sutta » sn » sn11 » Saṁyutta Nikāya 11.9

Araññāyatanaisisutta

Seers in the Wilderness Seers in a Forest

Sāvatthiyaṁ.
At Sāvatthī.
At Savatthi.

“Bhūtapubbaṁ, bhikkhave, sambahulā isayo sīlavanto kalyāṇadhammā araññāyatane paṇṇakuṭīsu sammanti.
“Once upon a time, mendicants, several seers who were ethical, of good character, settled in leaf huts in a wilderness region.
“Bhikkhus, once in the past a number of seers who were virtuous and of good character had settled down in leaf huts in a tract of forest.

Atha kho, bhikkhave, sakko ca devānamindo vepacitti ca asurindo yena te isayo sīlavanto kalyāṇadhammā tenupasaṅkamiṁsu.
Then Sakka, lord of gods, and Vepacitti, lord of titans, went to those seers.
Then Sakka, lord of the devas, and Vepacitti, lord of the asuras, approached those seers.

Atha kho, bhikkhave, vepacitti asurindo paṭaliyo upāhanā ārohitvā khaggaṁ olaggetvā chattena dhāriyamānena aggadvārena assamaṁ pavisitvā te isayo sīlavante kalyāṇadhamme apabyāmato karitvā atikkami.
Vepacitti put on his boots, strapped on his sword, and, carrying a sunshade, entered the hermitage through the main gate. He walked right past those seers, keeping them at a distance.
Vepacitti, lord of the asuras, put on his boots, bound his sword on tightly, and, with a parasol borne aloft, entered the hermitage through the main gate; then, having turned his left side towards them, he walked past those seers who were virtuous and of good character.

Atha kho, bhikkhave, sakko devānamindo paṭaliyo upāhanā orohitvā khaggaṁ aññesaṁ datvā chattaṁ apanāmetvā dvāreneva assamaṁ pavisitvā te isayo sīlavante kalyāṇadhamme anuvātaṁ pañjaliko namassamāno aṭṭhāsi.
Sakka took off his boots, gave his sword to others, and, putting down his sunshade, entered the hermitage through a gate he happened upon. He stood downwind of those seers, revering them with joined palms.
But Sakka, lord of the devas, took off his boots, handed over his sword to others, lowered his parasol, and entered the hermitage through an [ordinary] gate; then he stood on the lee side, raising his joined hands in reverential salutation, paying homage to those seers who were virtuous and of good character.

Atha kho, bhikkhave, te isayo sīlavanto kalyāṇadhammā sakkaṁ devānamindaṁ gāthāya ajjhabhāsiṁsu:
Then those seers addressed Sakka in verse:
Then, bhikkhus, those seers addressed Sakka in verse:

‘Gandho isīnaṁ ciradikkhitānaṁ,
‘When seers have been long ordained,
‘The odour of the seers long bound by their vows,

Kāyā cuto gacchati mālutena;
the odor of their bodies goes with the gale.
Emitted from their bodies, goes with the wind.

Ito paṭikkamma sahassanetta,
You’d better leave, O thousand-eyed!
Turn away from here, O thousand-eyed god,

Gandho isīnaṁ asuci devarājā’ti.
The odor of the seers is unclean, king of gods.’
For the seers’ odour is foul, O deva-king.’

‘Gandho isīnaṁ ciradikkhitānaṁ,
‘When seers have been long ordained,
‘Let the odour of the seers long bound by their vows,

Kāyā cuto gacchatu mālutena;
let the odor of their bodies go with the gale.
Emitted from their bodies, go with the wind;

Sucitrapupphaṁ sirasmiṁva mālaṁ,
We yearn for this odor, sirs,
We yearn for this odour, O venerable sirs,

Gandhaṁ etaṁ paṭikaṅkhāma bhante;
like a colorful crown of flowers.
As for a garland of flowers on the head.

Na hettha devā paṭikūlasaññino’”ti.
The gods don’t see it as repulsive.’”
The devas do not perceive it as repulsive.'”