1.1Sāvatthinidānaṁ.At Sāvatthī.

1.2Ekamantaṁ nisinnaṁ kho rājānaṁ pasenadiṁ kosalaṁ bhagavā etadavoca:King Pasenadi of Kosala sat to one side, and the Buddha said to him,1.3“handa kuto nu tvaṁ, mahārāja, āgacchasi divā divassā”ti?“So, Great King, where are you coming from in the middle of the day?”

1.4“Yāni tāni, bhante, raññaṁ khattiyānaṁ muddhāvasittānaṁ issariyamadamattānaṁ kāmagedhapariyuṭṭhitānaṁ janapadatthāvariyappattānaṁ mahantaṁ pathavimaṇḍalaṁ abhivijiya ajjhāvasantānaṁ rājakaraṇīyāni bhavanti, tesu khvāhaṁ, etarahi ussukkamāpanno”ti.“Sir, there are anointed aristocratic kings who are infatuated with authority, and obsessed with greed for sensual pleasures. They have attained stability in the country, occupying a vast conquered territory. Today I have been busy fulfilling the duties of such kings.”

2.1“Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, mahārāja,“What do you think, Great King?2.2idha te puriso āgaccheyya puratthimāya disāya saddhāyiko paccayiko.Suppose a trustworthy and dependable man were to come from the east.2.3So taṁ upasaṅkamitvā evaṁ vadeyya:He’d approach you and say:2.4‘yagghe, mahārāja, jāneyyāsi, ahaṁ āgacchāmi puratthimāya disāya.‘Please, Great King, you should know this. I come from the east.2.5Tatthaddasaṁ mahantaṁ pabbataṁ abbhasamaṁ, sabbe pāṇe nippothento āgacchati.There I saw a big mountain that reached the clouds. And it was coming this way, crushing all creatures.¹2.6Yaṁ te, mahārāja, karaṇīyaṁ, taṁ karohī’ti.So then, Great King, do what you must!’

2.7Atha dutiyo puriso āgaccheyya pacchimāya disāya …pe…Then a second trustworthy and dependable man were to come from the west …2.8atha tatiyo puriso āgaccheyya uttarāya disāya …a third from the north …2.9atha catuttho puriso āgaccheyya dakkhiṇāya disāya saddhāyiko paccayiko.and a fourth from the south.2.10So taṁ upasaṅkamitvā evaṁ vadeyya:He’d approach you and say:2.11‘yagghe, mahārāja, jāneyyāsi, ahaṁ āgacchāmi dakkhiṇāya disāya.‘Please, Great King, you should know this. I come from the south.2.12Tatthaddasaṁ mahantaṁ pabbataṁ abbhasamaṁ sabbe pāṇe nippothento āgacchati.There I saw a big mountain that reached the clouds. And it was coming this way, crushing all creatures.2.13Yaṁ te, mahārāja, karaṇīyaṁ taṁ karohī’ti.So then, Great King, do what you must!’

2.14Evarūpe te, mahārāja, mahati mahabbhaye samuppanne dāruṇe manussakkhaye dullabhe manussatte kimassa karaṇīyan”ti?Should such a dire threat arise—a grim loss of human life, when human birth is so rare—what would you do?”

3.1“Evarūpe me, bhante, mahati mahabbhaye samuppanne dāruṇe manussakkhaye dullabhe manussatte kimassa karaṇīyaṁ aññatra dhammacariyāya aññatra samacariyāya aññatra kusalakiriyāya aññatra puññakiriyāyā”ti?“Sir, what could I do but practice the teachings, practice morality, doing skillful and good actions?”

4.1“Ārocemi kho te, mahārāja, paṭivedemi kho te, mahārāja, adhivattati kho taṁ, mahārāja, jarāmaraṇaṁ.“I tell you, Great King, I announce to you: old age and death are advancing upon you.4.2Adhivattamāne ce te, mahārāja, jarāmaraṇe kimassa karaṇīyan”ti?Since old age and death are advancing upon you, what would you do?”

4.3“Adhivattamāne ca me, bhante, jarāmaraṇe kimassa karaṇīyaṁ aññatra dhammacariyāya samacariyāya kusalakiriyāya puññakiriyāya?“Sir, what can I do but practice the teachings, practice morality, doing skillful and good actions?

4.4Yāni tāni, bhante, raññaṁ khattiyānaṁ muddhāvasittānaṁ issariyamadamattānaṁ kāmagedhapariyuṭṭhitānaṁ janapadatthāvariyappattānaṁ mahantaṁ pathavimaṇḍalaṁ abhivijiya ajjhāvasantānaṁ hatthiyuddhāni bhavanti;Sir, there are anointed aristocratic kings who are infatuated with authority, and obsessed with greed for sensual pleasures. They have attained stability in the country, occupying a vast conquered territory. Such kings engage in battles of elephants,4.5tesampi, bhante, hatthiyuddhānaṁ natthi gati natthi visayo adhivattamāne jarāmaraṇe.4.6Yānipi tāni, bhante, raññaṁ khattiyānaṁ muddhāvasittānaṁ …pe…4.7ajjhāvasantānaṁ assayuddhāni bhavanti …pe…cavalry,4.8rathayuddhāni bhavanti …pe…chariots,4.9pattiyuddhāni bhavanti;or infantry.4.10tesampi, bhante, pattiyuddhānaṁ natthi gati natthi visayo adhivattamāne jarāmaraṇe.But there is no place, no domain for such battles when old age and death are advancing.

4.11Santi kho pana, bhante, imasmiṁ rājakule mantino mahāmattā, ye pahonti āgate paccatthike mantehi bhedayituṁ.In this royal court there are ministers of wise counsel who are capable of dividing an approaching enemy by wise counsel.4.12Tesampi, bhante, mantayuddhānaṁ natthi gati natthi visayo adhivattamāne jarāmaraṇe.But there is no place, no domain for such diplomatic battles when old age and death are advancing.

4.13Saṁvijjati kho pana, bhante, imasmiṁ rājakule pahūtaṁ hiraññasuvaṇṇaṁ bhūmigatañceva vehāsaṭṭhañca, yena mayaṁ pahoma āgate paccatthike dhanena upalāpetuṁ.In this royal court there is abundant gold, both coined and uncoined, stored above and below ground. Using this wealth we can bribe an approaching enemy.²4.14Tesampi, bhante, dhanayuddhānaṁ natthi gati natthi visayo adhivattamāne jarāmaraṇe.But there is no place, no domain for such monetary battles when old age and death are advancing.

4.15Adhivattamāne ca me, bhante, jarāmaraṇe kimassa karaṇīyaṁ aññatra dhammacariyāya samacariyāya kusalakiriyāya puññakiriyāyā”ti?When old age and death are advancing, what can I do but practice the teachings, practice morality, doing skillful and good actions?”

5.1“Evametaṁ, mahārāja, evametaṁ, mahārāja.“That’s so true, Great King! That’s so true!5.2Adhivattamāne jarāmaraṇe kimassa karaṇīyaṁ aññatra dhammacariyāya samacariyāya kusalakiriyāya puññakiriyāyā”ti?When old age and death are advancing, what can you do but practice the teachings, practice morality, doing skillful and good actions?”

5.3Idamavoca bhagavā …pe…That is what the Buddha said.5.4satthā:Then the Holy One, the Teacher, went on to say:

6.1“Yathāpi selā vipulā,“Suppose there were vast mountains6.2nabhaṁ āhacca pabbatā;of solid rock pressing against the sky6.3Samantānupariyāyeyyuṁ,drawing in from all sides6.4nippothento catuddisā.and crushing the four quarters.

7.1Evaṁ jarā ca maccu ca,So too old age and death7.2adhivattanti pāṇine;advance upon all living creatures—7.3Khattiye brāhmaṇe vesse,aristocrats, brahmins, peasants,7.4sudde caṇḍālapukkuse;menials, corpse-workers, and scavengers.7.5Na kiñci parivajjeti,They spare nothing.7.6sabbamevābhimaddati.They crush all beneath them.

8.1Na tattha hatthīnaṁ bhūmi,There’s nowhere for elephants to take a stand,8.2na rathānaṁ na pattiyā;nor chariots nor infantry.8.3Na cāpi mantayuddhena,They can’t be defeated8.4sakkā jetuṁ dhanena vā.by diplomatic battles or by wealth.

9.1Tasmā hi paṇḍito poso,That’s why an astute person,9.2sampassaṁ atthamattano;seeing what’s good for themselves,9.3Buddhe dhamme ca saṅghe ca,being wise, would place faith9.4dhīro saddhaṁ nivesaye.in the Buddha, the teaching, and the Saṅgha.

10.1Yo dhammaṁ cari kāyena,Whoever lives by the teaching10.2vācāya uda cetasā;in body, speech, and mind,10.3Idheva naṁ pasaṁsanti,is praised in this life10.4pecca sagge pamodatī”ti.and departs to rejoice in heaven.”

10.5Tatiyo vaggo.

11.0Tassuddānaṁ

11.1Puggalo ayyikā loko,11.2issattaṁ pabbatūpamā;11.3Desitaṁ buddhaseṭṭhena,11.4imaṁ kosalapañcakanti.

11.5Kosalasaṁyuttaṁ samattaṁ.The Linked Discourses with the Kosalan are complete.