Maghadevasutta

Majjhima Nikāya 83

About King Maghadeva · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral

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Atha kho rañño, ānanda, maghadevassa putto bahūnaṁ vassānaṁ bahūnaṁ vassasatānaṁ bahūnaṁ vassasahassānaṁ accayena kappakaṁ āmantesi:
‘yadā me, samma kappaka, passeyyāsi sirasmiṁ palitāni jātāni, atha kho āroceyyāsī’ti.
‘Evaṁ, devā’ti kho, ānanda, kappako rañño maghadevassa puttassa paccassosi.
Addasā kho, ānanda, kappako bahūnaṁ vassānaṁ bahūnaṁ vassasatānaṁ bahūnaṁ vassasahassānaṁ accayena rañño maghadevassa puttassa sirasmiṁ palitāni jātāni.
Disvāna rañño maghadevassa puttaṁ etadavoca:
‘pātubhūtā kho devassa devadūtā;
dissanti sirasmiṁ palitāni jātānī’ti.
‘Tena hi, samma kappaka, tāni palitāni sādhukaṁ saṇḍāsena uddharitvā mama añjalismiṁ patiṭṭhāpehī’ti.
‘Evaṁ, devā’ti kho, ānanda, kappako rañño maghadevassa puttassa paṭissutvā tāni palitāni sādhukaṁ saṇḍāsena uddharitvā rañño maghadevassa puttassa añjalismiṁ patiṭṭhāpesi.

Then, after many years, many hundred years, many thousand years had passed, King Maghadeva’s son addressed his barber, ‘My dear barber, when you see grey hairs growing on my head, please tell me.’ And all unfolded as in the case of his father.

Atha kho, ānanda, rañño maghadevassa putto kappakassa gāmavaraṁ datvā jeṭṭhaputtaṁ kumāraṁ āmantāpetvā etadavoca:
‘pātubhūtā kho me, tāta kumāra, devadūtā;
dissanti sirasmiṁ palitāni jātāni;
bhuttā kho pana me mānusakā kāmā;
samayo dibbe kāme pariyesituṁ.
Ehi tvaṁ, tāta kumāra, imaṁ rajjaṁ paṭipajja.
Ahaṁ pana kesamassuṁ ohāretvā kāsāyāni vatthāni acchādetvā agārasmā anagāriyaṁ pabbajissāmi.
Tena hi, tāta kumāra, yadā tvampi passeyyāsi sirasmiṁ palitāni jātāni, atha kappakassa gāmavaraṁ datvā jeṭṭhaputtaṁ kumāraṁ sādhukaṁ rajje samanusāsitvā kesamassuṁ ohāretvā kāsāyāni vatthāni acchādetvā agārasmā anagāriyaṁ pabbajeyyāsi.
Yena me idaṁ kalyāṇaṁ vattaṁ nihitaṁ anuppavatteyyāsi, mā kho me tvaṁ antimapuriso ahosi.

Then, Ānanda, King Maghadeva's son, having given a choice village to the barber and having summoned his eldest son, the prince, said this: 'Divine messengers have appeared to me, dear prince; grey hairs are seen born on my head. Human pleasures have been enjoyed by me; it is time to seek divine pleasures. Come, dear prince, undertake this kingdom. But I, having cut off my hair and beard, having put on ochre robes, will go forth from home into homelessness. Therefore, dear prince, when you too would see grey hairs born on your head, then, having given a choice village to the barber and having well instructed your eldest son, the prince, in the kingdom, having cut off your hair and beard, having put on ochre robes, you would go forth from home into homelessness. By which you would continue this good practice laid down by me — do not, indeed, be the last man.'

Yasmiṁ kho, tāta kumāra, purisayuge vattamāne evarūpassa kalyāṇassa vattassa samucchedo hoti so tesaṁ antimapuriso hoti.
Taṁ tāhaṁ, tāta kumāra, evaṁ vadāmi—
yena me idaṁ kalyāṇaṁ vattaṁ nihitaṁ anuppavatteyyāsi, mā kho me tvaṁ antimapuriso ahosī’ti.

In whichever generation of men, dear prince, the cutting off of such a good practice occurs, he is the last man of those. Therefore, dear prince, I say this: that by which this good practice has been deposited by me, you should carry it on; do not, indeed, be the last man after me.

Atha kho, ānanda, rañño maghadevassa putto kappakassa gāmavaraṁ datvā jeṭṭhaputtaṁ kumāraṁ sādhukaṁ rajje samanusāsitvā imasmiṁyeva maghadevaambavane kesamassuṁ ohāretvā kāsāyāni vatthāni acchādetvā agārasmā anagāriyaṁ pabbaji.
So mettāsahagatena cetasā ekaṁ disaṁ pharitvā vihāsi, tathā dutiyaṁ, tathā tatiyaṁ, tathā catutthaṁ; iti uddhamadho tiriyaṁ sabbadhi sabbattatāya sabbāvantaṁ lokaṁ mettāsahagatena cetasā vipulena mahaggatena appamāṇena averena abyābajjhena pharitvā vihāsi.
Karuṇāsahagatena cetasā …
muditāsahagatena cetasā …
upekkhāsahagatena cetasā ekaṁ disaṁ pharitvā vihāsi, tathā dutiyaṁ, tathā tatiyaṁ, tathā catutthaṁ; iti uddhamadho tiriyaṁ sabbadhi sabbattatāya sabbāvantaṁ lokaṁ upekkhāsahagatena cetasā vipulena mahaggatena appamāṇena averena abyābajjhena pharitvā vihāsi.

Then, Ānanda, King Maghadeva’s son, having given a boon of a village to the barber and having thoroughly instructed his eldest son, the prince, in kingship, in this very Maghadeva mango grove, having had his hair and beard removed and having put on ochre robes, went forth from home into homelessness. He dwelt pervading one direction with a mind accompanied by loving-kindness, so a second, so a third, so a fourth; thus above, below, across, everywhere, as to all states, he dwelt pervading the entire world with a mind accompanied by loving-kindness, vast, exalted, immeasurable, without enmity, without ill will. He dwelt pervading one direction with a mind accompanied by compassion … with a mind accompanied by sympathetic joy … with a mind accompanied by equanimity, so a second, so a third, so a fourth; thus above, below, across, everywhere, as to all states, he dwelt pervading the entire world with a mind accompanied by equanimity, vast, exalted, immeasurable, without enmity, without ill will.

Rañño kho panānanda, maghadevassa putto caturāsītivassasahassāni kumārakīḷitaṁ kīḷi, caturāsītivassasahassāni oparajjaṁ kāresi, caturāsītivassasahassāni rajjaṁ kāresi, caturāsītivassasahassāni imasmiṁyeva maghadevaambavane agārasmā anagāriyaṁ pabbajito brahmacariyamacari.
So cattāro brahmavihāre bhāvetvā kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā brahmalokūpago ahosi.

And having developed the four divine meditations, when his body broke up, after death, Maghadeva’s son was reborn in a good place, a realm of divinity.

Rañño kho panānanda, maghadevassa puttapaputtakā tassa paramparā caturāsītirājasahassāni imasmiṁyeva maghadevaambavane kesamassuṁ ohāretvā kāsāyāni vatthāni acchādetvā agārasmā anagāriyaṁ pabbajiṁsu.
Te mettāsahagatena cetasā ekaṁ disaṁ pharitvā vihariṁsu, tathā dutiyaṁ, tathā tatiyaṁ, tathā catutthaṁ; iti uddhamadho tiriyaṁ sabbadhi sabbattatāya sabbāvantaṁ lokaṁ mettāsahagatena cetasā vipulena mahaggatena appamāṇena averena abyābajjhena pharitvā vihariṁsu.

And a lineage of 84,000 kings, sons of sons of King Maghadeva, shaved off their hair and beard, dressed in ocher robes, and went forth from the lay life to homelessness here in this mango grove. They meditated spreading a heart full of love …

Karuṇāsahagatena cetasā …
muditāsahagatena cetasā …
upekkhāsahagatena cetasā ekaṁ disaṁ pharitvā vihariṁsu, tathā dutiyaṁ, tathā tatiyaṁ, tathā catutthaṁ; iti uddhamadho tiriyaṁ sabbadhi sabbattatāya sabbāvantaṁ lokaṁ upekkhāsahagatena cetasā vipulena mahaggatena appamāṇena averena abyābajjhena pharitvā vihariṁsu.
Caturāsītivassasahassāni kumārakīḷitaṁ kīḷiṁsu, caturāsītivassasahassāni oparajjaṁ kāresuṁ, caturāsītivassasahassāni rajjaṁ kāresuṁ, caturāsītivassasahassāni imasmiṁyeva maghadevaambavane agārasmā anagāriyaṁ pabbajitā brahmacariyamacariṁsu.
Te cattāro brahmavihāre bhāvetvā kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā brahmalokūpagā ahesuṁ.

compassion … rejoicing … equanimity to one direction, and to the second, and to the third, and to the fourth. In the same way above, below, across, everywhere, all around, they spread a heart full of equanimity to the whole world—abundant, expansive, limitless, free of enmity and ill will. For 84,000 years they played games as a child, for 84,000 years they acted as viceroy, for 84,000 years they ruled the realm, and for 84,000 years they led the spiritual life after going forth here in this mango grove. And having developed the four divine meditations, when their bodies broke up, after death, they were reborn in a good place, a realm of divinity.

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