SN 1–11 The Group of Connected Discourses With Verses – Sagāthāvaggasaṁyutta > SN 6 Connected Discourses With Brahmā Gods – Brahmasaṁyutta > SN 6.14 About Aruṇavatī

Linked Discourses 6.14 – Saṁyutta Nikāya 6.14

Chapter Two – 2. Dutiyavagga

SN 6.14 About Aruṇavatī – Aruṇavatīsutta

So I have heard.

Evaṁ me sutaṁ—

At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī.

ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati …pe…

There he addressed the bhikkhū,

tatra kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi:

“Bhikkhū!”

“bhikkhavo”ti.

“Venerable sir,” they replied.

“Bhadante”ti te bhikkhū bhagavato paccassosuṁ.

The Buddha said this:

Bhagavā etadavoca:

“Once upon a time, bhikkhū, there was a king named Aruṇavā.

“Bhūtapubbaṁ, bhikkhave, rājā ahosi aruṇavā nāma.

He had a capital named Aruṇavatī.

Rañño kho pana, bhikkhave, aruṇavato aruṇavatī nāma rājadhānī ahosi.

Sikhī the Blessed One, the perfected one, the fully awakened Buddha lived supported by Aruṇavatī.

Aruṇavatiṁ kho pana, bhikkhave, rājadhāniṁ sikhī bhagavā arahaṁ sammāsambuddho upanissāya vihāsi.

Sikhī had a fine pair of chief disciples named Abhibhū and Sambhava.

Sikhissa kho pana, bhikkhave, bhagavato arahato sammāsambuddhassa abhibhūsambhavaṁ nāma sāvakayugaṁ ahosi aggaṁ bhaddayugaṁ.

Then the Buddha Sikhī addressed the bhikkhu Abhibhū,

Atha kho, bhikkhave, sikhī bhagavā arahaṁ sammāsambuddho abhibhuṁ bhikkhuṁ āmantesi:

‘Come, brahmin, let’s go to one of the brahmā realms until it’s time for our meal.’

‘āyāma, brāhmaṇa, yena aññataro brahmaloko tenupasaṅkamissāma, yāva bhattassa kālo bhavissatī’ti.

‘Yes, sir,’ replied Abhibhū.

‘Evaṁ, bhante’ti kho bhikkhave, abhibhū bhikkhu sikhissa bhagavato arahato sammāsambuddhassa paccassosi.

Then, as easily as a strong person would extend or contract their arm, they vanished from Aruṇavatī and appeared in that Brahmā realm.

Atha kho, bhikkhave, sikhī bhagavā arahaṁ sammāsambuddho abhibhū ca bhikkhu—seyyathāpi nāma balavā puriso samiñjitaṁ vā bāhaṁ pasāreyya, pasāritaṁ vā bāhaṁ samiñjeyya; evameva—aruṇavatiyā rājadhāniyā antarahitā tasmiṁ brahmaloke pāturahesuṁ.

Then the Buddha Sikhī addressed the bhikkhu Abhibhū,

Atha kho, bhikkhave, sikhī bhagavā arahaṁ sammāsambuddho abhibhuṁ bhikkhuṁ āmantesi:

‘Brahmin, teach the Dhamma as you feel inspired for that Brahmā, his assembly, and the members of his retinue.’

‘paṭibhātu, brāhmaṇa, taṁ brahmuno ca brahmaparisāya ca brahmapārisajjānañca dhammī kathā’ti.

‘Yes, sir,’ replied Abhibhū. Then he educated, encouraged, fired up, and inspired them with a Dhamma talk.

‘Evaṁ, bhante’ti kho, bhikkhave, abhibhū bhikkhu sikhissa bhagavato arahato sammāsambuddhassa paṭissutvā, brahmānañca brahmaparisañca brahmapārisajje ca dhammiyā kathāya sandassesi samādapesi samuttejesi sampahaṁsesi.

But the Brahmā, his assembly, and his retinue complained, grumbled, and objected,

Tatra sudaṁ, bhikkhave, brahmā ca brahmaparisā ca brahmapārisajjā ca ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti:

‘It’s incredible, it’s amazing! How on earth can a disciple teach Dhamma in the presence of the Teacher?’

‘acchariyaṁ vata, bho, abbhutaṁ vata bho, kathañhi nāma satthari sammukhībhūte sāvako dhammaṁ desessatī’ti.

Then the Buddha Sikhī addressed the bhikkhu Abhibhū,

Atha kho, bhikkhave, sikhī bhagavā arahaṁ sammāsambuddho abhibhuṁ bhikkhuṁ āmantesi:

‘Brahmin, Brahmā, his assembly, and his retinue are complaining

‘ujjhāyanti kho te, brāhmaṇa, brahmā ca brahmaparisā ca brahmapārisajjā ca—

that a disciple teaches Dhamma in the presence of the Teacher.

acchariyaṁ vata bho, abbhutaṁ vata bho, kathañhi nāma satthari sammukhībhūte sāvako dhammaṁ desessatīti.

Well then, brahmin, stir them up even more!’

Tena hi tvaṁ, brāhmaṇa, bhiyyoso mattāya brahmānañca brahmaparisañca brahmapārisajje ca saṁvejehī’ti.

‘Yes, sir,’ replied Abhibhū. Then he taught Dhamma with his body visible; with his body invisible; with the lower half visible and the upper half invisible; and with the upper half visible and the lower half invisible.

‘Evaṁ, bhante’ti kho, bhikkhave, abhibhū bhikkhu sikhissa bhagavato arahato sammāsambuddhassa paṭissutvā dissamānenapi kāyena dhammaṁ desesi, adissamānenapi kāyena dhammaṁ desesi, dissamānenapi heṭṭhimena upaḍḍhakāyena adissamānena uparimena upaḍḍhakāyena dhammaṁ desesi, dissamānenapi uparimena upaḍḍhakāyena adissamānena heṭṭhimena upaḍḍhakāyena dhammaṁ desesi.

And the Brahmā, his assembly, and his retinue, their minds full of wonder and amazement, thought,

Tatra sudaṁ, bhikkhave, brahmā ca brahmaparisā ca brahmapārisajjā ca acchariyabbhutacittajātā ahesuṁ:

‘It’s incredible, it’s amazing! The ascetic has such psychic power and might!’

‘acchariyaṁ vata bho, abbhutaṁ vata bho, samaṇassa mahiddhikatā mahānubhāvatā’ti.

Then Abhibhū said to the Buddha Sikhī,

Atha kho abhibhū bhikkhu sikhiṁ bhagavantaṁ arahantaṁ sammāsambuddhaṁ etadavoca:

‘Sir, I recall having said this in the middle of the Saṅgha:

‘abhijānāmi khvāhaṁ, bhante, bhikkhusaṅghassa majjhe evarūpiṁ vācaṁ bhāsitā—

“Standing in the Brahmā realm, I can make my voice heard throughout the galaxy.”’

pahomi khvāhaṁ, āvuso, brahmaloke ṭhito sahassilokadhātuṁ sarena viññāpetun’ti.

‘Now is the time, brahmin! Now is the time, brahmin!

‘Etassa, brāhmaṇa, kālo, etassa, brāhmaṇa, kālo;

Standing in the Brahmā realm, make your voice heard throughout the galaxy.’

yaṁ tvaṁ, brāhmaṇa, brahmaloke ṭhito sahassilokadhātuṁ sarena viññāpeyyāsī’ti.

‘Yes, sir,’ replied Abhibhū. Standing in the Brahmā realm, he recited this verse:

‘Evaṁ, bhante’ti kho, bhikkhave, abhibhū bhikkhu sikhissa bhagavato arahato sammāsambuddhassa paṭissutvā brahmaloke ṭhito imā gāthāyo abhāsi:

‘Rouse yourselves! Try harder!

‘Ārambhatha nikkamatha,

Devote yourselves to the teachings of the Buddha!

Yuñjatha buddhasāsane;

Crush the army of Death,

Dhunātha maccuno senaṁ,

as an elephant a hut of reeds.

Naḷāgāraṁva kuñjaro.

Whoever shall meditate diligently

Yo imasmiṁ dhammavinaye,

in this teaching and training,

appamatto vihassati;

giving up transmigration through rebirths,

Pahāya jātisaṁsāraṁ,

will make an end of suffering.’

dukkhassantaṁ karissatī’ti.

Having inspired that Brahmā, his assembly, and his retinue with a sense of awe,

Atha kho, bhikkhave, sikhī ca bhagavā arahaṁ sammāsambuddho abhibhū ca bhikkhu brahmānañca brahmaparisañca brahmapārisajje ca saṁvejetvā—

as easily as a strong person would extend or contract their arm, Sikhī and Abhibhū vanished from that Brahmā realm and appeared in Aruṇavatī.

seyyathāpi nāma …pe… tasmiṁ brahmaloke antarahitā aruṇavatiyā rājadhāniyā pāturahesuṁ.

Then the Buddha Sikhī addressed the bhikkhū,

Atha kho, bhikkhave, sikhī bhagavā arahaṁ sammāsambuddho bhikkhū āmantesi:

‘Bhikkhū, did you hear the bhikkhu Abhibhū speaking a verse while standing in a Brahmā realm?’

‘assuttha no tumhe, bhikkhave, abhibhussa bhikkhuno brahmaloke ṭhitassa gāthāyo bhāsamānassā’ti?

‘We did, sir.’

‘Assumha kho mayaṁ, bhante, abhibhussa bhikkhuno brahmaloke ṭhitassa gāthāyo bhāsamānassā’ti.

‘But what exactly did you hear?’

‘Yathā kathaṁ pana tumhe, bhikkhave, assuttha abhibhussa bhikkhuno brahmaloke ṭhitassa gāthāyo bhāsamānassā’ti?

‘This is what we heard, sir:

Evaṁ kho mayaṁ, bhante, assumha abhibhussa bhikkhuno brahmaloke ṭhitassa gāthāyo bhāsamānassa:

“Rouse yourselves! Try harder!

‘Ārambhatha nikkamatha,

Devote yourselves to the teachings of the Buddha!

yuñjatha buddhasāsane;

Crush the army of Death,

Dhunātha maccuno senaṁ,

as an elephant a hut of reeds.

naḷāgāraṁva kuñjaro.

Whoever shall meditate diligently

Yo imasmiṁ dhammavinaye,

in this teaching and training,

appamatto vihassati;

giving up transmigration through rebirths,

Pahāya jātisaṁsāraṁ,

will make an end of suffering.”

dukkhassantaṁ karissatī’ti.

That’s what we heard, sir.’

‘Evaṁ kho mayaṁ, bhante, assumha abhibhussa bhikkhuno brahmaloke ṭhitassa gāthāyo bhāsamānassā’ti.

‘Good, good, bhikkhū!

‘Sādhu sādhu, bhikkhave;

It’s good that you heard the bhikkhu Abhibhū speaking this verse while standing in a Brahmā realm.’”

sādhu kho tumhe, bhikkhave, assuttha abhibhussa bhikkhuno brahmaloke ṭhitassa gāthāyo bhāsamānassā’”ti.

That is what the Buddha said. Satisfied, the bhikkhū were happy with what the Buddha said.

Idamavoca bhagavā, attamanā te bhikkhū bhagavato bhāsitaṁ abhinandunti.