SN 1–11 The Group of Connected Discourses With Verses – Sagāthāvaggasaṁyutta > SN 2 Connected Discourses on Gods – Devaputtasaṁyutta > SN 2.8 With Tāyana

Linked Discourses 2.8 – Saṁyutta Nikāya 2.8

Chapter One – 1. Paṭhamavagga

SN 2.8 With Tāyana – Tāyanasutta

At Sāvatthī.

Sāvatthinidānaṁ.

Then, late at night, the glorious god Tāyana, formerly a religious founder, lighting up the entire Jeta’s Grove, went up to the Buddha, bowed, stood to one side,

Atha kho tāyano devaputto purāṇatitthakaro abhikkantāya rattiyā abhikkantavaṇṇo kevalakappaṁ jetavanaṁ obhāsetvā yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ aṭṭhāsi.

and recited these verses in the Buddha’s presence:

Ekamantaṁ ṭhito kho tāyano devaputto bhagavato santike imā gāthāyo abhāsi:

“Strive and cut the stream!

“Chinda sotaṁ parakkamma,

Dispel sensual pleasures, brahmin.

kāme panuda brāhmaṇa;

A sage who doesn’t give up sensual pleasures

Nappahāya munī kāme,

is not reborn in a unified state.

nekattamupapajjati.

If one is to do what should be done,

Kayirā ce kayirāthenaṁ,

one should staunchly strive.

daḷhamenaṁ parakkame;

For the life gone forth when laxly led

Sithilo hi paribbājo,

just stirs up dust all the more.

bhiyyo ākirate rajaṁ.

A bad deed is better left undone,

Akataṁ dukkaṭaṁ seyyo,

for it will plague you later on.

pacchā tapati dukkaṭaṁ;

A good deed is better done,

Katañca sukataṁ seyyo,

one that does not plague you.

yaṁ katvā nānutappati.

When kusa grass is wrongly grasped

Kuso yathā duggahito,

it only cuts the hand.

hatthamevānukantati;

So too, the ascetic life, when wrongly taken,

Sāmaññaṁ dupparāmaṭṭhaṁ,

drags you to hell.

nirayāyūpakaḍḍhati.

Any lax act,

Yaṁ kiñci sithilaṁ kammaṁ,

any corrupt observance,

saṅkiliṭṭhañca yaṁ vataṁ;

or suspicious spiritual life,

Saṅkassaraṁ brahmacariyaṁ,

is not very fruitful.”

na taṁ hoti mahapphalan”ti.

That’s what the god Tāyana said.

Idamavoca tāyano devaputto;

Then he bowed and respectfully circled the Buddha, keeping him on his right side, before vanishing right there.

idaṁ vatvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā padakkhiṇaṁ katvā tatthevantaradhāyīti.

Then, when the night had passed, the Buddha told the bhikkhū all that had happened.

Atha kho bhagavā tassā rattiyā accayena bhikkhū āmantesi:

“Bhikkhū, tonight, the glorious god Tāyana, formerly a religious founder, lighting up the entire Jeta’s Grove, came to me, bowed, stood to one side,

“imaṁ, bhikkhave, rattiṁ tāyano nāma devaputto purāṇatitthakaro abhikkantāya rattiyā abhikkantavaṇṇo kevalakappaṁ jetavanaṁ obhāsetvā yenāhaṁ tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā maṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ aṭṭhāsi.

and recited these verses in my presence.” The Buddha repeated the verses in full, adding:

Ekamantaṁ ṭhito kho, bhikkhave, tāyano devaputto mama santike imā gāthāyo abhāsi:

‘Chinda sotaṁ parakkamma,

kāme panuda brāhmaṇa;

Nappahāya munī kāme,

nekattamupapajjati.

Kayirā ce kayirāthenaṁ,

daḷhamenaṁ parakkame;

Sithilo hi paribbājo,

bhiyyo ākirate rajaṁ.

Akataṁ dukkaṭaṁ seyyo,

pacchā tapati dukkaṭaṁ;

Katañca sukataṁ seyyo,

yaṁ katvā nānutappati.

Kuso yathā duggahito,

hatthamevānukantati;

Sāmaññaṁ dupparāmaṭṭhaṁ,

nirayāyūpakaḍḍhati.

Yaṁ kiñci sithilaṁ kammaṁ,

saṅkiliṭṭhañca yaṁ vataṁ;

Saṅkassaraṁ brahmacariyaṁ,

na taṁ hoti mahapphalan’ti.

“That’s what the god Tāyana said. Then he bowed and respectfully circled me, keeping me on his right side, before vanishing right there.

Idamavoca, bhikkhave, tāyano devaputto, idaṁ vatvā maṁ abhivādetvā padakkhiṇaṁ katvā tatthevantaradhāyi.

Bhikkhū, learn the verses of Tāyana!

Uggaṇhātha, bhikkhave, tāyanagāthā;

Memorize the verses of Tāyana!

pariyāpuṇātha, bhikkhave, tāyanagāthā;

Remember the verses of Tāyana!

dhāretha, bhikkhave, tāyanagāthā.

These verses are beneficial and relate to the fundamentals of the spiritual life.”

Atthasaṁhitā, bhikkhave, tāyanagāthā ādibrahmacariyikā”ti.