Maghadevasutta

Majjhima Nikāya 83

About King Maghadeva · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral

Parallels & more translations on SuttaCentral

Glosses: Fluent · Literal · Off
Translation: Hide · Show

Tap any word for its dictionary entry.

Addasā kho, ānanda, kappako bahūnaṁ vassānaṁ bahūnaṁ vassasatānaṁ bahūnaṁ vassasahassānaṁ accayena nimissa rañño sirasmiṁ palitāni jātāni.
Disvāna nimiṁ rājānaṁ 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 nimissa rañño paṭissutvā tāni palitāni sādhukaṁ saṇḍāsena uddharitvā nimissa rañño añjalismiṁ patiṭṭhāpesi.
Atha kho, ānanda, nimi rājā 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.

Then, Ānanda, after the passing of many years, many centuries, many millennia, the barber saw that grey hairs had arisen on the head of King Nimi. Having seen them, he said to King Nimi: “The divine messengers have appeared to the lord; grey hairs are seen to have arisen on his head.” “Then, friend barber, having carefully pulled out those grey hairs with tweezers, place them in my joined hands.” Saying, “Yes, lord,” Ānanda, the barber, having consented to King Nimi, carefully pulled out those grey hairs with tweezers and placed them in King Nimi's joined hands. Then, Ānanda, King Nimi, having given the barber a choice village, summoned his eldest son, the prince, and said this: “The divine messengers have appeared to me, dear prince; grey hairs are seen to have arisen on my head. Human pleasures have indeed been enjoyed by me; it is time to seek heavenly pleasures. Come, dear prince, undertake this kingship.

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.
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.

But I, having removed hair and beard, having put on ochre robes, will go forth from home into homelessness. Therefore, dear prince, when you too see grey hairs arisen on your head, then, having given a choice village to the barber, having thoroughly instructed the eldest son, the prince, in the kingdom, having removed hair and beard, having put on ochre robes, you should go forth from home into homelessness. By which you should carry on this good practice laid down by me, do not, indeed, become the last man of me. In whichever generation of men, dear prince, when there is a cutting off of such a good practice, he is the last man of them. Thus, dear prince, I say to you this: ‘By which you should carry on this good practice laid down by me, do not, indeed, become the last man of me.’

Atha kho, ānanda, nimi rājā 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 Nimi, having given a choice village to the barber, having thoroughly instructed the eldest son, the prince, in kingship, in this very Maghadeva mango grove, having removed his hair and beard, having put on ochre robes, went forth from the home life into homelessness. He dwelled having pervaded one direction with a mind accompanied by loving-kindness, likewise a second, likewise a third, likewise a fourth; thus above, below, across, everywhere, with entireness, he dwelled having pervaded the whole world with a mind accompanied by loving-kindness, abundant, exalted, immeasurable, without hatred, without ill will. With a mind accompanied by compassion … with a mind accompanied by sympathetic joy … He dwelled having pervaded one direction with a mind accompanied by equanimity, likewise a second, likewise a third, likewise a fourth; thus above, below, across, everywhere, with entireness, he dwelled having pervaded the whole world with a mind accompanied by equanimity, abundant, exalted, immeasurable, without hatred, without ill will.

Nimi kho panānanda, rājā 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, King Nimi was reborn in a good place, a realm of divinity.

Nimissa kho panānanda, rañño kaḷārajanako nāma putto ahosi.
Na so agārasmā anagāriyaṁ pabbaji.
So taṁ kalyāṇaṁ vattaṁ samucchindi.
So tesaṁ antimapuriso ahosi.

But King Nimi had a son named Kaḷāra Janaka. He didn’t go forth from the lay life to homelessness. He broke that good practice. He was their final man.

Siyā kho pana te, ānanda, evamassa:
‘añño nūna tena samayena rājā maghadevo ahosi, yena taṁ kalyāṇaṁ vattaṁ nihitan’ti.
Na kho panetaṁ, ānanda, evaṁ daṭṭhabbaṁ.
Ahaṁ tena samayena rājā maghadevo ahosiṁ.
Ahaṁ taṁ kalyāṇaṁ vattaṁ nihiniṁ, mayā taṁ kalyāṇaṁ vattaṁ nihitaṁ;
pacchimā janatā anuppavattesi.
Taṁ kho panānanda, kalyāṇaṁ vattaṁ na nibbidāya na virāgāya na nirodhāya na upasamāya na abhiññāya na sambodhāya na nibbānāya saṁvattati, yāvadeva brahmalokūpapattiyā.
Idaṁ kho panānanda, etarahi mayā kalyāṇaṁ vattaṁ nihitaṁ ekantanibbidāya virāgāya nirodhāya upasamāya abhiññāya sambodhāya nibbānāya saṁvattati.
Katamañcānanda, etarahi mayā kalyāṇaṁ vattaṁ nihitaṁ ekantanibbidāya virāgāya nirodhāya upasamāya abhiññāya sambodhāya nibbānāya saṁvattati?
Ayameva ariyo aṭṭhaṅgiko maggo, seyyathidaṁ—

Ānanda, you might think, ‘Surely King Maghadeva, by whom that good practice was founded, must have been someone else at that time?’ But you should not see it like this. I myself was King Maghadeva at that time. I was the one who founded that good practice, which was kept up by those who came after. But that good practice doesn’t lead to disillusionment, dispassion, cessation, peace, insight, awakening, and extinguishment. It only leads as far as rebirth in the realm of divinity. But now I have founded a good practice that does lead to disillusionment, dispassion, cessation, peace, insight, awakening, and extinguishment. And what is that good practice? It is simply this noble eightfold path, that is:

sammādiṭṭhi, sammāsaṅkappo, sammāvācā, sammākammanto, sammāājīvo, sammāvāyāmo, sammāsati, sammāsamādhi.
Idaṁ kho, ānanda, etarahi mayā kalyāṇaṁ vattaṁ nihitaṁ ekantanibbidāya virāgāya nirodhāya upasamāya abhiññāya sambodhāya nibbānāya saṁvattati.
Taṁ vo ahaṁ, ānanda, evaṁ vadāmi:
‘yena me idaṁ kalyāṇaṁ vattaṁ nihitaṁ anuppavatteyyātha, mā kho me tumhe antimapurisā ahuvattha’.
Yasmiṁ kho, ānanda, purisayuge vattamāne evarūpassa kalyāṇassa vattassa samucchedo hoti so tesaṁ antimapuriso hoti.
Taṁ vo ahaṁ, ānanda, evaṁ vadāmi:
‘yena me idaṁ kalyāṇaṁ vattaṁ nihitaṁ anuppavatteyyātha, mā kho me tumhe antimapurisā ahuvatthā’”ti.
Idamavoca bhagavā.
Attamano āyasmā ānando bhagavato bhāsitaṁ abhinandīti.
Maghadevasuttaṁ niṭṭhitaṁ tatiyaṁ.

right view, right purpose, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right immersion. This is the good practice I have now founded that leads to disillusionment, dispassion, cessation, peace, insight, awakening, and extinguishment. Ānanda, I say to you: ‘You all should keep up this good practice that I have founded. Do not be my final men.’ When a pair of men are living, the one who breaks such good practice is their final man. Ānanda, I say to you: ‘You all should keep up this good practice that I have founded. Do not be my final men.’” That is what the Buddha said. Satisfied, Venerable Ānanda approved what the Buddha said.

Lite mode — plain HTML for e-readers and old browsers. Full version