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SN 3.12PTS (1st ed) SN 1.792 min read

Five Kings

Pañcarājasutta

Five kings including Pasenadi are enjoying themselves and wonder which of the senses affords the highest pleasure. They ask the Buddha, who replies that it is subjective, depending on a persons preferences. Inspired, the layman Candanaṅgalika offers a verse in praise of the Buddha.

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

  • 0.1Saṁyutta Nikāya 3.12Linked Discourses 3.12
  • 0.22. Dutiyavagga2. Childless

0.3PañcarājasuttaFive Kings

1.1Sāvatthinidānaṁ.At Sāvatthī.

1.2Tena kho pana samayena pañcannaṁ rājūnaṁ pasenadipamukhānaṁ pañcahi kāmaguṇehi samappitānaṁ samaṅgībhūtānaṁ paricārayamānānaṁ ayamantarākathā udapādi:Now at that time five kings headed by Pasenadi were amusing themselves, supplied and provided with the five kinds of sensual stimulation, and this discussion came up among them:11.3“kiṁ nu kho kāmānaṁ aggan”ti?“What’s the best of sensual pleasures?”

1.4Tatrekacce evamāhaṁsu:Some of them said,1.5“rūpā kāmānaṁ aggan”ti.“Sights are the best of sensual pleasures!”

1.6Ekacce evamāhaṁsu:Others said,1.7“saddā kāmānaṁ aggan”ti.“Sounds are best!”

1.8Ekacce evamāhaṁsu:Others said,1.9“gandhā kāmānaṁ aggan”ti.“Smells are best!”

1.10Ekacce evamāhaṁsu:Others said,1.11“rasā kāmānaṁ aggan”ti.“Tastes are best!”

1.12Ekacce evamāhaṁsu:Others said,1.13“phoṭṭhabbā kāmānaṁ aggan”ti.“Touches are best!”

1.14Yato kho te rājāno nāsakkhiṁsu aññamaññaṁ saññāpetuṁ.Since those kings were unable to persuade each other,2.1Atha kho rājā pasenadi kosalo te rājāno etadavoca:King Pasenadi said to them,2.2“āyāma, mārisā, yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkamissāma; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ etamatthaṁ paṭipucchissāma.“Come, good fellows, let’s go to the Buddha and ask him about this.22.3Yathā no bhagavā byākarissati tathā naṁ dhāressāmā”ti.As he answers, so we’ll remember it.”

2.4“Evaṁ, mārisā”ti kho te rājāno rañño pasenadissa kosalassa paccassosuṁ.“Yes, good fellows,” replied those kings.

3.1Atha kho te pañca rājāno pasenadipamukhā yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkamiṁsu; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdiṁsu. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho rājā pasenadi kosalo bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:Then those five kings headed by Pasenadi went to the Buddha, bowed, and sat down to one side. King Pasenadi reported their conversation to the Buddha, and said,3.2“idha, bhante, amhākaṁ pañcannaṁ rājūnaṁ pañcahi kāmaguṇehi samappitānaṁ samaṅgībhūtānaṁ paricārayamānānaṁ ayamantarākathā udapādi:3.3‘kiṁ nu kho kāmānaṁ aggan’ti?3.4Ekacce evamāhaṁsu:3.5‘rūpā kāmānaṁ aggan’ti.3.6Ekacce evamāhaṁsu:3.7‘saddā kāmānaṁ aggan’ti.3.8Ekacce evamāhaṁsu:3.9‘gandhā kāmānaṁ aggan’ti.3.10Ekacce evamāhaṁsu:3.11‘rasā kāmānaṁ aggan’ti.3.12Ekacce evamāhaṁsu:3.13‘phoṭṭhabbā kāmānaṁ aggan’ti.3.14Kiṁ nu kho, bhante, kāmānaṁ aggan”ti?“Sir, what’s the best of sensual pleasures?”

4.1“Manāpapariyantaṁ khvāhaṁ, mahārāja, pañcasu kāmaguṇesu agganti vadāmi.“Great king, which kind of sensual stimulation is best is defined by which is most agreeable, I say.34.2Teva, mahārāja, rūpā ekaccassa manāpā honti, teva rūpā ekaccassa amanāpā honti.The very same sights that are agreeable to some are disagreeable to others.4.3Yehi ca yo rūpehi attamano hoti paripuṇṇasaṅkappo, so tehi rūpehi aññaṁ rūpaṁ uttaritaraṁ vā paṇītataraṁ vā na pattheti.When you’re happy with certain sights, as you’ve got all you wished for, you don’t want any other sight that’s better or finer.4.4Te tassa rūpā paramā honti.For you, those sights are perfect4.5Te tassa rūpā anuttarā honti.and supreme.

5.1Teva, mahārāja, saddā ekaccassa manāpā honti, teva saddā ekaccassa amanāpā honti.The very same sounds …5.2Yehi ca yo saddehi attamano hoti paripuṇṇasaṅkappo, so tehi saddehi aññaṁ saddaṁ uttaritaraṁ vā paṇītataraṁ vā na pattheti.5.3Te tassa saddā paramā honti.5.4Te tassa saddā anuttarā honti.6.1Teva, mahārāja, gandhā ekaccassa manāpā honti, teva gandhā ekaccassa amanāpā honti.smells …6.2Yehi ca yo gandhehi attamano hoti paripuṇṇasaṅkappo, so tehi gandhehi aññaṁ gandhaṁ uttaritaraṁ vā paṇītataraṁ vā na pattheti.6.3Te tassa gandhā paramā honti.6.4Te tassa gandhā anuttarā honti.7.1Teva, mahārāja, rasā ekaccassa manāpā honti, teva rasā ekaccassa amanāpā honti.tastes …7.2Yehi ca yo rasehi attamano hoti paripuṇṇasaṅkappo, so tehi rasehi aññaṁ rasaṁ uttaritaraṁ vā paṇītataraṁ vā na pattheti.7.3Te tassa rasā paramā honti.7.4Te tassa rasā anuttarā honti.8.1Teva, mahārāja, phoṭṭhabbā ekaccassa manāpā honti, teva phoṭṭhabbā ekaccassa amanāpā honti.touches that are agreeable to some are disagreeable to others.8.2Yehi ca yo phoṭṭhabbehi attamano hoti paripuṇṇasaṅkappo, so tehi phoṭṭhabbehi aññaṁ phoṭṭhabbaṁ uttaritaraṁ vā paṇītataraṁ vā na pattheti.When you’re happy with certain touches, as you’ve got all you wished for, you don’t want any other touch that’s better or finer.8.3Te tassa phoṭṭhabbā paramā honti.For you, those touches are perfect8.4Te tassa phoṭṭhabbā anuttarā hontī”ti.and supreme.”

9.1Tena kho pana samayena candanaṅgaliko upāsako tassaṁ parisāyaṁ nisinno hoti.Now at that time the lay follower Candanaṅgalika was sitting in that assembly.9.2Atha kho candanaṅgaliko upāsako uṭṭhāyāsanā ekaṁsaṁ uttarāsaṅgaṁ karitvā yena bhagavā tenañjaliṁ paṇāmetvā bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:Then he rose from his seat, arranged his robe over one shoulder, raised his cupped palms toward the Buddha, and said,9.3“paṭibhāti maṁ, bhagavā, paṭibhāti maṁ, sugatā”ti.“I feel inspired to speak, Blessed One! I feel inspired to speak, Holy One!”

9.4“Paṭibhātu taṁ, candanaṅgalikā”ti bhagavā avoca.“Then speak as you feel inspired,” said the Buddha.

10.1Atha kho candanaṅgaliko upāsako bhagavato sammukhā tadanurūpāya gāthāya abhitthavi:Then the lay follower Candanaṅgalika extolled the Buddha in his presence with an appropriate verse:4

11.1“Padumaṁ yathā kokanadaṁ sugandhaṁ,“Like a fragrant pink lotus11.2Pāto siyā phullamavītagandhaṁ;that blooms at daybreak, its fragrance unfaded—11.3Aṅgīrasaṁ passa virocamānaṁ,see Aṅgīrasa dazzle,511.4Tapantamādiccamivantalikkhe”ti.bright as the sun in the sky!”

12.1Atha kho te pañca rājāno candanaṅgalikaṁ upāsakaṁ pañcahi uttarāsaṅgehi acchādesuṁ.Then those five kings clothed Candanaṅgalika with five upper robes.12.2Atha kho candanaṅgaliko upāsako tehi pañcahi uttarāsaṅgehi bhagavantaṁ acchādesīti.And Candanaṅgalika in turn endowed the Buddha with those robes.

Translator’s notes

  1. The five kings are not identified.

    ↩ sn3.12:1.2

  2. This term, usually used by gods of the Buddha, is here used among kings to indicate equal status (see SN 1.1:1.4 and note).

    ↩ sn3.12:2.2

  3. The Buddha could have simply rejected out of hand the idea that this was a worthwhile question. Instead, he educates the kings by proposing an analytical approach based in a psychology of empathy, encouraging the kings to remember that other people have different yet valid experiences.

    ↩ sn3.12:4.1

  4. Candanaṅgalika is unknown elsewhere. The same verse, with a similar outcome, is spoken by the brahmin Piṅgīyānī at AN 5.195:3.1.

    ↩ sn3.12:10.1

  5. Aṅgīras was one of the Vedic sages and the Aṅgīrasas are his descendants. They were priestly poets who assisted Indra in freeing the cows from the Vala cave, thus ushering in the dawn. Aṅgīras is regarded as the pravara or revered ancestor of the Gotama clan. Both names are associated with light: aṅgīrasa shares a root and is often synonymous with agni (“fire”), while gotama means “light dispelling dark”.

    ↩ sn3.12:11.3