Saṁyutta Nikāya 11.5

Translators: sujato and bodhi

Linked Discourses 11.5

1. Paṭhamavagga
Chapter One

Subhāsitajayasutta

Victory by Well-Spoken Counsel Victory by Good Speech

Sāvatthinidānaṁ.
At Savatthi.
At Sāvatthī.

“Bhūtapubbaṁ, bhikkhave, devāsurasaṅgāmo samupabyūḷho ahosi.
“Bhikkhus, once in the past 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 sakkaṁ devānamindaṁ etadavoca:
Then Vepacitti, lord of the asuras, said to Sakka, lord of the devas:
Then Vepacitti, lord of titans, said to Sakka, lord of gods,

‘hotu, devānaminda, subhāsitena jayo’ti.
‘Lord of the devas, let there be victory by well-spoken counsel.’
‘Lord of gods, let there be victory by fine words!’

‘Hotu, vepacitti, subhāsitena jayo’ti.
‘Vepacitti, let there be victory by well-spoken counsel.’
‘Vepacitti, let there be victory by fine words!’

Atha kho, bhikkhave, devā ca asurā ca pārisajje ṭhapesuṁ:
Then, bhikkhus, the devas and the asuras appointed a panel of judges, saying:
Then the gods and the titans appointed a panel of judges, saying,

‘ime no subhāsitadubbhāsitaṁ ājānissantī’ti.
‘These will ascertain what has been well spoken and badly spoken by us.’
‘These will understand our good and bad statements.’

‘bhaṇa, devānaminda, gāthan’ti.
‘Speak a verse, lord of the devas.’
‘Lord of gods, recite a verse!’

Evaṁ vutte, bhikkhave, sakko devānamindo vepacittiṁ asurindaṁ etadavoca:
When this was said, Sakka said to Vepacitti:
When he said this, Sakka said to him,

‘tumhe khvettha, vepacitti, pubbadevā.
‘You, Vepacitti, being the senior deva here,
‘Vepacitti, you are the elder god here.

Bhaṇa, vepacitti, gāthan’ti.
speak a verse.’
Recite a verse.’

Evaṁ vutte, bhikkhave, vepacitti asurindo imaṁ gāthaṁ abhāsi:
When this was said, Vepacitti, lord of the asuras, recited this verse:
So Vepacitti recited this verse:

‘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 an intelligent person should stop

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

Bhāsitāya kho pana, bhikkhave, vepacittinā asurindena gāthāya asurā anumodiṁsu, devā tuṇhī ahesuṁ.
When, bhikkhus, Vepacitti, lord of the asuras, spoke this verse, the asuras applauded but the devas were silent.
The titans applauded Vepacitti’s verse, while the gods kept silent.

Atha kho, bhikkhave, vepacitti asurindo sakkaṁ devānamindaṁ etadavoca:
Then Vepacitti said to Sakka:
Then Vepacitti said to Sakka,

‘bhaṇa, devānaminda, gāthan’ti.
‘Speak a verse, lord of the devas.’
‘Lord of gods, recite a verse!’

Evaṁ vutte, bhikkhave, sakko devānamindo imaṁ gāthaṁ abhāsi:
When this was said, Sakka, lord of the devas, recited this verse:
So Sakka recited this verse:

‘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.’

Bhāsitāya kho pana, bhikkhave, sakkena devānamindena gāthāya, devā anumodiṁsu, asurā tuṇhī ahesuṁ.
When, bhikkhus, Sakka, lord of the devas, spoke this verse, the devas applauded but the asuras were silent.
The gods applauded Sakka’s verse, while the titans kept silent.

Atha kho, bhikkhave, sakko devānamindo vepacittiṁ asurindaṁ etadavoca:
Then Sakka said to Vepacitti:
Then Sakka said to Vepacitti,

‘bhaṇa, vepacitti, gāthan’ti.
‘Speak a verse, Vepacitti.’
‘Vepacitti, recite a verse!’

Evaṁ vutte, bhikkhave, vepacitti asurindo imaṁ gāthaṁ abhāsi:
When this was said, Vepacitti, lord of the asuras, recited this verse:
So Vepacitti recited this verse:

‘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.’

Atha kho, bhikkhave, vepacitti asurindo sakkaṁ devānamindaṁ etadavoca:
Then Vepacitti said to Sakka:
Then Vepacitti said to Sakka,

‘bhaṇa, devānaminda, gāthan’ti.
‘Speak a verse, lord of the devas.’
‘Lord of gods, recite a verse!’

Evaṁ vutte, bhikkhave, sakko devānamindo imā gāthāyo abhāsi:
When this was said, Sakka, lord of the devas, recited these verses:
So Sakka recited this verse:

‘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,
But no one can reproach a person
But no-one can challenge a person

paṭivattā na vijjati.
Who is strong because guarded by Dhamma.
who’s strong, guarded by the teaching.

Tasseva tena pāpiyo,
So makes things worse for himself:
When you get angry at an angry person

yo kuddhaṁ paṭikujjhati;
One who repays an angry man with anger,
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.’

Bhāsitāsu kho pana, bhikkhave, sakkena devānamindena gāthāsu, devā anumodiṁsu, asurā tuṇhī ahesuṁ.
When, bhikkhus, these verses were spoken by Sakka, lord of the devas, the devas applauded but the asuras were silent.
The gods applauded Sakka’s verses, while the titans kept silent.

Atha kho, bhikkhave, devānañca asurānañca pārisajjā etadavocuṁ:
Then the panel of judges appointed by the devas and the asuras said this:
Then the panel of judges consisting of both gods and titans said this,

‘bhāsitā kho vepacittinā asurindena gāthāyo.
‘The verses spoken by Vepacitti, lord of the asuras,
‘The verses spoken by Vepacitti

Tā ca kho sadaṇḍāvacarā sasatthāvacarā, iti bhaṇḍanaṁ iti viggaho iti kalaho.
are in the sphere of punishment and violence; hence [they entail] conflict, contention, and strife.
evoke punishment and violence. That’s how you get arguments, quarrels, and disputes.

Bhāsitā kho sakkena devānamindena gāthāyo.
But the verses spoken by Sakka, lord of the devas,
The verses spoken by Sakka

Tā ca kho adaṇḍāvacarā asatthāvacarā, iti abhaṇḍanaṁ iti aviggaho iti akalaho.
are in the sphere of nonpunishment and nonviolence; hence [they entail] freedom from conflict, freedom from contention and freedom from strife.
don’t evoke punishment and violence. That’s how you stay free of arguments, quarrels, and disputes.

Sakkassa devānamindassa subhāsitena jayo’ti.
Sakka, lord of the devas, has won the victory by well-spoken counsel.’
Sakka, lord of gods, wins victory by fine words!’

Iti kho, bhikkhave, sakkassa devānamindassa subhāsitena jayo ahosī”ti.
In this way, bhikkhus, Sakka, lord of the devas, won the victory by well-spoken counsel.”
And that’s how Sakka came to win victory by fine words.”