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SN 15.20PTS SN 2.1903 min read

Mount Vepulla

Vepullapabbatasutta

The Buddha recounts how peoples of the past had different names for the mountains of Rājagaha. Yet now they have all gone.

Translated by Bhikkhu Sujato · Pāli: Mahāsaṅgīti Tipiṭaka · Public domain (CC0) via SuttaCentral

  • 0.1Saṁyutta Nikāya 15.20Linked Discourses 15.20
  • 0.22. Dutiyavagga2. Chapter Two

0.3VepullapabbatasuttaMount Vepulla

1.1Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā rājagahe viharati gijjhakūṭe pabbate.At one time the Buddha was staying near Rājagaha, on the Vulture’s Peak Mountain.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:

2.1PTS 2.191“Anamataggoyaṁ, bhikkhave, saṁsāro.“Mendicants, this transmigration has no known beginning.2.2Pubbā koṭi na paññāyati avijjānīvaraṇānaṁ sattānaṁ taṇhāsaṁyojanānaṁ sandhāvataṁ saṁsarataṁ.No first point is found of sentient beings roaming and transmigrating, shrouded by ignorance and fettered by craving.2.3Bhūtapubbaṁ, bhikkhave, imassa vepullassa pabbatassa ‘pācīnavaṁso’tveva samaññā udapādi.Once upon a time, mendicants, this Mount Vepulla was known as Pācīnavaṁsa.12.4Tena kho pana, bhikkhave, samayena manussānaṁ ‘tivarā’tveva samaññā udapādi.And at that time people were known as Tivaras.22.5Tivarānaṁ, bhikkhave, manussānaṁ cattārīsa vassasahassāni āyuppamāṇaṁ ahosi.The lifespan of the Tivaras was 40,000 years.32.6Tivarā, bhikkhave, manussā pācīnavaṁsaṁ pabbataṁ catūhena ārohanti, catūhena orohanti.It took them four days to climb Mount Vepulla, and four days to descend.2.7Tena kho pana, bhikkhave, samayena kakusandho bhagavā arahaṁ sammāsambuddho loke uppanno hoti.At that time Kakusandha, the Blessed One, the perfected one, the fully awakened Buddha arose in the world.42.8Kakusandhassa, bhikkhave, bhagavato arahato sammāsambuddhassa vidhurasañjīvaṁ nāma sāvakayugaṁ ahosi aggaṁ bhaddayugaṁ.Kakusandha had a fine pair of chief disciples named Vidhura and Sañjīva.52.9Passatha, bhikkhave, sā cevimassa pabbatassa samaññā antarahitā, te ca manussā kālaṅkatā, so ca bhagavā parinibbuto.See, mendicants! This mountain’s name has vanished, those people have passed away, and that Buddha has become fully quenched.2.10Evaṁ aniccā, bhikkhave, saṅkhārā;So impermanent are conditions,2.11evaṁ addhuvā, bhikkhave, saṅkhārā;so unstable are conditions,2.12evaṁ anassāsikā, bhikkhave, saṅkhārā.so unreliable are conditions.2.13Yāvañcidaṁ, bhikkhave, alameva sabbasaṅkhāresu nibbindituṁ, alaṁ virajjituṁ, alaṁ vimuccituṁ.This is quite enough for you to become disillusioned, dispassionate, and freed regarding all conditions.

3.1Bhūtapubbaṁ, bhikkhave, imassa vepullassa pabbatassa ‘vaṅkako’tveva samaññā udapādi.Once upon a time this Mount Vepulla was known as Vaṅkaka.3.2Tena kho pana, bhikkhave, samayena manussānaṁ ‘rohitassā’tveva samaññā udapādi.And at that time people were known as Rohitassas.63.3Rohitassānaṁ, bhikkhave, manussānaṁ tiṁsavassasahassāni āyuppamāṇaṁ ahosi.The lifespan of the Rohitassas was 30,000 years.3.4Rohitassā, bhikkhave, manussā vaṅkakaṁ pabbataṁ tīhena ārohanti, tīhena orohanti.It took them three days to climb Mount Vepulla, and three days to descend.3.5Tena kho pana, bhikkhave, samayena koṇāgamano bhagavā arahaṁ sammāsambuddho loke uppanno hoti.At that time Koṇāgamana, the Blessed One, the perfected one, the fully awakened Buddha arose in the world.73.6Koṇāgamanassa, bhikkhave, bhagavato arahato sammāsambuddhassa bhiyyosuttaraṁ nāma sāvakayugaṁ ahosi aggaṁ bhaddayugaṁ.Koṇāgamana had a fine pair of chief disciples named Bhiyyosa and Uttara.3.7Passatha, bhikkhave, sā cevimassa pabbatassa samaññā antarahitā, te ca manussā kālaṅkatā, so ca bhagavā parinibbuto.See, mendicants! This mountain’s name has vanished, those people have passed away, and that Buddha has become fully quenched.3.8Evaṁ aniccā, bhikkhave, saṅkhārā …pe…So impermanent are conditions …3.9alaṁ vimuccituṁ.

4.1Bhūtapubbaṁ, bhikkhave, imassa vepullassa pabbatassa ‘supasso’tveva samaññā udapādi.Once upon a time this Mount Vepulla was known as Supassa.84.2Tena kho pana, bhikkhave, samayena manussānaṁ ‘suppiyā’tveva samaññā udapādi.And at that time people were known as Suppiyas.94.3Suppiyānaṁ, bhikkhave, manussānaṁ vīsativassasahassāni āyuppamāṇaṁ ahosi.The lifespan of the Suppiyas was 20,000 years.4.4Suppiyā, bhikkhave, manussā supassaṁ pabbataṁ dvīhena ārohanti, dvīhena orohanti.It took them two days to climb Mount Vepulla, and two days to descend.4.5Tena kho pana, bhikkhave, samayena kassapo bhagavā arahaṁ sammāsambuddho loke uppanno hoti.At that time Kassapa, the Blessed One, the perfected one, the fully awakened Buddha arose in the world.104.6Kassapassa, bhikkhave, bhagavato arahato sammāsambuddhassa tissabhāradvājaṁ nāma sāvakayugaṁ ahosi aggaṁ bhaddayugaṁ.Kassapa had a fine pair of chief disciples named Tissa and Bhāradvāja.4.7Passatha, bhikkhave, sā cevimassa pabbatassa samaññā antarahitā, te ca manussā kālaṅkatā, so ca bhagavā parinibbuto.See, mendicants! This mountain’s name has vanished, those people have passed away, and that Buddha has become fully quenched.4.8Evaṁ aniccā, bhikkhave, saṅkhārā;So impermanent are conditions …4.9evaṁ addhuvā, bhikkhave, saṅkhārā …pe…4.10alaṁ vimuccituṁ.

5.1PTS 2.193Etarahi kho pana, bhikkhave, imassa vepullassa pabbatassa ‘vepullo’tveva samaññā udapādi.These days this Mount Vepulla is known as Vepulla.5.2Etarahi kho pana, bhikkhave, imesaṁ manussānaṁ ‘māgadhakā’tveva samaññā udapādi.And these people are known as Magadhans.5.3Māgadhakānaṁ, bhikkhave, manussānaṁ appakaṁ āyuppamāṇaṁ parittaṁ lahukaṁ;The lifespan of the Magadhans is short, brief, and fleeting.5.4yo ciraṁ jīvati so vassasataṁ appaṁ vā bhiyyo.A long life is a hundred years or a little more.5.5Māgadhakā, bhikkhave, manussā vepullaṁ pabbataṁ muhuttena ārohanti muhuttena orohanti.It takes the Magadhans an hour to climb Mount Vepulla, and an hour to descend.115.6Etarahi kho panāhaṁ, bhikkhave, arahaṁ sammāsambuddho loke uppanno.And now I am the Blessed One, the perfected one, the fully awakened Buddha who has arisen in the world.5.7Mayhaṁ kho pana, bhikkhave, sāriputtamoggallānaṁ nāma sāvakayugaṁ aggaṁ bhaddayugaṁ.I have a fine pair of chief disciples named Sāriputta and Moggallāna.5.8Bhavissati, bhikkhave, so samayo yā ayañcevimassa pabbatassa samaññā antaradhāyissati, ime ca manussā kālaṁ karissanti, ahañca parinibbāyissāmi.There will come a time when this mountain’s name will vanish, those people will die, and I will be fully extinguished.5.9Evaṁ aniccā, bhikkhave, saṅkhārā;So impermanent are conditions,5.10evaṁ addhuvā, bhikkhave, saṅkhārā;so unstable are conditions,5.11evaṁ anassāsikā, bhikkhave, saṅkhārā.so unreliable are conditions.5.12Yāvañcidaṁ, bhikkhave, alameva sabbasaṅkhāresu nibbindituṁ, alaṁ virajjituṁ, alaṁ vimuccitun”ti.This is quite enough for you to become disillusioned, dispassionate, and freed regarding all conditions.”

6.1Idamavoca bhagavā.That is what the Buddha said.6.2Idaṁ vatvāna sugato athāparaṁ etadavoca satthā:Then the Holy One, the Teacher, went on to say:

7.1“Pācīnavaṁso tivarānaṁ,“For the Tivaras it was Pācīnavaṁsa,7.2rohitassāna vaṅkako;for the Rohitassas, Vaṅkaka,7.3Suppiyānaṁ supassoti,Supassa for the Suppiyas,7.4māgadhānañca vepullo.and Vepulla for the Magadhans.

8.1Aniccā vata saṅkhārā,Oh! Conditions are impermanent,8.2uppādavayadhammino;their nature is to rise and fall;8.3Uppajjitvā nirujjhanti,having arisen, they cease;8.4tesaṁ vūpasamo sukho”ti.their settling is such bliss.”

8.5Dasamaṁ.

8.6Dutiyo vaggo.

9.0Tassuddānaṁ

9.1Duggataṁ sukhitañceva,9.2tiṁsa mātāpitena ca;9.3Bhātā bhaginī putto ca,9.4dhītā vepullapabbataṁ.

9.5Anamataggasaṁyuttaṁ samattaṁ.The Linked Discourses on the unknown beginning are complete.

Translator’s notes

  1. For Vepulla, see SN 15.10:2.2.

    A pācīnavaṁsa was a hall or shed built for the ritual, with bamboo (vaṁsa) beams running easterly (pācīna; Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa 3.1.1.6 and Eggeling’s note). Perhaps the mountain was noted as the site for the introduction of this ritual institution. In the Buddha’s day, there was a “Park of the East-Raftered Hall” in Cetī (MN 128:8.1, AN 8.30:1.2).

    ↩ sn15.20:2.3

  2. Tivara may be connected to Vedic trivarūtha, the “triple defence”. This may be connected with the fortifications for which Rājagaha is famous. But by Vedic times it acquired a religious sense, here suggesting the people who have the protection of the gods due to their correct performance of the ritual in their hall. The “triple defence” can be seen as a precursor of the Buddhist triple refuge.

    ↩ sn15.20:2.4

  3. For the long lifespans of humans in the past, see AN 7.74:9.1. Declining lifespans are charted at DN 26:14.2.

    ↩ sn15.20:2.5

  4. Kakusandha and the other Buddhas are mentioned at SN 12.7–10. His lifespan of 40,000 years is confirmed at DN 14:1.7.4.

    ↩ sn15.20:2.7

  5. The pairs of disciples are listed at DN 14:1.9.1. A story of Sañjīva is given at MN 50:9.2.

    ↩ sn15.20:2.8

  6. These two terms are found in Rig Veda 4.6.9, “red horses going straight, going well” (rohitāsa ṛjvañcaḥ svañcaḥ), where rohitassa is the “red horse” of the sunbeams (SN 2.26), and Sanskrit vañca is evidently found in Pali vaṅka in the sense “going” (unless it is from vañcati, “fire”). Perhaps the mountain was named for the flashing beams of sunlight that broke over it at dawn.

    ↩ sn15.20:3.2

  7. His lifespan is confirmed at DN 14:1.7.5.

    ↩ sn15.20:3.5

  8. Supassa is “Fairslope”, a name used for several mountains, including one on the eastern side of mount Meru.

    ↩ sn15.20:4.1

  9. The “well-loved”.

    ↩ sn15.20:4.2

  10. Stories of Kassapa, the Buddha immediately preceding Gotama, are found at MN 81 and AN 5.180. His lifespan is given at DN 14:1.7.6.

    ↩ sn15.20:4.5

  11. Kauṭilya says there are fifteen muhuttas (Sanskrit muhūrta) per day, and fifteen per night, making 48 minutes (Arthaśāstra 2.20.37).

    ↩ sn15.20:5.5