sutta » sn » sn2 » Saṁyutta Nikāya 2.23

Serīsutta

With Serī Serī

Ekamantaṁ ṭhito kho serī devaputto bhagavantaṁ gāthāya ajjhabhāsi:
Standing to one side, the god Serī addressed the Buddha in verse:
Standing to one side, the young deva Serī addressed the Blessed One in verse:

“Annamevābhinandanti,
“Both gods and humans
“They always take delight in food,

ubhaye devamānusā;
enjoy their food.
Both devas and human beings.

Atha ko nāma so yakkho,
So what’s the name of the spirit
So what sort of spirit could it be

yaṁ annaṁ nābhinandatī”ti.
who doesn’t like food?”
That does not take delight in food?”

“Ye naṁ dadanti saddhāya,
“Those who give with faith
“When they give out of faith

vippasannena cetasā;
and a clear and confident heart,
With a heart of confidence,

Tameva annaṁ bhajati,
partake of food
Food accrues to [the giver] himself

asmiṁ loke paramhi ca.
in this world and the next.
Both in this world and the next.

Tasmā vineyya maccheraṁ,
So you should dispel stinginess,
“Therefore, having removed stinginess,

dajjā dānaṁ malābhibhū;
overcoming that stain, and give a gift.
The conqueror of the stain should give a gift.

Puññāni paralokasmiṁ,
The good deeds of sentient beings
Merits, in the other world,

patiṭṭhā honti pāṇinan”ti.
support them in the next world.”
are the support for living beings.”

“Acchariyaṁ, bhante, abbhutaṁ, bhante.
“It’s incredible, sir, it’s amazing,
“It is wonderful, venerable sir! It is amazing,

Yāvasubhāsitamidaṁ, bhante, bhagavatā:
how well said this was by the Buddha.” He repeated the Buddha’s verses, and said:
venerable sir! How well this was stated by the Blessed One:

‘Ye naṁ dadanti saddhāya,
“‘When they give out of faith…

vippasannena cetasā;

Tameva annaṁ bhajati,

asmiṁ loke paramhi ca.

Tasmā vineyya maccheraṁ,

dajjā dānaṁ malābhibhū;

Puññāni paralokasmiṁ,
Merits, in the other world,

patiṭṭhā honti pāṇinan’ti.
are the support for living beings.’

Bhūtapubbāhaṁ, bhante, sirī nāma rājā ahosiṁ dāyako dānapati dānassa vaṇṇavādī.
“Once upon a time, sir, I was a king named Serī, a giver, a donor, who praised giving.
’“Once in the past, venerable sir, I was a king named Serī, a donor, a philanthropist, one who spoke in praise of giving.

Tassa mayhaṁ, bhante, catūsu dvāresu dānaṁ dīyittha samaṇabrāhmaṇakapaṇaddhikavanibbakayācakānaṁ.
I gave gifts at the four gates to ascetics and brahmins, to paupers, vagrants, supplicants, and beggars.
At the four gates I had gifts given to ascetics, brahmins, paupers, wayfarers, mendicants, and beggars.

Atha kho maṁ, bhante, itthāgāraṁ upasaṅkamitvā etadavoca:
Then the ladies of my harem approached me and said,
Then, venerable sir, the harem women came to me and said:

‘devassa kho dānaṁ dīyati; amhākaṁ dānaṁ na dīyati.
‘Your Majesty gives gifts, but we don’t.
‘Your majesty gives gifts, but we do not give gifts.

Sādhu mayampi devaṁ nissāya dānāni dadeyyāma, puññāni kareyyāmā’ti.
Your Majesty, please support us to give gifts and make merit.’
It would be good if, with your majesty’s assistance, we too might give gifts and do meritorious deeds.

Tassa mayhaṁ, bhante, etadahosi:
Then it occurred to me,
’ It occurred to me:

‘ahaṁ khosmi dāyako dānapati dānassa vaṇṇavādī.
‘I’m a giver, a donor, who praises giving.
‘I am a donor, a philanthropist, one who speaks in praise of giving.

Dānaṁ dassāmāti vadante kinti vadeyyan’ti?
When they say, “We would give gifts”, what am I to say?’
So when they say,“Let us give gifts”, what am I to say to them?’

So khvāhaṁ, bhante, paṭhamaṁ dvāraṁ itthāgārassa adāsiṁ.
And so I gave the first gate to the ladies of my harem.
So, venerable sir, I gave the first gate to the harem women.

Tattha itthāgārassa dānaṁ dīyittha; mama dānaṁ paṭikkami.
There they gave gifts, while my own giving dwindled.
There the harem women gave gifts, and my gifts returned to me.

Atha kho maṁ, bhante, khattiyā anuyantā upasaṅkamitvā etadavocuṁ:
Then my aristocrat vassals approached me and said,
“Then, venerable sir, my khattiya vassals came to me and said:

‘devassa kho dānaṁ dīyati; itthāgārassa dānaṁ dīyati; amhākaṁ dānaṁ na dīyati.
‘Your Majesty gives gifts, the ladies of your harem give gifts, but we don’t.
‘Your majesty gives gifts, the harem women give gifts, but we do not give gifts.

Sādhu mayampi devaṁ nissāya dānāni dadeyyāma, puññāni kareyyāmā’ti.
Your Majesty, please support us to give gifts and make merit.’
It would be good if, with your majesty’s assistance, we too might give gifts and do meritorious deeds.

Tassa mayhaṁ, bhante, etadahosi:
Then it occurred to me,
’ It occurred to me:

‘ahaṁ khosmi dāyako dānapati dānassa vaṇṇavādī.
‘I’m a giver, a donor, who praises giving.
‘I am a donor…

Dānaṁ dassāmāti vadante kinti vadeyyan’ti?
When they say, “We would give gifts”, what am I to say?’

So khvāhaṁ, bhante, dutiyaṁ dvāraṁ khattiyānaṁ anuyantānaṁ adāsiṁ.
And so I gave the second gate to my aristocrat vassals.
’ So, venerable sir, I gave the second gate to the khattiya vassals.

Tattha khattiyānaṁ anuyantānaṁ dānaṁ dīyittha, mama dānaṁ paṭikkami.
There they gave gifts, while my own giving dwindled.
There the khattiya vassals gave gifts, and my gifts returned to me.

Atha kho maṁ, bhante, balakāyo upasaṅkamitvā etadavoca:
Then my troops approached me and said,
“Then, venerable sir, my troops came to me …

‘devassa kho dānaṁ dīyati; itthāgārassa dānaṁ dīyati; khattiyānaṁ anuyantānaṁ dānaṁ dīyati; amhākaṁ dānaṁ na dīyati.
‘Your Majesty gives gifts, the ladies of your harem give gifts, your aristocrat vassals give gifts, but we don’t.

Sādhu mayampi devaṁ nissāya dānāni dadeyyāma, puññāni kareyyāmā’ti.
Your Majesty, please support us to give gifts and make merit.’

Tassa mayhaṁ, bhante, etadahosi:
Then it occurred to me,

‘ahaṁ khosmi dāyako dānapati dānassa vaṇṇavādī.
‘I’m a giver, a donor, who praises giving.

Dānaṁ dassāmāti vadante kinti vadeyyan’ti?
When they say, “We would give gifts”, what am I to say?’

So khvāhaṁ, bhante, tatiyaṁ dvāraṁ balakāyassa adāsiṁ.
And so I gave the third gate to my troops.
So, venerable sir, I gave the third gate to the troops.

Tattha balakāyassa dānaṁ dīyittha, mama dānaṁ paṭikkami.
There they gave gifts, while my own giving dwindled.
There the troops gave gifts, and my gifts returned to me.

Atha kho maṁ, bhante, brāhmaṇagahapatikā upasaṅkamitvā etadavocuṁ:
Then my brahmins and householders approached me and said,
“Then, venerable sir, the brahmins and householders came to me …

‘devassa kho dānaṁ dīyati; itthāgārassa dānaṁ dīyati; khattiyānaṁ anuyantānaṁ dānaṁ dīyati; balakāyassa dānaṁ dīyati; amhākaṁ dānaṁ na dīyati.
‘Your Majesty gives gifts, the ladies of your harem give gifts, your aristocrat vassals give gifts, your troops give gifts, but we don’t.

Sādhu mayampi devaṁ nissāya dānāni dadeyyāma, puññāni kareyyāmā’ti.
Your Majesty, please support us to give gifts and make merit.’

Tassa mayhaṁ, bhante, etadahosi:
Then it occurred to me,

‘ahaṁ khosmi dāyako dānapati dānassa vaṇṇavādī.
‘I’m a giver, a donor, who praises giving.

Dānaṁ dassāmāti vadante kinti vadeyyan’ti?
When they say, “We would give gifts”, what am I to say?’

So khvāhaṁ, bhante, catutthaṁ dvāraṁ brāhmaṇagahapatikānaṁ adāsiṁ.
And so I gave the fourth gate to my brahmins and householders.
So, venerable sir, I gave the fourth gate to the brahmins and householders.

Tattha brāhmaṇagahapatikānaṁ dānaṁ dīyittha, mama dānaṁ paṭikkami.
There they gave gifts, while my own giving dwindled.
There the brahmins and householders gave gifts, and my gifts returned to me.

Atha kho maṁ, bhante, purisā upasaṅkamitvā etadavocuṁ:
Then my men approached me and said,
“Then, venerable sir, my men came to me and said:

‘na kho dāni devassa koci dānaṁ dīyatī’ti.
‘Now Your Majesty is not giving gifts at all!’
‘Now your majesty is not giving gifts anywhere.

Evaṁ vuttāhaṁ, bhante, te purise etadavocaṁ:
When they said this, I said to those men,
’ When this was said, I told those men:

‘tena hi, bhaṇe, yo bāhiresu janapadesu āyo sañjāyati tato upaḍḍhaṁ antepure pavesetha, upaḍḍhaṁ tattheva dānaṁ detha samaṇabrāhmaṇakapaṇaddhikavanibbakayācakānan’ti.
‘So then, my men, send half of the revenue from the outer districts to the royal compound. Then give half right there to ascetics and brahmins, to paupers, vagrants, supplicants, and beggars.’
‘Well then, I say, send half of the revenue generated in the outlying provinces from there to the palace. There itself give half as gifts to ascetics, brahmins, paupers, wayfarers, mendicants, and beggars.

So khvāhaṁ, bhante, evaṁ dīgharattaṁ katānaṁ puññānaṁ evaṁ dīgharattaṁ katānaṁ kusalānaṁ dhammānaṁ pariyantaṁ nādhigacchāmi—
Sir, for a long time I made so much merit and did so many skillful deeds. I never reached any limit so as to say
’“I did not reach any limit, venerable sir, to the meritorious deeds that I did for such a long time,

ettakaṁ puññanti vā ettako puññavipākoti vā ettakaṁ sagge ṭhātabbanti vāti.
‘there’s this much merit’ or ‘there’s this much result of merit’ or ‘for so long I’ll remain in heaven’.
‘There is just so much merit, ’ or ‘There is just so much result of merit, ’ or ‘For just so long am I to dwell in heaven.

Acchariyaṁ, bhante, abbhutaṁ, bhante.
It’s incredible, sir, it’s amazing,
’ It is wonderful, venerable sir! It is amazing, venerable sir!

Yāvasubhāsitamidaṁ, bhante, bhagavatā:
how well said this was by the Buddha.
How well this was stated by the Blessed One:

‘Ye naṁ dadanti saddhāya,
‘Those who give with faith
“‘When they give out of faith

vippasannena cetasā;
and a clear and confident heart,
With a heart of confidence,

Tameva annaṁ bhajati,
partake of food
Food accrues to [the giver] himself

asmiṁ loke paramhi ca.
in this world and the next.
Both in this world and the next.

Tasmā vineyya maccheraṁ,
So you should dispel stinginess,
“‘Therefore, having removed stinginess,

dajjā dānaṁ malābhibhū;
overcoming that stain, and give a gift.
The conqueror of the stain should give a gift.

Puññāni paralokasmiṁ,
The good deeds of sentient beings
Deeds of merit, in the other world

patiṭṭhā honti pāṇinan’”ti.
support them in the next world.’”
are the support for living beings ’”