Saṁyutta Nikāya 3.20
Translators: sujato and bodhi
Linked Discourses 3.20
2. Dutiyavagga
2. Childless
Dutiyaaputtakasutta
Childless (2nd) Childless
Atha kho rājā pasenadi kosalo divā divassa yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā ekamantaṁ nisinnaṁ kho rājānaṁ pasenadiṁ kosalaṁ bhagavā etadavoca:
Then King Pasenadi of Kosala went up to the Buddha in the middle of the day … The Buddha said to him,
“handa kuto nu tvaṁ, mahārāja, āgacchasi divā divassā”ti?
“So, great king, where are you coming from in the middle of the day?”
“Idha, bhante, sāvatthiyaṁ seṭṭhi gahapati kālaṅkato.
“Sir, here in Sāvatthī a financier householder has passed away.
Tamahaṁ aputtakaṁ sāpateyyaṁ rājantepuraṁ atiharitvā āgacchāmi.
Since he died childless, I have come after transferring his fortune to the royal compound.
Sataṁ, bhante, satasahassāni hiraññasseva, ko pana vādo rūpiyassa.
There was ten million in gold coin, not to mention the silver coin.
Tassa kho pana, bhante, seṭṭhissa gahapatissa evarūpo bhattabhogo ahosi—
And yet that financier ate meals of
kaṇājakaṁ bhuñjati bilaṅgadutiyaṁ.
rough gruel with pickles.
Evarūpo vatthabhogo ahosi—
He wore clothes consisting of
sāṇaṁ dhāreti tipakkhavasanaṁ.
three pieces of sunn hemp.
Evarūpo yānabhogo ahosi—
He traveled around in a vehicle that was
jajjararathakena yāti paṇṇachattakena dhāriyamānenā”ti.
a dilapidated little cart, holding a leaf as sunshade.”
“Evametaṁ, mahārāja, evametaṁ, mahārāja.
“That’s so true, great king! That’s so true!
“So it is, great king! So it is, great king!
Bhūtapubbaṁ so, mahārāja, seṭṭhi gahapati taggarasikhiṁ nāma paccekasambuddhaṁ piṇḍapātena paṭipādesi.
Once upon a time, great king, that financier householder provided almsfood on behalf of an independent Buddha named Tagarasikhī.
Once in the past, great king, that financier householder provided a paccekabuddha named Tagarasikhī with almsfood.
‘Detha samaṇassa piṇḍan’ti vatvā uṭṭhāyāsanā pakkāmi.
He instructed: ‘Give alms to that ascetic,’ before getting up from his seat and leaving.
Having said, ‘Give alms to the ascetic, ’ he rose from his seat and departed.
Datvā ca pana pacchā vippaṭisārī ahosi:
But after giving he regretted it:
But after giving, he later felt regret and thought:
‘varametaṁ piṇḍapātaṁ dāsā vā kammakarā vā bhuñjeyyun’ti.
‘It would have been better to feed the bondservants or workers with that almsfood.’
‘It would have been better if the slaves or workers had eaten that almsfood!’ Moreover,
Bhātu ca pana ekaputtakaṁ sāpateyyassa kāraṇā jīvitā voropesi.
What’s more, he murdered his brother’s only child for the sake of his fortune.
he murdered his brother’s only son for the sake of his fortune.
Yaṁ kho so, mahārāja, seṭṭhi gahapati taggarasikhiṁ paccekasambuddhaṁ piṇḍapātena paṭipādesi, tassa kammassa vipākena sattakkhattuṁ sugatiṁ saggaṁ lokaṁ upapajji.
Because that financier provided Tagarasikhī with almsfood, as a result of that deed he was reborn seven times in a good place, a heavenly realm.
“Because that financier householder provided the paccekabuddha Tagarasikhī with almsfood, as a result of that kamma he was reborn seven times in a good destination, in the heavenly world.
Tasseva kammassa vipākāvasesena imissāyeva sāvatthiyā sattakkhattuṁ seṭṭhittaṁ kāresi.
And as a residual result of that same deed he held the position of financier seven times right here in Sāvatthī.
As a residual result of that same kamma, he obtained the position of financier seven times in this same city of Sāvatthī.
Yaṁ kho so, mahārāja, seṭṭhi gahapati datvā pacchā vippaṭisārī ahosi:
But because that financier regretted giving alms,
But because that financier householder later felt regret about giving,
‘varametaṁ piṇḍapātaṁ dāsā vā kammakarā vā bhuñjeyyun’ti, tassa kammassa vipākena nāssuḷārāya bhattabhogāya cittaṁ namati, nāssuḷārāya vatthabhogāya cittaṁ namati, nāssuḷārāya yānabhogāya cittaṁ namati, nāssuḷārānaṁ pañcannaṁ kāmaguṇānaṁ bhogāya cittaṁ namati.
as a result of that deed his mind didn’t tend to enjoy nice food, clothes, vehicles, or the five refined kinds of sensual stimulation.
as a result of that kamma his mind did not incline to the enjoyment of excellent food, excellent clothing, and excellent vehicles, nor to the enjoyment of excellent items among the five cords of sensual pleasure.
Yaṁ kho so, mahārāja, seṭṭhi gahapati bhātu ca pana ekaputtakaṁ sāpateyyassa kāraṇā jīvitā voropesi, tassa kammassa vipākena bahūni vassāni bahūni vassasatāni bahūni vassasahassāni bahūni vassasatasahassāni niraye paccittha.
And because that financier murdered his brother’s only child for the sake of his fortune, as a result of that deed he burned in hell for many years, for many hundreds, many thousands, many hundreds of thousands of years.
And because that financier householder murdered his brother’s only son for the sake of his fortune, as a result of that kamma he was tormented in hell for many years, for many hundreds of years, for many thousands of years, for many hundreds of thousands of years.
Tasseva kammassa vipākāvasesena idaṁ sattamaṁ aputtakaṁ sāpateyyaṁ rājakosaṁ paveseti.
And as a residual result of that same deed, he is childless for the seventh time, his fortune ending up in the royal treasury.
As a residual result of that same kamma, he has furnished the royal treasury with this seventh heirless fortune.
Tassa kho, mahārāja, seṭṭhissa gahapatissa purāṇañca puññaṁ parikkhīṇaṁ, navañca puññaṁ anupacitaṁ.
Now the old merit of that financier has been used up, and he hasn’t accumulated new merit.
“The old merit of that financier householder has been utterly exhausted, and he had not accumulated any fresh merit.
Ajja pana, mahārāja, seṭṭhi gahapati mahāroruve niraye paccatī”ti.
Today, great king, that financier burns in the Great Hell of Screams.”
But today, great king, the financier householder is being roasted in the Great Roruva Hell. ”
“Evaṁ, bhante, seṭṭhi gahapati mahāroruvaṁ nirayaṁ upapanno”ti.
“Really, sir, that financier has been reborn in the Great Hell of Screams?”
“So, venerable sir, that financier householder has been reborn in the Great Roruva Hell?”
“Evaṁ, mahārāja, seṭṭhi gahapati mahāroruvaṁ nirayaṁ upapanno”ti.
“Yes he has, great king.”
“Yes, great king, that financier householder has been reborn in the Great Roruva Hell.
Idamavoca …pe….
That is what the Buddha said. …
“Dhaññaṁ dhanaṁ rajataṁ jātarūpaṁ,
“Grain, money, silver, and gold,
“Grain, wealth, silver, gold,
Pariggahaṁ vāpi yadatthi kiñci;
or whatever other possessions there are;
Or whatever other possessions there are,
Dāsā kammakarā pessā,
bondservants, workers, servants,
Slaves, workers, messengers,
Ye cassa anujīvino.
and those dependent for their livelihood:
And those who live as one’s dependants:
Sabbaṁ nādāya gantabbaṁ,
you must go on without taking these;
Without taking anything one must go,
sabbaṁ nikkhippagāminaṁ;
all of them are left behind.
Everything must be left behind.
Yañca karoti kāyena,
But the deeds you do
“But what one has done by body,
vācāya uda cetasā.
by body, speech, and mind—
Or by speech or mind:
Tañhi tassa sakaṁ hoti,
that’s what you can call your own.
This is what is truly one’s own,
taṁva ādāya gacchati;
That’s what you take when you go.
This one takes when one goes;
Taṁvassa anugaṁ hoti,
That’s what goes with you,
This is what follows one along
chāyāva anapāyinī.
like a shadow that never leaves.
Like a shadow that never departs.
Tasmā kareyya kalyāṇaṁ,
That’s why you should do good,
“Therefore one should do what is good
nicayaṁ samparāyikaṁ;
investing in the future life.
As a collection for the future life.
Puññāni paralokasmiṁ,
The good deeds of sentient beings
Merits are the support for living beings
patiṭṭhā honti pāṇinan”ti.
support them in the next world.”
[When they arise] in the other world. ”
Dutiyo vaggo.
Tassuddānaṁ
Jaṭilā pañca rājāno,
Doṇapākakurena ca;
Saṅgāmena dve vuttāni,
Mallikā dve appamādena ca;
Aputtakena dve vuttā,
Vaggo tena pavuccatīti.