SN 1–11 The Group of Connected Discourses With Verses – Sagāthāvaggasaṁyutta > SN 10 Connected Discourses with Spirits – Yakkhasaṁyutta > SN 10.8 With Sudatta

Linked Discourses 10.8 – Saṁyutta Nikāya 10.8

1. With Indaka – 1. Indakavagga

SN 10.8 With Sudatta – Sudattasutta

At one time the Buddha was staying near Rājagaha in the Cool Grove.

Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā rājagahe viharati sītavane.

Now at that time the householder Anāthapiṇḍika had arrived at Rājagaha on some business.

Tena kho pana samayena anāthapiṇḍiko gahapati rājagahaṁ anuppatto hoti kenacideva karaṇīyena.

He heard

Assosi kho anāthapiṇḍiko gahapati:

a rumor that a Buddha had arisen in the world.

“buddho kira loke uppanno”ti.

Right away he wanted to go and see the Buddha, but he thought,

Tāvadeva ca pana bhagavantaṁ dassanāya upasaṅkamitukāmo hoti. Athassa anāthapiṇḍikassa gahapatissa etadahosi:

“It’s too late to go and see the Buddha today.

“akālo kho ajja bhagavantaṁ dassanāya upasaṅkamituṁ.

I’ll go and see him tomorrow.” He went to bed thinking of the Buddha.

Sve dānāhaṁ kālena bhagavantaṁ dassanāya gamissāmī”ti buddhagatāya satiyā nipajji.

During the night he got up three times thinking it was morning.

Rattiyā sudaṁ tikkhattuṁ vuṭṭhāsi pabhātanti maññamāno.

Then he approached the Sivaka Gate,

Atha kho anāthapiṇḍiko gahapati yena sivathikadvāraṁ tenupasaṅkami.

and non-human beings opened it for him.

Amanussā dvāraṁ vivariṁsu.

But as he was leaving the city, light vanished and darkness appeared to him. He felt fear, terror, and goosebumps, and wanted to turn back.

Atha kho anāthapiṇḍikassa gahapatissa nagaramhā nikkhamantassa āloko antaradhāyi, andhakāro pāturahosi, bhayaṁ chambhitattaṁ lomahaṁso udapādi, tatova puna nivattitukāmo ahosi.

Then the invisible spirit Sivaka called out:

Atha kho sivako yakkho antarahito saddamanussāvesi:

“A hundred elephants, a hundred horses,

“Sataṁ hatthī sataṁ assā,

a hundred mule-drawn chariots,

Sataṁ assatarīrathā;

a hundred thousand maidens

Sataṁ kaññāsahassāni,

bedecked with jeweled earrings:

Āmukkamaṇikuṇḍalā;

these are not worth a sixteenth part

Ekassa padavītihārassa,

of a single forward stride!

Kalaṁ nāgghanti soḷasiṁ.

Forward, householder!

Abhikkama gahapati,

Forward, householder!

abhikkama gahapati;

Going forward is better for you,

Abhikkamanaṁ te seyyo,

not turning back!”

no paṭikkamanan”ti.

Then darkness vanished and light appeared to Anāthapiṇḍika. His fear, terror, and goosebumps settled down.

Atha kho anāthapiṇḍikassa gahapatissa andhakāro antaradhāyi, āloko pāturahosi, yaṁ ahosi bhayaṁ chambhitattaṁ lomahaṁso, so paṭippassambhi.

But for a second time, light vanished and darkness appeared to him. …

Dutiyampi kho anāthapiṇḍikassa gahapatissa āloko antaradhāyi, andhakāro pāturahosi, bhayaṁ chambhitattaṁ lomahaṁso udapādi, tatova puna nivattitukāmo ahosi.

For a second time the invisible spirit Sivaka called out …

Dutiyampi kho sivako yakkho antarahito saddamanussāvesi:

“Sataṁ hatthī sataṁ assā,

…pe…

Kalaṁ nāgghanti soḷasiṁ.

Abhikkama gahapati,

abhikkama gahapati;

“… Going forward is better for you,

Abhikkamanaṁ te seyyo,

not turning back!”

no paṭikkamanan”ti.

Then darkness vanished and light appeared to Anāthapiṇḍika. His fear, terror, and goosebumps settled down.

Atha kho anāthapiṇḍikassa gahapatissa andhakāro antaradhāyi, āloko pāturahosi, yaṁ ahosi bhayaṁ chambhitattaṁ lomahaṁso, so paṭippassambhi.

But for a third time, light vanished and darkness appeared to him. …

Tatiyampi kho anāthapiṇḍikassa gahapatissa āloko antaradhāyi, andhakāro pāturahosi, bhayaṁ chambhitattaṁ lomahaṁso udapādi, tatova puna nivattitukāmo ahosi.

For a third time the invisible spirit Sivaka called out …

Tatiyampi kho sivako yakkho antarahito saddamanussāvesi:

“Sataṁ hatthī sataṁ assā,

…pe…

Kalaṁ nāgghanti soḷasiṁ.

Abhikkama gahapati,

abhikkama gahapati;

“… Going forward is better for you,

Abhikkamanaṁ te seyyo,

not turning back!”

no paṭikkamanan”ti.

Then darkness vanished and light appeared to Anāthapiṇḍika. His fear, terror, and goosebumps settled down.

Atha kho anāthapiṇḍikassa gahapatissa andhakāro antaradhāyi, āloko pāturahosi, yaṁ ahosi bhayaṁ chambhitattaṁ lomahaṁso, so paṭippassambhi.

Then the householder Anāthapiṇḍika went to the Cool Grove and approached the Buddha.

Atha kho anāthapiṇḍiko gahapati yena sītavanaṁ yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami.

Now at that time the Buddha had risen at the crack of dawn and was walking mindfully in the open.

Tena kho pana samayena bhagavā rattiyā paccūsasamayaṁ paccuṭṭhāya abbhokāse caṅkamati.

He saw Anāthapiṇḍika coming off in the distance.

Addasā kho bhagavā anāthapiṇḍikaṁ gahapatiṁ dūratova āgacchantaṁ.

So he stepped down from the walking path, sat down on the seat spread out,

Disvāna caṅkamā orohitvā paññatte āsane nisīdi.

and said to Anāthapiṇḍika,

Nisajja kho bhagavā anāthapiṇḍikaṁ gahapatiṁ etadavoca:

“Come, Sudatta.”

“ehi, sudattā”ti.

Then Anāthapiṇḍika thought, “The Buddha calls me by name!” Smiling and elated, he bowed with his head at the Buddha’s feet and said to him,

Atha kho anāthapiṇḍiko gahapati, nāmena maṁ bhagavā ālapatīti, haṭṭho udaggo tattheva bhagavato pādesu sirasā nipatitvā bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:

“Sir, I trust the Buddha slept well?”

“kacci, bhante, bhagavā sukhamasayitthā”ti?

“A brahmin who is fully extinguished

“Sabbadā ve sukhaṁ seti,

always sleeps at ease.

brāhmaṇo parinibbuto;

Sensual pleasures slip off them,

Yo na limpati kāmesu,

they’re cooled, free of attachments.

sītibhūto nirūpadhi.

Since they’ve cut off all clinging,

Sabbā āsattiyo chetvā,

and removed the stress from the heart,

vineyya hadaye daraṁ;

the peaceful sleep at ease,

Upasanto sukhaṁ seti,

having found peace of mind.”

santiṁ pappuyya cetasā”ti.