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Ud 3.7PTS Ud 29Kassapa2 min read

Sakka’s Heartfelt Saying

Sakkudānasutta

A deva-king disguises himself to give alms to Ven. Mahā Kassapa.

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

  • 0.1Udāna 3.7Heartfelt Sayings 3.7

0.2SakkudānasuttaSakka’s Heartfelt Saying

1.1Evaṁ me sutaṁ—So I have heard.1.2ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā rājagahe viharati veḷuvane kalandakanivāpe.At one time the Buddha was staying near Rājagaha in the Bamboo Grove, the squirrels’ feeding ground.1.3Tena kho pana samayena āyasmā mahākassapo pippaliguhāyaṁ viharati, sattāhaṁ ekapallaṅkena nisinno hoti aññataraṁ samādhiṁ samāpajjitvā.Now at that time Venerable Mahākassapa was staying in the Pipphali cave. Having entered a certain state of immersion, he sat cross-legged for seven days without moving.1.4Atha kho āyasmā mahākassapo tassa sattāhassa accayena tamhā samādhimhā vuṭṭhāsi.When seven days had passed, Mahākassapa emerged from that state of immersion.1.5Atha kho āyasmato mahākassapassa tamhā samādhimhā vuṭṭhitassa etadahosi:It occurred to him,1.6“yannūnāhaṁ rājagahaṁ piṇḍāya paviseyyan”ti.“Why not enter Rājagaha for almsfood?”

2.1Tena kho pana samayena pañcamattāni devatāsatāni ussukkaṁ āpannāni honti āyasmato mahākassapassa piṇḍapātapaṭilābhāya.Now at that time five hundred deities were ready and eager for the chance to offer alms to Mahākassapa.2.2Atha kho āyasmā mahākassapo tāni pañcamattāni devatāsatāni paṭikkhipitvā pubbaṇhasamayaṁ nivāsetvā pattacīvaramādāya rājagahaṁ piṇḍāya pāvisi.But Mahākasspa turned down those deities. In the morning, he robed up, took his bowl and robe, and entered Rājagaha for alms.

2.3Tena kho pana samayena sakko devānamindo āyasmato mahākassapassa piṇḍapātaṁ dātukāmo hoti.Now at that time Sakka, lord of gods, wished to give alms to Mahākassapa.13.2Pesakāravaṇṇaṁ abhinimminitvā tantaṁ vināti. Sujā asurakaññā tasaraṁ pūreti.Having manifested in the appearance of an embroiderer, he wove the thread. The titan maiden Sujā spun it onto the spindle.23.3Atha kho āyasmā mahākassapo rājagahe sapadānaṁ piṇḍāya caramāno yena sakkassa devānamindassa nivesanaṁ tenupasaṅkami.Then, as Mahākassapa wandered indiscriminately for almsfood in Rājagaha, he approached Sakka’s house.3.4Addasā kho sakko devānamindo āyasmantaṁ mahākassapaṁ dūratova āgacchantaṁ.Seeing Mahākassapa coming off in the distance,3.5Disvāna gharā nikkhamitvā paccuggantvā hatthato pattaṁ gahetvā gharaṁ pavisitvā ghaṭiyā odanaṁ uddharitvā pattaṁ pūretvā āyasmato mahākassapassa adāsi.Sakka came out of his house, greeted him, and took the bowl from his hand. He re-entered the house and filled the bowl with rice from the pot.3.6So ahosi piṇḍapāto anekasūpo anekabyañjano anekarasabyañjano.That almsfood had many tasty soups and sauces.33.7Atha kho āyasmato mahākassapassa etadahosi:Then it occurred to Mahākassapa,3.8“ko nu kho ayaṁ satto yassāyaṁ evarūpo iddhānubhāvo”ti?“Now, what being is this who has such psychic power?”3.9Atha kho āyasmato mahākassapassa etadahosi:It occurred to him,3.10“sakko kho ayaṁ devānamindo”ti.“This is Sakka, lord of gods.”3.11Iti viditvā sakkaṁ devānamindaṁ etadavoca:Knowing this, he said to Sakka,3.12“kataṁ kho te idaṁ, kosiya;“This is your doing, Kosiya;3.13mā punapi evarūpamakāsī”ti.don’t do such a thing again.”3.14“Amhākampi, bhante kassapa, puññena attho;“But Honorable Kassapa, we too need merit!3.15amhākampi puññena karaṇīyan”ti.We too ought to make merit.”

4.1Atha kho sakko devānamindo āyasmantaṁ mahākassapaṁ abhivādetvā padakkhiṇaṁ katvā vehāsaṁ abbhuggantvā ākāse antalikkhe tikkhattuṁ udānaṁ udānesi:Then Sakka bowed and respectfully circled Mahākassapa, keeping him on his right. Then he rose into the air and, sitting cross-legged in midair, expressed this heartfelt sentiment three times:4.2“aho dānaṁ paramadānaṁ kassape suppatiṭṭhitaṁ.“Oh the gift, the best gift is well established in Kassapa!4.3Aho dānaṁ paramadānaṁ kassape suppatiṭṭhitaṁ.Oh the gift, the best gift is well established in Kassapa!4.4Aho dānaṁ paramadānaṁ kassape suppatiṭṭhitan”ti.Oh the gift, the best gift is well established in Kassapa!”4.5Assosi kho bhagavā dibbāya sotadhātuyā visuddhāya atikkantamānusikāya sakkassa devānamindassa vehāsaṁ abbhuggantvā ākāse antalikkhe tikkhattuṁ udānaṁ udānentassa:With clairaudience that is purified and superhuman, the Buddha heard Sakka express this heartfelt sentiment while sitting in the sky.4.6“aho dānaṁ paramadānaṁ kassape suppatiṭṭhitaṁ.4.7Aho dānaṁ paramadānaṁ kassape suppatiṭṭhitaṁ.4.8Aho dānaṁ paramadānaṁ kassape suppatiṭṭhitan”ti.

5.1Atha kho bhagavā etamatthaṁ viditvā tāyaṁ velāyaṁ imaṁ udānaṁ udānesi:Then, understanding this matter, on that occasion the Buddha expressed this heartfelt sentiment:

6.1“Piṇḍapātikassa bhikkhuno,“A mendicant who relies on alms,6.2Attabharassa anaññaposino;self-supported, providing for no other;6.3Devā pihayanti tādino,the unaffected one is envied by even the gods,6.4Upasantassa sadā satīmato”ti.calm and ever mindful.”

6.5Sattamaṁ.

Translator’s notes

  1. As told at Ud 1.6:2.3, Kassapa refused alms from the gods and visited poor areas, such as the streets of the embroiderers.

    ↩ ud3.7:2.3

  2. The pesa was evidently gold-embroidered cloth. Of old, Indra was known for bearing gifts of such cloth (Rig Veda 1.61.16, 1.63.9). Here he is making pesa together with his wife Sujā (SN 11.12:6.1). She spins the thread, while he embroiders the patterns.

    The Pali’s tantaṁ (“thread”) here echoes the verb tanute (“one threads”) said of the peśaskārī at Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad 4.4.4, confirming that it is the same action described. There, one is said to embroider a figure such as a person.

    ↩ ud3.7:3.2

  3. I’m not sure if anekarasabyañjano is correct, although the word does occur at Pv 13:15.4 and Pv 27:12.4. The commentary, while not definitive, suggests anekasūpabyañjano (anekehi sūpehi ceva byañjanehi ca), which would be more idiomatic. However it is not attested.

    ↩ ud3.7:3.6