sutta » sn » sn11 » Saṁyutta Nikāya 11.7

Nadubbhiyasutta

Not Betray One Should Not Transgress

Sāvatthiyaṁ.
At Sāvatthī.
At Savatthi.

“Bhūtapubbaṁ, bhikkhave, sakkassa devānamindassa rahogatassa paṭisallīnassa evaṁ cetaso parivitakko udapādi:
“Once upon a time, mendicants, as Sakka, lord of gods, was in private retreat this thought came to his mind,
“Bhikkhus, once in the past, when Sakka, lord of the devas, was alone in seclusion, the following reflection arose in his mind:

‘yopi me assa supaccatthiko tassapāhaṁ na dubbheyyan’ti.
‘I should never betray even a sworn enemy.’
‘Though someone may be my sworn enemy, | should not transgress even against him.’

Atha kho, bhikkhave, vepacitti asurindo sakkassa devānamindassa cetasā cetoparivitakkamaññāya yena sakko devānamindo tenupasaṅkami.
And then Vepacitti, lord of titans, knowing Sakka’s train of thought, approached him.
Then, bhikkhus, Vepacitti, lord of the asuras, having known with his own mind the reflection in Sakka's mind, approached Sakka, lord of the devas.

Addasā kho, bhikkhave, sakko devānamindo vepacittiṁ asurindaṁ dūratova āgacchantaṁ.
Sakka saw Vepacitti coming off in the distance,
Sakka saw Vepacitti coming in the distance

Disvāna vepacittiṁ asurindaṁ etadavoca:
and said to him,
and said to him:

‘tiṭṭha, vepacitti, gahitosī’ti.
‘Stop, Vepacitti, you’re caught!’
‘Stop, Vepacitti, you're caught!’

‘Yadeva te, mārisa, pubbe cittaṁ, tadeva tvaṁ mā pajahāsī’ti.
‘Dear sir, don’t give up the idea you just had!’
‘Dear sir, do not abandon the idea that just occurred to you.’

‘Sapassu ca me, vepacitti, adubbhāyā’ti.
‘Swear, Vepacitti, that you won’t betray me.’
‘Swear, Vepacitti, that you won't transgress against me.’

‘Yaṁ musā bhaṇato pāpaṁ,
‘Whatever bad things happen to a liar,
‘Whatever evil comes to a liar,

Yaṁ pāpaṁ ariyūpavādino;
or to someone who slanders the noble ones,
Whatever evil to a reviler of noble ones,

Mittadduno ca yaṁ pāpaṁ,
or to someone who betrays a friend,
Whatever evil to a betrayer of friends,

Yaṁ pāpaṁ akataññuno;
or to someone who’s ungrateful,
Whatever evil to one without gratitude:

Tameva pāpaṁ phusatu,
the same bad things impact
That same evil touches the one

Yo te dubbhe sujampatī’”ti.
anyone who betrays you, Sujā’s husband.’”
Who transgresses against you, Suja's husband.’”