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13. Sumanādevīvatthu1.13 The Story about Queen Sumanā Sumanādeviyā Vatthu
Idha nandatīti imaṃ dhammadesanaṃ satthā jetavane viharanto sumanādeviṃ ārabbha kathesi.“Here she’s happy, after death she’s happy,” this Dhamma teaching was given by the Teacher while he was in residence at Jetavana with reference to Queen Sumanā.{1.151} marks page 151 of volume 1 of the Pāli Text Society Pāli text.
Sāvatthiyañhi devasikaṃ anāthapiṇḍikassa gehe dve bhikkhūsahassāni bhuñjanti, tathā visākhāya mahāupāsikāya.For every day 2,000 bhikkhus take their meal in the house of Anāthapiṇḍika at Sāvatthī, and a like number in the house of the eminent female lay disciple Visākhā.
Sāvatthiyaṃ yo yo dānaṃ dātukāmo hoti, so so tesaṃ ubhinnaṃ okāsaṃ labhitvāva karoti.Whoever desires to give alms at Sāvatthī, first seeks the good offices of these two lay disciples. Do you ask the reason for this?
Kiṃ kāraṇā? “ Tumhākaṃ dānaggaṃ anāthapiṇḍiko vā visākhā vā āgatā ” ti pucchitvā,“ nāgatā ” ti vutte satasahassaṃ vissajjetvā katadānampi “ kiṃ dānaṃ nāmetan ” ti garahanti.Suppose you are asked the question: “Has Anāthapiṇḍika or Visākhā given alms equal in amount to those which you have given?” and you answer: “They have not,” you may dispense 100,000 coins in alms, and in spite of this the bhikkhus will murmur dissatisfaction,
Ubhopi hi te bhikkhusaṅghassa ruciñca anucchavikakiccāni ca ativiya jānanti,saying: “What kind of alms are these?” The explanation is that both of these lay disciples understand thoroughly the tastes of the Saṅgha of bhikkhus and know exactly what is the proper thing to do;[28.243] marks page 243 of volume 28 of the Harvard Oriental Series English translation.
tesu vicārentesu bhikkhū cittarūpaṃ bhuñjanti. Tasmā sabbe dānaṃ dātukāmā te gahetvāva gacchanti. Iti te attano attano ghare bhikkhū parivisituṃ na labhanti.therefore all who desire to give alms take them with them when they go. And thus it happens that they are unable to minister to the bhikkhus in person in their own houses.
Tato visākhā,“ ko nu kho mama ṭhāne ṭhatvā bhikkhusaṅghaṃ parivisissatī ” ti upadhārentī puttassa dhītaraṃ disvā taṃ attano ṭhāne ṭhapesi. Sā tassā nivesane bhikkhusaṅghaṃ parivisati.Under these circumstances Visākhā, considering within herself: “Who shall stand in my place and minister to the Saṅgha of bhikkhus?” seeing the daughter of her son, appointed her to represent her; and thenceforth Visākhā’s granddaughter ministered to the Saṅgha of bhikkhus in Visākhā’s residence.
Anāthapiṇḍikopi mahāsubhaddaṃ nāma jeṭṭhadhītaraṃ ṭhapesi. Sā bhikkhūnaṃ veyyāvaccaṃ karontī dhammaṃ suṇantī sotāpannā hutvā patikulaṃ agamāsi.Anāthapiṇḍika appointed his oldest daughter Mahā Subhaddā; the latter showed the bhikkhus the customary attentions, hearkened to the Dhamma, and as a result obtained Stream-entry; afterwards she married and went to live with her husband’s family.
Tato cūḷasubhaddaṃ ṭhapesi. Sāpi tatheva karontī sotāpannā hutvā patikulaṃ gatā. Atha sumanadeviṃ nāma kaniṭṭhadhītaraṃ ṭhapesi.Then he appointed Culla Subhaddā, who followed her older sister’s example, obtaining Stream-entry, and afterwards marrying and going to live with the family of her husband.
Sā pana dhammaṃ sutvā sakadāgāmiphalaṃ patvā kumārikāva hutvā tathārūpena aphāsukena āturā āhārupacchedaṃ katvā pitaraṃ daṭṭhukāmā hutvā pakkosāpesi.Finally he appointed his youngest daughter Sumanā. Sumanā obtained the fruition of Once-returning, but remained unmarried. Overwhelmed with disappointment at her failure to obtain a husband, she refused to eat, and desiring to see her father, sent for him.{1.152} marks page 152 of volume 1 of the Pāli Text Society Pāli text.
So ekasmiṃ dānagge tassā sāsanaṃ sutvāva āgantvā,“ kiṃ, amma sumane ” ti āha. Sāpi naṃ āha – “ kiṃ, tāta kaniṭṭhabhātikā ” ti?Anāthapiṇḍika was in the refectory when he received his daughter’s message, but immediately went to her and said: “What is it, dear daughter Sumanā?” Sumanā said to him: “What say you,
“ Vilapasi ammā ” ti? “ Na vilapāmi, kaniṭṭhabhātikā ” ti. “ Bhāyasi, ammā ” ti? “ Na bhāyāmi, kaniṭṭhabhātikā ” ti. Ettakaṃ vatvāyeva pana sā kālamakāsi.dear youngest brother?” – “You talk incoherently, dear daughter.” – “I am not talking incoherently, youngest brother.” – “Are you afraid, dear daughter?” – “I am not afraid, youngest brother.” She said no more, but died immediately.
So sotāpannopi samāno seṭṭhidhītari uppannasokaṃ adhivāsetuṃ asakkonto dhītu sarīrakiccaṃ kāretvā rodanto satthu santikaṃ gantvā,“ kiṃ, gahapati,Although the rich man had obtained Stream-entry, he was unable to bear the grief that arose within him. Accordingly, when he had performed the funeral rites over his daughter’s body,
dukkhī dummano assumukho rodamāno āgatosī ” ti vutte,“ dhītā me, bhante, sumanadevī kālakatā ” ti āha. “ Atha kasmā socasi, nanu sabbesaṃ ekaṃsikaṃ maraṇan ” ti? “ Jānāmetaṃ,he went weeping to the Teacher. The Teacher said: “Householder, how is it that you come to me sad and sorrowful, with tears in your eyes, weeping?” – “Venerable Sir, my daughter Sumanā is dead.” – “Well, why do you weep?
bhante, evarūpā nāma me hiriottappasampannā dhītā, sā maraṇakāle satiṃ paccupaṭṭhāpetuṃ asakkontī vilapamānā matā, tena me anappakaṃ domanassaṃ uppajjatī ” ti. “Is not death certain for all?” – “I know that, venerable Sir. But my daughter was so modest and so conscientious. What grieves me so much is the thought that when she died, she was unable to recover her right mind, but died speaking incoherently.”
Kiṃ pana tāya kathitaṃ mahāseṭṭhī ” ti? “ Ahaṃ taṃ, bhante,‘ amma, sumane ’ ti āmantesiṃ. Atha maṃ āha – ‘ kiṃ, tāta, kaniṭṭhabhātikā ’ ti?What grieves me “But what did your youngest daughter say, rich man?” – “Venerable Sir, I addressed her as ‘dear Sumanā,’ and she replied: ‘What say you, dear youngest brother?’ Then I said to her: ‘You talk incoherently,[28.244] marks page 244 of volume 28 of the Harvard Oriental Series English translation.
‘ Vilapasi, ammā ’ ti? ‘ Na vilapāmi, kaniṭṭhabhātikā ’ ti. ‘ Bhāyasi, ammā ’ ti? ‘ Na bhāyāmi kaniṭṭhabhātikā ’ ti. Ettakaṃ vatvā kālamakāsī ” ti.dear daughter.’ – ‘I am not talking incoherently, youngest brother.’ – ‘Are you afraid, dear daughter?’ – ‘I am not afraid, youngest brother.’ She said no more, but died immediately.”
Atha naṃ bhagavā āha – “ na te mahāseṭṭhi dhītā vilapatī ” ti. “ Atha kasmā bhante evamāhā ” ti?Said the Fortunate One to Anāthapiṇḍika: “Rich man, your daughter did not talk incoherently.” – “But why did she speak thus?” – “Solely because you were her younger brother.
“ Kaniṭṭhattāyeva. Dhītā hi te, gahapati, maggaphalehi tayā mahallikā. Tvañhi sotāpanno, dhītā pana te sakadāgāminī.Householder, your daughter was old in the paths and the fruitions, for while you have attained but Stream-entry, your daughter had attained the fruit of Once-returning. Thus it was,{1.153} marks page 153 of volume 1 of the Pāli Text Society Pāli text.
Sā maggaphalehi tayā mahallikattā taṃ evamāhā ” ti. “ Evaṃ, bhante ” ti? “ Evaṃ, gahapatī ” ti. “because she was old in the paths and the fruitions, that she spoke thus.” – “Was that the reason, venerable Sir?” – “That was the reason, householder.”
Idāni kuhiṃ nibbattā, bhante ” ti? “ Tusitabhavane, gahapatī ” ti. “ Bhante, mama dhītā idha ñātakānaṃ antare nandamānā vicaritvā ito gantvāpi nandanaṭṭhāneyeva nibbattā ” ti.“Where has she now been reborn, venerable Sir?” – “In the world of the Tusita gods, householder.” – “Venerable Sir, while my daughter remained here among her kinsfolk, she went about rejoicing, and when she went hence, she was reborn in a place of joy.”
Atha naṃ satthā “ āma, gahapati, appamattā nāma gahaṭṭhā vā pabbajitā vā idha loke ca paraloke ca nandantiyevā ” ti vatvā imaṃ gāthamāha –Then the Teacher said to him: “It is even so, householder. They that are heedful, be they lay folk or monastics, rejoice both in this world and in the world beyond.” So saying, he pronounced the following verse:
18. “ Idha nandati pecca nandati, katapuñño ubhayattha nandati; Puññaṃ me katanti nandati, bhiyyo nandati suggatiṃ gato ” ti.Here she’s happy, after death she’s happy, the righteous one’s happy in both places, she’s happy, thinking: “I have done merit,” gone to a good fate, she’s happy much more.
Tattha idhāti idha loke kammanandanena nandati. Peccāti paraloke vipākanandanena nandati. Katapuññoti nānappakārassa puññassa kattā. Ubhayatthāti idha “ kataṃ me kusalaṃ,
akataṃ me pāpan ” ti nandati, parattha vipākaṃ anubhavanto nandati. Puññaṃ meti idha nandanto pana “ puññaṃ me katan ” ti somanassamatteneva kammanandanaṃ upādāya nandati.
Bhiyyoti vipākanandanena pana sugatiṃ gato sattapaññāsavassakoṭiyo saṭṭhivassasatasahassāni dibbasampattiṃ anubhavanto tusitapure ativiya nandatīti.
Gāthāpariyosāne bahū sotāpannādayo ahesuṃ. Mahājanassa sātthikā dhammadesanā jātāti.At the end of the verse many became Stream-enterers and so on, and benefit arose to many people from the Dhamma teaching.
Sumanādevīvatthu terasamaṃ.