Sakka’s Heartfelt Saying · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral
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⚠ Glossing did not finish. The original text is shown below.
Evaṁ me sutaṁ— ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā rājagahe viharati veḷuvane kalandakanivāpe. Tena kho pana samayena āyasmā mahākassapo pippaliguhāyaṁ viharati, sattāhaṁ ekapallaṅkena nisinno hoti aññataraṁ samādhiṁ samāpajjitvā. Atha kho āyasmā mahākassapo tassa sattāhassa accayena tamhā samādhimhā vuṭṭhāsi. Atha kho āyasmato mahākassapassa tamhā samādhimhā vuṭṭhitassa etadahosi: “yannūnāhaṁ rājagahaṁ piṇḍāya paviseyyan”ti.
So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near Rājagaha in the Bamboo Grove, the squirrels’ feeding ground. Now at that time Venerable Mahākassapa was staying in the Pipphali cave. Having entered a certain state of immersion, he sat cross-legged for seven days without moving. When seven days had passed, Mahākassapa emerged from that state of immersion. It occurred to him, “Why not enter Rājagaha for almsfood?”
Tena kho pana samayena pañcamattāni devatāsatāni ussukkaṁ āpannāni honti āyasmato mahākassapassa piṇḍapātapaṭilābhāya. Atha kho āyasmā mahākassapo tāni pañcamattāni devatāsatāni paṭikkhipitvā pubbaṇhasamayaṁ nivāsetvā pattacīvaramādāya rājagahaṁ piṇḍāya pāvisi. Tena kho pana samayena sakko devānamindo āyasmato mahākassapassa piṇḍapātaṁ dātukāmo hoti.
Now at that time five hundred deities were ready and eager for the chance to offer alms to Mahākassapa. But Mahākasspa turned down those deities. In the morning, he robed up, took his bowl and robe, and entered Rājagaha for alms. Now at that time Sakka, lord of gods, wished to give alms to Mahākassapa.
Pesakāravaṇṇaṁ abhinimminitvā tantaṁ vināti. Sujā asurakaññā tasaraṁ pūreti. Atha kho āyasmā mahākassapo rājagahe sapadānaṁ piṇḍāya caramāno yena sakkassa devānamindassa nivesanaṁ tenupasaṅkami. Addasā kho sakko devānamindo āyasmantaṁ mahākassapaṁ dūratova āgacchantaṁ. Disvāna gharā nikkhamitvā paccuggantvā hatthato pattaṁ gahetvā gharaṁ pavisitvā ghaṭiyā odanaṁ uddharitvā pattaṁ pūretvā āyasmato mahākassapassa adāsi. So ahosi piṇḍapāto anekasūpo anekabyañjano anekarasabyañjano. Atha kho āyasmato mahākassapassa etadahosi: “ko nu kho ayaṁ satto yassāyaṁ evarūpo iddhānubhāvo”ti? Atha kho āyasmato mahākassapassa etadahosi: “sakko kho ayaṁ devānamindo”ti. Iti viditvā sakkaṁ devānamindaṁ etadavoca: “kataṁ kho te idaṁ, kosiya; mā punapi evarūpamakāsī”ti. “Amhākampi, bhante kassapa, puññena attho; amhākampi puññena karaṇīyan”ti.
Having manifested in the appearance of an embroiderer, he wove the thread. The titan maiden Sujā spun it onto the spindle. Then, as Mahākassapa wandered indiscriminately for almsfood in Rājagaha, he approached Sakka’s house. Seeing Mahākassapa coming off in the distance, Sakka came out of his house, greeted him, and took the bowl from his hand. He re-entered the house and filled the bowl with rice from the pot. That almsfood had many tasty soups and sauces. Then it occurred to Mahākassapa, “Now, what being is this who has such psychic power?” It occurred to him, “This is Sakka, lord of gods.” Knowing this, he said to Sakka, “This is your doing, Kosiya; don’t do such a thing again.” “But Honorable Kassapa, we too need merit! We too ought to make merit.”
Atha kho sakko devānamindo āyasmantaṁ mahākassapaṁ abhivādetvā padakkhiṇaṁ katvā vehāsaṁ abbhuggantvā ākāse antalikkhe tikkhattuṁ udānaṁ udānesi: “aho dānaṁ paramadānaṁ kassape suppatiṭṭhitaṁ. Aho dānaṁ paramadānaṁ kassape suppatiṭṭhitaṁ. Aho dānaṁ paramadānaṁ kassape suppatiṭṭhitan”ti. Assosi kho bhagavā dibbāya sotadhātuyā visuddhāya atikkantamānusikāya sakkassa devānamindassa vehāsaṁ abbhuggantvā ākāse antalikkhe tikkhattuṁ udānaṁ udānentassa: “aho dānaṁ paramadānaṁ kassape suppatiṭṭhitaṁ. Aho dānaṁ paramadānaṁ kassape suppatiṭṭhitaṁ. Aho dānaṁ paramadānaṁ kassape suppatiṭṭhitan”ti.
Then Sakka bowed and respectfully circled Mahākassapa, keeping him on his right. Then he rose into the air and, sitting cross-legged in midair, expressed this heartfelt sentiment three times: “Oh the gift, the best gift is well established in Kassapa! Oh the gift, the best gift is well established in Kassapa! Oh the gift, the best gift is well established in Kassapa!” With clairaudience that is purified and superhuman, the Buddha heard Sakka express this heartfelt sentiment while sitting in the sky.
Atha kho bhagavā etamatthaṁ viditvā tāyaṁ velāyaṁ imaṁ udānaṁ udānesi:
Then, understanding this matter, on that occasion the Buddha expressed this heartfelt sentiment:
“Piṇḍapātikassa bhikkhuno, Attabharassa anaññaposino; Devā pihayanti tādino, Upasantassa sadā satīmato”ti. Sattamaṁ.
“A mendicant who relies on alms, self-supported, providing for no other; the unaffected one is envied by even the gods, calm and ever mindful.”
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