2. Dutiyavagga
2. Childless
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Atha kho rājā pasenadi kosalo divā divassa yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā ekamantaṁ nisinnaṁ kho rājānaṁ pasenadiṁ kosalaṁ bhagavā etadavoca:
Then King Pasenadi of Kosala went up to the Buddha in the middle of the day … The Buddha said to him,
“handa kuto nu tvaṁ, mahārāja, āgacchasi divā divassā”ti?
“So, great king, where are you coming from in the middle of the day?”
“Idha, bhante, sāvatthiyaṁ seṭṭhi gahapati kālaṅkato.
“Sir, here in Sāvatthī a financier householder has passed away.
Tamahaṁ aputtakaṁ sāpateyyaṁ rājantepuraṁ atiharitvā āgacchāmi.
Since he died childless, I have come after transferring his fortune to the royal compound.
Sataṁ, bhante, satasahassāni hiraññasseva, ko pana vādo rūpiyassa.
There was ten million in gold coin, not to mention the silver coin.
Tassa kho pana, bhante, seṭṭhissa gahapatissa evarūpo bhattabhogo ahosi—
And yet that financier ate meals of
jajjararathakena yāti paṇṇachattakena dhāriyamānenā”ti.
a dilapidated little cart, holding a leaf as parasol.”
Bhūtapubbaṁ so, mahārāja, seṭṭhi gahapati taggarasikhiṁ nāma paccekasambuddhaṁ piṇḍapātena paṭipādesi.
Once upon a time, great king, that financier householder provided almsfood on behalf of an Independent Buddha named Tagarasikhī.
‘Detha samaṇassa piṇḍan’ti vatvā uṭṭhāyāsanā pakkāmi.
He instructed: ‘Give alms to that ascetic,’ before getting up from his seat and leaving.
‘varametaṁ piṇḍapātaṁ dāsā vā kammakarā vā bhuñjeyyun’ti.
‘It would have been better to feed the bondservants or workers with that almsfood.’
Bhātu ca pana ekaputtakaṁ sāpateyyassa kāraṇā jīvitā voropesi.
What’s more, he murdered his brother’s only child for the sake of his fortune.
Yaṁ kho so, mahārāja, seṭṭhi gahapati taggarasikhiṁ paccekasambuddhaṁ piṇḍapātena paṭipādesi, tassa kammassa vipākena sattakkhattuṁ sugatiṁ saggaṁ lokaṁ upapajji.
Because that financier provided Tagarasikhī with almsfood, as a result of that deed he was reborn seven times in a good place, a heavenly realm.
Tasseva kammassa vipākāvasesena imissāyeva sāvatthiyā sattakkhattuṁ seṭṭhittaṁ kāresi.
And as a residual result of that same deed he held the position of financier seven times right here in Sāvatthī.
Yaṁ kho so, mahārāja, seṭṭhi gahapati datvā pacchā vippaṭisārī ahosi:
But because that financier regretted giving alms,
‘varametaṁ piṇḍapātaṁ dāsā vā kammakarā vā bhuñjeyyun’ti, tassa kammassa vipākena nāssuḷārāya bhattabhogāya cittaṁ namati, nāssuḷārāya vatthabhogāya cittaṁ namati, nāssuḷārāya yānabhogāya cittaṁ namati, nāssuḷārānaṁ pañcannaṁ kāmaguṇānaṁ bhogāya cittaṁ namati.
as a result of that deed his mind didn’t tend to enjoy nice food, clothes, vehicles, or the five refined kinds of sensual stimulation.
Yaṁ kho so, mahārāja, seṭṭhi gahapati bhātu ca pana ekaputtakaṁ sāpateyyassa kāraṇā jīvitā voropesi, tassa kammassa vipākena bahūni vassāni bahūni vassasatāni bahūni vassasahassāni bahūni vassasatasahassāni niraye paccittha.
And because that financier murdered his brother’s only child for the sake of his fortune, as a result of that deed he burned in hell for many years, for many hundreds, many thousands, many hundreds of thousands of years.
Tasseva kammassa vipākāvasesena idaṁ sattamaṁ aputtakaṁ sāpateyyaṁ rājakosaṁ paveseti.
And as a residual result of that same deed, he is childless for the seventh time, his fortune ending up in the royal treasury.
Tassa kho, mahārāja, seṭṭhissa gahapatissa purāṇañca puññaṁ parikkhīṇaṁ, navañca puññaṁ anupacitaṁ.
Now the old merit of that financier has been used up, and he hasn’t accumulated new merit.
Ajja pana, mahārāja, seṭṭhi gahapati mahāroruve niraye paccatī”ti.
Today, great king, that financier burns in the Great Hell of Screams.”
“Evaṁ, bhante, seṭṭhi gahapati mahāroruvaṁ nirayaṁ upapanno”ti.
“Really, sir, that financier has been reborn in the Great Hell of Screams?”
Dutiyo vaggo.
Tassuddānaṁ
Jaṭilā pañca rājāno,
Doṇapākakurena ca;
Saṅgāmena dve vuttāni,
Mallikā dve appamādena ca;
Aputtakena dve vuttā,
Vaggo tena pavuccatīti.