Saṁyutta Nikāya 11.5

Translators: sujato and bodhi

Linked Discourses 11.5

1. Paṭhamavagga
Chapter One

Subhāsitajayasutta

Victory by Good Speech Victory by Well-Spoken Counsel

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.
“Bhikkhus, once in the past the devas and the asuras were arrayed for battle.

Atha kho, bhikkhave, vepacitti asurindo sakkaṁ devānamindaṁ etadavoca:
Then Vepacitti, lord of titans, said to Sakka, lord of gods,
Then Vepacitti, lord of the asuras, said to Sakka, lord of the devas:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

‘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 an intelligent person should stop
Hence with drastic punishment

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

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

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

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

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

‘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.’

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

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

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

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

‘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.’

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

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

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

‘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
But no one can reproach a person

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

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

yo kuddhaṁ paṭikujjhati;
you just make things worse for yourself.
One who repays an angry man with anger,

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.’

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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