AN 3 The Book of the Threes – Tikanipāta > AN 3.38 The Four Great Kings (2nd)

Numbered Discourses 3.38 – Aṅguttara Nikāya 3.38

4. Messengers of the Gods – 4. Devadūtavagga

AN 3.38 The Four Great Kings (2nd) – Dutiyacatumahārājasutta

1.1

“Once upon a time, bhikkhū, Sakka, lord of gods, guiding the gods of the Thirty-Three, recited this verse:

“Bhūtapubbaṁ, bhikkhave, sakko devānamindo deve tāvatiṁse anunayamāno tāyaṁ velāyaṁ imaṁ gāthaṁ abhāsi:

2.1

‘Whoever wants to be like me

‘Cātuddasiṁ pañcadasiṁ,

2.2

would observe the sabbath

yā ca pakkhassa aṭṭhamī;

2.3

complete in all eight factors,

Pāṭihāriyapakkhañca,

2.4

on the fourteenth and the fifteenth days,

aṭṭhaṅgasusamāgataṁ;

2.5

and the eighth day of the fortnight,

Uposathaṁ upavaseyya,

2.6

as well as on the fortnightly special displays.’

yopissa mādiso naro’ti.

3.1

But that verse was poorly sung by Sakka, lord of gods, not well sung; poorly spoken, not well spoken.

Sā kho panesā, bhikkhave, sakkena devānamindena gāthā duggītā na sugītā dubbhāsitā na subhāsitā.

3.2

Why is that?

Taṁ kissa hetu?

3.3

Because Sakka, lord of gods, is not exempt from rebirth, old age, and death, from sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress. He is not exempt from suffering, I say.

Sakko hi, bhikkhave, devānamindo aparimutto jātiyā jarāya maraṇena sokehi paridevehi dukkhehi domanassehi upāyāsehi, aparimutto dukkhasmāti vadāmi.

4.1

But for a bhikkhu who is perfected—with defilements ended, who has completed the spiritual journey, done what had to be done, laid down the burden, achieved their own true goal, utterly ended the fetters of rebirth, and is rightly freed through enlightenment—it is appropriate to say:

Yo ca kho so, bhikkhave, bhikkhu arahaṁ khīṇāsavo vusitavā katakaraṇīyo ohitabhāro anuppattasadattho parikkhīṇabhavasaṁyojano sammadaññāvimutto, tassa kho etaṁ, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno kallaṁ vacanāya:

5.1