1.1Sāvatthiyaṁ.At Sāvatthī.

1.2“Sakkassa, bhikkhave, devānamindassa pubbe manussabhūtassa satta vatapadāni samattāni samādinnāni ahesuṁ, yesaṁ samādinnattā sakko sakkattaṁ ajjhagā.“Mendicants, in a former life, when Sakka was a human being, he undertook seven vows. And it was because of undertaking these that he achieved the status of Sakka.¹1.3Katamāni satta vatapadāni?What seven?²

1.4Yāvajīvaṁ mātāpettibharo assaṁ,As long as I live, may I support my parents.1.5yāvajīvaṁ kule jeṭṭhāpacāyī assaṁ,As long as I live, may I honor the elders in the family.1.6yāvajīvaṁ saṇhavāco assaṁ,As long as I live, may I speak gently.1.7yāvajīvaṁ apisuṇavāco assaṁ,As long as I live, may I not backbite.1.8yāvajīvaṁ vigatamalamaccherena cetasā agāraṁ ajjhāvaseyyaṁ muttacāgo payatapāṇi vossaggarato yācayogo dānasaṁvibhāgarato,As long as I live, may I live at home with heart rid of the stain of stinginess, freely generous, open-handed, loving to let go, committed to charity, loving to give and to share.1.9yāvajīvaṁ saccavāco assaṁ,As long as I live, may I speak the truth.1.10yāvajīvaṁ akkodhano assaṁ—sacepi me kodho uppajjeyya, khippameva naṁ paṭivineyyanti.As long as I live, may I be free of anger, or should anger arise, may I quickly get rid of it.

1.11Sakkassa, bhikkhave, devānamindassa pubbe manussabhūtassa imāni satta vatapadāni samattāni samādinnāni ahesuṁ, yesaṁ samādinnattā sakko sakkattaṁ ajjhagāti.In a former life, when Sakka was a human being, he undertook seven vows. And it was because of undertaking these that he achieved the status of Sakka.

2.1Mātāpettibharaṁ jantuṁ,A child who respects their parents,³2.2kule jeṭṭhāpacāyinaṁ;and honors the elders in the family,2.3Saṇhaṁ sakhilasambhāsaṁ,whose speech is gentle and courteous,2.4pesuṇeyyappahāyinaṁ.and has given up backbiting;

3.1Maccheravinaye yuttaṁ,who’s committed to getting rid of stinginess,3.2saccaṁ kodhābhibhuṁ naraṁ;is truthful, and has mastered anger:3.3Taṁ ve devā tāvatiṁsā,the gods of the thirty-three declare3.4āhu sappuriso itī”ti.them to be a true person.”