sutta » sn » sn11 » Saṁyutta Nikāya 11.4

Vepacittisutta

Vepacitti (or Patience) With Vepacitti

Sāvatthinidānaṁ.
At Savatthi.
At Sāvatthī.

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

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

‘sace, mārisā, devānaṁ asurasaṅgāme samupabyūḷhe asurā jineyyuṁ devā parājineyyuṁ, yena naṁ sakkaṁ devānamindaṁ kaṇṭhapañcamehi bandhanehi bandhitvā mama santike āneyyātha asurapuran’ti.
‘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.’
‘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.’

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

‘sace, mārisā, devānaṁ asurasaṅgāme samupabyūḷhe devā jineyyuṁ asurā parājineyyuṁ, yena naṁ vepacittiṁ asurindaṁ kaṇṭhapañcamehi bandhanehi bandhitvā mama santike āneyyātha sudhammasabhan’ti.
‘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.’
‘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.’

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

Atha kho, bhikkhave, devā tāvatiṁsā vepacittiṁ asurindaṁ kaṇṭhapañcamehi bandhanehi bandhitvā sakkassa devānamindassa santike ānesuṁ sudhammasabhaṁ.
Then the Tavatimsa devas bound Vepacitti by his four limbs and neck and brought him to Sakka in the Sudhamma assembly hall.
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.

Tatra sudaṁ, bhikkhave, vepacitti asurindo kaṇṭhapañcamehi bandhanehi baddho sakkaṁ devānamindaṁ sudhammasabhaṁ pavisantañca nikkhamantañca asabbhāhi pharusāhi vācāhi akkosati paribhāsati.
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.
And as Sakka was entering and leaving the hall, Vepacitti abused and insulted him with rude, harsh words.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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