1.1Sāvatthiyaṁ.At Sāvatthī.¹

1.2Tatra kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi:There the Buddha addressed the mendicants,1.3“bhikkhavo”ti.“Mendicants!”

1.4“Bhadante”ti te bhikkhū bhagavato paccassosuṁ.“Venerable sir,” they replied.1.5Bhagavā etadavoca:The Buddha said this:

2.1“Bhūtapubbaṁ, bhikkhave, asurā deve abhiyaṁsu.“Once upon a time, mendicants, the titans marched against the gods.

2.2Atha kho, bhikkhave, sakko devānamindo susīmaṁ devaputtaṁ āmantesi:Then Sakka, lord of gods, addressed the godling Susīma,²2.3‘ete, tāta susīma, asurā deve abhiyanti.‘Dear Susīma, the titans march against the gods!2.4Gaccha, tāta susīma, asure paccuyyāhī’ti.Go, and march against the titans!’

2.5‘Evaṁ, bhaddantavā’ti kho, bhikkhave, susīmo devaputto sakkassa devānamindassa paṭissutvā pamādaṁ āpādesi.‘Yes, lord,’ replied Susīma. But he fell into negligence.

2.6Dutiyampi kho, bhikkhave, sakko devānamindo susīmaṁ devaputtaṁ āmantesi …pe…For a second time …2.7dutiyampi pamādaṁ āpādesi.

2.8Tatiyampi kho, bhikkhave, sakko devānamindo susīmaṁ devaputtaṁ āmantesi …pe…For a third time …2.9tatiyampi pamādaṁ āpādesi.

2.10Atha kho, bhikkhave, sakko devānamindo susīmaṁ devaputtaṁ gāthāya ajjhabhāsi:Then Sakka addressed the godling Susīma in verse:

3.1‘Anuṭṭhahaṁ avāyāmaṁ,‘Susīma, go to that place3.2sukhaṁ yatrādhigacchati;where you can achieve happiness3.3Susīma tattha gacchāhi,without working for it or trying hard—3.4mañca tattheva pāpayā’ti.and take me with you!’

4.1‘Alasvassa anuṭṭhātā,‘That a lazy man who does no work,4.2na ca kiccāni kāraye;and doesn’t do his duty,4.3Sabbakāmasamiddhassa,should fulfill all his desires:4.4taṁ me sakka varaṁ disā’ti.Sakka, render me this boon!’

5.1‘Yatthālaso anuṭṭhātā,‘Susīma, go to that place5.2accantaṁ sukhamedhati;where a lazy man who does no work5.3Susīma tattha gacchāhi,prospers in unending happiness—5.4mañca tattheva pāpayā’ti.and take me with you!’

6.1‘Akammunā devaseṭṭha,‘O Sakka, first among gods,6.2sakka vindemu yaṁ sukhaṁ;that we might find the happiness6.3Asokaṁ anupāyāsaṁ,that’s sorrowless, unstressed:6.4taṁ me sakka varaṁ disā’ti.Sakka, render me this boon!’

7.1‘Sace atthi akammena,‘If there exists anywhere a place7.2koci kvaci na jīvati;where one can live happily without working,7.3Nibbānassa hi so maggo,that surely would be extinguishment’s path!7.4susīma tattha gacchāhi;Susīma, go to that place7.5Mañca tattheva pāpayā’ti.and take me with you!’

8.1So hi nāma, bhikkhave, sakko devānamindo sakaṁ puññaphalaṁ upajīvamāno devānaṁ tāvatiṁsānaṁ issariyādhipaccaṁ rajjaṁ kārento uṭṭhānavīriyassa vaṇṇavādī bhavissati.Since, mendicants, even that Sakka, lord of gods—while living off of the fruit of his good deeds, and ruling as sovereign lord over these gods of the thirty-three—will speak in praise of initiative and energy,8.2Idha kho taṁ, bhikkhave, sobhetha, yaṁ tumhe evaṁ svākkhāte dhammavinaye pabbajitā samānā uṭṭhaheyyātha ghaṭeyyātha vāyameyyātha appattassa pattiyā, anadhigatassa adhigamāya, asacchikatassa sacchikiriyāyā”ti.you can excel at this, for you who have gone forth in such a well explained teaching and training can try hard, strive, and make an effort to attain the unattained, achieve the unachieved, and realize the unrealized.”