sutta » an » an5 » Aṅguttara Nikāya 5.99

Sīhasutta

The Lion

“Sīho, bhikkhave, migarājā sāyanhasamayaṁ āsayā nikkhamati;
“Mendicants, towards evening the lion, king of beasts, emerges from his den,

āsayā nikkhamitvā vijambhati;
yawns,

vijambhitvā samantā catuddisaṁ anuviloketi;
looks all around the four quarters,

samantā catuddisaṁ anuviloketvā tikkhattuṁ sīhanādaṁ nadati;
and roars his lion’s roar three times.

tikkhattuṁ sīhanādaṁ naditvā gocarāya pakkamati.
Then he sets out on the hunt.

So hatthissa cepi pahāraṁ deti, sakkaccaññeva pahāraṁ deti, no asakkaccaṁ;
If he strikes an elephant, he does it carefully, not carelessly.

mahiṁsassa cepi pahāraṁ deti, sakkaccaññeva pahāraṁ deti, no asakkaccaṁ;
If he strikes a buffalo …

gavassa cepi pahāraṁ deti, sakkaccaññeva pahāraṁ deti, no asakkaccaṁ;
a cow …

dīpissa cepi pahāraṁ deti, sakkaccaññeva pahāraṁ deti, no asakkaccaṁ;
a leopard …

khuddakānañcepi pāṇānaṁ pahāraṁ deti antamaso sasabiḷārānampi, sakkaccaññeva pahāraṁ deti, no asakkaccaṁ.
or any smaller creatures—even a hare or a cat—he does it carefully, not carelessly.

Taṁ kissa hetu?
Why is that?

‘Mā me yoggapatho nassā’ti.
Thinking: ‘May I not lose my way.’

Sīhoti kho, bhikkhave, tathāgatassetaṁ adhivacanaṁ arahato sammāsambuddhassa.
‘Lion’ is a term for the Realized One, the perfected one, the fully awakened Buddha.

Yaṁ kho, bhikkhave, tathāgato parisāya dhammaṁ deseti, idamassa hoti sīhanādasmiṁ.
When the Realized One teaches Dhamma to an assembly, this is his lion’s roar.

Bhikkhūnañcepi, bhikkhave, tathāgato dhammaṁ deseti, sakkaccaññeva tathāgato dhammaṁ deseti, no asakkaccaṁ;
When the Realized One teaches the monks …

bhikkhunīnañcepi, bhikkhave, tathāgato dhammaṁ deseti, sakkaccaññeva tathāgato dhammaṁ deseti, no asakkaccaṁ;
nuns …

upāsakānañcepi, bhikkhave, tathāgato dhammaṁ deseti, sakkaccaññeva tathāgato dhammaṁ deseti, no asakkaccaṁ;
laymen …

upāsikānañcepi, bhikkhave, tathāgato dhammaṁ deseti, sakkaccaññeva tathāgato dhammaṁ deseti, no asakkaccaṁ;
laywomen …

puthujjanānañcepi, bhikkhave, tathāgato dhammaṁ deseti antamaso annabhāranesādānampi, sakkaccaññeva tathāgato dhammaṁ deseti, no asakkaccaṁ.
or ordinary people—even food-carriers and hunters—he teaches them carefully, not carelessly.

Taṁ kissa hetu?
Why is that?

Dhammagaru, bhikkhave, tathāgato dhammagāravo”ti.
Because the Realized One has respect and reverence for the teaching.”

Navamaṁ.