Kaṇṇakatthalasutta

Majjhima Nikāya 90

At Kaṇṇakatthala · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral

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“Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, senāpati,
pahoti rājā pasenadi kosalo deve tāvatiṁse tamhā ṭhānā cāvetuṁ vā pabbājetuṁ vā”ti?
“Dassanampi, bho, rājā pasenadi kosalo deve tāvatiṁse nappahoti, kuto pana tamhā ṭhānā cāvessati vā pabbājessati vā”ti?
“Evameva kho, senāpati, ye te devā sabyābajjhā āgantāro itthattaṁ te devā, ye te devā abyābajjhā anāgantāro itthattaṁ te deve dassanāyapi nappahonti; kuto pana tamhā ṭhānā cāvessanti vā pabbājessanti vā”ti?

“What do you think, general? Can King Pasenadi topple or expel from their place the gods of the thirty-three?” “King Pasenadi can’t even see the gods of the thirty-three, so how could he possibly topple or expel them from their place?” “In the same way, general, the gods who are afflicted can’t even see the gods who are unafflicted, so how could they possibly topple or expel them from their place?”

Atha kho rājā pasenadi kosalo bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:
“konāmo ayaṁ, bhante, bhikkhū”ti?
“Ānando nāma, mahārājā”ti.
“Ānando vata bho, ānandarūpo vata bho.
Heturūpaṁ, bhante, āyasmā ānando āha; saheturūpaṁ, bhante, āyasmā ānando āha.
Kiṁ pana, bhante, atthi brahmā”ti?
“Kiṁ pana tvaṁ, mahārāja, evaṁ vadesi:
‘kiṁ pana, bhante, atthi brahmā’”ti?
“Yadi vā so, bhante, brahmā āgantā itthattaṁ, yadi vā anāgantā itthattan”ti?
“Yo so, mahārāja, brahmā sabyābajjho so brahmā āgantā itthattaṁ, yo so brahmā abyābajjho so brahmā anāgantā itthattan”ti.

Then the king said to the Buddha, “Sir, what is this mendicant’s name?” “Ānanda, Great King.” “A joy he is, and a joy he seems! What Venerable Ānanda says seems reasonable. But sir, does a divinity survive?” “But what exactly are you asking?” “Whether that divinity comes back to this place or not.” “A divinity who is afflicted comes back to this place, but one who is unafflicted does not come back.”

Atha kho aññataro puriso rājānaṁ pasenadiṁ kosalaṁ etadavoca:
“sañjayo, mahārāja, brāhmaṇo ākāsagotto āgato”ti.
Atha kho rājā pasenadi kosalo sañjayaṁ brāhmaṇaṁ ākāsagottaṁ etadavoca:
“ko nu kho, brāhmaṇa, imaṁ kathāvatthuṁ rājantepure abbhudāhāsī”ti?
“Viṭaṭūbho, mahārāja, senāpatī”ti.
Viṭaṭūbho senāpati evamāha:
“sañjayo, mahārāja, brāhmaṇo ākāsagotto”ti.

Then a certain man said to the king, “Great king, Sañjaya, the brahmin of the Ākāsa clan, has come.” Then King Pasenadi asked Sañjaya, “Brahmin, who introduced this topic of discussion to the royal compound?” “It was General Viḍūḍabha, Great King.” But Viḍūḍabha said, “It was Sañjaya, Great King, the brahmin of the Ākāsa clan.”

Atha kho aññataro puriso rājānaṁ pasenadiṁ kosalaṁ etadavoca:
“yānakālo, mahārājā”ti.
Atha kho rājā pasenadi kosalo bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:
“sabbaññutaṁ mayaṁ, bhante, bhagavantaṁ apucchimhā, sabbaññutaṁ bhagavā byākāsi;
tañca panamhākaṁ ruccati ceva khamati ca, tena camhā attamanā.
Cātuvaṇṇisuddhiṁ mayaṁ, bhante, bhagavantaṁ apucchimhā, cātuvaṇṇisuddhiṁ bhagavā byākāsi;
tañca panamhākaṁ ruccati ceva khamati ca, tena camhā attamanā.
Adhideve mayaṁ, bhante, bhagavantaṁ apucchimhā, adhideve bhagavā byākāsi;
tañca panamhākaṁ ruccati ceva khamati ca, tena camhā attamanā.
Adhibrahmānaṁ mayaṁ, bhante, bhagavantaṁ apucchimhā, adhibrahmānaṁ bhagavā byākāsi;
tañca panamhākaṁ ruccati ceva khamati ca, tena camhā attamanā.
Yaṁ yadeva ca mayaṁ bhagavantaṁ apucchimhā taṁ tadeva bhagavā byākāsi;

Then a certain man said to the king, “It’s time to go, Great King.” So the king said to the Buddha, “Sir, I asked you about omniscience, and you answered. I endorse and accept this, and am satisfied with it. I asked you about purification in the four classes, about the gods, and about divinities, and you answered in each case. Whatever I asked the Buddha about, he answered.

tañca panamhākaṁ ruccati ceva khamati ca, tena camhā attamanā.
Handa ca dāni mayaṁ, bhante, gacchāma;
bahukiccā mayaṁ bahukaraṇīyā”ti.
“Yassadāni tvaṁ, mahārāja, kālaṁ maññasī”ti.

I endorse and accept this, and am satisfied with it. Well, now, sir, I must go. I have many duties, and much to do.” “Please, Great King, go at your convenience.”

Atha kho rājā pasenadi kosalo bhagavato bhāsitaṁ abhinanditvā anumoditvā uṭṭhāyāsanā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā padakkhiṇaṁ katvā pakkāmīti.
Kaṇṇakatthalasuttaṁ niṭṭhitaṁ dasamaṁ.
Rājavaggo niṭṭhito catuttho.

Then King Pasenadi approved and agreed with what the Buddha said. Then he got up from his seat, bowed and respectfully circled the Buddha, keeping him on his right, before leaving.

Tassuddānaṁ
Ghaṭikāro raṭṭhapālo,
maghadevo madhuriyaṁ;
Bodhi aṅgulimālo ca,
piyajātaṁ bāhitikaṁ;
Dhammacetiyasuttañca,
dasamaṁ kaṇṇakatthalaṁ.

Its summary: Ghaṭikāra, Raṭṭhapāla, Maghadeva, Madhura; Bodhi and Aṅgulimāla, Piyajāta, Bāhitika; and the Dhammacetiya Sutta, tenth is Kaṇṇakatthala.

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