2. Dutiyavagga

Saṁyutta Nikāya 3.15

Linked Discourses 3.15

2. Dutiyavagga

2. Childless

Dutiyasaṅgāmasutta

Battle (2nd)

Atha kho rājā māgadho ajātasattu vedehiputto caturaṅginiṁ senaṁ sannayhitvā rājānaṁ pasenadiṁ kosalaṁ abbhuyyāsi yena kāsi.

Then King Ajātasattu of Magadha, son of the princess of Videha, mobilized an army of four divisions and marched to Kāsi to attack King Pasenadi of Kosala.

Assosi kho rājā pasenadi kosalo:

When King Pasenadi heard of this,

“rājā kira māgadho ajātasattu vedehiputto caturaṅginiṁ senaṁ sannayhitvā mamaṁ abbhuyyāto yena kāsī”ti.

Atha kho rājā pasenadi kosalo caturaṅginiṁ senaṁ sannayhitvā rājānaṁ māgadhaṁ ajātasattuṁ vedehiputtaṁ paccuyyāsi yena kāsi.

he mobilized an army of four divisions and marched to Kāsi to defend it against Ajātasattu.

Atha kho rājā ca māgadho ajātasattu vedehiputto rājā ca pasenadi kosalo saṅgāmesuṁ.

Then the two kings met in battle.

Tasmiṁ kho pana saṅgāme rājā pasenadi kosalo rājānaṁ māgadhaṁ ajātasattuṁ vedehiputtaṁ parājesi, jīvaggāhañca naṁ aggahesi.

And in that battle Pasenadi defeated Ajātasattu and captured him alive.

Atha kho rañño pasenadissa kosalassa etadahosi:

Then King Pasenadi thought,

“kiñcāpi kho myāyaṁ rājā māgadho ajātasattu vedehiputto adubbhantassa dubbhati, atha ca pana me bhāgineyyo hoti.

“Even though I’ve never betrayed this King Ajātasattu, he betrayed me. Still, he is my nephew.

Yannūnāhaṁ rañño māgadhassa ajātasattuno vedehiputtassa sabbaṁ hatthikāyaṁ pariyādiyitvā sabbaṁ assakāyaṁ pariyādiyitvā sabbaṁ rathakāyaṁ pariyādiyitvā sabbaṁ pattikāyaṁ pariyādiyitvā jīvantameva naṁ osajjeyyan”ti.

Now that I’ve vanquished all of Ajātasattu’s elephant troops, cavalry, chariots, and infantry, why don’t I let him loose with just his life?”

Atha kho rājā pasenadi kosalo rañño māgadhassa ajātasattuno vedehiputtassa sabbaṁ hatthikāyaṁ pariyādiyitvā sabbaṁ assakāyaṁ pariyādiyitvā sabbaṁ rathakāyaṁ pariyādiyitvā sabbaṁ pattikāyaṁ pariyādiyitvā jīvantameva naṁ osajji.

And that’s what he did.

Atha kho sambahulā bhikkhū pubbaṇhasamayaṁ nivāsetvā pattacīvaramādāya sāvatthiṁ piṇḍāya pavisiṁsu.

Then several mendicants …

Sāvatthiyaṁ piṇḍāya caritvā pacchābhattaṁ piṇḍapātapaṭikkantā yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkamiṁsu; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdiṁsu. Ekamantaṁ nisinnā kho te bhikkhū bhagavantaṁ etadavocuṁ:

told the Buddha what had happened.

“Idha, bhante, rājā māgadho ajātasattu vedehiputto caturaṅginiṁ senaṁ sannayhitvā rājānaṁ pasenadiṁ kosalaṁ abbhuyyāsi yena kāsi.

Assosi kho, bhante, rājā pasenadi kosalo:

‘rājā kira māgadho ajātasattu vedehiputto caturaṅginiṁ senaṁ sannayhitvā mamaṁ abbhuyyāto yena kāsī’ti.

Atha kho, bhante, rājā pasenadi kosalo caturaṅginiṁ senaṁ sannayhitvā rājānaṁ māgadhaṁ ajātasattuṁ vedehiputtaṁ paccuyyāsi yena kāsi.

Atha kho, bhante, rājā ca māgadho ajātasattu vedehiputto rājā ca pasenadi kosalo saṅgāmesuṁ.

Tasmiṁ kho pana, bhante, saṅgāme rājā pasenadi kosalo rājānaṁ māgadhaṁ ajātasattuṁ vedehiputtaṁ parājesi, jīvaggāhañca naṁ aggahesi.

Atha kho, bhante, rañño pasenadissa kosalassa etadahosi:

‘kiñcāpi kho myāyaṁ rājā māgadho ajātasattu vedehiputto adubbhantassa dubbhati, atha ca pana me bhāgineyyo hoti.

Yannūnāhaṁ rañño māgadhassa ajātasattuno vedehiputtassa sabbaṁ hatthikāyaṁ pariyādiyitvā sabbaṁ assakāyaṁ sabbaṁ rathakāyaṁ sabbaṁ pattikāyaṁ pariyādiyitvā jīvantameva naṁ osajjeyyan’”ti.

“Atha kho, bhante, rājā pasenadi kosalo rañño māgadhassa ajātasattuno vedehiputtassa sabbaṁ hatthikāyaṁ pariyādiyitvā sabbaṁ assakāyaṁ pariyādiyitvā sabbaṁ rathakāyaṁ pariyādiyitvā sabbaṁ pattikāyaṁ pariyādiyitvā jīvantameva naṁ osajjī”ti.

Atha kho bhagavā etamatthaṁ viditvā tāyaṁ velāyaṁ imā gāthāyo abhāsi:

Then, understanding this matter, on that occasion the Buddha recited these verses:

“Vilumpateva puriso,

“A man goes on plundering

yāvassa upakappati;

as long as it serves his ends.

Yadā caññe vilumpanti,

But as soon as others plunder him,

so vilutto viluppati.

the plunderer is plundered.

Ṭhānañhi maññati bālo,

For the fool thinks they’re on solid ground,

yāva pāpaṁ na paccati;

so long as their wickedness has not ripened.

Yadā ca paccati pāpaṁ,

But as soon as that wickedness ripens,

atha dukkhaṁ nigacchati.

they fall into suffering.

Hantā labhati hantāraṁ,

A killer creates a killer;

jetāraṁ labhate jayaṁ;

a conqueror creates a conqueror;

Akkosako ca akkosaṁ,

an abuser creates abuse,

rosetārañca rosako;

and a bully creates a bully.

Atha kammavivaṭṭena,

And so as deeds unfold

so vilutto viluppatī”ti.

the plunderer is plundered.”