sutta » sn » sn11 » Saṁyutta Nikāya 11.1

Suvīrasutta

With Suvīra Suvīra

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

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

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:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

So hi nāma, bhikkhave, sakko devānamindo sakaṁ puññaphalaṁ upajīvamāno devānaṁ tāvatiṁsānaṁ issariyādhipaccaṁ rajjaṁ kārento uṭṭhānavīriyassa vaṇṇavādī bhavissati.
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.
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,

Idha kho taṁ, bhikkhave, sobhetha, yaṁ tumhe evaṁ svākkhāte dhammavinaye pabbajitā samānā uṭṭhaheyyātha ghaṭeyyātha vāyameyyātha appattassa pattiyā anadhigatassa adhigamāya, asacchikatassa sacchikiriyāyā”ti.
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!”
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,