sutta » sn » sn11 » Saṁyutta Nikāya 11.4

Vepacittisutta

With Vepacitti Vepacitti (or Patience)

Sāvatthinidānaṁ.
At Sāvatthī.
At Savatthi.

“Bhūtapubbaṁ, bhikkhave, devāsurasaṅgāmo samupabyūḷho ahosi.
“Once upon a time, mendicants, a battle was fought between the gods and the titans.
“Once in the past, bhikkhus, the devas and the asuras were arrayed for battle.

Atha kho, bhikkhave, vepacitti asurindo asure āmantesi:
Then Vepacitti, lord of titans, addressed the titans,
Then Vepacitti, lord of the asuras, addressed the asuras thus:

‘sace, mārisā, devānaṁ asurasaṅgāme samupabyūḷhe asurā jineyyuṁ devā parājineyyuṁ, yena naṁ sakkaṁ devānamindaṁ kaṇṭhapañcamehi bandhanehi bandhitvā mama santike āneyyātha asurapuran’ti.
‘My good sirs, if the titans defeat the gods in this battle, bind Sakka, the lord of gods, by his limbs and neck and bring him to my presence in the citadel of the titans.’
‘Dear sirs, in the impending battle between the devas and the asuras, if the asuras win and the devas are defeated, bind Sakka, lord of the devas, by his four limbs and neck and bring him to me in the city of the asuras.’

Sakkopi kho, bhikkhave, devānamindo deve tāvatiṁse āmantesi:
Meanwhile, Sakka, lord of gods, addressed the gods of the thirty-three,
And Sakka, lord of the devas, addressed the Tavatimsa devas thus:

‘sace, mārisā, devānaṁ asurasaṅgāme samupabyūḷhe devā jineyyuṁ asurā parājineyyuṁ, yena naṁ vepacittiṁ asurindaṁ kaṇṭhapañcamehi bandhanehi bandhitvā mama santike āneyyātha sudhammasabhan’ti.
‘My good sirs, if the gods defeat the titans in this battle, bind Vepacitti by his limbs and neck and bring him to my presence in the Hall of Justice of the gods.’
‘Dear sirs, in the impending battle between the devas and the asuras, if the devas win and the asuras are defeated, bind Vepacitti, lord of the asuras, by his four limbs and neck and bring him to me in the Sudhamma assembly hall.’

Tasmiṁ kho pana, bhikkhave, saṅgāme devā jiniṁsu, asurā parājiniṁsu.
In that battle the gods won and the titans lost.
In that battle, bhikkhus, the devas won and the asuras were defeated.

Atha kho, bhikkhave, devā tāvatiṁsā vepacittiṁ asurindaṁ kaṇṭhapañcamehi bandhanehi bandhitvā sakkassa devānamindassa santike ānesuṁ sudhammasabhaṁ.
So the gods of the thirty-three bound Vepacitti by his limbs and neck and brought him to Sakka’s presence in the Hall of Justice of the gods.
Then the Tavatimsa devas bound Vepacitti by his four limbs and neck and brought him to Sakka in the Sudhamma assembly hall.

Tatra sudaṁ, bhikkhave, vepacitti asurindo kaṇṭhapañcamehi bandhanehi baddho sakkaṁ devānamindaṁ sudhammasabhaṁ pavisantañca nikkhamantañca asabbhāhi pharusāhi vācāhi akkosati paribhāsati.
And as Sakka was entering and leaving the hall, Vepacitti abused and insulted him with rude, harsh words.
When Sakka was entering and leaving the Sudhamma assembly hall, Vepacitti, bound by his four limbs and neck, abused and reviled him with rude, harsh words.

Atha kho, bhikkhave, mātali saṅgāhako sakkaṁ devānamindaṁ gāthāhi ajjhabhāsi:
So Mātali the charioteer addressed Sakka in verse,
Then, bhikkhus, Mātali the charioteer addressed Sakka, lord of the devas, in verse:

‘Bhayā nu maghavā sakka,
‘O Maghavā, O Sakka,
‘Is it, Maghavā Sakka, from fear

dubbalyā no titikkhasi;
is it from fear or from weakness
or weakness, that you endure him so patiently,

Suṇanto pharusaṁ vācaṁ,
that you put up with such harsh words
Listening to his harsh words

sammukhā vepacittino’ti.
in the presence of Vepacitti?’
When face to face with Vepacitti?’

‘Nāhaṁ bhayā na dubbalyā,
‘It’s not out of fear or weakness
‘It is neither through fear nor weakness

khamāmi vepacittino;
that I’m patient with Vepacitti.
That I am patient with Vepacitti.

Kathañhi mādiso viññū,
For how can a sensible person like me
How can a wise person like me

bālena paṭisaṁyuje’ti.
get in a fight with a fool?’
Engage in combat with a fool?

‘Bhiyyo bālā pabhijjeyyuṁ,
‘Fools would vent even more
Fools would vent their anger even more

no cassa paṭisedhako;
if there’s no-one to put a stop to them.
If no one would keep them in check.

Tasmā bhusena daṇḍena,
So a wise one should stop
Hence with drastic punishment

dhīro bālaṁ nisedhaye’ti.
a fool with forceful punishment.’
The wise man should restrain the fool.

‘Etadeva ahaṁ maññe,
‘I think that this is the only way
I myself think this alone

bālassa paṭisedhanaṁ;
to put a stop to a fool,
Is the way to check the fool:

Paraṁ saṅkupitaṁ ñatvā,
when you know that the other is upset,
When one knows one's foe is angry

yo sato upasammatī’ti.
be mindful and stay calm.’
One mindfully maintains one's peace.’

‘Etadeva titikkhāya,
‘I see this fault, Vāsava,
‘I see this fault, O Vasava,

vajjaṁ passāmi vāsava;
in just being patient.
In practising patient endurance:

Yadā naṁ maññati bālo,
When a fool thinks,
When the fool thinks of you thus,

bhayā myāyaṁ titikkhati;
“He puts up with me out of fear,”
“He endures me out of fear,”

Ajjhāruhati dummedho,
the simpleton will go after you even harder,
The dolt will chase you even more

gova bhiyyo palāyinan’ti.
like a cow chasing someone who runs away.’
As a bull does one who flees.’

‘Kāmaṁ maññatu vā mā vā,
‘Let him think this if he wishes, or not—
‘Let it be whether or not he thinks,

bhayā myāyaṁ titikkhati;
“He puts up with me out of fear.”
“He endures me out of fear,”

Sadatthaparamā atthā,
Of goals culminating in one’s own good,
Of goals that culminate in one's own good

khantyā bhiyyo na vijjati.
none better than patience is found.
None is found better than patience.

Yo have balavā santo,
When a strong person
When a person endowed with strength

dubbalassa titikkhati;
puts up with a weakling,
Patiently endures a weakling,

Tamāhu paramaṁ khantiṁ,
they call that the ultimate patience,
They call that the supreme patience;

niccaṁ khamati dubbalo.
for a weakling must always be patient.
The weakling must be patient always.

Abalaṁ taṁ balaṁ āhu,
The strength of folly
They call that strength no strength at all—

yassa bālabalaṁ balaṁ;
is really just weakness, they say.
The strength that is the strength of folly—

Balassa dhammaguttassa,
But no-one can challenge a person
Who is strong because guarded by Dhamma:

paṭivattā na vijjati.
who’s strong, guarded by the teaching.
But no one can reproach such person.

Tasseva tena pāpiyo,
When you get angry at an angry person
One who repays an angry man with anger

yo kuddhaṁ paṭikujjhati;
you just make things worse for yourself.
Thereby makes things worse for himself.

Kuddhaṁ appaṭikujjhanto,
When you don’t get angry at an angry person
Not repaying an angry man with anger,

saṅgāmaṁ jeti dujjayaṁ.
you win a battle hard to win.
One wins a battle hard to win.

Ubhinnamatthaṁ carati,
When you know that the other is angry,
He practises for the welfare of both,

attano ca parassa ca;
you act for the good of both
His own and the other's,

Paraṁ saṅkupitaṁ ñatvā,
yourself and the other
When, knowing that his foe is angry,

yo sato upasammati.
if you’re mindful and stay calm.
He mindfully maintains his peace.

Ubhinnaṁ tikicchantānaṁ,
People unfamiliar with the teaching
When he achieves the cure of both—

attano ca parassa ca;
consider one who heals both
His own and the other's—

Janā maññanti bāloti,
oneself and the other
The people who consider him a fool

ye dhammassa akovidā’ti.
to be a fool.’
Are unskilled in the Dhamma.’

So hi nāma, bhikkhave, sakko devānamindo sakaṁ puññaphalaṁ upajīvamāno devānaṁ tāvatiṁsānaṁ issariyādhipaccaṁ rajjaṁ kārento khantisoraccassa 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 patience and sweetness.
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 patience and gentleness,

Idha kho taṁ, bhikkhave, sobhetha yaṁ tumhe evaṁ svākkhāte dhammavinaye pabbajitā samānā khamā ca bhaveyyātha soratā cā”ti.
But since you have gone forth in such a well explained teaching and training, it would be truly beautiful for you to be patient and gentle!”
then how much more would it be fitting here for you, who have gone forth in such a well-expounded Dhamma and Discipline,