sutta » sn » sn3 » Saṁyutta Nikāya 3.24

Issattasutta

Archery Archery

Sāvatthinidānaṁ.
At Sāvatthī.
At Sāvatthī.

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

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

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

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

“Aññaṁ kho etaṁ, mahārāja, kattha dānaṁ dātabbaṁ, aññaṁ panetaṁ kattha dinnaṁ mahapphalanti?
“Where a gift should be given is one thing, great king, but where a gift is very fruitful is another.
“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,

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

na ca me attho tādisena purisenā”ti.
“No, sir, I would have no use for such a man.”
and would you have any 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 were at war, ready to fight a battle.
Suppose you are at war and a battle is about to take place.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Evameva kho, mahārāja, yasmā kasmā cepi kulā agārasmā anagāriyaṁ pabbajito hoti, so ca hoti pañcaṅgavippahīno pañcaṅgasamannāgato, tasmiṁ dinnaṁ mahapphalaṁ hoti.
“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.
“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.

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

Kāmacchando pahīno hoti, byāpādo pahīno hoti, thinamiddhaṁ pahīnaṁ hoti, uddhaccakukkuccaṁ pahīnaṁ hoti, vicikicchā pahīnā hoti.
Sensual desire, ill will, dullness and drowsiness, restlessness and remorse, and doubt.
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.

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

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.
The entire spectrum of an adept’s ethics, immersion, wisdom, freedom, and knowledge and vision of freedom.
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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

vippasannena cetasā.
with a clear and confident heart.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

devasseva pavassato;
like rain sent from the heavens.
Like the sky when it rains.

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

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