0.1Saṁyutta Nikāya 6.13Linked Discourses 6.13
0.22. DutiyavaggaChapter Two

0.3AndhakavindasuttaAt Andhakavinda

1.1Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā māgadhesu viharati andhakavinde.At one time the Buddha was staying in the land of the Magadhans at Andhakavinda.¹

1.2Tena kho pana samayena bhagavā rattandhakāratimisāyaṁ abbhokāse nisinno hoti, devo ca ekamekaṁ phusāyati.Now at that time the Buddha was meditating in the open during the dark of night, while a gentle rain drizzled down.

1.3Atha kho brahmā sahampati abhikkantāya rattiyā abhikkantavaṇṇo kevalakappaṁ andhakavindaṁ obhāsetvā yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ aṭṭhāsi.Then, late at night, the glorious divinity Sahampati, lighting up the entirety of Andhakavinda, went up to the Buddha, bowed, stood to one side,1.4Ekamantaṁ ṭhito kho brahmā sahampati bhagavato santike imā gāthāyo abhāsi:and recited these verses in the Buddha’s presence:

2.1“Sevetha pantāni senāsanāni,“One should frequent secluded lodgings,²2.2Careyya saṁyojanavippamokkhā;and practice to be released from fetters.2.3Sace ratiṁ nādhigaccheyya tattha,If you don’t find enjoyment there,2.4Saṅghe vase rakkhitatto satīmā.live in the Saṅgha, self-protected and mindful.
3.1Kulākulaṁ piṇḍikāya caranto,Walking for alms from family to family,3.2Indriyagutto nipako satimā;with senses guarded, alert and mindful.³3.3Sevetha pantāni senāsanāni,One should frequent secluded lodgings,3.4Bhayā pamutto abhaye vimutto.free of fear, freed in the fearless.
4.1Yattha bheravā sarīsapā,Where dreadful reptiles slither,4.2Vijju sañcarati thanayati devo;where the lightning flashes and the heavens thunder4.3Andhakāratimisāya rattiyā,in the dark of the night;4.4Nisīdi tattha bhikkhu vigatalomahaṁso.there meditates a mendicant, free of goosebumps.
5.1Idañhi jātu me diṭṭhaṁ,For this is ever seen by me,5.2nayidaṁ itihītihaṁ;it isn’t just the testament of hearsay.5.3Ekasmiṁ brahmacariyasmiṁ,Within a single spiritual dispensation5.4sahassaṁ maccuhāyinaṁ.there are a thousand conquerors of Death.⁴
6.1Bhiyyo pañcasatā sekkhā,And of trainees, more than five hundred,⁵6.2dasā ca dasadhā dasa;and ten times ten tens,⁶6.3Sabbe sotasamāpannā,are all stream-enterers,6.4atiracchānagāmino.freed from rebirth in the animal realm.
7.1Athāyaṁ itarā pajā,And as for the rest of folk7.2puññabhāgāti me mano;who I think have shared in merit—7.3Saṅkhātuṁ nopi sakkomi,I couldn’t even number them,7.4musāvādassa ottapan”ti.for fear of speaking falsely.”

Translator’s notes

The Buddha taught Ānanda there (AN 5.114). It lay to the west of Rājagaha on the road from Varanasi. Once, arriving there from Varanasi, the Buddha allowed porridge (Kd 6:24.1.1, cf. AN 5.207). At Kd 2:12.1.1, Mahākassapa was swept away in a river while returning from Andhakavinda. That river is identified by the commentary as the Serpentine, but that is usually said to be the Panchane, which lies to the east of Rājagaha. Perhaps the river near Andhakavinda was, rather, the Paimar, which lies about three hours walk to the west of Rājagaha.

↩ sn6.13:1.1

This verse was spoken by Mahācunda at Thag 2.11:2.1.

↩ sn6.13:2.1

Nipaka (“alert”) is explained in the Pali tradition as “wise”. The root pāl, rather, suggests the sense “on guard, alert”, which is supported by such phrases as “mindfully alert and on guard” (ārakkhasatino nipakkasatino, AN 5.114:3.1), where nipaka parallels ārakkha (“guarding”). Here it is close to gutta, another word for “guarded”. Likewise, the Vedic sense is “one who keeps watch, a protector” (Rig Veda 4.45.6, 10.44.4).

↩ sn6.13:3.2

Maccuhāyi is glossed by the commentaries as either “abandoner” (maccuhāyinanti maraṇapariccāginaṁ) or “conqueror” (maraṇābhibhū maccuhāyī). The phrase seems to be used in martial contexts where it carries a similar force to jetvā māraṁ just below.

↩ sn6.13:5.4

“More than five hundred” is the count of stream-enterers also at SN 55.10:3.3 = DN 18:1.7 = DN 16:2.7.15; see too MN 73:7.3ff. and MN 76:53.2.

↩ sn6.13:6.1

The ca here indicates the numbers should be added, totaling 1,500.

↩ sn6.13:6.2