SN 1–11 The Group of Connected Discourses With Verses – Sagāthāvaggasaṁyutta > SN 3 Connected Discourses With King Pasenadi of Kosala – Kosalasaṁyutta > SN 3.19 Childless (1st)

Linked Discourses 3.19 – Saṁyutta Nikāya 3.19

2. Childless – 2. Dutiyavagga

SN 3.19 Childless (1st) – Paṭhamaaputtakasutta

At Sāvatthī.

Sāvatthinidānaṁ.

Then King Pasenadi of Kosala went up to the Buddha in the middle of the day, bowed, and sat down to one side. The Buddha said to him,

Atha kho rājā pasenadi kosalo divā divassa yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinnaṁ kho rājānaṁ pasenadiṁ kosalaṁ bhagavā etadavoca:

“So, great king, where are you coming from in the middle of the day?”

“handa kuto nu tvaṁ, mahārāja, āgacchasi divā divassā”ti?

“Sir, here in Sāvatthī a financier householder has passed away.

“Idha, bhante, sāvatthiyaṁ seṭṭhi gahapati kālaṅkato.

Since he died childless, I have come after transferring his fortune to the royal compound.

Tamahaṁ aputtakaṁ sāpateyyaṁ rājantepuraṁ atiharitvā āgacchāmi.

There was eight million in gold, not to mention the silver.

Asīti, bhante, satasahassāni hiraññasseva, ko pana vādo rūpiyassa.

And yet that financier ate meals of

Tassa kho pana, bhante, seṭṭhissa gahapatissa evarūpo bhattabhogo ahosi—

rough gruel with pickles.

kaṇājakaṁ bhuñjati bilaṅgadutiyaṁ.

He wore clothes consisting of

Evarūpo vatthabhogo ahosi—

three pieces of sunn hemp.

sāṇaṁ dhāreti tipakkhavasanaṁ.

He traveled around in a vehicle that was

Evarūpo yānabhogo ahosi—

a dilapidated little cart, holding a leaf as sunshade.”

jajjararathakena yāti paṇṇachattakena dhāriyamānenā”ti.

“That’s so true, great king! That’s so true!

“Evametaṁ, mahārāja, evametaṁ, mahārāja.

When a bad person has acquired exceptional wealth they don’t make themselves happy and pleased. Nor do they make their mother and father, partners and children, bondservants, workers, and staff, and friends and colleagues happy and pleased. And they don’t establish an uplifting religious donation for ascetics and brahmins that’s conducive to heaven, ripens in happiness, and leads to heaven.

Asappuriso kho, mahārāja, uḷāre bhoge labhitvā nevattānaṁ sukheti pīṇeti, na mātāpitaro sukheti pīṇeti, na puttadāraṁ sukheti pīṇeti, na dāsakammakaraporise sukheti pīṇeti, na mittāmacce sukheti pīṇeti, na samaṇabrāhmaṇesu uddhaggikaṁ dakkhiṇaṁ patiṭṭhāpeti sovaggikaṁ sukhavipākaṁ saggasaṁvattanikaṁ.

Because they haven’t made proper use of that wealth, rulers or bandits take it, or fire consumes it, or flood sweeps it away, or unloved heirs take it.

Tassa te bhoge evaṁ sammā aparibhuñjiyamāne rājāno vā haranti corā vā haranti aggi vā ḍahati udakaṁ vā vahati appiyā vā dāyādā haranti.

Since that wealth is not properly utilized, it’s wasted, not used.

Evaṁsa te, mahārāja, bhogā sammā aparibhuñjiyamānā parikkhayaṁ gacchanti, no paribhogaṁ.

Suppose there was a lotus pond in an uninhabited region with clear, sweet, cool water, clean, with smooth banks, delightful.

Seyyathāpi, mahārāja, amanussaṭṭhāne pokkharaṇī acchodakā sītodakā sātodakā setodakā supatitthā ramaṇīyā.

But people don’t collect it or drink it or bathe in it or use it for any purpose.

Taṁ jano neva hareyya na piveyya na nahāyeyya na yathāpaccayaṁ vā kareyya.

Since that water is not properly utilized, it’s wasted, not used.

Evañhi taṁ, mahārāja, udakaṁ sammā aparibhuñjiyamānaṁ parikkhayaṁ gaccheyya, no paribhogaṁ.

In the same way, when a bad person has acquired exceptional wealth …

Evameva kho, mahārāja, asappuriso uḷāre bhoge labhitvā nevattānaṁ sukheti pīṇeti, na mātāpitaro sukheti pīṇeti, na puttadāraṁ sukheti pīṇeti, na dāsakammakaraporise sukheti pīṇeti, na mittāmacce sukheti pīṇeti, na samaṇabrāhmaṇesu uddhaggikaṁ dakkhiṇaṁ patiṭṭhāpeti sovaggikaṁ sukhavipākaṁ saggasaṁvattanikaṁ.

Tassa te bhoge evaṁ sammā aparibhuñjiyamāne rājāno vā haranti, corā vā haranti, aggi vā ḍahati, udakaṁ vā vahati, appiyā vā dāyādā haranti.

it’s wasted, not used.

Evaṁsa te, mahārāja, bhogā sammā aparibhuñjiyamānā parikkhayaṁ gacchanti, no paribhogaṁ.

When a good person has acquired exceptional wealth they make themselves happy and pleased. And they make their mother and father, partners and children, bondservants, workers, and staff, and friends and colleagues happy and pleased. And they establish an uplifting religious donation for ascetics and brahmins that’s conducive to heaven, ripens in happiness, and leads to heaven.

Sappuriso ca kho, mahārāja, uḷāre bhoge labhitvā attānaṁ sukheti pīṇeti, mātāpitaro sukheti pīṇeti, puttadāraṁ sukheti pīṇeti, dāsakammakaraporise sukheti pīṇeti, mittāmacce sukheti pīṇeti, samaṇabrāhmaṇesu uddhaggikaṁ dakkhiṇaṁ patiṭṭhāpeti sovaggikaṁ sukhavipākaṁ saggasaṁvattanikaṁ.

Because they make proper use of that wealth, rulers or bandits don’t take it, fire doesn’t consume it, flood doesn’t sweep it away, and unloved heirs don’t take it.

Tassa te bhoge evaṁ sammā paribhuñjiyamāne neva rājāno haranti, na corā haranti, na aggi ḍahati, na udakaṁ vahati, na appiyā dāyādā haranti.

Since that wealth is properly utilized, it’s used, not wasted.

Evaṁsa te, mahārāja, bhogā sammā paribhuñjiyamānā paribhogaṁ gacchanti, no parikkhayaṁ.

Suppose there was a lotus pond not far from a town or village with clear, sweet, cool water, clean, with smooth banks, delightful.

Seyyathāpi, mahārāja, gāmassa vā nigamassa vā avidūre pokkharaṇī acchodakā sītodakā sātodakā setodakā supatitthā ramaṇīyā.

And people collected it and drank it and bathed in it and used it for their own purpose.

Tañca udakaṁ jano hareyyapi piveyyapi nahāyeyyapi yathāpaccayampi kareyya.

Since that water is properly utilized, it’s used, not wasted.

Evañhi taṁ, mahārāja, udakaṁ sammā paribhuñjiyamānaṁ paribhogaṁ gaccheyya, no parikkhayaṁ.

In the same way, when a good person has acquired exceptional wealth …

Evameva kho, mahārāja, sappuriso uḷāre bhoge labhitvā attānaṁ sukheti pīṇeti, mātāpitaro sukheti pīṇeti, puttadāraṁ sukheti pīṇeti, dāsakammakaraporise sukheti pīṇeti, mittāmacce sukheti pīṇeti, samaṇabrāhmaṇesu uddhaggikaṁ dakkhiṇaṁ patiṭṭhāpeti sovaggikaṁ sukhavipākaṁ saggasaṁvattanikaṁ.

Tassa te bhoge evaṁ sammā paribhuñjiyamāne neva rājāno haranti, na corā haranti, na aggi ḍahati, na udakaṁ vahati, na appiyā dāyādā haranti.

it’s used, not wasted.

Evaṁsa te, mahārāja, bhogā sammā paribhuñjiyamānā paribhogaṁ gacchanti, no parikkhayan”ti.

As cool water in an uninhabited region

“Amanussaṭṭhāne udakaṁva sītaṁ,

evaporates when not drunk;

Tadapeyyamānaṁ parisosameti;

so too when a sinner acquires wealth,

Evaṁ dhanaṁ kāpuriso labhitvā,

they neither use it themselves nor give it away.

Nevattanā bhuñjati no dadāti.

But when a wise and sensible person gets hold of wealth,

Dhīro ca viññū adhigamma bhoge,

they use it and do their duty.

So bhuñjati kiccakaro ca hoti;

That head, having supported the family unit,

So ñātisaṅghaṁ nisabho bharitvā,

blameless, goes to a heavenly place.”

Anindito saggamupeti ṭhānan”ti.