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SN 29.2PTS SN 3.2401 min read

Better

Paṇītatarasutta

Dragons may be born from eggs, the womb, moisture, or spontaneously. Those born spontaneously are the best.

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

  • 0.1Saṁyutta Nikāya 29.2Linked Discourses 29.2
  • 0.21. Nāgavagga1. Dragons

0.3PaṇītatarasuttaBetter

1.1PTS 3.241Sāvatthinidānaṁ.At Sāvatthī.

1.2“Catasso imā, bhikkhave, nāgayoniyo.“Mendicants, dragons reproduce in these four ways.1.3Katamā catasso?What four?1.4Aṇḍajā nāgā, jalābujā nāgā, saṁsedajā nāgā, opapātikā nāgā.Dragons are born from an egg, from a womb, from moisture, or spontaneously.1.5Tatra, bhikkhave, aṇḍajehi nāgehi jalābujā ca saṁsedajā ca opapātikā ca nāgā paṇītatarā.Of these, dragons born from a womb, from moisture, or spontaneously are better than those born from an egg.1.6Tatra, bhikkhave, aṇḍajehi ca jalābujehi ca nāgehi saṁsedajā ca opapātikā ca nāgā paṇītatarā.Dragons born from moisture or spontaneously are better than those born from an egg or from a womb.1.7Tatra, bhikkhave, aṇḍajehi ca jalābujehi ca saṁsedajehi ca nāgehi opapātikā nāgā paṇītatarā.Dragons born spontaneously are better than those born from an egg, from a womb, or from moisture.11.8Imā kho, bhikkhave, catasso nāgayoniyo”ti.These are the four ways that dragons reproduce.”

1.9Dutiyaṁ.

Translator’s notes

  1. The spontaneous rebirth applies to beings in the heavenly realms, so these dragons would be the powerful lords such as those listed at DN 20:11.1.

    ↩ sn29.2:1.7