sutta » sn » sn11 » Saṁyutta Nikāya 11.9

Araññāyatanaisisutta

Seers in a Forest Seers in the Wilderness

Sāvatthiyaṁ.
At Savatthi.
At Sāvatthī.

“Bhūtapubbaṁ, bhikkhave, sambahulā isayo sīlavanto kalyāṇadhammā araññāyatane paṇṇakuṭīsu sammanti.
“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.
“Once upon a time, mendicants, several seers who were ethical, of good character, settled in leaf huts in a wilderness region.

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

Atha kho, bhikkhave, sakko devānamindo paṭaliyo upāhanā orohitvā khaggaṁ aññesaṁ datvā chattaṁ apanāmetvā dvāreneva assamaṁ pavisitvā te isayo sīlavante kalyāṇadhamme anuvātaṁ pañjaliko namassamāno aṭṭhāsi.
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.
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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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