SN 1–11 The Group of Connected Discourses With Verses – Sagāthāvaggasaṁyutta > SN 2 Connected Discourses on Gods – Devaputtasaṁyutta > SN 2.29 With Susīma

Linked Discourses 2.29 – Saṁyutta Nikāya 2.29

3. Various Sectarians – 3. Nānātitthiyavagga

SN 2.29 With Susīma – Susimasutta

At Sāvatthī.

Sāvatthinidānaṁ.

Then Venerable Ānanda went up to the Buddha, bowed, and sat down to one side. The Buddha said to him,

Atha kho āyasmā ānando yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinnaṁ kho āyasmantaṁ ānandaṁ bhagavā etadavoca:

“Ānanda, do you like Sāriputta?”

“tuyhampi no, ānanda, sāriputto ruccatī”ti?

“Sir, who on earth would not like Venerable Sāriputta unless they’re a fool, a hater, delusional, or mentally deranged?

“Kassa hi nāma, bhante, abālassa aduṭṭhassa amūḷhassa avipallatthacittassa āyasmā sāriputto na rucceyya?

Venerable Sāriputta is astute,

Paṇḍito, bhante, āyasmā sāriputto.

he has great wisdom,

Mahāpañño, bhante, āyasmā sāriputto.

widespread wisdom,

Puthupañño, bhante, āyasmā sāriputto.

laughing wisdom,

Hāsapañño, bhante, āyasmā sāriputto.

swift wisdom,

Javanapañño, bhante, āyasmā sāriputto.

sharp wisdom,

Tikkhapañño, bhante, āyasmā sāriputto.

and penetrating wisdom.

Nibbedhikapañño, bhante, āyasmā sāriputto.

He has few wishes,

Appiccho, bhante, āyasmā sāriputto.

he’s content,

Santuṭṭho, bhante, āyasmā sāriputto.

secluded,

Pavivitto, bhante, āyasmā sāriputto.

aloof,

Asaṁsaṭṭho, bhante, āyasmā sāriputto.

and energetic.

Āraddhavīriyo, bhante, āyasmā sāriputto.

He gives advice

Vattā, bhante, āyasmā sāriputto.

and accepts advice;

Vacanakkhamo, bhante, āyasmā sāriputto.

he accuses

Codako, bhante, āyasmā sāriputto.

and criticizes wickedness.

Pāpagarahī, bhante, āyasmā sāriputto.

Who on earth would not like Venerable Sāriputta unless they’re a fool, a hater, delusional, or mentally deranged?”

Kassa hi nāma, bhante, abālassa aduṭṭhassa amūḷhassa avipallatthacittassa āyasmā sāriputto na rucceyyā”ti?

“That’s so true, Ānanda! That’s so true!

“Evametaṁ, ānanda, evametaṁ, ānanda.

Who on earth would not like Venerable Sāriputta unless they’re a fool, a hater, delusional, or mentally deranged?”

Kassa hi nāma, ānanda, abālassa aduṭṭhassa amūḷhassa avipallatthacittassa sāriputto na rucceyya?

And the Buddha repeated all of Ānanda’s terms of praise.

Paṇḍito, ānanda, sāriputto.

Mahāpañño, ānanda, sāriputto.

Puthupañño, ānanda, sāriputto.

Hāsapañño, ānanda, sāriputto.

Javanapañño, ānanda, sāriputto.

Tikkhapañño, ānanda, sāriputto.

Nibbedhikapañño, ānanda, sāriputto.

Appiccho, ānanda, sāriputto.

Santuṭṭho, ānanda, sāriputto.

Pavivitto, ānanda, sāriputto.

Asaṁsaṭṭho, ānanda, sāriputto.

Āraddhavīriyo, ānanda, sāriputto.

Vattā, ānanda, sāriputto.

Vacanakkhamo, ānanda, sāriputto.

Codako, ānanda, sāriputto.

Pāpagarahī, ānanda, sāriputto.

Kassa hi nāma, ānanda, abālassa aduṭṭhassa amūḷhassa avipallatthacittassa sāriputto na rucceyyā”ti?

While this praise of Sāriputta was being spoken, the god Susīma approached the Buddha, escorted by a large assembly of gods. He bowed, stood to one side, and said to him:

Atha kho susimo devaputto āyasmato sāriputtassa vaṇṇe bhaññamāne mahatiyā devaputtaparisāya parivuto yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ aṭṭhāsi. Ekamantaṁ ṭhito kho susimo devaputto bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:

“That’s so true, Blessed One! That’s so true, Holy One!

“Evametaṁ, bhagavā, evametaṁ, sugata.

Who on earth would not like Venerable Sāriputta unless they’re a fool, a hater, delusional, or mentally deranged?”

Kassa hi nāma, bhante, abālassa aduṭṭhassa amūḷhassa avipallatthacittassa āyasmā sāriputto na rucceyya?

And he too repeated all the terms of praise of Sāriputta, adding,

Paṇḍito, bhante, āyasmā sāriputto.

Mahāpañño, bhante, puthupañño, bhante, hāsapañño, bhante, javanapañño, bhante, tikkhapañño, bhante, nibbedhikapañño, bhante, appiccho, bhante, santuṭṭho, bhante, pavivitto, bhante, asaṁsaṭṭho, bhante, āraddhavīriyo, bhante, vattā, bhante, vacanakkhamo, bhante, codako, bhante, pāpagarahī, bhante, āyasmā sāriputto.

Kassa hi nāma, bhante, abālassa aduṭṭhassa amūḷhassa avipallatthacittassa āyasmā sāriputto na rucceyya?

“For I too, sir, whenever I go to an assembly of gods, frequently hear the same terms of praise.”

Ahampi hi, bhante, yaññadeva devaputtaparisaṁ upasaṅkamiṁ, etadeva bahulaṁ saddaṁ suṇāmi:

‘paṇḍito āyasmā sāriputto;

mahāpañño āyasmā, puthupañño āyasmā, hāsapañño āyasmā, javanapañño āyasmā, tikkhapañño āyasmā, nibbedhikapañño āyasmā, appiccho āyasmā, santuṭṭho āyasmā, pavivitto āyasmā, asaṁsaṭṭho āyasmā, āraddhavīriyo āyasmā, vattā āyasmā, vacanakkhamo āyasmā, codako āyasmā, pāpagarahī āyasmā sāriputto’ti.

Kassa hi nāma, bhante, abālassa aduṭṭhassa amūḷhassa avipallatthacittassa āyasmā sāriputto na rucceyyā”ti?

While this praise of Sāriputta was being spoken, the gods of Susīma’s assembly—uplifted and overjoyed, full of rapture and happiness—generated a rainbow of bright colors.

Atha kho susimassa devaputtassa devaputtaparisā āyasmato sāriputtassa vaṇṇe bhaññamāne attamanā pamuditā pītisomanassajātā uccāvacā vaṇṇanibhā upadaṁseti.

Suppose there was a beryl gem that was naturally beautiful, eight-faceted, well-worked. When placed on a cream rug it would shine and glow and radiate.

Seyyathāpi nāma maṇi veḷuriyo subho jātimā aṭṭhaṁso suparikammakato paṇḍukambale nikkhitto bhāsate ca tapate ca virocati ca;

In the same way, the gods of Susīma’s assembly generated a rainbow of bright colors.

evamevaṁ susimassa devaputtassa devaputtaparisā āyasmato sāriputtassa vaṇṇe bhaññamāne attamanā pamuditā pītisomanassajātā uccāvacā vaṇṇanibhā upadaṁseti.

Suppose there was a pendant of river gold, fashioned by an expert smith, well wrought in the forge. When placed on a cream rug it would shine and glow and radiate.

Seyyathāpi nāma nikkhaṁ jambonadaṁ dakkhakammāraputtaukkāmukhasukusalasampahaṭṭhaṁ paṇḍukambale nikkhittaṁ bhāsate ca tapate ca virocati ca;

In the same way, the gods of Susīma’s assembly generated a rainbow of bright colors.

evamevaṁ susimassa devaputtassa devaputtaparisā āyasmato sāriputtassa vaṇṇe bhaññamāne attamanā pamuditā pītisomanassajātā uccāvacā vaṇṇanibhā upadaṁseti.

Suppose that after the rainy season the sky was clear and cloudless. At the crack of dawn, the Morning Star shines and glows and radiates.

Seyyathāpi nāma saradasamaye viddhe vigatavalāhake deve rattiyā paccūsasamayaṁ osadhitārakā bhāsate ca tapate ca virocati ca;

In the same way, the gods of Susīma’s assembly generated a rainbow of bright colors.

evamevaṁ susimassa devaputtassa devaputtaparisā āyasmato sāriputtassa vaṇṇe bhaññamāne attamanā pamuditā pītisomanassajātā uccāvacā vaṇṇanibhā upadaṁseti.

Suppose that after the rainy season the sky was clear and cloudless. As the sun rises, it would dispel all the darkness from the sky as it shines and glows and radiates.

Seyyathāpi nāma saradasamaye viddhe vigatavalāhake deve ādicco nabhaṁ abbhussakkamāno sabbaṁ ākāsagataṁ tamagataṁ abhivihacca bhāsate ca tapate ca virocati ca;

In the same way, the gods of Susīma’s assembly generated a rainbow of bright colors.

evamevaṁ susimassa devaputtassa devaputtaparisā āyasmato sāriputtassa vaṇṇe bhaññamāne attamanā pamuditā pītisomanassajātā uccāvacā vaṇṇanibhā upadaṁseti.

Then the god Susīma recited this verse about Venerable Sāriputta in the Buddha’s presence:

Atha kho susimo devaputto āyasmantaṁ sāriputtaṁ ārabbha bhagavato santike imaṁ gāthaṁ abhāsi:

“He’s considered astute,

“Paṇḍitoti samaññāto,

Sāriputta, free of anger.

sāriputto akodhano;

Few in wishes, sweet, tamed,

Appiccho sorato danto,

the hermit shines in the Teacher’s praise!”

satthuvaṇṇābhato isī”ti.

Then the Buddha replied to Susīma with this verse about Venerable Sāriputta:

Atha kho bhagavā āyasmantaṁ sāriputtaṁ ārabbha susimaṁ devaputtaṁ gāthāya paccabhāsi:

“He’s considered astute,

“Paṇḍitoti samaññāto,

Sāriputta, free of anger.

sāriputto akodhano;

Few in wishes, sweet, tamed;

Appiccho sorato danto,

developed and well-tamed, he bides his time.”

kālaṁ kaṅkhati sudanto”ti.