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SN 2.18PTS (1st ed) SN 1.541 min read

With Kakudha

Kakudhasutta

At Sāketa the god Kakudha asks the Buddha if he delights or sorrows. The Buddha replies that since he has no attachments he neither delights nor sorrows.

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

  • 0.1Saṁyutta Nikāya 2.18Linked Discourses 2.18
  • 0.22. Anāthapiṇḍikavagga2. With Anāthapiṇḍika

0.3KakudhasuttaWith Kakudha

1.1Evaṁ me sutaṁ—So I have heard.1.2ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sākete viharati añjanavane migadāye.At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāketa in the deer park at the Añjana Wood.1

1.3Atha kho kakudho devaputto abhikkantāya rattiyā abhikkantavaṇṇo kevalakappaṁ añjanavanaṁ obhāsetvā yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ aṭṭhāsi. Ekamantaṁ ṭhito kho kakudho devaputto bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:Then, late at night, the glorious godling Kakudha, lighting up the entire Añjana Wood, went up to the Buddha, bowed, stood to one side, and said to him,21.4“nandasi, samaṇā”ti?“Do you delight, ascetic?”

1.5“Kiṁ laddhā, āvuso”ti?“What have I gained, sir?”

1.6“Tena hi, samaṇa, socasī”ti?“Well then, ascetic, do you sorrow?”

1.7“Kiṁ jīyittha, āvuso”ti?“What have I lost, sir?”

1.8“Tena hi, samaṇa, neva nandasi na ca socasī”ti?“Well then, ascetic, do you neither delight nor sorrow?”

1.9“Evamāvuso”ti.“Yes, sir.”

2.1“Kacci tvaṁ anagho bhikkhu,“I hope you’re not gloomy, mendicant,32.2kacci nandī na vijjati;I hope that delight isn’t found in you.2.3Kacci taṁ ekamāsīnaṁ,I hope that discontent doesn’t2.4aratī nābhikīratī”ti.overwhelm you as you sit alone.”

3.1“Anagho ve ahaṁ yakkha,“I’m genuinely not gloomy, spirit,3.2atho nandī na vijjati;and no delight is found in me.3.3Atho maṁ ekamāsīnaṁ,And also discontent doesn’t3.4aratī nābhikīratī”ti.overwhelm me as I sit alone.”

4.1“Kathaṁ tvaṁ anagho bhikkhu,“How are you not gloomy, mendicant?4.2kathaṁ nandī na vijjati;How is delight not found in you?4.3Kathaṁ taṁ ekamāsīnaṁ,How does discontent not4.4aratī nābhikīratī”ti.overwhelm you as you sit alone?”

5.1“Aghajātassa ve nandī,“Delight is born from gloom,5.2nandījātassa ve aghaṁ;gloom is born from delight;5.3Anandī anagho bhikkhu,sir, you should know me as5.4evaṁ jānāhi āvuso”ti.a mendicant free of delight and gloom.”

6.1“Cirassaṁ vata passāmi,“After a long time I see6.2brāhmaṇaṁ parinibbutaṁ;a brahmin fully quenched.6.3Anandiṁ anaghaṁ bhikkhuṁ,A mendicant free of delight and gloom,6.4tiṇṇaṁ loke visattikan”ti.he has crossed over clinging to the world.”

Translator’s notes

  1. Sāketa was one of the great cities (DN 17:1.2.4), a former capital of Kosala, and a regular stop on the road near Sāvatthī (SN 44.1:1.2, MN 24:14.11, Snp 5.1:37.1). Situated on the banks of the Sarabhū (modern Sarayu), it is identified with the modern city of Ayodhya, about 95 km south of Sāvatthī. See also note on SN 22.95:1.1.

    Añjana means “antimony”, and the kohl eyeliner made from it. It’s used for several place names, perhaps evoking the dark color. The Añjana is one of several forests near Sāketa where ascetics would stay.

    ↩ sn2.18:1.2

  2. A deity of this name, identified as a former Koliyan who had been Mahāmoggallāna’s supporter, reports on Devadatta’s ill intent (AN 5.100, Ud 8.5, Kd 17:2.2.1). Both discourses show a concern for ascetic conduct. At Kd 1:20.2.3, a deity is living in a kakudha tree (arjuna).

    There was a river of similar name near Kusināra (DN 16:4.22.5), which could well have flowed through Koliyan country. Variant spellings abound in Pali and Sanskrit.

    ↩ sn2.18:1.3

  3. The paralleling of agha with soka (“sorrow”) here as the opposites of “delight” help establish the Pali sense of agha as “gloom” rather than the Vedic “sin”.

    ↩ sn2.18:2.1