Chapter Three · SN 11.21–11.25

SN 11.21 · Slain

SN 11.21 · Chetvāsutta

Near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove.

Sāvatthiyaṁ jetavane.

And then Sakka, lord of gods, went up to the Buddha, bowed, stood to one side, and addressed him in verse:

Atha kho sakko devānamindo yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ aṭṭhāsi. Ekamantaṁ ṭhito kho sakko devānamindo bhagavantaṁ gāthāya ajjhabhāsi:

“When what is slain do you sleep at ease?When what is slain is there no sorrow?What is the one thingwhose killing you approve?”

“Kiṁsu chetvā sukhaṁ seti,kiṁsu chetvā na socati;Kissassu ekadhammassa,vadhaṁ rocesi gotamā”ti.

“When anger’s slain you sleep at ease.When anger’s slain there is no sorrow.Anger has a poisonous rootand a sweet tip, O Vāsava.The noble ones praise its killing,for when it’s slain there is no sorrow.”

“Kodhaṁ chetvā sukhaṁ seti,kodhaṁ chetvā na socati;Kodhassa visamūlassa,madhuraggassa vāsava;Vadhaṁ ariyā pasaṁsanti,tañhi chetvā na socatī”ti.

SN 11.22 · Ugly

SN 11.22 · Dubbaṇṇiyasutta

Near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove.

Sāvatthiyaṁ jetavane. Tatra kho …pe… etadavoca:

“Once upon a time, mendicants, there was a native spirit who was ugly and deformed. He sat on the throne of Sakka, lord of gods.

“bhūtapubbaṁ, bhikkhave, aññataro yakkho dubbaṇṇo okoṭimako sakkassa devānamindassa āsane nisinno ahosi.

But the gods of the thirty-three complained, grumbled, and objected, ‘Oh lord, how incredible, how amazing! This ugly and deformed spirit is sitting on the throne of Sakka, the lord of gods.’ But the more the gods complained, the more attractive, good-looking, and lovely that spirit became.

Tatra sudaṁ, bhikkhave, devā tāvatiṁsā ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti: ‘acchariyaṁ vata bho, abbhutaṁ vata bho. Ayaṁ yakkho dubbaṇṇo okoṭimako sakkassa devānamindassa āsane nisinno’ti. Yathā yathā kho, bhikkhave, devā tāvatiṁsā ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti tathā tathā so yakkho abhirūpataro ceva hoti dassanīyataro ca pāsādikataro ca.

So the gods went up to Sakka and told him what had happened. He replied, ‘Surely, good fellow, that must be the anger-eating spirit!’

Atha kho, bhikkhave, devā tāvatiṁsā yena sakko devānamindo tenupasaṅkamiṁsu; upasaṅkamitvā sakkaṁ devānamindaṁ etadavocuṁ: ‘idha te, mārisa, aññataro yakkho dubbaṇṇo okoṭimako sakkassa devānamindassa āsane nisinno. Tatra sudaṁ, mārisa, devā tāvatiṁsā ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti: “acchariyaṁ vata bho, abbhutaṁ vata bho. Ayaṁ yakkho dubbaṇṇo okoṭimako sakkassa devānamindassa āsane nisinno”ti. Yathā yathā kho, mārisa, devā ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti tathā tathā so yakkho abhirūpataro ceva hoti dassanīyataro ca pāsādikataro cāti. So hi nūna, mārisa, kodhabhakkho yakkho bhavissatī’ti.

Then Sakka went up to that spirit, arranged his robe over one shoulder, knelt on his right knee, raised his joined palms toward the anger-eating spirit, and pronounced his name three times: ‘Good fellow, I am Sakka, lord of gods! Good fellow, I am Sakka, the lord of gods!’ But the more Sakka pronounced his name, the uglier and more deformed the spirit became, until eventually it vanished right there.

Atha kho, bhikkhave, sakko devānamindo yena so kodhabhakkho yakkho tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā ekaṁsaṁ uttarāsaṅgaṁ karitvā dakkhiṇajāṇumaṇḍalaṁ pathaviyaṁ nihantvā yena so kodhabhakkho yakkho tenañjaliṁ paṇāmetvā tikkhattuṁ nāmaṁ sāveti: ‘sakkohaṁ, mārisa, devānamindo, sakkohaṁ, mārisa, devānamindo’ti. Yathā yathā kho, bhikkhave, sakko devānamindo nāmaṁ sāvesi tathā tathā so yakkho dubbaṇṇataro ceva ahosi okoṭimakataro ca. Dubbaṇṇataro ceva hutvā okoṭimakataro ca tatthevantaradhāyīti.

Then Sakka, lord of gods, guiding the gods of the thirty-three, spoke this verse:

Atha kho, bhikkhave, sakko devānamindo sake āsane nisīditvā deve tāvatiṁse anunayamāno tāyaṁ velāyaṁ imā gāthāyo abhāsi:

‘My mind isn’t easily upset;I’m not easily drawn into the maelstrom.I don’t get angry for long,anger doesn’t last in me.

‘Na sūpahatacittomhi,nāvattena suvānayo;Na vo cirāhaṁ kujjhāmi,kodho mayi nāvatiṭṭhati.

When I do get angry I don’t speak harshly,nor do I advertise my own virtues.I carefully restrain myselfout of regard for my own welfare.’”

Kuddhāhaṁ na pharusaṁ brūmi,Na ca dhammāni kittaye;Sanniggaṇhāmi attānaṁ,Sampassaṁ atthamattano’”ti.

SN 11.23 · The Sambari Sorcery

SN 11.23 · Sambarimāyāsutta

At Sāvatthī.

Sāvatthiyaṁ …pe…

The Buddha said this:

bhagavā etadavoca:

“Once upon a time, mendicants, Vepacitti, lord of titans, was sick, suffering, gravely ill. So Sakka went to see him to ask after his illness.

“bhūtapubbaṁ, bhikkhave, vepacitti asurindo ābādhiko ahosi dukkhito bāḷhagilāno. Atha kho, bhikkhave, sakko devānamindo yena vepacitti asurindo tenupasaṅkami gilānapucchako.

Vepacitti saw Sakka coming off in the distance, and said to him, ‘Heal me, lord of gods!’

Addasā kho, bhikkhave, vepacitti asurindo sakkaṁ devānamindaṁ dūratova āgacchantaṁ. Disvāna sakkaṁ devānamindaṁ etadavoca: ‘tikiccha maṁ, devānamindā’ti.

‘Teach me, Vepacitti, the Sambari sorcery.’

‘Vācehi maṁ, vepacitti, sambarimāyan’ti.

‘I can’t do that, good fellow, until I have consulted with the titans.’

‘Na tāvāhaṁ vācemi, yāvāhaṁ, mārisa, asure paṭipucchāmī’ti.

Then Vepacitti, lord of titans, asked the titans, ‘Good fellows, may I teach the Sambari sorcery to Sakka, lord of gods?’

Atha kho, bhikkhave, vepacitti asurindo asure paṭipucchi: ‘vācemahaṁ, mārisā, sakkaṁ devānamindaṁ sambarimāyan’ti?

‘Do not, good fellow, teach the Sambari sorcery to Sakka!’

‘Mā kho tvaṁ, mārisa, vācesi sakkaṁ devānamindaṁ sambarimāyan’ti.

So Vepacitti addressed Sakka in verse:

Atha kho, bhikkhave, vepacitti asurindo sakkaṁ devānamindaṁ gāthāya ajjhabhāsi:

‘O Maghavā, O Sakka,king of gods, Sujā’s husband:a sorceror like Sambara fallsinto the terrible hell for a full century.’”

‘Māyāvī maghavā sakka,devarāja sujampati;Upeti nirayaṁ ghoraṁ,sambarova sataṁ saman’”ti.

SN 11.24 · Transgression

SN 11.24 · Accayasutta

At Sāvatthī.

Sāvatthiyaṁ …pe… ārāme.

Now at that time two mendicants had clashed. One of them transgressed against the other. The transgressor confessed to the other mendicant, but they didn’t accept it. Then several mendicants went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and told him what had happened.

Tena kho pana samayena dve bhikkhū sampayojesuṁ. Tatreko bhikkhu accasarā. Atha kho so bhikkhu tassa bhikkhuno santike accayaṁ accayato deseti; so bhikkhu nappaṭiggaṇhāti. Atha kho sambahulā bhikkhū yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkamiṁsu; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdiṁsu. Ekamantaṁ nisinnā kho te bhikkhū bhagavantaṁ etadavocuṁ: “idha, bhante, dve bhikkhū sampayojesuṁ, tatreko bhikkhu accasarā. Atha kho so, bhante, bhikkhu tassa bhikkhuno santike accayaṁ accayato deseti, so bhikkhu nappaṭiggaṇhātī”ti.

“Mendicants, there are two fools. One who doesn’t recognize when they’ve made a mistake. And one who doesn’t properly accept the confession of someone who’s made a mistake. These are the two fools.

“Dveme, bhikkhave, bālā. Yo ca accayaṁ accayato na passati, yo ca accayaṁ desentassa yathādhammaṁ nappaṭiggaṇhāti— ime kho, bhikkhave, dve bālā.

There are two who are astute. One who recognizes when they’ve made a mistake. And one who properly accepts the confession of someone who’s made a mistake. These are the two who are astute.

Dveme, bhikkhave, paṇḍitā. Yo ca accayaṁ accayato passati, yo ca accayaṁ desentassa yathādhammaṁ paṭiggaṇhāti— ime kho, bhikkhave, dve paṇḍitā.

Once upon a time, mendicants, Sakka, lord of gods, guiding the gods of the thirty-three, spoke this verse:

Bhūtapubbaṁ, bhikkhave, sakko devānamindo sudhammāyaṁ sabhāyaṁ deve tāvatiṁse anunayamāno tāyaṁ velāyaṁ imaṁ gāthaṁ abhāsi:

‘Control your anger;don’t let friendships decay.Don’t blame the blameless,and don’t backbite.For anger crushes bad peoplelike a mountain.’”

‘Kodho vo vasamāyātu,Mā ca mittehi vo jarā;Agarahiyaṁ mā garahittha,Mā ca bhāsittha pesuṇaṁ;Atha pāpajanaṁ kodho,Pabbatovābhimaddatī’”ti.

SN 11.25 · Don’t Be Angry

SN 11.25 · Akkodhasutta

So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery.

Evaṁ me sutaṁ— ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme.

There the Buddha addressed the mendicants:

Tatra kho bhagavā bhikkhū …pe… bhagavā etadavoca:

“Once upon a time, mendicants, Sakka, lord of gods, guiding the gods of the thirty-three, spoke this verse:

“bhūtapubbaṁ, bhikkhave, sakko devānamindo sudhammāyaṁ sabhāyaṁ deve tāvatiṁse anunayamāno tāyaṁ velāyaṁ imaṁ gāthaṁ abhāsi:

‘Don’t let anger be your master,don’t get angry at angry people.Kindness and harmlessnessare always present in the noble ones.For anger crushes bad peoplelike a mountain.’”

‘Mā vo kodho ajjhabhavi,mā ca kujjhittha kujjhataṁ;Akkodho avihiṁsā ca,ariyesu ca paṭipadā;Atha pāpajanaṁ kodho,pabbatovābhimaddatī’”ti.

The Linked Discourses with Sakka are complete.

Sakkasaṁyuttaṁ samattaṁ.

The Book With Verses is finished.

Sagāthāvaggasaṁyuttapāḷi niṭṭhitā.