sutta » sn » sn4 » Saṁyutta Nikāya 4.10

Dutiyaāyusutta

Life Span Life Span (2nd)

Evaṁ me sutaṁ—
So I have heard.

ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā rājagahe viharati veḷuvane kalandakanivāpe.
At one time the Buddha was staying near Rājagaha, in the Bamboo Grove, the squirrels’ feeding ground.

Tatra kho bhagavā …pe… etadavoca:
There the Buddha … said:

“Appamidaṁ, bhikkhave, manussānaṁ āyu.
“Mendicants, the life span of humans is short.

Gamanīyo samparāyo, kattabbaṁ kusalaṁ, caritabbaṁ brahmacariyaṁ.
You must go to the next life. So you should do what is skillful, you should practice the spiritual life.

Natthi jātassa amaraṇaṁ.
No-one born is immortal.

Yo, bhikkhave, ciraṁ jīvati, so vassasataṁ appaṁ vā bhiyyo”ti.
A long life is a hundred years or a little more.”

Atha kho māro pāpimā yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ gāthāya ajjhabhāsi:
Then Māra the Evil One approached the Blessed One and addressed him in verse:
Then Māra the Wicked went up to the Buddha and addressed him in verse:

“Nāccayanti ahorattā,
“The days and nights do not fly by,
“The days and nights don’t rush by,

Jīvitaṁ nūparujjhati;
Life does not come to a stop.
and life isn’t cut short.

Āyu anupariyāyati maccānaṁ,
The life span of mortals rolls along
The life of mortals keeps rolling on,

Nemīva rathakubbaran”ti.
Like the chariot’s felly round the hub. ”
like a chariot’s rim around the hub.”

“Accayanti ahorattā,
“The days and nights go flying by,
“The days and nights rush by,

jīvitaṁ uparujjhati;
Life comes to a stop.
and then life is cut short.

Āyu khīyati maccānaṁ,
The life span of mortals is depleted
The life of mortals wastes away,

kunnadīnaṁva odakan”ti.
Like the water in rivulets. ”
like the water in tiny streams.”

Atha kho māro pāpimā “jānāti maṁ bhagavā, jānāti maṁ sugato”ti dukkhī dummano tatthevantaradhāyīti.
Then Māra the Evil One … disappeared right there.
Then Māra the Wicked, thinking, “The Buddha knows me! The Holy One knows me!” miserable and sad, vanished right there.

Paṭhamo vaggo.

Tassuddānaṁ

Tapokammañca nāgo ca,

subhaṁ pāsena te duve;

Sappo supati nandanaṁ,

āyunā apare duveti.