1.1Sāvatthinidānaṁ.At Sāvatthī.

1.2Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho rājā pasenadi kosalo bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:Seated to one side, King Pasenadi said to the Buddha,1.3“kattha nu kho, bhante, dānaṁ dātabban”ti?“Sir, where should a gift be given?”

1.4“Yattha kho, mahārāja, cittaṁ pasīdatī”ti.“Wherever your heart feels inspired, Great King.”

1.5“Kattha pana, bhante, dinnaṁ mahapphalan”ti?“But sir, where is a gift very fruitful?”¹

1.6“Aññaṁ kho etaṁ, mahārāja, kattha dānaṁ dātabbaṁ, aññaṁ panetaṁ kattha dinnaṁ mahapphalanti?“Where a gift should be given is one thing, Great King, but where a gift is very fruitful is another.²1.7Sīlavato kho, mahārāja, dinnaṁ mahapphalaṁ, no tathā dussīle.A gift is very fruitful when it’s given to an ethical person, not so much to an unethical person.1.8Tena hi, mahārāja, taññevettha paṭipucchissāmi. Yathā, te khameyya, tathā naṁ byākareyyāsi.Well then, Great King, I’ll ask you about this in return, and you can answer as you like.

1.9Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, mahārāja,What do you think, Great King?1.10idha tyassa yuddhaṁ paccupaṭṭhitaṁ saṅgāmo samupabyūḷho.Suppose you were at war, ready to fight a battle.1.11Atha āgaccheyya khattiyakumāro asikkhito akatahattho akatayoggo akatūpāsano bhīru chambhī utrāsī palāyī.Then along comes an aristocrat youth who is untrained, inexpert, unfit, inexperienced. And he’s fearful, scared, nervous, quick to flee.1.12Bhareyyāsi taṁ purisaṁ, attho ca te tādisena purisenā”ti?Would you employ such a man? Would he be of any use to you?”

1.13“Nāhaṁ, bhante, bhareyyaṁ taṁ purisaṁ, na ca me attho tādisena purisenā”ti.“No, sir, I would have no use for such a man.”

1.14“Atha āgaccheyya brāhmaṇakumāro asikkhito …pe…“What about a brahmin youth,³1.15atha āgaccheyya vessakumāro asikkhito …pe…a peasant youth,1.16atha āgaccheyya suddakumāro asikkhito …pe…or a menial youth who was similar?”

1.17na ca me attho tādisena purisenā”ti.“No, sir, I would have no use for such a man.”

2.1“Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, mahārāja,“What do you think, Great King?2.2idha tyassa yuddhaṁ paccupaṭṭhitaṁ saṅgāmo samupabyūḷho.Suppose you were at war, ready to fight a battle.2.3Atha āgaccheyya khattiyakumāro susikkhito katahattho katayoggo katūpāsano abhīru acchambhī anutrāsī apalāyī.Then along comes an aristocrat youth who is trained, expert, fit, experienced. And he’s fearless, brave, bold, standing his ground.2.4Bhareyyāsi taṁ purisaṁ, attho ca te tādisena purisenā”ti?Would you employ such a man? Would he be of any use to you?”

2.5“Bhareyyāhaṁ, bhante, taṁ purisaṁ, attho ca me tādisena purisenā”ti.“Yes, sir, I would have a use for such a man.”

2.6“Atha āgaccheyya brāhmaṇakumāro …pe…“What about a brahmin youth,2.7atha āgaccheyya vessakumāro …pe…a peasant youth,2.8atha āgaccheyya suddakumāro susikkhito katahattho katayoggo katūpāsano abhīru acchambhī anutrāsī apalāyī.or a menial youth who was similar?2.9Bhareyyāsi taṁ purisaṁ, attho ca te tādisena purisenā”ti?Would you employ such a man? Would he be of any use to you?”

2.10“Bhareyyāhaṁ, bhante, taṁ purisaṁ, attho ca me tādisena purisenā”ti.“Yes, sir, I would have a use for such a man.”

3.1“Evameva kho, mahārāja, yasmā kasmā cepi kulā agārasmā anagāriyaṁ pabbajito hoti, so ca hoti pañcaṅgavippahīno pañcaṅgasamannāgato, tasmiṁ dinnaṁ mahapphalaṁ hoti.“In the same way, a gift to anyone who has given up five factors and possesses five factors is very fruitful, no matter what family they’ve gone forth from.

3.2Katamāni pañcaṅgāni pahīnāni honti?What are the five factors they’ve given up?3.3Kāmacchando pahīno hoti, byāpādo pahīno hoti, thinamiddhaṁ pahīnaṁ hoti, uddhaccakukkuccaṁ pahīnaṁ hoti, vicikicchā pahīnā hoti.Sensual desire, ill will, dullness and drowsiness, restlessness and remorse, and doubt.3.4Imāni pañcaṅgāni pahīnāni honti.These are the five factors they’ve given up.

3.5Katamehi pañcahaṅgehi samannāgato hoti?What are the five factors they possess?3.6Asekkhena sīlakkhandhena samannāgato hoti, asekkhena samādhikkhandhena samannāgato hoti, asekkhena paññākkhandhena samannāgato hoti, asekkhena vimuttikkhandhena samannāgato hoti, asekkhena vimuttiñāṇadassanakkhandhena samannāgato hoti.The entire spectrum of an adept’s ethics, immersion, wisdom, freedom, and knowledge and vision of freedom.3.7Imehi pañcahaṅgehi samannāgato hoti.These are the five factors they possess.

3.8Iti pañcaṅgavippahīne pañcaṅgasamannāgate dinnaṁ mahapphalan”ti.I say that a gift to anyone who has given up these five factors and possesses these five factors is very fruitful.”

3.9Idamavoca bhagavā …pe…That is what the Buddha said.3.10satthā:Then the Holy One, the Teacher, went on to say:

4.1“Issattaṁ balavīriyañca,“Any youth skilled at archery,4.2yasmiṁ vijjetha māṇave;powerful and vigorous,4.3Taṁ yuddhattho bhare rājā,would be employed by a king going to war—4.4nāsūraṁ jātipaccayā.one is not a coward by reason of birth.

5.1Tatheva khantisoraccaṁ,Just so, whoever is settled5.2dhammā yasmiṁ patiṭṭhitā;in the qualities of patience and gentleness,5.3Ariyavuttiṁ medhāviṁ,an intelligent person with noble conduct,5.4hīnajaccampi pūjaye.should be venerated even if they’re low born.

6.1Kāraye assame ramme,You should build lovely hermitages6.2vāsayettha bahussute;and settle learned people in them.6.3Papañca vivane kayirā,You should set up water supplies in barren regions6.4dugge saṅkamanāni ca.and passages in places hard to travel.

7.1Annaṁ pānaṁ khādanīyaṁ,Food, drink, edibles,7.2vatthasenāsanāni ca;clothes, and lodgings7.3Dadeyya ujubhūtesu,should be given to the upright ones,7.4vippasannena cetasā.with a clear and confident heart.

8.1Yathā hi megho thanayaṁ,∥The thundering rain cloud,8.2vijjumālī satakkaku;its hundred peaks wreathed in lightning,8.3Thalaṁ ninnañca pūreti,pours down over the rich earth,8.4abhivassaṁ vasundharaṁ.soaking the uplands and valleys.

9.1Tatheva saddho sutavā,So too an astute person,9.2abhisaṅkhacca bhojanaṁ;faithful and learned,9.3Vanibbake tappayati,should prepare a meal to satisfy9.4annapānena paṇḍito.supplicants with food and drink.

10.1Āmodamāno pakireti,Rejoicing, they strew gifts about,10.2detha dethāti bhāsati;saying, ‘Give! Give!’10.3Taṁ hissa gajjitaṁ hoti,For that is their thunder,10.4devasseva pavassato;like rain sent from the heavens.10.5Sā puññadhārā vipulā,That stream of merit so abundant10.6dātāraṁ abhivassatī”ti.showers down on the giver.”