pleased.”

10. Bondage

1Now on that occasion a great mass of people had been put in bondage by King Pasenadi of Kosala—some with ropes, some with clogs, some with chains.²¹⁶ Spk relates, as the background story, an abridged version of the prologue to Ja No. 92. The verses appear, however, also at Dhp 345-46, the commentarial background story to which states merely that the king had ordered the criminals brought before him to be bound with fetters, ropes, and chains. See Dhp-a IV 53-55; BL 3:223-24. The same story is in the prologue to Ja No. 201. [77] Then, in the morning, a number of bhikkhus dressed ... and said to the Blessed One: “Here, venerable sir, a great mass of people have been put in bondage by King Pasenadi of Kosala, some with ropes, some with clogs, some with chains.”

2Then the Blessed One, having understood the meaning of this, on that occasion recited these verses:

3, 397 “That bond, the wise say, is not strong
Made of iron, wood, or rope;
But infatuation with jewellery and earrings,
Anxious concern for wives and children—
398 This, the wise say, is the strong bond,
Degrading, supple, hard to escape.
But even this they cut and wander forth,
Unconcerned, having abandoned sensual pleasures.”²¹⁷ Spk: It is degrading (ohārina) because it drags one down to the four realms of misery; supple (sithila), because unlike iron bonds it does not constrict one’s physical movement but holds one in bondage wherever one goes; hard to escape (duppamuñca), because one cannot break free from it except by supramundane knowledge.

1On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Sāvatthī in the Eastern Park in the Mansion of Migāra’s Mother.²¹⁸ The sutta is also at Ud 64-66, but with a different verse attached. The Eastern Park is the monastery built by Visākhā, the Buddha’s chief female patron, who was called “Mother” by her father-in-law Migāra because she skilfully led him to the Dhamma. Now on that occasion, in the evening, the Blessed One had emerged from seclusion and was sitting by the outer gateway. Then King Pasenadi of Kosala approached the Blessed One, paid homage to him, and sat down to one side. [78]

2Now on that occasion seven jaṭilas, seven nigaṇṭhas, seven naked ascetics, seven one-robed ascetics, and seven wanderers—with hairy armpits, long fingernails and long body hairs, carrying their bundles of requisites—passed by not far from the Blessed One.²¹⁹ The jaṭilas were matted hair ascetics; the nigaṇṭhas, the Jains, followers of Nātaputta. Then King Pasenadi of Kosala rose from his seat, arranged his upper robe over one shoulder, knelt down with his right knee on the ground, and, raising his joined hands in reverential salutation towards the seven jaṭilas, seven nigaṇṭhas, seven naked ascetics, seven one-robed ascetics, and seven wanderers, he announced his name three times: “I am the king, venerable sirs, Pasenadi of Kosala!… I am the king, venerable sirs, Pasenadi of Kosala!”

3Then, not long after those seven jaṭilas … … and seven wanderers had departed, King Pasenadi of Kosala approached the Blessed One, paid homage to him, sat down to one side, and said to the Blessed One: “Those, venerable sir, are to be included among the men in the world who are arahants or who have entered upon the path to arahantship.”²²⁰ All eds. of SN read this sentence as a declarative (ye te bhante loke arahanto), but Ud 65,22-23 (Ee) reads it as an interrogative (ye nu keci kho bhante loke arahanto).

4“Great king, being a layman who enjoys sensual pleasures, dwelling in a home crowded with children, enjoying the use of Kāsian sandalwood, wearing garlands, scents, and unguents, receiving gold and silver, it is difficult for you to know: ‘These are arahants or these have entered upon the path to arahantship. ’

5“It is by living together with someone, great king, that his virtue is to be known, and that after a long time, not after a short time; by one who is attentive, not by one who is inattentive; by one who is wise, not by a dullard.

6“It is by dealing with someone, great king, that his honesty is to be known, and that after a long time, not after a short time; by one who is attentive, not by one who is inattentive; by one who is wise, not by a dullard.

7“It is in adversities, great king, that a person’s fortitude is to be known, and that after a long time, not after a short time; by one who is attentive, not by one who is inattentive; by one who is wise, not by a dullard. [79]

8“It is by discussion with someone, great king, that his wisdom is to be known, and that after a long time, not after a short time; by one who is attentive, not by one who is inattentive; by one who is wise, not by a dullard.”²²¹ This condensed fourfold statement is expanded upon at AN II 187-90.

9“It is wonderful, venerable sir! It is amazing, venerable sir! How well this has been stated by the Blessed One: ‘Great king, being a layman ... it is difficult for you to know ... (as above) … by one who is wise, not by a dullard.’

10“These, venerable sir, are my spies, undercover agents, coming back after spying out the country.²²² Ete bhante mama purisā carā (Se: cārā) ocarakā janapadaṁ ocaritvā āgacchanti. Some SS read corā (= thieves) in place of carā, and the same v.l. appears in many eds. of Ud. Uda 333,18-24, commenting on the passage, explains why the king’s spies can be considered thieves, which indicates that even Dhammapāla had accepted the Ud reading corā. Spk, however, treats ocarakā and carā as synonyms, glossing both as heṭṭhacarakā, “undercover agents,” those who move below the surface (for the purpose of gathering intelligence). Spk-pṭ says: “The expression ‘undercover agents’—which is what is meant by carā—refers to those who enter amidst (other groups) in order to investigate the secrets of others.” The expression carapurisā occurs too at Dhp-a I 193,1, Ja II 404,9-18, and Ja VI 469,12, in contexts where it can only mean spies. First information is gathered by them and afterwards I will make them disclose it.²²³ Be and Ee1 & 2 read osāpayissāmi, Se oyāyissāmi. Texts of Ud and Ud-a record still more vv.ll., even up to nine; see Masefield, The Udāna Commentary, 2:918, n. 195. Neither Spk nor Spk-pṭ offers any help. Ud-a 333,25 glosses paṭipajjissāmi karissāmi, “I will enter upon it, I will act,” which seems a learned way of admitting uncertainty. If we accept Norman’s reasonable suggestion (at EV I, n. to 119) that we should recognize in Pāli a verb oseti, “to deposit” (< Skt *avaśrayati), osāpeti can then be understood as the causative form of this verb (< Skt *avaśrāyati, as pointed out by Norman in the same note). Here it is the first person future used metaphorically to mean “I will make them deposit the information with me.” See too n. 542 and n. 657. Its absolutive, osāpetvā, occurs at Spk III 92,2, meaning “having put away.”
Now, venerable sir, when they have washed off the dust and dirt and are freshly bathed and groomed, with their hair and beards trimmed, clad in white garments, they will enjoy themselves supplied and endowed with the five cords of sensual pleasure.”

11Then the Blessed One, having understood the meaning of this, on that occasion recited these verses:

12, 399 “A man is not easily known by outward form
Nor should one trust a quick appraisal,
For in the guise of the well controlled
Uncontrolled men move in this world.

13, 400 “Like a counterfeit earring made of clay,
Like a bronze half-pence coated with gold,
Some move about in disguise:
Inwardly impure, outwardly beautiful.”

12. Five Kings

1At Sāvatthī. Now on that occasion five kings headed by King Pasenadi were enjoying themselves supplied and endowed with the five cords of sensual pleasure when this conversation arose among them: “What is the chief of sensual pleasures?”²²⁴ Spk does not identify the other four kings. The fact that they are designated rājā does not necessarily imply they were rulers of independent states on a par with Pasenadi, though the mutual use of the address mārisa suggests they enjoyed parity of status with him.

2Some among them said: “Forms are the chief of sensual pleasures.” Some said: “Sounds are the chief.” Some: “Odours are the chief.” Some: “Tastes are the chief.” Some: [80] “Tactile objects are the chief.”²²⁵ The Pāli uses the plural ekacce with each assertion, but it is evident from the context that each assertion was made by only one king.

3Since those kings were unable to convince one another, King Pasenadi of Kosala said to them: “Come, dear sirs, let us approach the Blessed One and question him about this matter. As the Blessed One answers us, so we should remember it.”

4“All right, dear sir,” those kings replied. Then those five kings, headed by King Pasenadi, approached the Blessed One, paid homage to him, and sat down to one side. King Pasenadi then reported their entire discussion to the Blessed One, asking: “What now, venerable sir, is the chief of sensual pleasures?”

5“Great king, I say that what is chief among the five cords of sensual pleasure is determined by whatever is most agreeable. ²²⁶ Manāpapariyantaṁ khvāhaṁ mahārāja pañcasu kāmaguṇesu aggan ti vadāmi. My rendering expands slightly on the compressed Pāli idiom. Spk glosses manāpapariyantaṁ by manāpanipphattiṁ manāpakoṭikaṁ. Spk-pṭ: Whatever a person cherishes, being in his view the chief, is presented by him as the culmination, as the ultimate. Those same forms that are agreeable to one person, great king, are disagreeable to another. When one is pleased and completely satisfied with certain forms, then one does not yearn for any other form higher or more sublime than those forms. For him those forms are then supreme; for him those forms are unsurpassed.

6“Those same sounds … Those same odours … Those same tastes … … Those same tactile objects that are agreeable to one person, great king, are disagreeable to another. [81] When one is pleased and completely satisfied with certain tactile objects, then one does not yearn for any other tactile object higher or more sublime than those tactile objects. For him those tactile objects are then supreme; for him those tactile objects are unsurpassed.”

7Now on that occasion the lay follower Candanaṅgalika was sitting in that assembly. Then the lay follower Candanaṅgalika rose from his seat, arranged his upper robe over one shoulder, and, raising his joined hands in reverential salutation towards the Blessed One, said to him: “An inspiration has come to me, Blessed One! An inspiration has come to me, Fortunate One!”

8“Then express your inspiration, Candanaṅgalika,” the Blessed One said.²²⁷ Paṭibhāti maṁ bhagavā, paṭibhāti maṁ sugata. The same verb paṭibhāti is used by both the interlocutor and the Buddha (by the latter, as the imperative paṭibhātu), but I have varied the rendering slightly in each case as befits the speaker’s situation. This type of exchange occurs repeatedly at 8:5-11 below; 8:8 (I 193,3-4), which contrasts ṭhānaso paṭibhanti with pubbe parivitakkita, “premeditated,” indicates the exact nuance of the verb in such a context; see too n. 143. The lay follower Candanaṅgalika is not met elsewhere in the canon. Apparently he had been inspired because he had seen how the Buddha’s glory surpassed that of the five kings.

9Then the lay follower Candanaṅgalika, in the presence of the Blessed One, extolled him with an appropriate verse:

10, 401 “As the fragrant red lotus Kokanada
Blooms in the morning, its fragrance unspent,
Behold Aṅgīrasa, the Radiant One,
Like the sun beaming in the sky.”²²⁸ Spk: Kokanada is a synonym for the red lotus (paduma). The Buddha is called Aṅgīrasa because rays issue from his body (aṅgato rasmiyo nikkhamanti). A parallel including the verse is at AN III 239-40. See too Vism 388,1-4 (Ppn 12:60) and Dhp-a I 244 (BL 1:302), and cp. v. 752. On Aṅgīrasa Malalasekera remarks (DPPN 1:20): “It is, however, well known that, according to Vedic tradition, the Gautamas belong to the Aṅgı̄rasa tribe; the word, as applied to the Buddha , therefore is probably a patronymic.”

11Then those five kings bestowed five upper robes upon the lay follower Candanaṅgalika. But the lay follower Candanaṅgalika bestowed those five upper robes upon the Blessed One.

13. A Bucket Measure of Food

1At Sāvatthī. Now on that occasion King Pasenadi of Kosala had eaten a bucket measure of rice and curries.²²⁹ Be: doṇapākakuraṁ; Se and Ee1: doṇapākasudaṁ; Ee2: doṇapākaṁ sudaṁ. Spk: He ate rice cooked from a doṇa of rice grains along with suitable soups and curries. The doṇa is a measure of volume, perhaps a “bucket,” obviously far more than the capacity of an ordinary person’s stomach.
Then, while still full, huffing and puffing, the king approached the Blessed One, paid homage to him, and sat down to one side.

2Then the Blessed One, having understood that King Pasenadi was full and was huffing and puffing, on that occasion recited this verse:

3, 402 “When a man is always mindful,
Knowing moderation in the food he eats,
His ailments then diminish:
He ages slowly, guarding his life.” [82]

4Now on that occasion the brahmin youth Sudassana was standing behind King Pasenadi of Kosala. The king then addressed him thus: “Come now, dear Sudassana, learn this verse from the Blessed One and recite it to me whenever I am taking my meal. I will then present you daily with a hundred kahāpaṇas as a perpetual grant.”²³⁰ The kahāpaṇa was the standard currency unit of the period. See Singh, Life in North-Eastern India, pp. 255-57.

5“Yes, sire,” the brahmin youth Sudassana replied. Having learned this verse from the Blessed One, whenever King Pasenadi was taking his meal the brahmin youth Sudassana recited:

6, 403 “When a man is always mindful ...
He ages slowly, guarding his life.”

7Then King Pasenadi of Kosala gradually reduced his intake of food to at most a pint-pot measure of boiled rice.²³¹ Spk says that the nāḷika, which I render pint-pot (after Burlingame), is the proper portion for a man; I could not find any source specifying the relation between doṇa and nāḷika . Spk explains that the Buddha had instructed Sudassana to recite the verse, not when the king began his meal, but when he approached the end. In this way each day the king gradually left aside the last portion of food until he reached the proper measure. A more elaborate version of the story is at Dhp-a III 264-66, where it serves as the background to Dhp 325; see BL 3:76-77. In this version the king’s advisor is Prince Uttara rather than the brahmin youth Sudassana.
At a later time, when his body had become quite slim, King Pasenadi of Kosala stroked his limbs with his hand and on that occasion uttered this inspired utterance: “The Blessed One showed compassion towards me in regard to both kinds of good—the good pertaining to the present life and that pertaining to the future life.”²³² Spk: The good pertaining to the present life was the slimming of the body; the good pertaining to the future was virtue (sīla), one aspect of which is moderation in eating. See 3:17 below.

14. Battle (1)

1At Sāvatthī. Then King Ajātasattu of Magadha, the Videhan son, mobilized a four-division army and marched in the direction of Kāsi against King Pasenadi of Kosala.²³³ Ajātasattu was Pasenadi’s nephew, son of his sister and King Bimbisāra, ruler of Magadha. While still a prince Ajātasattu was incited by Devadatta to usurp the throne and have his father executed; soon afterwards his mother died of grief. War broke out when Pasenadi and Ajātasattu both laid claim to the prosperous village of Kāsı̄, situated between the two kingdoms, which Pasenadi’s father, King Mahākosala, had given to his daughter when she married Bimbisāra (see prologue to Ja No. 239). The four divisions of the army are elephant troops, cavalry, chariot troops, and infantry, enumerated in the next sutta. Spk explains the epithet Vedehiputta: “Vedehi means wise; he was so called because he was the son of a wise woman.” This is almost certainly a fabrication. Videha was a country in north India, and the epithet suggests his ancestry was from that land. Since Ajātasattu’s mother was from Kosala, Geiger surmises that it must have been his maternal grandmother who came from Videha (GermTr, p. 131, n. 3). See too II, n. 288.
King Pasenadi heard this report, mobilized a four-division army, and launched a counter-march in the direction of Kāsi against King Ajātasattu. [83] Then King Ajātasattu of Magadha and King Pasenadi of Kosala fought a battle. In that battle King Ajātasattu defeated King Pasenadi, and King Pasenadi, defeated, retreated to his own capital of Sāvatthī.

2Then, in the morning, a number of bhikkhus dressed and, taking their bowls and robes, entered Sāvatthī for alms. When they had walked for alms in Sāvatthī and had returned from their alms round, after the meal they approached the Blessed One, paid homage to him, sat down to one side, and reported what had happened. [The Blessed One said:]

3“Bhikkhus, King Ajātasattu of Magadha has evil friends, evil companions, evil comrades. King Pasenadi of Kosala has good friends, good companions, good comrades. Yet for this day, bhikkhus, King Pasenadi, having been defeated, will sleep badly tonight.²³⁴ Spk says Ajātasattu has evil friends such as Devadatta, Pasenadi has good friends such as Sāriputta. Pāpamitta and kalyāṇamitta are bahubbīhi compounds meaning respectively “one with an evil friend” and “one with a good friend.” They do not mean, as C.Rh.D translates at KS 1:112, “a friend of that which is wicked” and “a friend of that which is righteous”; nor do they mean “a friend of evil people” and “a friend of good people” (though this is entailed). The rare word ajjatañ (as in Se and Ee1; Be has normalized the difficult reading to ajj’ eva) seems to mean “for today, for this day,” with the implication that the sit situation will soon change.

4, 404 “Victory breeds enmity,
The defeated one sleeps badly.
The peaceful one sleeps at ease,
Having abandoned victory and defeat.”²³⁵ Spk: Jayaṁ veraṁ pasavatī ti jinanto veraṁ pasavati, veripuggalaṁ labhati; ʺThe victorious one breeds enmity: one conquering breeds enmity, begets an inimical person.” Spk thus interprets jayaṁ in pāda a as a nominative present participle functioning as subject. At EV II, n. to 26, Norman suggests it might be a ṇamul absolutive, i.e., a rare type of absolutive formed from the -aṁ termination (see too EV I, n. to 22). While at v. 407 we do find jayaṁ as a participle, the word also occurs as a neuter nominative at v. 619c, and thus there should be no reason not to interpret it in the same way here. See the discussion in Brough, Gāndhārī Dharmapada, pp. 238-39, n. to 180.

15. Battle (2)

1[84] (Opening as in §14:)

2In that battle King Pasenadi defeated King Ajātasattu and captured him alive. Then it occurred to King Pasenadi: “Although this King Ajātasattu of Magadha has transgressed against me while I have not transgressed against him, still, he is my nephew. Let me now confiscate all his elephant troops, all his cavalry, all his chariot troops, and all his infantry, and let him go with nothing but his life.”

3Then King Pasenadi confiscated all King Ajātasattu’s elephant troops, all his cavalry, all his chariot troops, and all his infantry, and let him go with nothing but his life.

4Then, in the morning, a number of bhikkhus dressed and, taking their bowls and robes, entered Sāvatthī for alms. When they had walked for alms in Sāvatthī and had returned from their alms round, after the meal they approached the Blessed One, paid homage to him, sat down to one side, and reported what had happened. [85]

5Then the Blessed One, having understood the meaning of this, on that occasion recited these verses:

6, 405 “A man will go on plundering
So long as it serves his ends,
But when others plunder him,
The plunderer is plundered.²³⁶ I read pāda d with Be and Se: so vilutto viluppati, as against Ee1 & 2 vilumpati. Spk glosses the line, in its occurrence at v. 407f, with a passive verb: so vilumpako vilumpiyati. To preserve the logic of the verse it is really necessary to accept the passive verb and to understand the passive past participle as active in sense. The BHS version at Uv 9:9 is more intelligible, with an agent noun in place of the past participle: so viloptā vilupyate.

7, 406 “The fool thinks fortune is on his side
So long as his evil does not ripen,
But when the evil ripens
The fool incurs suffering.

8, 407 “The killer begets a killer,
One who conquers, a conqueror.
The abuser begets abuse,
The reviler, one who reviles.
Thus by the unfolding of kamma
The plunderer is plundered.”²³⁷ Spk glosses kammavivaṭṭena: “By the maturation of kamma, when the kamma of plundering yields its result.” Spk-pṭ adds: “The kamma which has vanished matures when it gains an opportunity (to ripen) by meeting a condition (conducive to its ripening).” [86]

16. Daughter

1At Sāvatthī. Then King Pasenadi of Kosala approached the Blessed One, paid homage to him, and sat down to one side. Then a certain man approached King Pasenadi and informed him in a whisper: “Sire, Queen Mallikā has given birth to a daughter.” When this was said, King Pasenadi was displeased. ²³⁸ Spk: He was displeased thinking, “I elevated Queen Mallikā from a poor family to the rank of queen. If she had given birth to a son she would have won great honour, but now she has lost that opportunity.” This daughter was almost certainly the Princess Vajı̄rı̄ (see MN II 110, 10-18), who was later married to King Ajātasattu of Magadha after the two kings were reconciled. Prince Viḍūḍabha, the heir to the throne, was begotten from another wife of Pasenadi, Vāsabhā-khattiyā, a Sakyan lady of mixed descent who was passed off to Pasenadi as a pure-bred Sakyan princess. Viḍūḍabha later usurped the throne and left his father to die in exile. When he learned that the Sakyans had deceived his father he massacred them and almost decimated the entire Saykan clan.
Then the Blessed One, having understood that King Pasenadi was displeased, on that occasion recited these verses:

2, 408 “A woman, O lord of the people,
May turn out better than a man:
She may be wise and virtuous,
A devoted wife, revering her mother-in-law.²³⁹ In pāda b, I follow Ee1 & 2 in reading posā, “than a man,” though Be and Se, as well as Spk, read posa, which Spk glosses as the imperative posehi, “nourish (her).” Spk sees the comparison with a son implicit in seyyā: “Even a woman may be better than a dull, stupid son.” In pāda d, sassudevā literally means “having (her) mother-in-law as a deva”; Spk adds father-in-law in the gloss.

3, 409 “The son to whom she gives birth
May become a hero, O lord of the land.
The son of such a blessed woman
May even rule the realm.”²⁴⁰ In pāda b, it is uncertain from the text whether disampati is nominative or vocative, but I follow Spk, which glosses it with the vocative disājeṭṭhaka. With Be, Se, and Ee2, I read pāda c as tādisā subhagiyā putto and comply with Spk by translating tādisā as if it were a truncated genitive qualifying the woman. Ee1 reads tādiso in apposition to putto.

17. Diligence (1)

1At Sāvatthī. Sitting to one side, King Pasenadi of Kosala said to the Blessed One: “Is there, venerable sir, one thing which secures both kinds of good, the good pertaining to the present life and that pertaining to the future life?”

2“There is one thing, great king, which secures both kinds of good, the good pertaining to the present life and that pertaining to the future life.”

3“But what, venerable sir, is that one thing?”

4“Diligence, great king. Just as the footprints of all living beings that walk fit into the footprint of the elephant, and the elephant’s footprint is declared to be their chief by reason of its size, so diligence is the one thing which secures both kinds of good, [87] the good pertaining to the present life and that pertaining to the future life.²⁴¹ Spk explains appamāda as kārāpaka-appamāda, “activating diligence,” which Spk-pṭ says is diligence that motivates one to engage in the three bases of meritorious deeds (giving, virtue, and meditation). Spk: Diligence, though mundane, is still the chief even among the exalted and supramundane states (i.e., the jhānas, paths, and fruits) because it is the cause for their attainment.

5, 410 “For one who desires long life and health,
Beauty, heaven, and noble birth,
[A variety of] lofty delights
Following in succession,
The wise praise diligence
In doing deeds of merit.

6, 411 “The wise person who is diligent
Secures both kinds of good:
The good visible in this very life
And the good of the future life.
The steadfast one, by attaining the good,
Is called a person of wisdom.”²⁴² In pāda e, atthābhisamayā is glossed by Spk with atthapaṭilābhā . The couplet is often quoted by the commentaries, when commenting on the ekaṁ samayaṁ formula, to illustrate samaya as meaning paṭilābha. I have tried to avoid the tautology of translating dhīro paṇḍito ti vuccati “the wise one is called a person of wisdom“ by rendering dhīra with its homonym, “steadfast”; see n. 72.

18. Diligence (2)

1At Sāvatthī. Sitting to one side, King Pasenadi of Kosala said to the Blessed One: “Here, venerable sir, while I was alone in seclusion, the following reflection arose in my mind: ‘The Dhamma has been well expounded by the Blessed One, and that is for one with good friends, good companions, good comrades, not for one with bad friends, bad companions, bad comrades.’”²⁴³ Spk: Although the Dhamma is well expounded for all, just as medicine is effective only for one who takes it so the Dhamma fulfils its purpose only for a compliant and faithful person having good friends, not for the other type.

2“So it is, great king! So it is, great king! The Dhamma has been well expounded by me, and that is for one with good friends, good companions, good comrades, not for one with bad friends, bad companions, bad comrades.

3“On one occasion, great king, I was living among the Sakyans, where there is a town of the Sakyans named Nāgaraka.²⁴⁴ The incident reported here, including the discourse on good friendship, is related at 45:2. The later version, however, does not include the line “beings subject to illness are freed from illnessʺ (vyādhidhammā sattā vyādhiyā parimuccanti), found at I 88,23. Explanatory notes to the embedded discourse will be found below V, nn. 5-7. Then the bhikkhu Ānanda approached me, paid homage to me, sat down to one side, and said: ‘Venerable sir, this is half of the holy life, that is, good friendship, good companionship, good comradeship. ’

4“When this was said, great king, I told the bhikkhu Ānanda: ‘Not so, Ānanda! Not so, Ānanda! This is the entire holy life, Ānanda, that is, good friendship, [88] good companionship, good comradeship. When a bhikkhu has a good friend, a good companion, a good comrade, it is to be expected that he will develop and cultivate the Noble Eightfold Path. And how, Ānanda, does a bhikkhu who has a good friend, a good companion, a good comrade, develop and cultivate the Noble Eightfold Path? Here, Ānanda, a bhikkhu develops right view, which is based upon seclusion, dispassion, and cessation, maturing in release. He develops right intention … right speech … right action … right livelihood … right effort … right mindfulness … right concentration, which is based upon seclusion, dispassion, and cessation, maturing in release. It is in this way, Ānanda, that a bhikkhu who has a good friend, a good companion, a good comrade, develops and cultivates the Noble Eightfold Path.

5“‘By the following method too, Ānanda, it may be understood how the entire holy life is good friendship, good companionship, good comradeship: by relying upon me as a good friend, Ānanda, beings subject to birth are freed from birth; beings subject to aging are freed from aging; beings subject to illness are freed from illness; beings subject to death are freed from death; beings subject to sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair are freed from sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair. By this method, Ānanda, it may be understood how the entire holy life is good friendship, good companionship, good comradeship.’

6“Therefore, great king, you should train yourself thus: ‘I will be one who has good friends, good companions, good comrades. ’ It is in such a way that you should train yourself.

7“When, great king, you have good friends, good companions, good comrades, [89] you should dwell with one thing for support: diligence in wholesome states.

8“When, great king, you are dwelling diligently, with diligence for support, your retinue of harem women will think thus: ‘The king dwells diligently, with diligence for support. Come now, let us also dwell diligently, with diligence for support.’

9“When, great king, you are dwelling diligently, with diligence for support, your retinue of khattiya vassals will think thus … your troops will think thus ... your subjects in town and countryside will think thus: ‘The king dwells diligently, with diligence for support. Come now, let us also dwell diligently, with diligence for support.’

10“When, great king, you are dwelling diligently, with diligence for support, you yourself will be guarded and protected, your retinue of harem women will be guarded and protected, your treasury and storehouse will be guarded and protected.

11, 412 “For one who desires lofty riches
Following in succession,
The wise praise diligence
In doing deeds of merit.

12, 413 “The wise person who is diligent
Secures both kinds of good:
The good visible in this very life
And the good of the future life.
The steadfast one, by attaining the good,
Is called a person of wisdom.”

19. Childless (1)

1At Sāvatthī. Then King Pasenadi of Kosala approached the Blessed One, paid homage to him, and sat down to one side. The Blessed One then said to him: “Where are you coming from, great king, in the middle of the day?”

2“Here, venerable sir, a financier householder in Sāvatthī has died. I have come after conveying his heirless fortune to the palace, as he died intestate.²⁴⁵ The seṭṭhi were the wealthy money lenders in the large towns and cities of northern India. Originally guild masters, in time they came to function as private bankers and often played decisive roles in political affairs. Anāthapiṇḍika was said to be a seṭṭhi. See Singh, Life in North-Eastern India, pp. 249-51. Apparently when a wealthy man died intestate, the king was entitled to his fortune. There were eighty lakhs of gold, [90] not to speak of silver, and yet, venerable sir, that financier householder’s meals were like this: he ate red rice along with sour gruel. His clothes were like this: he wore a three-piece hempen garment. His vehicle was like this: he went about in a dilapidated little cart with a leaf awning.”²⁴⁶ A lakh is a hundred thousand. Spk explains kaṇājaka as rice with the red powder from the husk (sakuṇḍakabhatta); tipakkhavasana, as a garment made by sewing together three pieces of cloth.

3“So it is, great king! So it is, great king! When an inferior man gains abundant wealth, he does not make himself happy and pleased, nor does he make his mother and father happy and pleased, nor his wife and children, nor his slaves, workers, and servants, nor his friends and colleagues; nor does he establish an offering for ascetics and brahmins, one leading upwards, of heavenly fruit, resulting in happiness, conducive to heaven. Because his wealth is not being used properly, kings take it away, or thieves take it away, or fire burns it, or water carries it away, or unloved heirs take it. Such being the case, great king, that wealth, not being used properly, goes to waste, not to utilization.

4“Suppose, great king, in a place uninhabited by human beings, there was a lotus pond with clear, cool, sweet, clean water, with good fords, delightful; but no people would take that water, or drink it, or bathe in it, or use it for any purpose. In such a case, great king, that water, not being used properly, would go to waste, not to utilization. So too, great king, when an inferior man gains abundant wealth ... that wealth, not being used properly, goes to waste, not to utilization.

5“But, great king, when a superior man gains abundant wealth, he makes himself happy and pleased, and he makes his mother and father happy and pleased, and his wife and children, and his slaves, workers, and servants, and his friends and colleagues; and he establishes an offering for ascetics and brahmins, one leading upwards, of heavenly fruit, resulting in happiness, conducive to heaven. Because his wealth is being used properly, [91] kings do not take it away, thieves do not take it away, fire does not burn it, water does not carry it away, and unloved heirs do not take it. Such being the case, great king, that wealth, being used properly, goes to utilization, not to waste.

6“Suppose, great king, not far from a village or a town, there was a lotus pond with clear, cool, sweet, clean water, with good fords, delightful; and people would take that water, and drink it, and bathe in it, and use it for their purposes. In such a case, great king, that water, being used properly, would go to utilization, not to waste. So too, great king, when a superior man gains abundant wealth ... that wealth, being used properly, goes to utilization, not to waste.

7, 414 “As cool water in a desolate place
Evaporates without being drunk,
So when a scoundrel acquires wealth
He neither enjoys himself nor gives.

8, 415 “But when the wise man obtains wealth
He enjoys himself and does his duty.
Having supported his kin, free from blame,
That noble man goes to a heavenly state.”

20. Childless (2)

1(As above, except that the amount is a hundred lakhs of gold, a lakh being equal to a hundred thousand:) [92]

2“So it is, great king! So it is, great king! Once in the past, great king, that financier householder provided a paccekabuddha named Tagarasikhī with almsfood. Having said, ‘Give alms to the ascetic,’ he rose from his seat and departed. But after giving, he later felt regret and thought: ‘It would have been better if the slaves or workers had eaten that almsfood!’ Moreover, he murdered his brother’s only son for the sake of his fortune.²⁴⁷ A paccekabuddha is one who attains enlightenment independently of a perfectly enlightened Buddha (sammā sambuddha ), but unlike a perfectly enlightened Buddha does not establish a sāsana, a religious “dispensation.” They are said to arise only at times when a Buddha’s dispensation does not exist in the world. The story is elaborated in Spk and at Dhp-a IV 77-78; see BL 3:240. A version at Ja No. 390 does not mention the murder of the nephew or the rebirth in hell. A partly parallel story of abuse towards the paccekabuddha Tagarasikhı̄ is related at Ud 50,14-19.

3“Because that financier householder provided the paccekabuddha Tagarasikhī with almsfood, as a result of that kamma he was reborn seven times in a good destination, in the heavenly world. As a residual result of that same kamma, he obtained the position of financier seven times in this same city of Sāvatthī. But because that financier householder later felt regret about giving, as a result of that kamma his mind did not incline to the enjoyment of excellent food, excellent clothing, and excellent vehicles, nor to the enjoyment of excellent items among the five cords of sensual pleasure. And because that financier householder murdered his brother’s only son for the sake of his fortune, as a result of that kamma he was tormented in hell for many years, for many hundreds of years, for many thousands of years, for many hundreds of thousands of years. As a residual result of that same kamma, he has furnished the royal treasury with this seventh heirless fortune.

4“The old merit of that financier householder has been utterly exhausted, and he had not accumulated any fresh merit. But today, great king, the financier householder is being roasted in the Great Roruva Hell.”²⁴⁸ See n. 93.

5“So, venerable sir, that financier householder has been reborn in the Great Roruva Hell?” [93]

6“Yes, great king, that financier householder has been reborn in the Great Roruva Hell.

7, 416 “Grain, wealth, silver, gold,
Or whatever other possessions there are,
Slaves, workers, messengers,
And those who live as one’s dependants:
Without taking anything one must go,
Everything must be left behind.

8, 417 “But what one has done by body,
Or by speech or mind:
This is what is truly one’s own,
This one takes when one goes;
This is what follows one along
Like a shadow that never departs.

9, 418 “Therefore one should do what is good
As a collection for the future life.
Merits are the support for living beings
[When they arise] in the other world.”

1At Sāvatthī. Then King Pasenadi of Kosala approached the Blessed One, paid homage to him, and sat down to one side. The Blessed One then said to him:

2“Great king, there are these four kinds of persons found existing in the world. What four? The one heading from darkness to darkness, the one heading from darkness to light, the one heading from light to darkness, the one heading from light to light.²⁴⁹ The sutta without the similes and verses is at AN II 85-86; see too Pp 51,21-52,23. Spk: One is in darkness ( tamo ) because one is conjoined with darkness by being reborn in a low family, and one is heading towards darkness (tamoparāyaṇa) because one is approaching the darkness of hell. One is in light (joti) because one is conjoined with light by being reborn in a high family, and one is heading towards light (jotiparāyaṇa) because one is approaching the light of a heavenly rebirth. “And how, great king, is a person one heading from darkness to darkness? Here some person has been reborn in a low family—a family of caṇḍālas, bamboo workers, hunters, cartwrights, or flower-scavengers—a poor family in which there is little food and drink and which subsists with difficulty, [94] one where food and clothing are obtained with difficulty; and he is ugly, unsightly, deformed, chronically ill—purblind or cripple-handed or lame or paralyzed.²⁵⁰ The caṇḍālas were the most despised of the outcasts; see Singh, Life in North-Eastern India, pp. 16-20. Spk glosses venakula as vilīvakārakula, family of basket weavers; the two occupations are listed separately at Mil 331. Rathakārakula is glossed as cammakārakula, family of leather workers [Spk-pṭ: because the straps of carts are made of leather]; and pukkusakula as pupphachaḍḍakakula, family of those who throw away wilted flowers. Perhaps the latter more generally included all sweepers and refuse removers. He is not one who gains food, drink, clothing, and vehicles; garlands, scents, and unguents; bedding, housing, and lighting. He engages in misconduct of body, speech, and mind. Having done so, with the breakup of the body, after death, he is reborn in the plane of misery, in a bad destination, in the nether world, in hell.

3“Suppose, great king, a man would go from darkness to darkness, or from gloom to gloom, or from stain to stain: this person, I say, is exactly similar. It is in this way, great king, that a person is one heading from darkness to darkness.

4“And how, great king, is a person one heading from darkness to light? Here some person has been reborn in a low family ... one where food and clothing are obtained with difficulty; and he is ugly ... or paralyzed. He is not one who gains food ... and lighting. He engages in good conduct of body, speech, and mind. Having done so, with the breakup of the body, after death, he is reborn in a good destination, in a heavenly world.

5“Suppose, great king, a man would climb from the ground on to a palanquin, or from a palanquin on to horseback, or from horseback to an elephant mount, or from an elephant mount to a mansion: this person, I say, is exactly similar. It is in this way, great king, that a person is one heading from darkness to light.

6“And how, great king, is a person one heading from light to darkness? Here some person has been reborn in a high family—an affluent khattiya family, an affluent brahmin family, or an affluent householder family—one which is rich, with great wealth and property, [95] with abundant gold and silver, abundant treasures and commodities, abundant wealth and grain; and he is handsome, attractive, graceful, possessing supreme beauty of complexion. He is one who gains food, drink, clothing, and vehicles; garlands, scents, and unguents; bedding, housing, and lighting. He engages in misconduct of body, speech, and mind. Having done so, with the breakup of the body, after death, he is reborn in the plane of misery, in a bad destination, in the nether world, in hell.

7“Suppose, great king, a man would descend from a mansion to an elephant mount, or from an elephant mount to horseback, or from horseback to a palanquin, or from a palanquin to the ground, or from the ground to underground darkness: this person, I say, is exactly similar. It is in this way, great king, that a person is one heading from light to darkness.

8“And how, great king, is a person one heading from light to light? Here some person has been reborn in a high family … with abundant wealth and grain; and he is handsome, attractive, graceful, possessing supreme beauty of complexion. He is one who gains food … and lighting. He engages in good conduct of body, speech, and mind. Having done so, with the breakup of the body, after death, he is reborn in a good destination, in a heavenly world.

9“Suppose, great king, a man would cross over from palanquin to palanquin, or from horseback to horseback, or from elephant mount to elephant mount, or from mansion to mansion: this person, I say, is exactly similar. It is in this way, great king, that a person is one heading from light to light. [96]

10“These, great king, are the four kinds of persons found existing in the world.

1At Sāvatthī. Then, in the middle of the day, King Pasenadi of Kosala approached the Blessed One.… The Blessed One said to him as he was sitting to one side: “Now where are you coming from, great king, in the middle of the day?”

2“Just now, venerable sir, I have been engaged in those affairs of kingship typical for head-anointed khattiya kings, who are intoxicated with the intoxication of sovereignty, who are obsessed by greed for sensual pleasures, who have attained stable control in their country, and who rule having conquered a great sphere of territory on earth.”²⁵⁷ Spk says that Pasenadi arrived after he had just finished impaling a band of criminals that he had arrested when they tried to ambush him and usurp the kingdom. The Buddha thought, “If I reprimand him for such a terrible deed, he will feel too dismayed to associate closely with me. Instead I will instruct him by an indirect method.” I agree with C.Rh.D that the story does not fit well, and I would add that it even detracts from the solemn dignity of the Buddha’s discourse.

3“What do you think, great king? [101] Here, a man would come to you from the east, one who is trustworthy and reliable; having approached, he would tell you: ‘For sure, great king, you should know this: I am coming from the east, and there I saw a great mountain high as the clouds coming this way, crushing all living beings. Do whatever you think should be done, great king.’ Then a second man would come to you from the west … Then a third man would come to you from the north … … Then a fourth man would come to you from the south, one who is trustworthy and reliable; having approached, he would tell you: ‘For sure, great king, you should know this: I am coming from the south, and there I saw a great mountain high as the clouds coming this way, crushing all living beings. Do whatever you think should be done, great king.’ If, great king, such a great peril should arise, such a terrible destruction of human life, the human state being so difficult to obtain, what should be done?”

4“If, venerable sir, such a great peril should arise, such a terrible destruction of human life, the human state being so difficult to obtain, what else should be done but to live by the Dhamma, to live righteously, and to do wholesome and meritorious deeds?”²⁵⁸ Spk explains dhammacariyā as the ten wholesome courses of kamma and says that samacariyā, righteous conduct, means the same. “I inform you, great king, I announce to you, great king: aging and death are rolling in on you. When aging and death are rolling in on you, great king, what should be done?”

5“As aging and death are rolling in on me, venerable sir, what else should be done but to live by the Dhamma, to live righteously, and to do wholesome and meritorious deeds?

6“There are, venerable sir, elephant battles [fought by] head-anointed khattiya kings, who are intoxicated with the intoxication of sovereignty, who are obsessed by greed for sensual pleasures, who have attained stable control in their country, and who rule having conquered a great sphere of territory on earth; but there is no place for those elephant battles, no scope for them, when aging and death are rolling in.²⁵⁹ Natthi gati natthi visayo adhivattamāne jarāmaraṇe. Spk glosses gati (= place of motion, “room”) as nipphatti, success [Spk-pṭ: “The point is that there is no success to be achieved by battle”]; visaya (“scope”), as okāsa, opportunity, or samatthabhāva, capability; “for it is not possible to ward off aging and death by these battles.” There are, venerable sir, cavalry battles [fought by] head-anointed khattiya kings … There are chariot battles … infantry battles … [102] but there is no place for those infantry battles, no scope for them, when aging and death are rolling in. In this royal court, venerable sir, there are counsellors who, when the enemies arrive, are capable of dividing them by subterfuge; but there is no place for those battles of subterfuge, no scope for them, when aging and death are rolling in. In this royal court, venerable sir, there exists abundant bullion and gold stored in vaults and depositories, and with such wealth we are capable of mollifying the enemies when they come; but there is no place for those battles of wealth, no scope for them, when aging and death are rolling in. As aging and death are rolling in on me, venerable sir, what else should be done but to live by the Dhamma, to live righteously, and to do wholesome and meritorious deeds?”

7“So it is, great king! So it is, great king! As aging and death are rolling in on you, what else should be done but to live by the Dhamma, to live righteously, and to do wholesome and meritorious deeds?”

8This is what the Blessed One said. Having said this, the Fortunate One, the Teacher, further said this:

9, 441 “Just as mountains of solid rock,
Massive, reaching to the sky,
Might draw together from all sides,
Crushing all in the four quarters—
So aging and death come
Rolling over living beings—
442 Khattiyas, brahmins, vessas, suddas,
Caṇḍālas and scavengers:
They spare none along the way
But come crushing everything.

10, 443 “There’s no ground there for elephant troops,
For chariot troops and infantry.
One can’t defeat them by subterfuge,
Or buy them off by means of wealth.

11, 444 “Therefore a person of wisdom here,
Out of regard for his own good,
Steadfast, should settle faith
In the Buddha, Dhamma, and Saṅgha.

12, 445 “When one conducts oneself by Dhamma
With body, speech, and mind,
They praise one here in the present life,
And after death one rejoices in heaven.”

[103]