SN 1–11 The Group of Connected Discourses With Verses – Sagāthāvaggasaṁyutta > SN 3 Connected Discourses With King Pasenadi of Kosala – Kosalasaṁyutta > SN 3.1 Young

Linked Discourses 3.1 – Saṁyutta Nikāya 3.1

1. Shackles – 1. Paṭhamavagga

SN 3.1 Young – Daharasutta

So I have heard.

Evaṁ me sutaṁ—

At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery.

ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme.

Then King Pasenadi of Kosala went up to the Buddha, and exchanged greetings with him.

Atha kho rājā pasenadi kosalo yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavatā saddhiṁ sammodi.

When the greetings and polite conversation were over, he sat down to one side and said to the Buddha,

Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho rājā pasenadi kosalo bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:

“Does Master Gotama claim to have awakened to the supreme perfect awakening?”

“bhavampi no gotamo anuttaraṁ sammāsambodhiṁ abhisambuddhoti paṭijānātī”ti?

“If anyone should rightly be said to have awakened to the supreme perfect awakening, it’s me.

“Yañhi taṁ, mahārāja, sammā vadamāno vadeyya ‘anuttaraṁ sammāsambodhiṁ abhisambuddho’ti, mameva taṁ sammā vadamāno vadeyya.

For, great king, I have awakened to the supreme perfect awakening.”

Ahañhi, mahārāja, anuttaraṁ sammāsambodhiṁ abhisambuddho”ti.

“Well, there are those ascetics and brahmins who lead an order and a community, and teach a community. They’re well-known and famous religious founders, regarded as holy by many people. That is,

“Yepi te, bho gotama, samaṇabrāhmaṇā saṅghino gaṇino gaṇācariyā ñātā yasassino titthakarā sādhusammatā bahujanassa, seyyathidaṁ—

Pūraṇa Kassapa, Makkhali Gosāla, Nigaṇṭha Nāṭaputta, Sañjaya Belaṭṭhiputta, Pakudha Kaccāyana, and Ajita Kesakambala.

pūraṇo kassapo, makkhali gosālo, nigaṇṭho nāṭaputto, sañcayo belaṭṭhaputto, pakudho kaccāyano, ajito kesakambalo;

I also asked them whether they claimed to have awakened to the supreme perfect awakening, but they made no such claim.

tepi mayā ‘anuttaraṁ sammāsambodhiṁ abhisambuddhoti paṭijānāthā’ti puṭṭhā samānā anuttaraṁ sammāsambodhiṁ abhisambuddhoti na paṭijānanti.

So why do you, given that you’re so young in age and newly gone forth?”

Kiṁ pana bhavaṁ gotamo daharo ceva jātiyā navo ca pabbajjāyā”ti?

“Great king, these four things should not be looked down upon or disparaged because they are young.

“Cattāro kho me, mahārāja, daharāti na uññātabbā, daharāti na paribhotabbā.

What four?

Katame cattāro?

An aristocrat,

Khattiyo kho, mahārāja, daharoti na uññātabbo, daharoti na paribhotabbo.

a snake,

Urago kho, mahārāja, daharoti na uññātabbo, daharoti na paribhotabbo.

a fire,

Aggi kho, mahārāja, daharoti na uññātabbo, daharoti na paribhotabbo.

and a bhikkhu.

Bhikkhu, kho, mahārāja, daharoti na uññātabbo, daharoti na paribhotabbo.

These four things should not be looked down upon or disparaged because they are young.”

Ime kho, mahārāja, cattāro daharāti na uññātabbā, daharāti na paribhotabbā”ti.

That is what the Buddha said.

Idamavoca bhagavā.

Then the Holy One, the Teacher, went on to say:

Idaṁ vatvāna sugato athāparaṁ etadavoca satthā:

“A man should not despise

“Khattiyaṁ jātisampannaṁ,

an aristocrat of impeccable lineage,

abhijātaṁ yasassinaṁ;

high-born and famous,

Daharoti nāvajāneyya,

just because they’re young.

na naṁ paribhave naro.

For it’s possible that that lord of men,

Ṭhānañhi so manujindo,

as aristocrat, will gain the throne.

rajjaṁ laddhāna khattiyo;

And in his anger he’ll execute a royal punishment,

So kuddho rājadaṇḍena,

and have you violently beaten.

tasmiṁ pakkamate bhusaṁ;

Hence you should avoid him

Tasmā taṁ parivajjeyya,

for the sake of your own life.

rakkhaṁ jīvitamattano.

Whether in village or wilderness,

Gāme vā yadi vā raññe,

wherever a serpent is seen,

yattha passe bhujaṅgamaṁ;

a man should not look down on it

Daharoti nāvajāneyya,

or despise it for its youth.

na naṁ paribhave naro.

With its rainbow of colors,

Uccāvacehi vaṇṇehi,

the snake of fiery breath glides along.

urago carati tejasī;

It lashes out and bites the fool,

So āsajja ḍaṁse bālaṁ,

both men and women alike.

naraṁ nāriñca ekadā;

Hence you should avoid it

Tasmā taṁ parivajjeyya,

for the sake of your own life.

rakkhaṁ jīvitamattano.

A fire devours a huge amount,

Pahūtabhakkhaṁ jālinaṁ,

a conflagration with a blackened trail.

pāvakaṁ kaṇhavattaniṁ;

A man should not look down on it

Daharoti nāvajāneyya,

just because it’s young.

na naṁ paribhave naro.

For once it gets fuel

Laddhā hi so upādānaṁ,

it’ll become a huge conflagration.

mahā hutvāna pāvako;

It’ll lash out and burn the fool,

So āsajja ḍahe bālaṁ,

both men and women alike.

naraṁ nāriñca ekadā;

Hence you should avoid it

Tasmā taṁ parivajjeyya,

for the sake of your own life.

rakkhaṁ jīvitamattano.

When a forest is burned by fire,

Vanaṁ yadaggi ḍahati,

a conflagration with a blackened trail,

pāvako kaṇhavattanī;

the shoots will spring up there again,

Jāyanti tattha pārohā,

with the passing of the days and nights.

ahorattānamaccaye.

But if a bhikkhu endowed with ethics

Yañca kho sīlasampanno,

burns you with their power,

bhikkhu ḍahati tejasā;

you’ll have no sons or cattle,

Na tassa puttā pasavo,

nor will your heirs find wealth.

dāyādā vindare dhanaṁ;

Childless and heirless you become,

Anapaccā adāyādā,

like a palm-tree stump.

tālāvatthū bhavanti te.

That’s why an astute person,

Tasmā hi paṇḍito poso,

seeing what’s good for themselves,

sampassaṁ atthamattano;

would always treat these properly:

Bhujaṅgamaṁ pāvakañca,

a snake, a conflagration,

khattiyañca yasassinaṁ;

a famous aristocrat,

Bhikkhuñca sīlasampannaṁ,

and a bhikkhu endowed with ethics.”

sammadeva samācare”ti.

When this was said, King Pasenadi of Kosala said to the Buddha,

Evaṁ vutte, rājā pasenadi kosalo bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:

“Excellent, sir! Excellent!

“abhikkantaṁ, bhante, abhikkantaṁ, bhante.

As if he were righting the overturned, or revealing the hidden, or pointing out the path to the lost, or lighting a lamp in the dark so people with good eyes can see what’s there, the Buddha has made the teaching clear in many ways.

Seyyathāpi, bhante, nikkujjitaṁ vā ukkujjeyya, paṭicchannaṁ vā vivareyya, mūḷhassa vā maggaṁ ācikkheyya, andhakāre vā telapajjotaṁ dhāreyya: ‘cakkhumanto rūpāni dakkhantī’ti; evamevaṁ bhagavatā anekapariyāyena dhammo pakāsito.

I go for refuge to the Buddha, to the teaching, and to the bhikkhu Saṅgha.

Esāhaṁ, bhante, bhagavantaṁ saraṇaṁ gacchāmi dhammañca bhikkhusaṅghañca.

From this day forth, may the Buddha remember me as a lay follower who has gone for refuge for life.”

Upāsakaṁ maṁ, bhante, bhagavā dhāretu ajjatagge pāṇupetaṁ saraṇaṁ gatan”ti.