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Subhāsitasutta

Well-Spoken Words Well Spoken

Sāvatthinidānaṁ.
At Sāvatthī.
At Sāvatthī.

Tatra kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi:
There the Buddha addressed the mendicants,
There the Blessed One addressed the bhikkhus thus:

“bhikkhavo”ti.
“Mendicants!”
“Bhikkhus!”

“Bhadante”ti te bhikkhū bhagavato paccassosuṁ.
“Venerable sir,” they replied.
“Venerable sir!” those bhikkhus replied.

Bhagavā etadavoca:
The Buddha said this:
The Blessed One said this:

“Catūhi, bhikkhave, aṅgehi samannāgatā vācā subhāsitā hoti, no dubbhāsitā; anavajjā ca ananuvajjā ca viññūnaṁ.
“Mendicants, speech that has four factors is well spoken, not poorly spoken. It’s blameless and is not criticized by sensible people.
“Bhikkhus, when speech possesses four factors, then it is well spoken, not badly spoken, and it is blameless, not blameworthy among the wise.

Katamehi catūhi?
What four?
What four?

Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu subhāsitaṁyeva bhāsati no dubbhāsitaṁ, dhammaṁyeva bhāsati no adhammaṁ, piyaṁyeva bhāsati no appiyaṁ, saccaṁyeva bhāsati no alikaṁ.
It’s when a mendicant speaks well, not poorly; they speak on the teaching, not against the teaching; they speak pleasantly, not unpleasantly; and they speak truthfully, not falsely.
Here, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu speaks only what is well spoken, not what is badly spoken. He speaks only on the Dhamma, not on non-Dhamma. He speaks only what is pleasant, not what is unpleasant. He speaks only what is true, not what is false.

Imehi kho, bhikkhave, catūhi aṅgehi samannāgatā vācā subhāsitā hoti, no dubbhāsitā, anavajjā ca ananuvajjā ca viññūnan”ti.
Speech with these four factors is well spoken, not poorly spoken. It’s blameless and is not criticized by sensible people.”
When speech possesses these four factors, it is well spoken, not badly spoken, and it is blameless, not blameworthy among the wise.”

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

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

“Subhāsitaṁ uttamamāhu santo,
“Good people say well-spoken words are foremost;
“What is well spoken, the good say, is foremost;

Dhammaṁ bhaṇe nādhammaṁ taṁ dutiyaṁ;
second, speak on the teaching, not against it;
Second, speak Dhamma, not non-Dhamma;

Piyaṁ bhaṇe nāppiyaṁ taṁ tatiyaṁ,
third, speak pleasantly, not unpleasantly;
Third, speak what is pleasant, not unpleasant;

Saccaṁ bhaṇe nālikaṁ taṁ catutthan”ti.
and fourth, speak truthfully, not falsely.”
Fourth, speak the truth, not falsehood.”

Atha kho āyasmā vaṅgīso uṭṭhāyāsanā ekaṁsaṁ uttarāsaṅgaṁ karitvā yena bhagavā tenañjaliṁ paṇāmetvā bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:
Then Venerable Vaṅgīsa got up from his seat, arranged his robe over one shoulder, raised his joined palms toward the Buddha, and said,
Then the Venerable Vaṅgīsa rose from his seat, arranged his upper robe over one shoulder, and, raising his joined hands in reverential salutation towards the Blessed One, said to him:

“paṭibhāti maṁ, bhagavā, paṭibhāti maṁ, sugatā”ti.
“I feel inspired to speak, Blessed One! I feel inspired to speak, Holy One!”
“An inspiration has come to me, Blessed One! An inspiration has come to me, Fortunate One!”

“Paṭibhātu taṁ, vaṅgīsā”ti bhagavā avoca.
“Then speak as you feel inspired,” said the Buddha.
The Blessed One said: “Then express your inspiration, Vaṅgīsa.”

Atha kho āyasmā vaṅgīso bhagavantaṁ sammukhā sāruppāhi gāthāhi abhitthavi:
Then Vaṅgīsa extolled the Buddha in his presence with fitting verses:
Then the Venerable Vaṅgīsa extolled the Blessed One to his face with suitable verses

“Tameva vācaṁ bhāseyya,
“Speak only such words
“One should utter only such speech

yāyattānaṁ na tāpaye;
as do not hurt yourself
By which one does not afflict oneself

Pare ca na vihiṁseyya,
nor harm others;
Nor cause harm to others:

sā ve vācā subhāsitā.
such speech is truly well spoken.
Such speech is truly well spoken.

Piyavācaṁva bhāseyya,
Speak only pleasing words,
“One should utter only pleasant speech,

yā vācā paṭinanditā;
words gladly welcomed.
Speech that is gladly welcomed.

Yaṁ anādāya pāpāni,
Pleasing words are those
When it brings them nothing evil

paresaṁ bhāsate piyaṁ.
that bring nothing bad to others.
What one speaks is pleasant to others.

Saccaṁ ve amatā vācā,
Truth itself is the undying word:
“Truth, indeed, is deathless speech:

esa dhammo sanantano;
this is an ancient teaching.
This is an ancient principle.

Sacce atthe ca dhamme ca,
Good people say that the teaching and its meaning
The goal and the Dhamma, the good say,

āhu santo patiṭṭhitā.
are grounded in the truth.
Are established upon truth.

Yaṁ buddho bhāsate vācaṁ,
The words spoken by the Buddha
“The secure speech which the Buddha utters

khemaṁ nibbānapattiyā;
for finding the sanctuary, extinguishment,
For the attainment of Nibbāna,

Dukkhassantakiriyāya,
for making an end of suffering:
For making an end to suffering

sā ve vācānamuttamā”ti.
this really is the best kind of speech.”
Is truly the foremost speech.