1. Paṭhamavagga

Saṁyutta Nikāya 3.1

Linked Discourses 3.1

1. Paṭhamavagga

1. Shackles

Daharasutta

Young

Evaṁ me sutaṁ—

So I have heard.

ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme.

At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery.

Atha kho rājā pasenadi kosalo yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavatā saddhiṁ sammodi.

Then King Pasenadi of Kosala went up to the Buddha, and exchanged greetings with him.

Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho rājā pasenadi kosalo bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:

When the greetings and polite conversation were over, he sat down to one side and said to the Buddha,

“bhavampi no gotamo anuttaraṁ sammāsambodhiṁ abhisambuddhoti paṭijānātī”ti?

“Does the worthy Gotama claim to have awakened to the supreme perfect awakening?”

“Yañhi taṁ, mahārāja, sammā vadamāno vadeyya ‘anuttaraṁ sammāsambodhiṁ abhisambuddho’ti, mameva taṁ sammā vadamāno vadeyya.

“If anyone should rightly be said to have awakened to the supreme perfect awakening, it’s me.

Ahañhi, mahārāja, anuttaraṁ sammāsambodhiṁ abhisambuddho”ti.

For, great king, I have awakened to the supreme perfect awakening.”

“Yepi te, bho gotama, samaṇabrāhmaṇā saṅghino gaṇino gaṇācariyā ñātā yasassino titthakarā sādhusammatā bahujanassa, seyyathidaṁ—

“Well, there are those ascetics and brahmins who lead an order and a community, and tutor a community. They’re well-known and famous religious founders, deemed holy by many people. That is,

pūraṇo kassapo, makkhali gosālo, nigaṇṭho nāṭaputto, sañcayo belaṭṭhaputto, pakudho kaccāyano, ajito kesakambalo;

Pūraṇa Kassapa, the bamboo-staffed ascetic Gosāla, the Jain ascetic of the Ñātika clan, Sañjaya Belaṭṭhiputta, Pakudha Kaccāyana, and Ajita of the hair blanket.

tepi mayā ‘anuttaraṁ sammāsambodhiṁ abhisambuddhoti paṭijānāthā’ti puṭṭhā samānā anuttaraṁ sammāsambodhiṁ abhisambuddhoti na paṭijānanti.

I also asked them whether they claimed to have awakened to the supreme perfect awakening, but they made no such claim.

Kiṁ pana bhavaṁ gotamo daharo ceva jātiyā navo ca pabbajjāyā”ti?

So why do you, given that you’re so young in age and newly gone forth?”

“Cattāro kho me, mahārāja, daharāti na uññātabbā, daharāti na paribhotabbā.

“Great king, these four things should not be looked down upon or disparaged because they are young.

Katame cattāro?

What four?

Khattiyo kho, mahārāja, daharoti na uññātabbo, daharoti na paribhotabbo.

An aristocrat,

Urago kho, mahārāja, daharoti na uññātabbo, daharoti na paribhotabbo.

a serpent,

Aggi kho, mahārāja, daharoti na uññātabbo, daharoti na paribhotabbo.

a fire,

Bhikkhu, kho, mahārāja, daharoti na uññātabbo, daharoti na paribhotabbo.

and a mendicant.

Ime kho, mahārāja, cattāro daharāti na uññātabbā, daharāti na paribhotabbā”ti.

These four things should not be looked down upon or disparaged because they are young.”

Idamavoca bhagavā.

That is what the Buddha said.

Idaṁ vatvāna sugato athāparaṁ etadavoca satthā:

Then the Holy One, the Teacher, went on to say:

“Khattiyaṁ jātisampannaṁ,

“A man should not despise

abhijātaṁ yasassinaṁ;

an aristocrat of impeccable lineage,

Daharoti nāvajāneyya,

high-born and famous,

na naṁ paribhave naro.

just because they’re young.

Ṭhānañhi so manujindo,

For it’s possible that that lord of mankind,

rajjaṁ laddhāna khattiyo;

as aristocrat, will gain the throne.

So kuddho rājadaṇḍena,

And in his anger he’ll execute a royal punishment,

tasmiṁ pakkamate bhusaṁ;

and have you violently beaten.

Tasmā taṁ parivajjeyya,

Hence you should avoid him

rakkhaṁ jīvitamattano.

for the sake of your own life.

Gāme vā yadi vā raññe,

Whether in village or wilderness,

yattha passe bhujaṅgamaṁ;

wherever a serpent is seen,

Daharoti nāvajāneyya,

a man should not look down on it

na naṁ paribhave naro.

or despise it for its youth.

Uccāvacehi vaṇṇehi,

With its rainbow of colors,

urago carati tejasī;

the serpent of fiery breath glides along.

So āsajja ḍaṁse bālaṁ,

It lashes out and bites the fool,

naraṁ nāriñca ekadā;

both men and women alike.

Tasmā taṁ parivajjeyya,

Hence you should avoid it

rakkhaṁ jīvitamattano.

for the sake of your own life.

Pahūtabhakkhaṁ jālinaṁ,

A fire devours a huge amount,

pāvakaṁ kaṇhavattaniṁ;

a conflagration with a blackened trail.

Daharoti nāvajāneyya,

A man should not look down on it

na naṁ paribhave naro.

just because it’s young.

Laddhā hi so upādānaṁ,

For once it gets fuel

mahā hutvāna pāvako;

it’ll become a huge conflagration.

So āsajja ḍahe bālaṁ,

It’ll lash out and burn the fool,

naraṁ nāriñca ekadā;

both men and women alike.

Tasmā taṁ parivajjeyya,

Hence you should avoid it

rakkhaṁ jīvitamattano.

for the sake of your own life.

Vanaṁ yadaggi ḍahati,

When a forest is burned by fire,

pāvako kaṇhavattanī;

a conflagration with a blackened trail,

Jāyanti tattha pārohā,

the shoots will spring up there again,

ahorattānamaccaye.

with the passing of the days and nights.

Yañca kho sīlasampanno,

But if a mendicant endowed with ethics

bhikkhu ḍahati tejasā;

burns you with their power,

Na tassa puttā pasavo,

you’ll have no children or livestock,

dāyādā vindare dhanaṁ;

nor will your heirs find wealth.

Anapaccā adāyādā,

Childless and heirless you become,

tālāvatthū bhavanti te.

like a palm-tree stump.

Tasmā hi paṇḍito poso,

That’s why an astute person,

sampassaṁ atthamattano;

seeing what’s good for themselves,

Bhujaṅgamaṁ pāvakañca,

would always treat these properly:

khattiyañca yasassinaṁ;

a snake, a conflagration,

Bhikkhuñca sīlasampannaṁ,

a famous aristocrat,

sammadeva samācare”ti.

and a mendicant endowed with ethics.”

Evaṁ vutte, rājā pasenadi kosalo bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:

When this was said, King Pasenadi of Kosala said to the Buddha,

“abhikkantaṁ, bhante, abhikkantaṁ, bhante.

“Excellent, sir! Excellent!

Seyyathāpi, bhante, nikkujjitaṁ vā ukkujjeyya, paṭicchannaṁ vā vivareyya, mūḷhassa vā maggaṁ ācikkheyya, andhakāre vā telapajjotaṁ dhāreyya: ‘cakkhumanto rūpāni dakkhantī’ti; evamevaṁ bhagavatā anekapariyāyena dhammo pakāsito.

As if he were righting the overturned, or revealing the hidden, or pointing out the path to the lost, or lighting a lamp in the dark so people with clear eyes can see what’s there, the Buddha has made the teaching clear in many ways.

Esāhaṁ, bhante, bhagavantaṁ saraṇaṁ gacchāmi dhammañca bhikkhusaṅghañca.

I go for refuge to the Buddha, to the teaching, and to the mendicant Saṅgha.

Upāsakaṁ maṁ, bhante, bhagavā dhāretu ajjatagge pāṇupetaṁ saraṇaṁ gatan”ti.

From this day forth, may the Buddha remember me as a lay follower who has gone for refuge for life.”