SN 1–11 The Group of Connected Discourses With Verses – Sagāthāvaggasaṁyutta > SN 6 Connected Discourses With Brahmā Gods – Brahmasaṁyutta > SN 6.9 With the Brahmā Tudu

Linked Discourses 6.9 – Saṁyutta Nikāya 6.9

1. The Appeal – 1. Paṭhamavagga

SN 6.9 With the Brahmā Tudu – Turūbrahmasutta

At Sāvatthī.

Sāvatthinidānaṁ.

Now at that time the bhikkhu Kokālika was sick, suffering, gravely ill.

Tena kho pana samayena kokāliko bhikkhu ābādhiko hoti dukkhito bāḷhagilāno.

Then, late at night, the beautiful independent brahmā Tudu, lighting up the entire Jeta’s Grove, went up to the bhikkhu Kokālika, and standing in the air he said to him,

Atha kho turū paccekabrahmā abhikkantāya rattiyā abhikkantavaṇṇo kevalakappaṁ jetavanaṁ obhāsetvā yena kokāliko bhikkhu tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā vehāsaṁ ṭhito kokālikaṁ bhikkhuṁ etadavoca:

“Kokālika, have confidence in Sāriputta and Moggallāna,

“pasādehi, kokālika, sāriputtamoggallānesu cittaṁ.

they’re good monks.”

Pesalā sāriputtamoggallānā”ti.

“Who are you, reverend?”

“Kosi tvaṁ, āvuso”ti?

“I am Tudu the independent brahmā.”

“Ahaṁ turū paccekabrahmā”ti.

“Didn’t the Buddha declare you a non-returner? So what exactly are you doing back here?

“Nanu tvaṁ, āvuso, bhagavatā anāgāmī byākato, atha kiñcarahi idhāgato?

See how far you have strayed!”

Passa, yāvañca te idaṁ aparaddhan”ti.

“A man is born

“Purisassa hi jātassa,

with an axe in his mouth.

kuṭhārī jāyate mukhe;

A fool cuts themselves with it

Yāya chindati attānaṁ,

when they say bad words.

bālo dubbhāsitaṁ bhaṇaṁ.

When you praise someone worthy of criticism,

Yo nindiyaṁ pasaṁsati,

or criticize someone worthy of praise,

Taṁ vā nindati yo pasaṁsiyo;

you choose bad luck with your own mouth:

Vicināti mukhena so kaliṁ,

you’ll never find happiness that way.

Kalinā tena sukhaṁ na vindati.

Bad luck at dice is a trivial thing,

Appamattako ayaṁ kali,

if all you lose is your money

Yo akkhesu dhanaparājayo;

and all you own, even yourself.

Sabbassāpi sahāpi attanā,

What’s really terrible luck

Ayameva mahantataro kali;

is to hate the holy ones.

Yo sugatesu manaṁ padosaye.

For more than two quinquadecillion years,

Sataṁ sahassānaṁ nirabbudānaṁ,

and another five quattuordecillion years,

Chattiṁsati pañca ca abbudāni;

a slanderer of noble ones goes to hell,

Yamariyagarahī nirayaṁ upeti,

having aimed bad words and thoughts at them.”

Vācaṁ manañca paṇidhāya pāpakan”ti.