sutta » sn » sn3 » Saṁyutta Nikāya 3.1

Daharasutta

Young Young

Evaṁ me sutaṁ—
Thus have I heard.
So I have heard.

ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme.
On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s Park.
At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery.

Atha kho rājā pasenadi kosalo yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavatā saddhiṁ sammodi.
Then King Pasenadi of Kosala approached the Blessed One and exchanged greetings with him.
Then King Pasenadi of Kosala went up to the Buddha, and exchanged greetings with him.

Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho rājā pasenadi kosalo bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:
When they had concluded their greetings and cordial talk, he sat down to one side and said to the Blessed One:
When the greetings and polite conversation were over, he sat down to one side and said to the Buddha,

“bhavampi no gotamo anuttaraṁ sammāsambodhiṁ abhisambuddhoti paṭijānātī”ti?
“Does Master Gotama too claim, ‘I have awakened to the unsurpassed perfect enlightenment’?”
“Does Mister Gotama claim to have awakened to the supreme perfect awakening?”

“Yañhi taṁ, mahārāja, sammā vadamāno vadeyya ‘anuttaraṁ sammāsambodhiṁ abhisambuddho’ti, mameva taṁ sammā vadamāno vadeyya.
“If, great king, one speaking rightly could say of anyone, ‘He has awakened to the unsurpassed perfect enlightenment, ’ it is of me that one might rightly say this.
“If anyone should rightly be said to have awakened to the supreme perfect awakening, it’s me.

Ahañhi, mahārāja, anuttaraṁ sammāsambodhiṁ abhisambuddho”ti.
For I, great king, have awakened to the unsurpassed perfect enlightenment. ”
For, great king, I have awakened to the supreme perfect awakening.”

“Yepi te, bho gotama, samaṇabrāhmaṇā saṅghino gaṇino gaṇācariyā ñātā yasassino titthakarā sādhusammatā bahujanassa, seyyathidaṁ—
“Master Gotama, even those ascetics and brahmins who are the heads of orders and companies, the teachers of companies, well known and famous founders of sects considered by the multitude to be holy men, that is,
“Well, there are those ascetics and brahmins who lead an order and a community, and teach a community. They’re well-known and famous religious founders, deemed holy by many people. That is,

pūraṇo kassapo, makkhali gosālo, nigaṇṭho nāṭaputto, sañcayo belaṭṭhaputto, pakudho kaccāyano, ajito kesakambalo;
Pūraṇa Kassapa, Makkhali Gosāla, Nigaṇṭha Nātaputta, Sañjaya Belaṭṭhiputta, Pakudha Kaccāyana, Ajita Kesakambalī
Pūraṇa Kassapa, the bamboo-staffed ascetic Gosāla, the Jain ascetic of the Ñātika clan, Sañjaya Belaṭṭhiputta, Pakudha Kaccāyana, and Ajita of the hair blanket.

tepi mayā ‘anuttaraṁ sammāsambodhiṁ abhisambuddhoti paṭijānāthā’ti puṭṭhā samānā anuttaraṁ sammāsambodhiṁ abhisambuddhoti na paṭijānanti.
Even these, when I asked them whether they had awakened to the unsurpassed perfect enlightenment, did not claim to have done so.
I also asked them whether they claimed to have awakened to the supreme perfect awakening, but they made no such claim.

Kiṁ pana bhavaṁ gotamo daharo ceva jātiyā navo ca pabbajjāyā”ti?
So why then should Master Gotama [make such a claim] when he is so young in years and has newly gone forth?”
So why do you, given that you’re so young in age and newly gone forth?”

“Cattāro kho me, mahārāja, daharāti na uññātabbā, daharāti na paribhotabbā.
“There are four things, great king, that should not be despised and disparaged as ‘young’.
“Great king, these four things should not be looked down upon or disparaged because they are young.

Katame cattāro?
What four?
What four?

Khattiyo kho, mahārāja, daharoti na uññātabbo, daharoti na paribhotabbo.
A khattiya, great king, should not be despised and disparaged as ‘young’;
An aristocrat,

Urago kho, mahārāja, daharoti na uññātabbo, daharoti na paribhotabbo.
a snake should not be despised and disparaged as ‘young’;
a serpent,

Aggi kho, mahārāja, daharoti na uññātabbo, daharoti na paribhotabbo.
a fire should not be despised and disparaged as ‘young’;
a fire,

Bhikkhu, kho, mahārāja, daharoti na uññātabbo, daharoti na paribhotabbo.
and a bhikkhu should not be despised and disparaged as ‘young. "
and a mendicant.

Ime kho, mahārāja, cattāro daharāti na uññātabbā, daharāti na paribhotabbā”ti.
’These are the four. ”
These four things should not be looked down upon or disparaged because they are young.”

Idamavoca bhagavā.
This is what the Blessed One said.
That is what the Buddha said.

Idaṁ vatvāna sugato athāparaṁ etadavoca satthā:
Having said this, the Fortunate One, the Teacher, further said this:
Then the Holy One, the Teacher, went on to say:

“Khattiyaṁ jātisampannaṁ,
A khattiya of noble birth,
“A man should not despise

abhijātaṁ yasassinaṁ;
A high-born prince of glorious fame:
an aristocrat of impeccable lineage,

Daharoti nāvajāneyya,
As ‘young’, not realizing,
high-born and famous,

na naṁ paribhave naro.
A man should not disparage him.
just because they’re young.

Ṭhānañhi so manujindo,
For it may happen that this lord of men,
For it’s possible that that lord of men,

rajjaṁ laddhāna khattiyo;
This khattiya, shall gain the throne,
as aristocrat, will gain the throne.

So kuddho rājadaṇḍena,
And in his anger thrash one harshly With a royal punishment.
And in his anger he’ll execute a royal punishment,

tasmiṁ pakkamate bhusaṁ;
One should avoid him.
and have you violently beaten.

Tasmā taṁ parivajjeyya,
“One should not despise him,
Hence you should avoid him

rakkhaṁ jīvitamattano.
guarding one’s own life.
for the sake of your own life.

Gāme vā yadi vā raññe,
If in the village or a forest:
Whether in village or wilderness,

yattha passe bhujaṅgamaṁ;
A serpent one may see by chance.
wherever a serpent is seen,

Daharoti nāvajāneyya,
As ‘young’, not realizing,
a man should not look down on it

na naṁ paribhave naro.
A man should not disparage it.
or despise it for its youth.

Uccāvacehi vaṇṇehi,
Manifesting in diverse shapes,
With its rainbow of colors,

urago carati tejasī;
For as that fierce snake glides along,
the serpent of fiery breath glides along.

So āsajja ḍaṁse bālaṁ,
It may attack and bite the fool,
It lashes out and bites the fool,

naraṁ nāriñca ekadā;
Whether a man or a woman.
both men and women alike.

Tasmā taṁ parivajjeyya,
One should avoid it,
Hence you should avoid it

rakkhaṁ jīvitamattano.
guarding one’s own life.
for the sake of your own life.

Pahūtabhakkhaṁ jālinaṁ,
A blazing fire that devours much,
A fire devours a huge amount,

pāvakaṁ kaṇhavattaniṁ;
A conflagration with blackened trail:
a conflagration with a blackened trail.

Daharoti nāvajāneyya,
As ‘young’, not realizing,
A man should not look down on it

na naṁ paribhave naro.
A man should not disparage it.
just because it’s young.

Laddhā hi so upādānaṁ,
For if it gains a stock of fuel,
For once it gets fuel

mahā hutvāna pāvako;
Having become a conflagration,
it’ll become a huge conflagration.

So āsajja ḍahe bālaṁ,
It may attack and burn the fool,
It’ll lash out and burn the fool,

naraṁ nāriñca ekadā;
Whether a man or a woman.
both men and women alike.

Tasmā taṁ parivajjeyya,
One should avoid it,
Hence you should avoid it

rakkhaṁ jīvitamattano.
guarding one’s own life.
for the sake of your own life.

Vanaṁ yadaggi ḍahati,
“When a fire burns down a forest—
When a forest is burned by fire,

pāvako kaṇhavattanī;
That conflagration with blackened trail—
a conflagration with a blackened trail,

Jāyanti tattha pārohā,
The shoots there spring to life once more
the shoots will spring up there again,

ahorattānamaccaye.
As the days and nights pass by.
with the passing of the days and nights.

Yañca kho sīlasampanno,
But if one of perfect virtue
But if a mendicant endowed with ethics

bhikkhu ḍahati tejasā;
A bhikkhu burns one with [his virtue’s] fire,
burns you with their power,

Na tassa puttā pasavo,
One does not gain sons and cattle,
you’ll have no sons or cattle,

dāyādā vindare dhanaṁ;
Nor do one’s heirs acquire wealth.
nor will your heirs find wealth.

Anapaccā adāyādā,
Childless and heirless they become,
Childless and heirless you become,

tālāvatthū bhavanti te.
Like stumps of palmyra trees.
like a palm-tree stump.

Tasmā hi paṇḍito poso,
“Therefore a person who is wise,
That’s why an astute person,

sampassaṁ atthamattano;
Out of regard for his own good:
seeing what’s good for themselves,

Bhujaṅgamaṁ pāvakañca,
A fierce serpent and a blazing fire
would always treat these properly:

khattiyañca yasassinaṁ;
A famous khattiya,
a snake, a conflagration,

Bhikkhuñca sīlasampannaṁ,
And a bhikkhu of perfect virtue.
a famous aristocrat,

sammadeva samācare”ti.
One should always treat these properly.”
and a mendicant endowed with ethics.”

Evaṁ vutte, rājā pasenadi kosalo bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:
When this was said, King Pasenadi of Kosala said to the Blessed One:
When this was said, King Pasenadi of Kosala said to the Buddha,

“abhikkantaṁ, bhante, abhikkantaṁ, bhante.
“Magnificent, venerable sir! Magnificent, venerable sir!
“Excellent, sir! Excellent!

Seyyathāpi, bhante, nikkujjitaṁ vā ukkujjeyya, paṭicchannaṁ vā vivareyya, mūḷhassa vā maggaṁ ācikkheyya, andhakāre vā telapajjotaṁ dhāreyya: ‘cakkhumanto rūpāni dakkhantī’ti; evamevaṁ bhagavatā anekapariyāyena dhammo pakāsito.
The Dhamma has been made clear in many ways by the Blessed One, as though he were turning upright what had been turned upside down, revealing what was hidden, showing the way to one who was lost, or holding up a lamp in the dark for those with eyesight to see forms.
As if he were righting the overturned, or revealing the hidden, or pointing out the path to the lost, or lighting a lamp in the dark so people with clear eyes can see what’s there, the Buddha has made the teaching clear in many ways.

Esāhaṁ, bhante, bhagavantaṁ saraṇaṁ gacchāmi dhammañca bhikkhusaṅghañca.
I go for refuge to the Blessed One, and to the Dhamma, and to the Bhikkhu Saṅgha.
I go for refuge to the Buddha, to the teaching, and to the mendicant Saṅgha.

Upāsakaṁ maṁ, bhante, bhagavā dhāretu ajjatagge pāṇupetaṁ saraṇaṁ gatan”ti.
From today let the Blessed One remember me as a lay follower who has gone for refuge for life. ”
From this day forth, may the Buddha remember me as a lay follower who has gone for refuge for life.”