sutta » sn » sn3 » Saṁyutta Nikāya 3.24

Issattasutta

Archery Archery

Sāvatthinidānaṁ.
At Sāvatthī.
At Sāvatthī.

Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho rājā pasenadi kosalo bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:
Sitting to one side, King Pasenadi of Kosala said to the Blessed One:
Seated to one side, King Pasenadi said to the Buddha,

“kattha nu kho, bhante, dānaṁ dātabban”ti?
“Venerable sir, where should a gift be given?”
“Sir, where should a gift be given?”

“Yattha kho, mahārāja, cittaṁ pasīdatī”ti.
“Wherever one’s mind has confidence, great king. ”
“Wherever your heart feels inspired, great king.”

“Kattha pana, bhante, dinnaṁ mahapphalan”ti?
“But, venerable sir, where does what is given become of great fruit?”
“But sir, where is a gift very fruitful?”

“Aññaṁ kho etaṁ, mahārāja, kattha dānaṁ dātabbaṁ, aññaṁ panetaṁ kattha dinnaṁ mahapphalanti?
“This is one question, great king, ‘Where should a gift be given?’ and this another, ‘Where does what is given become of great fruit?’ What is given to one who is virtuous,
“Where a gift should be given is one thing, great king, but where a gift is very fruitful is another.

Sīlavato kho, mahārāja, dinnaṁ mahapphalaṁ, no tathā dussīle.
great king, is of great fruit, not so what is given to an immoral person.
A gift is very fruitful when it’s given to an ethical person, not so much to an unethical person.

Tena hi, mahārāja, taññevettha paṭipucchissāmi. Yathā, te khameyya, tathā naṁ byākareyyāsi.
Now then, great king, I will question you about this same point. Answer as you see fit.
Well then, great king, I’ll ask you about this in return, and you can answer as you like.

Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, mahārāja,
What do you think, great king?
What do you think, great king?

idha tyassa yuddhaṁ paccupaṭṭhitaṁ saṅgāmo samupabyūḷho.
Suppose you are at war and a battle is about to take place.
Suppose you were at war, ready to fight a battle.

Atha āgaccheyya khattiyakumāro asikkhito akatahattho akatayoggo akatūpāsano bhīru chambhī utrāsī palāyī.
Then a khattiya youth would arrive, one who is untrained, unskilful, unpractised, inexperienced, timid, petrified, frightened, quick to flee.
Then along comes an aristocrat youth who is untrained, inexpert, unfit, inexperienced. And he’s fearful, scared, nervous, quick to flee.

Bhareyyāsi taṁ purisaṁ, attho ca te tādisena purisenā”ti?
Would you employ that man, and would you have any use for such a man?”
Would you employ such a man? Would he be of any use to you?”

“Nāhaṁ, bhante, bhareyyaṁ taṁ purisaṁ, na ca me attho tādisena purisenā”ti.
“Surely not, venerable sir. ”
“No, sir, I would have no use for such a man.”

“Atha āgaccheyya brāhmaṇakumāro asikkhito …pe…
“Then a brahmin youth would arrive .
“What about a brahmin youth,

atha āgaccheyya vessakumāro asikkhito …pe…
a vessa youth .
a peasant youth,

atha āgaccheyya suddakumāro asikkhito …pe…
a sudda youth …
or a menial youth who was similar?”

na ca me attho tādisena purisenā”ti.
and would you have any use for such a man?”
“No, sir, I would have no use for such a man.”

“Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, mahārāja,
“What do you think, great king?
“What do you think, great king?

idha tyassa yuddhaṁ paccupaṭṭhitaṁ saṅgāmo samupabyūḷho.
Suppose you are at war and a battle is about to take place.
Suppose you were at war, ready to fight a battle.

Atha āgaccheyya khattiyakumāro susikkhito katahattho katayoggo katūpāsano abhīru acchambhī anutrāsī apalāyī.
Then a khattiya youth would arrive, one who is trained, skilful, practised, experienced, brave, courageous, bold, ready to stand his place.
Then along comes an aristocrat youth who is trained, expert, fit, experienced. And he’s fearless, brave, bold, standing his ground.

Bhareyyāsi taṁ purisaṁ, attho ca te tādisena purisenā”ti?
Would you employ that man, and would you have any use for such a man?”
Would you employ such a man? Would he be of any use to you?”

“Bhareyyāhaṁ, bhante, taṁ purisaṁ, attho ca me tādisena purisenā”ti.
“Surely I would, venerable sir. ”
“Yes, sir, I would have a use for such a man.”

“Atha āgaccheyya brāhmaṇakumāro …pe…
“Then a brahmin youth would arrive .
“What about a brahmin youth,

atha āgaccheyya vessakumāro …pe…
a vessa youth .
a peasant youth,

atha āgaccheyya suddakumāro susikkhito katahattho katayoggo katūpāsano abhīru acchambhī anutrāsī apalāyī.
a sudda youth …
or a menial youth who was similar?

Bhareyyāsi taṁ purisaṁ, attho ca te tādisena purisenā”ti?
Would you employ that man, and would you have any use for such a man?”
Would you employ such a man? Would he be of any use to you?”

“Bhareyyāhaṁ, bhante, taṁ purisaṁ, attho ca me tādisena purisenā”ti.
“Surely I would, venerable sir. ”
“Yes, sir, I would have a use for such a man.”

“Evameva kho, mahārāja, yasmā kasmā cepi kulā agārasmā anagāriyaṁ pabbajito hoti, so ca hoti pañcaṅgavippahīno pañcaṅgasamannāgato, tasmiṁ dinnaṁ mahapphalaṁ hoti.
“So too, great king, when a person has gone forth from the household life into homelessness, no matter from what clan, if he has abandoned five factors and possesses five factors, then what is given to him is of great fruit.
“In the same way, a gift to anyone who has given up five factors and possesses five factors is very fruitful, no matter what family they’ve gone forth from.

Katamāni pañcaṅgāni pahīnāni honti?
What five factors have been abandoned?
What are the five factors they’ve given up?

Kāmacchando pahīno hoti, byāpādo pahīno hoti, thinamiddhaṁ pahīnaṁ hoti, uddhaccakukkuccaṁ pahīnaṁ hoti, vicikicchā pahīnā hoti.
Sensual desire has been abandoned; ill will has been abandoned; sloth and torpor have been abandoned; restlessness and remorse have been abandoned; doubt has been abandoned.
Sensual desire, ill will, dullness and drowsiness, restlessness and remorse, and doubt.

Imāni pañcaṅgāni pahīnāni honti.
What five factors does he possess?
These are the five factors they’ve given up.

Katamehi pañcahaṅgehi samannāgato hoti?
What are the five factors they possess?

Asekkhena sīlakkhandhena samannāgato hoti, asekkhena samādhikkhandhena samannāgato hoti, asekkhena paññākkhandhena samannāgato hoti, asekkhena vimuttikkhandhena samannāgato hoti, asekkhena vimuttiñāṇadassanakkhandhena samannāgato hoti.
He possesses the aggregate of virtue of one beyond training, the aggregate of concentration of one beyond training, the aggregate of wisdom of one beyond training, the aggregate of liberation of one beyond training, the aggregate of the knowledge and vision of liberation of one beyond training.
The entire spectrum of an adept’s ethics, immersion, wisdom, freedom, and knowledge and vision of freedom.

Imehi pañcahaṅgehi samannāgato hoti.
He possesses these five factors.
These are the five factors they possess.

Iti pañcaṅgavippahīne pañcaṅgasamannāgate dinnaṁ mahapphalan”ti.
Thus what is given to one who has abandoned five factors and who possesses five factors is of great fruit.
I say that a gift to anyone who has given up these five factors and possesses these five factors is very fruitful.”

Idamavoca bhagavā …pe…
That is what the Buddha said.

satthā:
Then the Holy One, the Teacher, went on to say:

“Issattaṁ balavīriyañca,
One endowed with strength and vigour,
“Any youth skilled at archery,

yasmiṁ vijjetha māṇave;
Would employ a youth skilled with the bow,
powerful and vigorous,

Taṁ yuddhattho bhare rājā,
“As a king intent on waging war
would be employed by a king going to war—

nāsūraṁ jātipaccayā.
But not the coward on account of his birth—
one is not a coward by reason of birth.

Tatheva khantisoraccaṁ,
The virtues of patience and gentleness.
Just so, whoever is settled

dhammā yasmiṁ patiṭṭhitā;
The sagely man in whom are established
in the qualities of patience and gentleness,

Ariyavuttiṁ medhāviṁ,
One should honour the person of noble conduct,
a clever person with noble conduct,

hīnajaccampi pūjaye.
So even though he be of low birth,
should be venerated even if they’re low born.

Kāraye assame ramme,
“One should build delightful hermitages
You should build lovely hermitages

vāsayettha bahussute;
And invite the learned to dwell in them;
and settle learned people in them.

Papañca vivane kayirā,
One should build water tanks in the forest
You should set up water supplies in barren regions

dugge saṅkamanāni ca.
And causeways over rough terrain.
and passages in places hard to travel.

Annaṁ pānaṁ khādanīyaṁ,
“With a confident heart one should give
Food, drink, edibles,

vatthasenāsanāni ca;
Clothing to wear and beds and seats.
clothes, and lodgings

Dadeyya ujubhūtesu,
Give food and drink and things to eat,
should be given to the upright ones,

vippasannena cetasā.
with a clear and confident heart.

Yathā hi megho thanayaṁ,
To those of upright character:
The thundering rain cloud,

vijjumālī satakkaku;
Wreathed in lightning, with a hundred crests,
its hundred peaks wreathed in lightning,

Thalaṁ ninnañca pūreti,
“For as the rain-cloud, thundering,
pours down over the rich earth,

abhivassaṁ vasundharaṁ.
Pours down its rain upon the earth,
soaking the uplands and valleys.

Tatheva saddho sutavā,
So the wise man, faithful, learned,
So too an astute person,

abhisaṅkhacca bhojanaṁ;
Having had a meal prepared,
faithful and learned,

Vanibbake tappayati,
Satisfies with food and drink
should prepare a meal to satisfy

annapānena paṇḍito.
The mendicants who live on alms.
renunciates with food and drink.

Āmodamāno pakireti,
Rejoicing, he distributes gifts,
Rejoicing, they strew gifts about,

detha dethāti bhāsati;
And proclaims, ‘Give, give.
crying ‘Give! give!’

Taṁ hissa gajjitaṁ hoti,
“For that is his thundering
For that is their thunder,

devasseva pavassato;
Like the sky when it rains.
like the gods when it rains.

Sā puññadhārā vipulā,
That shower of merit, so vast,
That stream of merit so abundant

dātāraṁ abhivassatī”ti.
Will pour down on the giver. ”
showers down on the giver.”