5. Uposathavagga

Aṅguttara Nikāya 8.46

Numbered Discourses 8.46

5. Uposathavagga

5. Sabbath

Anuruddhasutta

Anuruddha and the Agreeable Deities

Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā kosambiyaṁ viharati ghositārāme.

At one time the Buddha was staying near Kosambī, in Ghosita’s Monastery.

Tena kho pana samayena āyasmā anuruddho divāvihāraṁ gato hoti paṭisallīno.

Now at that time Venerable Anuruddha had gone into retreat for the day’s meditation.

Atha kho sambahulā manāpakāyikā devatā yenāyasmā anuruddho tenupasaṅkamiṁsu; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmantaṁ anuruddhaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ aṭṭhaṁsu. Ekamantaṁ ṭhitā kho tā devatā āyasmantaṁ anuruddhaṁ etadavocuṁ:

Then several deities of the Agreeable Host went up to Venerable Anuruddha, bowed, stood to one side, and said to him:

“mayaṁ, bhante anuruddha, manāpakāyikā nāma devatā tīsu ṭhānesu issariyaṁ kārema vasaṁ vattema.

“Honorable Anuruddha, we are the deities called ‘Agreeable’. We wield authority and control over three things.

Mayaṁ, bhante anuruddha, yādisakaṁ vaṇṇaṁ ākaṅkhāma tādisakaṁ vaṇṇaṁ ṭhānaso paṭilabhāma;

We can turn any color we want on the spot.

yādisakaṁ saraṁ ākaṅkhāma tādisakaṁ saraṁ ṭhānaso paṭilabhāma;

We can get any voice that we want on the spot.

yādisakaṁ sukhaṁ ākaṅkhāma tādisakaṁ sukhaṁ ṭhānaso paṭilabhāma.

We can get any pleasure that we want on the spot.

Mayaṁ, bhante anuruddha, manāpakāyikā nāma devatā imesu tīsu ṭhānesu issariyaṁ kārema vasaṁ vattemā”ti.

We are the deities called ‘Agreeable’. We wield authority and control over these three things.”

Atha kho āyasmato anuruddhassa etadahosi:

Then Venerable Anuruddha thought,

“aho vatimā devatā sabbāva nīlā assu nīlavaṇṇā nīlavatthā nīlālaṅkārā”ti.

“If only these deities would all turn blue, of blue color, clad in blue, adorned with blue!”

Atha kho tā devatā āyasmato anuruddhassa cittamaññāya sabbāva nīlā ahesuṁ nīlavaṇṇā nīlavatthā nīlālaṅkārā.

Then those deities, knowing Anuruddha’s thought, all turned blue.

Atha kho āyasmato anuruddhassa etadahosi:

Then Venerable Anuruddha thought,

“aho vatimā devatā sabbāva pītā assu …pe…

“If only these deities would all turn yellow …”

sabbāva lohitakā assu …

“If only these gods would all turn red …”

sabbāva odātā assu odātavaṇṇā odātavatthā odātālaṅkārā”ti.

“If only these gods would all turn white …”

Atha kho tā devatā āyasmato anuruddhassa cittamaññāya sabbāva odātā ahesuṁ odātavaṇṇā odātavatthā odātālaṅkārā.

Then those deities, knowing Anuruddha’s thought, all turned white.

Atha kho tā devatā ekā ca gāyi ekā ca nacci ekā ca accharaṁ vādesi.

Then one of those deities sang, one danced, and one snapped her fingers.

Seyyathāpi nāma pañcaṅgikassa tūriyassa suvinītassa suppaṭipatāḷitassa kusalehi susamannāhatassa saddo hoti vaggu ca rajanīyo ca kamanīyo ca pemanīyo ca madanīyo ca;

Suppose there was a quintet made up of skilled musicians who had practiced well and kept excellent rhythm. They’d sound graceful, tantalizing, sensuous, endearing, and intoxicating.

evamevaṁ tāsaṁ devatānaṁ alaṅkārānaṁ saddo hoti vaggu ca rajanīyo ca kamanīyo ca pemanīyo ca madanīyo ca.

In the same way the performance by those deities sounded graceful, tantalizing, sensuous, endearing, and intoxicating.

Atha kho āyasmā anuruddho indriyāni okkhipi.

But Venerable Anuruddha averted his senses.

Atha kho tā devatā “na khvayyo anuruddho sādiyatī”ti tatthevantaradhāyiṁsu.

Then those deities, thinking “Master Anuruddha isn’t enjoying this,” vanished right there.

Atha kho āyasmā anuruddho sāyanhasamayaṁ paṭisallānā vuṭṭhito yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho āyasmā anuruddho bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:

Then in the late afternoon, Anuruddha came out of retreat and went to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and told him what had happened, adding:

“Idhāhaṁ, bhante, divāvihāraṁ gato homi paṭisallīno.

Atha kho, bhante, sambahulā manāpakāyikā devatā yenāhaṁ tenupasaṅkamiṁsu; upasaṅkamitvā maṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ aṭṭhaṁsu. Ekamantaṁ ṭhitā kho, bhante, tā devatā maṁ etadavocuṁ:

‘mayaṁ, bhante anuruddha, manāpakāyikā nāma devatā tīsu ṭhānesu issariyaṁ kārema vasaṁ vattema.

Mayaṁ, bhante anuruddha, yādisakaṁ vaṇṇaṁ ākaṅkhāma tādisakaṁ vaṇṇaṁ ṭhānaso paṭilabhāma;

yādisakaṁ saraṁ ākaṅkhāma tādisakaṁ saraṁ ṭhānaso paṭilabhāma;

yādisakaṁ sukhaṁ ākaṅkhāma tādisakaṁ sukhaṁ ṭhānaso paṭilabhāma.

Mayaṁ, bhante anuruddha, manāpakāyikā nāma devatā imesu tīsu ṭhānesu issariyaṁ kārema vasaṁ vattemā’ti.

Tassa mayhaṁ, bhante, etadahosi:

‘aho vatimā devatā sabbāva nīlā assu nīlavaṇṇā nīlavatthā nīlālaṅkārā’ti.

Atha kho, bhante, tā devatā mama cittamaññāya sabbāva nīlā ahesuṁ nīlavaṇṇā nīlavatthā nīlālaṅkārā.

Tassa mayhaṁ, bhante, etadahosi:

‘aho vatimā devatā sabbāva pītā assu …pe…

sabbāva lohitakā assu …pe…

sabbāva odātā assu odātavaṇṇā odātavatthā odātālaṅkārā’ti.

Atha kho, bhante, tā devatā mama cittamaññāya sabbāva odātā ahesuṁ odātavaṇṇā odātavatthā odātālaṅkārā.

Atha kho, bhante, tā devatā ekā ca gāyi ekā ca nacci ekā ca accharaṁ vādesi.

Seyyathāpi nāma pañcaṅgikassa tūriyassa suvinītassa suppaṭipatāḷitassa kusalehi susamannāhatassa saddo hoti vaggu ca rajanīyo ca kamanīyo ca pemanīyo ca madanīyo ca;

evamevaṁ tāsaṁ devatānaṁ alaṅkārānaṁ saddo hoti vaggu ca rajanīyo ca kamanīyo ca pemanīyo ca madanīyo ca.

Atha khvāhaṁ, bhante, indriyāni okkhipi.

Atha kho, bhante, tā devatā ‘na khvayyo anuruddho sādiyatī’ti tatthevantaradhāyiṁsu.

Katihi nu kho, bhante, dhammehi samannāgato mātugāmo kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā manāpakāyikānaṁ devānaṁ sahabyataṁ upapajjatī”ti?

“How many qualities do ladies have so that—when their body breaks up, after death—they are reborn in company with the Gods of the Agreeable Host?”

“Aṭṭhahi kho, anuruddha, dhammehi samannāgato mātugāmo kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā manāpakāyikānaṁ devānaṁ sahabyataṁ upapajjati.

“Anuruddha, when they have eight qualities ladies—when their body breaks up, after death—are reborn in company with the Gods of the Agreeable Host.

Katamehi aṭṭhahi?

What eight?

Idha, anuruddha, mātugāmo yassa mātāpitaro bhattuno denti atthakāmā hitesino anukampakā anukampaṁ upādāya tassa hoti pubbuṭṭhāyinī pacchānipātinī kiṅkārapaṭissāvinī manāpacārinī piyavādinī.

Take the case of a lady whose mother and father give her to a husband wanting what’s best for her, out of kindness and sympathy. She would get up before him and go to bed after him, and be obliging, behaving nicely and speaking politely.

Ye te bhattu garuno honti—

She honors, respects, esteems, and venerates those her husband respects, such as

mātāti vā pitāti vā samaṇabrāhmaṇāti vā—

mother and father, and ascetics and brahmins.

te sakkaroti, garuṁ karoti, māneti, pūjeti, abbhāgate ca āsanodakena paṭipūjeti.

And when they arrive she serves them with a seat and water.

Ye te bhattu abbhantarā kammantā—uṇṇāti vā kappāsāti vā—tattha dakkhā hoti analasā tatrupāyāya vīmaṁsāya samannāgatā alaṁ kātuṁ alaṁ saṁvidhātuṁ.

She’s deft and tireless in her husband’s household duties, such as knitting and sewing. She understands how to go about things in order to complete and organize the work.

Yo so bhattu abbhantaro antojano—dāsāti vā pessāti vā kammakarāti vā—

She knows what work her husband’s domestic bondservants, servants, and workers have completed, and what they’ve left incomplete.

tesaṁ katañca katato jānāti akatañca akatato jānāti, gilānakānañca balābalaṁ jānāti khādanīyaṁ bhojanīyañcassa paccaṁsena saṁvibhajati.

She knows who is sick, and who is fit or unwell. She distributes to each a fair portion of fresh and cooked foods.

Yaṁ bhattu āharati dhanaṁ vā dhaññaṁ vā jātarūpaṁ vā taṁ ārakkhena guttiyā sampādeti, tattha ca hoti adhuttī athenī asoṇḍī avināsikā.

She ensures that any income her husband earns is guarded and protected, whether money, grain, silver, or gold. She doesn’t overspend, steal, waste, or lose it.

Upāsikā kho pana hoti buddhaṁ saraṇaṁ gatā dhammaṁ saraṇaṁ gatā saṅghaṁ saraṇaṁ gatā.

She’s a lay follower who has gone for refuge to the Buddha, his teaching, and the Saṅgha.

Sīlavatī kho pana hoti—

She’s ethical.

pāṇātipātā paṭiviratā, adinnādānā paṭiviratā, kāmesumicchācārā paṭiviratā, musāvādā paṭiviratā, surāmerayamajjapamādaṭṭhānā paṭiviratā.

She doesn’t kill living creatures, steal, commit sexual misconduct, lie, or consume beer, wine, and liquor intoxicants.

Cāgavatī kho pana hoti.

She’s generous.

Vigatamalamaccherena cetasā agāraṁ ajjhāvasati muttacāgā payatapāṇinī vossaggaratā yācayogā dānasaṁvibhāgaratā.

She lives at home rid of the stain of stinginess, freely generous, open-handed, loving to let go, committed to charity, loving to give and to share.

Imehi kho, anuruddha, aṭṭhahi dhammehi samannāgato mātugāmo kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā manāpakāyikānaṁ devānaṁ sahabyataṁ upapajjatīti.

When they possess these eight qualities ladies—when their body breaks up, after death—are reborn in company with the Gods of the Agreeable Host.

Yo naṁ bharati sabbadā,

She’d never look down on her husband,

niccaṁ ātāpi ussuko;

who’s always eager to work hard,

Taṁ sabbakāmadaṁ posaṁ,

always looking after her,

bhattāraṁ nātimaññati.

and bringing whatever she wants.

Na cāpi sotthi bhattāraṁ,

And a good woman never scolds her husband

issāvādena rosaye;

with jealous words.

Bhattu ca garuno sabbe,

Being astute, she reveres

paṭipūjeti paṇḍitā.

those respected by her husband.

Uṭṭhāhikā analasā,

She gets up early, works tirelessly,

saṅgahitaparijjanā;

and manages the domestic help.

Bhattu manāpaṁ carati,

She’s agreeable to her husband,

sambhataṁ anurakkhati.

and preserves his wealth.

Yā evaṁ vattati nārī,

A lady who fulfills these duties

bhattu chandavasānugā;

according to her husband’s desire,

Manāpā nāma te devā,

is reborn among the gods

yattha sā upapajjatī”ti.

called ‘Agreeable’.”

Chaṭṭhaṁ.