Aṅguttara Nikāya 8.49
Translators: sujato
Numbered Discourses 8.49
5. Uposathavagga
5. Sabbath
Paṭhamaidhalokikasutta
Winning in This Life (1st)
Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati pubbārāme migāramātupāsāde.
At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in the stilt longhouse of Migāra’s mother in the Eastern Monastery.
Atha kho visākhā migāramātā yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami …pe….
Then Visākhā, Migāra’s mother, went up to the Buddha, bowed, and sat down to one side.
Ekamantaṁ nisinnaṁ kho visākhaṁ migāramātaraṁ bhagavā etadavoca:
The Buddha said to her:
“Catūhi kho, visākhe, dhammehi samannāgato mātugāmo idhalokavijayāya paṭipanno hoti, ayaṁsa loko āraddho hoti.
“Visākhā, a female who has four qualities is practicing to win in this life, and she succeeds at it.
Katamehi catūhi?
What four?
Idha, visākhe, mātugāmo susaṁvihitakammanto hoti, saṅgahitaparijano, bhattu manāpaṁ carati, sambhataṁ anurakkhati.
It’s when a female is well-organized at work, manages the domestic help, acts lovingly toward her husband, and preserves his earnings.
Kathañca, visākhe, mātugāmo susaṁvihitakammanto hoti?
And how is a female well-organized at work?
Idha, visākhe, mātugāmo ye te bhattu abbhantarā kammantā—uṇṇāti vā kappāsāti vā—tattha dakkhā hoti analasā tatrupāyāya vīmaṁsāya samannāgatā alaṁ kātuṁ alaṁ saṁvidhātuṁ.
It’s when she’s deft and tireless in doing domestic duties for her husband, such as knitting and sewing. She understands how to go about things in order to complete and organize the work.
Evaṁ kho, visākhe, mātugāmo susaṁvihitakammanto hoti.
That’s how a female is well-organized at work.
Kathañca, visākhe, mātugāmo saṅgahitaparijano hoti?
And how does a female manage the domestic help?
Idha, visākhe, mātugāmo yo so bhattu abbhantaro antojano—dāsāti vā pessāti vā kammakarāti vā—
It’s when she knows what work her husband’s domestic bondservants, servants, and workers have completed, and what they’ve left incomplete.
tesaṁ katañca katato jānāti akatañca akatato jānāti, gilānakānañca balābalaṁ jānāti khādanīyaṁ bhojanīyañcassa paccaṁsena saṁvibhajati.
She knows who is sick, and who is fit or unwell. She distributes to each a fair portion of fresh and cooked foods.
Evaṁ kho, visākhe, mātugāmo saṅgahitaparijano hoti.
That’s how a female manages the domestic help.
Kathañca, visākhe, mātugāmo bhattu manāpaṁ carati?
And how does a female act lovingly toward her husband?
Idha, visākhe, mātugāmo yaṁ bhattu amanāpasaṅkhātaṁ taṁ jīvitahetupi na ajjhācarati.
It’s when a female would not transgress in any way that her husband would not consider agreeable, even for the sake of her own life.
Evaṁ kho, visākhe, mātugāmo bhattu manāpaṁ carati.
That’s how a female acts lovingly toward her husband.
Kathañca, visākhe, mātugāmo sambhataṁ anurakkhati?
And how does a female preserve his earnings?
Idha, visākhe, mātugāmo yaṁ bhattā āharati dhanaṁ vā dhaññaṁ vā rajataṁ vā jātarūpaṁ vā taṁ ārakkhena guttiyā sampādeti, tattha ca hoti adhuttī athenī asoṇḍī avināsikā.
It’s when she ensures that any income her husband earns is guarded and protected, whether money, grain, silver, or gold. She doesn’t overspend, steal, waste, or lose it.
Evaṁ kho, visākhe, mātugāmo sambhataṁ anurakkhati.
That’s how a female preserves his earnings.
Imehi kho, visākhe, catūhi dhammehi samannāgato mātugāmo idhalokavijayāya paṭipanno hoti, ayaṁsa loko āraddho hoti.
A female who has these four qualities is practicing to win in this life, and she succeeds at it.
Catūhi kho, visākhe, dhammehi samannāgato mātugāmo paralokavijayāya paṭipanno hoti, paraloko āraddho hoti.
A female who has four qualities is practicing to win in the next life, and she succeeds at it.
Katamehi catūhi?
What four?
Idha, visākhe, mātugāmo saddhāsampanno hoti, sīlasampanno hoti, cāgasampanno hoti, paññāsampanno hoti.
It’s when a female is accomplished in faith, ethics, generosity, and wisdom.
Kathañca, visākhe, mātugāmo saddhāsampanno hoti?
And how is a female accomplished in faith?
Idha, visākhe, mātugāmo saddho hoti, saddahati tathāgatassa bodhiṁ:
It’s when a female has faith in the Realized One’s awakening:
‘itipi so bhagavā arahaṁ sammāsambuddho vijjācaraṇasampanno sugato lokavidū anuttaro purisadammasārathi satthā devamanussānaṁ buddho bhagavā’ti.
‘That Blessed One is perfected, a fully awakened Buddha, accomplished in knowledge and conduct, holy, knower of the world, supreme guide for those who wish to train, teacher of gods and humans, awakened, blessed.’
Evaṁ kho, visākhe, mātugāmo saddhāsampanno hoti.
That’s how a female is accomplished in faith.
Kathañca, visākhe, mātugāmo sīlasampanno hoti?
And how is a female accomplished in ethics?
Idha, visākhe, mātugāmo pāṇātipātā paṭivirato hoti …pe… surāmerayamajjapamādaṭṭhānā paṭivirato hoti.
It’s when a female doesn’t kill living creatures, steal, commit sexual misconduct, lie, or consume beer, wine, and liquor intoxicants.
Evaṁ kho, visākhe, mātugāmo sīlasampanno hoti.
That’s how a female is accomplished in ethics.
Kathañca, visākhe, mātugāmo cāgasampanno hoti?
And how is a female accomplished in generosity?
Idha, visākhe, mātugāmo vigatamalamaccherena cetasā agāraṁ ajjhāvasati muttacāgā payatapāṇinī vossaggaratā yācayogā dānasaṁvibhāgaratā.
It’s when she lives at home rid of the stain of stinginess, freely generous, open-handed, loving to let go, committed to charity, loving to give and to share.
Evaṁ kho, visākhe, mātugāmo cāgasampanno hoti.
That’s how a female is accomplished in generosity.
Kathañca, visākhe, mātugāmo paññāsampanno hoti?
And how is a female accomplished in wisdom?
Idha, visākhe, mātugāmo paññavā hoti …pe…
It’s when a female is wise. She has the wisdom of arising and passing away which is noble, penetrative, and leads to the complete ending of suffering.
evaṁ kho, visākhe, mātugāmo paññāsampanno hoti.
That’s how a female is accomplished in wisdom.
Imehi kho, visākhe, catūhi dhammehi samannāgato mātugāmo paralokavijayāya paṭipanno hoti, paraloko āraddho hotīti.
A female who has these four qualities is practicing to win in the next life, and she succeeds at it.
Susaṁvihitakammantā,
She’s organized at work,
saṅgahitaparijjanā;
and manages the domestic help.
Bhattu manāpaṁ carati,
She’s agreeable to her husband,
sambhataṁ anurakkhati.
and preserves his wealth.
Saddhā sīlena sampannā,
Faithful, accomplished in ethics,
vadaññū vītamaccharā;
bountiful, rid of stinginess,
Niccaṁ maggaṁ visodheti,
she always purifies the path
sotthānaṁ samparāyikaṁ.
to well-being in lives to come.
Iccete aṭṭha dhammā ca,
And so, a lady in whom
yassā vijjanti nāriyā;
these eight qualities are found
Tampi sīlavatiṁ āhu,
is known as virtuous,
dhammaṭṭhaṁ saccavādiniṁ.
firm in principle, and truthful.
Soḷasākārasampannā,
Accomplished in sixteen respects,
Aṭṭhaṅgasusamāgatā;
complete with the eight factors,
Tādisī sīlavatī upāsikā,
a virtuous laywoman such as she
Upapajjati devalokaṁ manāpan”ti.
is reborn in the realm of the Agreeable Gods.”
Navamaṁ.