Bālapaṇḍitasutta

Majjhima Nikāya 129

The Foolish and the Astute · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral

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Ye kho pana, bhikkhave, puratthimāya disāya paṭirājāno te rañño cakkavattissa anuyantā bhavanti.
Atha kho taṁ, bhikkhave, cakkaratanaṁ puratthimaṁ samuddaṁ ajjhogāhetvā paccuttaritvā dakkhiṇaṁ disaṁ pavattati …pe…
dakkhiṇaṁ samuddaṁ ajjhogāhetvā paccuttaritvā pacchimaṁ disaṁ pavattati …pe…
pacchimaṁ samuddaṁ ajjhogāhetvā paccuttaritvā uttaraṁ disaṁ pavattati anvadeva rājā cakkavattī saddhiṁ caturaṅginiyā senāya. Yasmiṁ kho pana, bhikkhave, padese cakkaratanaṁ patiṭṭhāti tattha rājā cakkavattī vāsaṁ upeti saddhiṁ caturaṅginiyā senāya.
Ye kho pana, bhikkhave, uttarāya disāya paṭirājāno te rājānaṁ cakkavattiṁ upasaṅkamitvā evamāhaṁsu:
‘ehi kho, mahārāja. Svāgataṁ te, mahārāja. Sakaṁ te, mahārāja. Anusāsa, mahārājā’ti.
Rājā cakkavattī evamāha:

And so the opposing rulers of the eastern quarter become his vassals. Then the wheel-treasure, having plunged into the eastern ocean and emerged again, rolls toward the south. … Having plunged into the southern ocean and emerged again, it rolls toward the west. … Having plunged into the western ocean and emerged again, it rolls toward the north, followed by the king together with his army of four divisions. In whatever place the wheel-treasure stands still, there the king comes to stay together with his army. And any opposing rulers of the northern quarter come to the wheel-turning monarch and say, ‘Come, Great King! Welcome, Great King! We are yours, Great King, instruct us.’ The wheel-turning monarch says,

‘pāṇo na hantabbo, adinnaṁ nādātabbaṁ, kāmesumicchā na caritabbā, musā na bhāsitabbā, majjaṁ na pātabbaṁ; yathābhuttañca bhuñjathā’ti.
Ye kho pana, bhikkhave, uttarāya disāya paṭirājāno te rañño cakkavattissa anuyantā bhavanti.
Atha kho taṁ, bhikkhave, cakkaratanaṁ samuddapariyantaṁ pathaviṁ abhivijinitvā tameva rājadhāniṁ paccāgantvā rañño cakkavattissa antepuradvāre akkhāhataṁ maññe tiṭṭhati rañño cakkavattissa antepuradvāraṁ upasobhayamānaṁ.
Rañño, bhikkhave, cakkavattissa evarūpaṁ cakkaratanaṁ pātubhavati.

‘Do not kill living creatures. Do not steal. Do not commit sexual misconduct. Do not lie. Do not drink liquor. Maintain the current level of taxation.’ And so the opposing rulers of the eastern quarter become his vassals. And then the wheel-treasure, having triumphed over this land surrounded by ocean, returns to the royal capital. There it stands still at the gate to the royal compound as if fixed to an axle, illuminating the royal compound. Such is the wheel-treasure that appears to the wheel-turning monarch.

Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, rañño cakkavattissa hatthiratanaṁ pātubhavati—
sabbaseto sattappatiṭṭho iddhimā vehāsaṅgamo uposatho nāma nāgarājā.
Taṁ disvāna rañño cakkavattissa cittaṁ pasīdati:
‘bhaddakaṁ vata bho hatthiyānaṁ, sace damathaṁ upeyyā’ti.
Atha kho taṁ, bhikkhave, hatthiratanaṁ seyyathāpi nāma bhaddo hatthājānīyo dīgharattaṁ suparidanto evameva damathaṁ upeti.
Bhūtapubbaṁ, bhikkhave, rājā cakkavattī tameva hatthiratanaṁ vīmaṁsamāno pubbaṇhasamayaṁ abhiruhitvā samuddapariyantaṁ pathaviṁ anusaṁyāyitvā tameva rājadhāniṁ paccāgantvā pātarāsamakāsi.
Rañño, bhikkhave, cakkavattissa evarūpaṁ hatthiratanaṁ pātubhavati.

Next, the elephant-treasure appears to the wheel-turning monarch. It was an all-white sky-walker with psychic power, touching the ground in seven places, a king of elephants named Sabbath. Seeing him, the king was impressed, ‘This would truly be a fine elephant vehicle, if he would submit to taming.’ Then the elephant-treasure submitted to taming, as if he were a fine thoroughbred elephant that had been tamed for a long time. Once it so happened that the wheel-turning monarch, testing that same elephant-treasure, mounted him in the morning and traversed the land surrounded by ocean before returning to the royal capital in time for breakfast. Such is the elephant-treasure that appears to the wheel-turning monarch.

Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, rañño cakkavattissa assaratanaṁ pātubhavati—
sabbaseto kāḷasīso muñjakeso iddhimā vehāsaṅgamo valāhako nāma assarājā.
Taṁ disvāna rañño cakkavattissa cittaṁ pasīdati:
‘bhaddakaṁ vata bho assayānaṁ, sace damathaṁ upeyyā’ti.
Atha kho taṁ, bhikkhave, assaratanaṁ seyyathāpi nāma bhaddo assājānīyo dīgharattaṁ suparidanto evameva damathaṁ upeti.
Bhūtapubbaṁ, bhikkhave, rājā cakkavattī tameva assaratanaṁ vīmaṁsamāno pubbaṇhasamayaṁ abhiruhitvā samuddapariyantaṁ pathaviṁ anusaṁyāyitvā tameva rājadhāniṁ paccāgantvā pātarāsamakāsi.
Rañño, bhikkhave, cakkavattissa evarūpaṁ assaratanaṁ pātubhavati.

Next, the horse-treasure appears to the wheel-turning monarch. It was an all-white sky-walker with psychic power, with head of black and mane like woven reeds, a royal steed named Thundercloud. Seeing him, the king was impressed, ‘This would truly be a fine horse vehicle, if he would submit to taming.’ Then the horse-treasure submitted to taming, as if he were a fine thoroughbred horse that had been tamed for a long time. Once it so happened that the wheel-turning monarch, testing that same horse-treasure, mounted him in the morning and traversed the land surrounded by ocean before returning to the royal capital in time for breakfast. Such is the horse-treasure that appears to the wheel-turning monarch.

Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, rañño cakkavattissa maṇiratanaṁ pātubhavati.
So hoti maṇi veḷuriyo subho jātimā aṭṭhaṁso suparikammakato.
Tassa kho pana, bhikkhave, maṇiratanassa ābhā samantā yojanaṁ phuṭā hoti.
Bhūtapubbaṁ, bhikkhave, rājā cakkavattī tameva maṇiratanaṁ vīmaṁsamāno caturaṅginiṁ senaṁ sannayhitvā maṇiṁ dhajaggaṁ āropetvā rattandhakāratimisāya pāyāsi.
Ye kho pana, bhikkhave, samantā gāmā ahesuṁ te tenobhāsena kammante payojesuṁ ‘divā’ti maññamānā.
Rañño, bhikkhave, cakkavattissa evarūpaṁ maṇiratanaṁ pātubhavati.

Next, the jewel-treasure appears to the wheel-turning monarch. It is a beryl gem that’s naturally lustrous, eight-faceted, well-worked. And the radiance of that jewel spreads all-round for a league. Once it so happened that the wheel-turning monarch, testing that same jewel-treasure, mobilized his army of four divisions and, with the jewel hoisted on his banner, set out in the dark of the night. Then the villagers around them set off to work, thinking that it was day. Such is the jewel-treasure that appears to the wheel-turning monarch.

Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, rañño cakkavattissa itthiratanaṁ pātubhavati.
Sā abhirūpā dassanīyā pāsādikā paramāya vaṇṇapokkharatāya samannāgatā nātidīghā nātirassā nātikisā nātithūlā nātikāḷikā nāccodātā, atikkantā mānusaṁ vaṇṇaṁ, appattā dibbaṁ vaṇṇaṁ.
Tassa kho pana, bhikkhave, itthiratanassa evarūpo kāyasamphasso hoti, seyyathāpi nāma tūlapicuno vā kappāsapicuno vā.
Tassa kho pana, bhikkhave, itthiratanassa sīte uṇhāni gattāni honti, uṇhe sītāni gattāni honti.
Tassa kho pana, bhikkhave, itthiratanassa kāyato candanagandho vāyati, mukhato uppalagandho vāyati.
Taṁ kho pana, bhikkhave, itthiratanaṁ rañño cakkavattissa pubbuṭṭhāyinī hoti pacchānipātinī kiṅkārapaṭissāvinī manāpacārinī piyavādinī.
Taṁ kho pana, bhikkhave, itthiratanaṁ rājānaṁ cakkavattiṁ manasāpi no aticarati, kuto pana kāyena?
Rañño, bhikkhave, cakkavattissa evarūpaṁ itthiratanaṁ pātubhavati.

Next, the woman-treasure appears to the wheel-turning monarch. She is attractive, good-looking, lovely, of surpassing beauty. She’s neither too tall nor too short; neither too thin nor too fat; neither too dark nor too light. She outdoes human beauty without reaching heavenly beauty. And her touch is like a tuft of cotton-wool or kapok. When it’s cool her limbs are warm, and when it’s warm her limbs are cool. The fragrance of sandal floats from her body, and lotus from her mouth. She gets up before the king and goes to bed after him, and is obliging, behaving nicely and speaking politely. The woman-treasure does not betray the wheel-turning monarch even in thought, still less in deed. Such is the woman-treasure who appears to the wheel-turning monarch.

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