sutta » sn » sn11 » Saṁyutta Nikāya 11.1

Suvīrasutta

Suvīra With Suvīra

Evaṁ me sutaṁ—
Thus have I heard.
So I have heard.

ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme.
On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Sāvatthī in Jeta's Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika's Park.
At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery.

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

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

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

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

“Bhūtapubbaṁ, bhikkhave, asurā deve abhiyaṁsu.
“Bhikkhus, once in the past the asuras marched against the devas.
“Once upon a time, mendicants, the titans marched against the gods.

Atha kho, bhikkhave, sakko devānamindo suvīraṁ devaputtaṁ āmantesi:
Then Sakka, lord of the devas, addressed Suvīra, a young deva, thus:
Then Sakka, lord of gods, addressed the god Suvīra,

‘ete, tāta suvīra, asurā deve abhiyanti.
‘Dear Suvīra, these asuras are marching against the devas.
‘Dear Suvīra, the titans march against the gods!

Gaccha, tāta suvīra, asure paccuyyāhī’ti.
Go, dear Suvīra, launch a counter-march against the asuras.’
Go, and march against the titans!’

‘Evaṁ, bhaddantavā’ti kho, bhikkhave, suvīro devaputto sakkassa devānamindassa paṭissutvā pamādaṁ āpādesi.
‘Yes, your lordship,’ Suvīra replied, but he became negligent.
‘Yes, lord,’ replied Suvīra. But he fell into negligence.

Dutiyampi kho, bhikkhave, sakko devānamindo suvīraṁ devaputtaṁ āmantesi:
A second time Sakka addressed Suvīra,
For a second time Sakka addressed Suvīra,

‘ete, tāta suvīra, asurā deve abhiyanti.
‘Dear Suvīra, these asuras are marching against the devas.
‘Dear Suvīra, the titans march against the gods!

Gaccha, tāta suvīra, asure paccuyyāhī’ti.
Go, dear Suvīra, launch a counter-march against the asuras.’
Go, and march against the titans!’

‘Evaṁ, bhaddantavā’ti kho, bhikkhave, suvīro devaputto sakkassa devānamindassa paṭissutvā dutiyampi pamādaṁ āpādesi.
‘Yes, your lordship,’ Suvīra replied, but he became negligent.
‘Yes, lord,’ replied Suvīra. But for a second time he fell into negligence.

Tatiyampi kho, bhikkhave, sakko devānamindo suvīraṁ devaputtaṁ āmantesi:
A third time Sakka addressed Suvīra,
For a third time Sakka addressed Suvīra,

‘ete, tāta suvīra, asurā deve abhiyanti.
‘Dear Suvīra, these asuras are marching against the devas.
‘Dear Suvīra, the titans march against the gods!

Gaccha, tāta suvīra, asure paccuyyāhī’ti.
Go, dear Suvīra, launch a counter-march against the asuras.’
Go, and march against the titans!’

‘Evaṁ, bhaddantavā’ti kho, bhikkhave, suvīro devaputto sakkassa devānamindassa paṭissutvā tatiyampi pamādaṁ āpādesi.
‘Yes, your lordship,’ Suvīra replied, but he became negligent.
‘Yes, lord,’ replied Suvīra. But for a third time he fell into negligence.

Atha kho, bhikkhave, sakko devānamindo suvīraṁ devaputtaṁ gāthāya ajjhabhāsi:
Then, bhikkhus, Sakka addressed Suvīra in verse:
Then Sakka addressed the god Suvīra in verse:

‘Anuṭṭhahaṁ avāyāmaṁ,
‘Where one need not toll and strive,
‘Suvīra, go to that place

sukhaṁ yatrādhigacchati;
Yet still may attain to bliss:
where you can achieve happiness

Suvīra tattha gacchāhi,
Go there, Suvīra,
without working for it or trying hard—

mañca tattheva pāpayā’ti.
And take me along with you!’
and take me with you!’

‘Alasvassa anuṭṭhātā,
‘That a lazy man who does not toil,
‘That a lazy man who does no work,

na ca kiccāni kāraye;
Nor attend to his duties,
and doesn’t do his duty,

Sabbakāmasamiddhassa,
Might still have all desires fulfilled:
should fulfill all his desires:

taṁ me sakka varaṁ disā’ti.
Grant me that, Sakka, as a boon,’
Sakka, grant me this boon!’

‘Yatthālaso anuṭṭhātā,
‘Where a lazy man who does not toil,
‘Suvīra, go to that place

accantaṁ sukhamedhati;
Might achieve unending bliss:
where a lazy man who does no work

Suvīra tattha gacchāhi,
Go there, Suvīra,
prospers in unending happiness—

mañca tattheva pāpayā’ti.
And take me along with you!’
and take me with you!’

‘Akammunā devaseṭṭha,
‘The bliss, supreme deva, we might find
‘O Sakka, first among gods,

sakka vindemu yaṁ sukhaṁ;
Without doing work,
that we might find the happiness

Asokaṁ anupāyāsaṁ,
Oh Sakka, The sorrowless state without despair:
that’s sorrowless, unstressed:

taṁ me sakka varaṁ disā’ti.
Grant me that, Sakka, as a boon.’
Sakka, grant me this boon!’

‘Sace atthi akammena,
‘If there exists any place anywhere
‘If there exists anywhere a place

koci kvaci na jīvati;
Where without work one won't decline,
where one can live happily without working,

Nibbānassa hi so maggo,
That is indeed Nibbana's path:
that surely would be extinguishment’s path!

suvīra tattha gacchāhi;
Go there, Suvīra,
Go there, Suvīra,

Mañca tattheva pāpayā’ti.
And take me along with you!’
and take me with you!’

So hi nāma, bhikkhave, sakko devānamindo sakaṁ puññaphalaṁ upajīvamāno devānaṁ tāvatiṁsānaṁ issariyādhipaccaṁ rajjaṁ kārento uṭṭhānavīriyassa vaṇṇavādī bhavissati.
So, bhikkhus, if Sakka, lord of the devas, subsisting on the fruit of his own merit, exercising supreme sovereignty and rulership over the Tavatimsa devas, will be one who speaks in praise of initiative and energy,
So, mendicants, even Sakka, lord of gods—while living off of the fruit of his good and bad deeds, and ruling as sovereign lord over these gods of the Thirty-Three—will speak in praise of initiative and energy.

Idha kho taṁ, bhikkhave, sobhetha, yaṁ tumhe evaṁ svākkhāte dhammavinaye pabbajitā samānā uṭṭhaheyyātha ghaṭeyyātha vāyameyyātha appattassa pattiyā anadhigatassa adhigamāya, asacchikatassa sacchikiriyāyā”ti.
then how much more would it be fitting here for you, who have gone forth in such a well-expounded Dhamma and Discipline, to toil, struggle, and strive for the attainment of the as-yet-unattained, for the achievement of the as-yet-unachieved,
But since you have gone forth in such a well explained teaching and training, it would be truly beautiful for you to try hard, strive, and make an effort to attain the unattained, achieve the unachieved, and realize the unrealized!”