SN 1–11 The Group of Connected Discourses With Verses – Sagāthāvaggasaṁyutta > SN 9 Connected Discourses in the Woods – Vanasaṁyutta > SN 9.3 With Kassapagotta

Linked Discourses 9.3 – Saṁyutta Nikāya 9.3

1. In the Woods – 1. Vanavagga

SN 9.3 With Kassapagotta – Kassapagottasutta

At one time Venerable Kassapagotta was staying in the land of the Kosalans in a certain forest grove.

Ekaṁ samayaṁ āyasmā kassapagotto kosalesu viharati aññatarasmiṁ vanasaṇḍe.

Now at that time Venerable Kassapagotta, having withdrawn for his day’s meditation, tried to advise a tribal hunter.

Tena kho pana samayena āyasmā kassapagotto divāvihāragato aññataraṁ chetaṁ ovadati.

Then the deity haunting that forest approached Kassapagotta wanting to stir him up, and recited these verses:

Atha kho yā tasmiṁ vanasaṇḍe adhivatthā devatā āyasmantaṁ kassapagottaṁ saṁvejetukāmā yenāyasmā kassapagotto tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmantaṁ kassapagottaṁ gāthāhi ajjhabhāsi:

“A tribal hunter wandering the rugged hills

“Giriduggacaraṁ chetaṁ,

is unintelligent, unthinking.

appapaññaṁ acetasaṁ;

It’s a waste of time to advise him;

Akāle ovadaṁ bhikkhu,

this bhikkhu seems to me like an idiot.

mandova paṭibhāti maṁ.

The tribal hunter listens without understanding,

Suṇāti na vijānāti,

he looks without seeing.

Āloketi na passati;

Though the teaching is spoken,

Dhammasmiṁ bhaññamānasmiṁ,

the fool doesn’t get it.

Atthaṁ bālo na bujjhati.

Even if you lit ten lamps

Sacepi dasa pajjote,

and brought them to him, Kassapa,

dhārayissasi kassapa;

he wouldn’t see anything,

Neva dakkhati rūpāni,

for he has no eyes to see.”

cakkhu hissa na vijjatī”ti.

Impelled by that deity, Venerable Kassapagotta was struck with a sense of urgency.

Atha kho āyasmā kassapagotto tāya devatāya saṁvejito saṁvegamāpādīti.