1. Nāgavagga
1. Dragons
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Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho so bhikkhu bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:
Seated to one side, that mendicant said to the Buddha:
“ko nu kho, bhante, hetu, ko paccayo, yena midhekacco kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā opapātikānaṁ nāgānaṁ sahabyataṁ upapajjatī”ti?
“Sir, what is the cause, what is the reason why someone, when their body breaks up, after death, is reborn in the company of the spontaneously-born dragons?”
“Idha, bhikkhu, ekacco kāyena dvayakārī hoti, vācāya dvayakārī, manasā dvayakārī.
“Mendicant, it’s when someone does both kinds of deeds by body, speech, and mind.
‘opapātikā nāgā dīghāyukā vaṇṇavanto sukhabahulā’ti.
‘The spontaneously-born dragons are long-lived, beautiful, and very happy.’
‘aho vatāhaṁ kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā opapātikānaṁ nāgānaṁ sahabyataṁ upapajjeyyan’ti.
‘If only, when my body breaks up, after death, I would be reborn in the company of the spontaneously-born dragons!’
So kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā opapātikānaṁ nāgānaṁ sahabyataṁ upapajjati.
When their body breaks up, after death, they’re reborn in the company of the spontaneously-born dragons.
Ayaṁ kho, bhikkhu, hetu, ayaṁ paccayo, yena midhekacco kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā opapātikānaṁ nāgānaṁ sahabyataṁ upapajjatī”ti.
This is the cause, this is the reason why someone, when their body breaks up, after death, is reborn in the company of the spontaneously-born dragons.”
Dasamaṁ.