sutta » sn » sn2 » Saṁyutta Nikāya 2.23

Serīsutta

Serī With Serī

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

‘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 in the past, venerable sir, I was a king named Serī, a donor, a philanthropist, one who spoke in praise of giving.
“Once upon a time, sir, I was a king named Serī, a giver, a donor, who praised giving.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

‘ahaṁ khosmi dāyako dānapati dānassa vaṇṇavādī.
‘I am a donor…
‘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, dutiyaṁ dvāraṁ khattiyānaṁ anuyantānaṁ adāsiṁ.
’ So, venerable sir, I gave the second gate to the khattiya vassals.
And so I gave the second gate to my aristocrat vassals.

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

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

‘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.
So, venerable sir, I gave the third gate to the troops.
And so I gave the third gate to my troops.

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

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

‘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.
So, venerable sir, I gave the fourth gate to the brahmins and householders.
And so I gave the fourth gate to my brahmins and householders.

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

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

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

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

‘tena hi, bhaṇe, yo bāhiresu janapadesu āyo sañjāyati tato upaḍḍhaṁ antepure pavesetha, upaḍḍhaṁ tattheva dānaṁ detha samaṇabrāhmaṇakapaṇaddhikavanibbakayācakānan’ti.
‘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 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, nomads, and beggars.’

So khvāhaṁ, bhante, evaṁ dīgharattaṁ katānaṁ puññānaṁ evaṁ dīgharattaṁ katānaṁ kusalānaṁ dhammānaṁ pariyantaṁ nādhigacchāmi—
’“I did not reach any limit, venerable sir, to the meritorious deeds that I did for such a long time,
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

ettakaṁ puññanti vā ettako puññavipākoti vā ettakaṁ sagge ṭhātabbanti vāti.
‘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.
‘there’s this much merit’ or ‘there’s this much result of merit’ or ‘for so long I’ll remain in heaven’.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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