SN 1–11 The Group of Connected Discourses With Verses – Sagāthāvaggasaṁyutta > SN 10 Connected Discourses with Spirits – Yakkhasaṁyutta > SN 10.1 With Indaka

Linked Discourses 10.1 – Saṁyutta Nikāya 10.1

1. With Indaka – 1. Indakavagga

SN 10.1 With Indaka – Indakasutta

So I have heard.

Evaṁ me sutaṁ—

At one time the Buddha was staying near Rājagaha on Mount Indra’s Peak, the haunt of the native spirit Indaka.

ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā rājagahe viharati indakūṭe pabbate, indakassa yakkhassa bhavane.

Then the native spirit Indaka went up to the Buddha, and addressed him in verse:

Atha kho indako yakkho yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ gāthāya ajjhabhāsi:

“The Buddhas say that form is not the soul.

“Rūpaṁ na jīvanti vadanti buddhā,

Then how does this body manifest?

Kathaṁ nvayaṁ vindatimaṁ sarīraṁ;

Where do the bones and liver come from?

Kutassa aṭṭhīyakapiṇḍameti,

And how does one cling on in the womb?”

Kathaṁ nvayaṁ sajjati gabbharasmin”ti.

“First there’s a drop of coagulate;

“Paṭhamaṁ kalalaṁ hoti,

from there a little bud appears;

kalalā hoti abbudaṁ;

next it becomes a piece of flesh;

Abbudā jāyate pesi,

which produces a swelling.

pesi nibbattatī ghano;

From that swelling the limbs appear,

Ghanā pasākhā jāyanti,

the head hair, body hair, and teeth.

kesā lomā nakhāpi ca.

And whatever the mother eats—

Yañcassa bhuñjatī mātā,

the food and drink that she consumes—

annaṁ pānañca bhojanaṁ;

nourishes them there,

Tena so tattha yāpeti,

the person in the mother’s womb.”

mātukucchigato naro”ti.