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SN 2.30PTS (1st ed) SN 1.652 min read

The Disciples of Various Monastics of Other Religions

Nānātitthiyasāvakasutta

A series of deities who had formerly been ascetics in the non-Buddhist sects came to the Buddha, speaking verses in praise—or occasional criticism—of their former teachers.

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

  • 0.1Saṁyutta Nikāya 2.30Linked Discourses 2.30
  • 0.23. Nānātitthiyavagga3. Various Sectarians

0.3NānātitthiyasāvakasuttaThe Disciples of Various Monastics of Other Religions

1.1Evaṁ me sutaṁ—So I have heard.1.2ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā rājagahe viharati veḷuvane kalandakanivāpe.At one time the Buddha was staying near Rājagaha in the Bamboo Grove, the squirrels’ feeding ground.

1.3Atha kho sambahulā nānātitthiyasāvakā devaputtā asamo ca sahali ca nīko ca ākoṭako ca vegabbhari ca māṇavagāmiyo ca abhikkantāya rattiyā abhikkantavaṇṇā kevalakappaṁ veḷuvanaṁ obhāsetvā yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkamiṁsu; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ aṭṭhaṁsu.Then, late at night, several glorious godlings lit up the entire Bamboo Grove. They were Asama, Sahalī, Niṅka, Ākoṭaka, Veṭambarī, and Māṇavagāmiya, and all of them were disciples of various monastics of other religions. They went up to the Buddha, bowed, and stood to one side.1

1.4Ekamantaṁ ṭhito kho asamo devaputto pūraṇaṁ kassapaṁ ārabbha bhagavato santike imaṁ gāthaṁ abhāsi:Standing to one side, the godling Asama spoke this verse about Pūraṇa Kassapa in the Buddha’s presence:2

2.1“Idha chinditamārite,“In injuring and killing here,2.2Hatajānīsu kassapo;in beating and extortion,2.3Na pāpaṁ samanupassati,Kassapa saw no evil,2.4Puññaṁ vā pana attano;nor any merit for oneself.2.5Sa ve vissāsamācikkhi,What he taught should truly be trusted,2.6Satthā arahati mānanan”ti.he’s worthy of esteem as Teacher.”3

3.1Atha kho sahali devaputto makkhaliṁ gosālaṁ ārabbha bhagavato santike imaṁ gāthaṁ abhāsi:Then the godling Sahalī spoke this verse about the bamboo-staffed ascetic Gosāla in the Buddha’s presence:4

4.1“Tapojigucchāya susaṁvutatto,“Through fervent mortification in disgust of sin he became well restrained.4.2Vācaṁ pahāya kalahaṁ janena;He gave up quarreling with people.4.3Samosavajjā virato saccavādī,Refraining from false speech, he spoke the truth.4.4Na hi nūna tādisaṁ karoti pāpan”ti.Surely such a man does no wrong!”

5.1Atha kho nīko devaputto nigaṇṭhaṁ nāṭaputtaṁ ārabbha bhagavato santike imaṁ gāthaṁ abhāsi:Then the godling Niṅka spoke this verse about the Jain ascetic of the Ñātika clan in the Buddha’s presence:

6.1“Jegucchī nipako bhikkhu,“Disgusted at sin, an alert mendicant,6.2Cātuyāmasusaṁvuto;well restrained in the fourfold constraint;56.3Diṭṭhaṁ sutañca ācikkhaṁ,explaining what is seen and heard:6.4Na hi nūna kibbisī siyā”ti.surely he can be no sinner!”

7.1Atha kho ākoṭako devaputto nānātitthiye ārabbha bhagavato santike imaṁ gāthaṁ abhāsi:Then the godling Ākoṭaka spoke this verse about various sectarian teachers in the Buddha’s presence:6

8.1“Pakudhako kātiyāno nigaṇṭho,“Pakudhaka Kātiyāna and the Jain ascetic,78.2Ye cāpime makkhalipūraṇāse;as well as this bamboo-staffed ascetic and Pūraṇa:8.3Gaṇassa satthāro sāmaññappattā,Teachers of communities, attained ascetics,8.4Na hi nūna te sappurisehi dūre”ti.surely they weren’t far from truly good men!”

9.1Atha kho vegabbhari devaputto ākoṭakaṁ devaputtaṁ gāthāya paccabhāsi:Then the godling Veṭambarī replied to the godling Ākoṭaka in verse:8

10.1“Sahācaritena chavo sigālo,“Though the wretched jackal howls along,10.2Na kotthuko sīhasamo kadāci;it never equals the lion.10.3Naggo musāvādī gaṇassa satthā,A nude liar with suspicious conduct,10.4Saṅkassarācāro na sataṁ sarikkho”ti.though they teach a community, is not like the good.”

11.1Atha kho māro pāpimā begabbhariṁ devaputtaṁ anvāvisitvā bhagavato santike imaṁ gāthaṁ abhāsi:Then Māra the Wicked took possession of the godling Veṭambarī and spoke this verse in the Buddha’s presence:

12.1“Tapojigucchāya āyuttā,“Those dedicated to mortification in disgust of sin,12.2pālayaṁ pavivekiyaṁ;safeguarding their seclusion,12.3Rūpe ca ye niviṭṭhāse,entrenched in form,12.4devalokābhinandino;they rejoice in the heavenly realm.12.5Te ve sammānusāsanti,Indeed, those mortals give correct instructions12.6paralokāya mātiyā”ti.regarding the next world.”

13.1Atha kho bhagavā “māro ayaṁ pāpimā” iti viditvā, māraṁ pāpimantaṁ gāthāya paccabhāsi:Then the Buddha, knowing that this was Māra the Wicked, replied to him in verse:

14.1“Ye keci rūpā idha vā huraṁ vā,“Whatever forms there are in this life or the next,14.2Ye cantalikkhasmiṁ pabhāsavaṇṇā;and those of shining beauty in the sky,14.3Sabbeva te te namucippasatthā,all of these you praise, Namuci,14.4Āmisaṁva macchānaṁ vadhāya khittā”ti.like bait tossed out for catching fish.”

15.1Atha kho māṇavagāmiyo devaputto bhagavantaṁ ārabbha bhagavato santike imā gāthāyo abhāsi:Then the godling Māṇavagāmiya spoke this verse about the Buddha in his presence:9

16.1“Vipulo rājagahīyānaṁ,“Of all the mountains of Rājagaha,16.2giri seṭṭho pavuccati;Vepulla’s said to be the best.16.3Seto himavataṁ seṭṭho,Seta is the best of the Himalayan peaks,16.4ādicco aghagāminaṁ.and the sun, of travelers in space.

17.1Samuddo udadhinaṁ seṭṭho,The ocean is the best of seas,17.2nakkhattānaṁva candimā;and the moon, of lights that shine at night.17.3Sadevakassa lokassa,But in all the world with its gods,17.4buddho aggo pavuccatī”ti.the Buddha is declared foremost.”

17.5Nānātitthiyavaggo tatiyo.

18.0Tassuddānaṁ

18.1Sivo khemo ca serī ca,18.2Ghaṭī jantu ca rohito;18.3Nando nandivisālo ca,18.4Susimo nānātitthiyena te dasāti.

18.5Devaputtasaṁyuttaṁ samattaṁ.The Linked Discourses on Godlings are complete.

Translator’s notes

  1. Most of these individuals are unknown elsewhere.

    For detailed presentations of the sectarian teachings that follow, see DN 2.

    ↩ sn2.30:1.3

  2. “Peerless”.

    ↩ sn2.30:1.4

  3. This is regarded as a pernicious wrong view, which results in rebirth in hell. This shows the complexity of kamma, as Asama must have done some other good kamma to be reborn as a godling.

    ↩ sn2.30:2.6

  4. A group of gods of this name (meaning “with plough”?) appeared alongside Vishnu at DN 20:14.1.

    ↩ sn2.30:3.1

  5. For this Jain teaching see DN 2:29.4, DN 25:16.3

    ↩ sn2.30:6.2

  6. “Pounder”.

    ↩ sn2.30:7.1

  7. Pakudhaka Kātiyāna is a variant spelling of Pakudha Kaccāyana.

    ↩ sn2.30:8.1

  8. Variant spelling vegabbhari.

    ↩ sn2.30:9.1

  9. The celebration of Namuci’s defeat by Māṇavagāmiya is a striking verbal allusion to Rig Veda 5.30.7c, where the defeat of Namuci opened the way for “the progress of Manu” (manave gātum, Rig Veda 5.30.7c), i.e. the spread of the Aryan peoples who were Manu’s children. Reading Pali gāmiya as a secondary derivation from gama, “going”, yields the sense, “The Progress of Manu’s Children”. Here the term can have the Buddhist sense of the path of the Aryans.

    ↩ sn2.30:15.1