sutta » sn » sn11 » Saṁyutta Nikāya 11.11

Vatapadasutta

Vows Vows

Sāvatthiyaṁ.
At Sāvatthī.
At Sāvatthī.

“Sakkassa, bhikkhave, devānamindassa pubbe manussabhūtassa satta vatapadāni samattāni samādinnāni ahesuṁ, yesaṁ samādinnattā sakko sakkattaṁ ajjhagā.
“Bhikkhus, in the past, when Sakka, lord of the devas, was a human being, he adopted and undertook seven vows by the undertaking of which he achieved the status of Sakka.
“Mendicants, in a former life, when Sakka was a human being, he undertook seven vows. And it was because of undertaking these that he achieved the status of Sakka.

Katamāni satta vatapadāni?
What were the seven vows?
What seven?

Yāvajīvaṁ mātāpettibharo assaṁ,
‘As long as I live may I support my parents.’
As long as I live, may I support my parents.

yāvajīvaṁ kule jeṭṭhāpacāyī assaṁ,
‘As long as I live may I respect the family elders.’
As long as I live, may I honor the elders in the family.

yāvajīvaṁ saṇhavāco assaṁ,
‘As long as I live may I speak gently.’
As long as I live, may I speak gently.

yāvajīvaṁ apisuṇavāco assaṁ,
‘As long as I live may I not speak divisively.’
As long as I live, may I not speak divisively.

yāvajīvaṁ vigatamalamaccherena cetasā agāraṁ ajjhāvaseyyaṁ muttacāgo payatapāṇi vossaggarato yācayogo dānasaṁvibhāgarato,
‘As long as I live may I dwell at home with a mind devoid of the stain of stinginess, freely generous, open-handed, delighting in relinquishment, devoted to charity, delighting in giving and sharing.’
As long as I live, may I live at home rid of the stain of stinginess, freely generous, open-handed, loving to let go, committed to charity, loving to give and to share.

yāvajīvaṁ saccavāco assaṁ,
‘As long as I live may I speak the truth.’
As long as I live, may I speak the truth.

yāvajīvaṁ akkodhano assaṁ—sacepi me kodho uppajjeyya, khippameva naṁ paṭivineyyanti.
‘As long as I live may I be free from anger, and if anger should arise in me may I dispel it quickly.’
As long as I live, may I be free of anger, or should anger arise, may I quickly get rid of it.

Sakkassa, bhikkhave, devānamindassa pubbe manussabhūtassa imāni satta vatapadāni samattāni samādinnāni ahesuṁ, yesaṁ samādinnattā sakko sakkattaṁ ajjhagāti.
In the past, bhikkhus, when Sakka, lord of the devas, was a human being, he adopted and undertook these seven vows by the undertaking of which he achieved the status of Sakka.
In a former life, when Sakka was a human being, he undertook seven vows. And it was because of undertaking these that he achieved the status of Sakka.

Mātāpettibharaṁ jantuṁ,
When a person supports his parents,
A person who respects their parents,

kule jeṭṭhāpacāyinaṁ;
And respects the family elders;
and honors the elders in the family,

Saṇhaṁ sakhilasambhāsaṁ,
When his speech is gentle and courteous,
whose speech is gentle and courteous,

pesuṇeyyappahāyinaṁ.
And he refrains from divisive words;
and has given up divisiveness;

Maccheravinaye yuttaṁ,
When he strives to remove meanness,
who’s committed to getting rid of stinginess,

saccaṁ kodhābhibhuṁ naraṁ;
Is truthful, and vanquishes anger,
is truthful, and has mastered anger:

Taṁ ve devā tāvatiṁsā,
The Tavatimsa devas call him
the gods of the Thirty-Three

āhu sappuriso itī”ti.
Truly a superior person.”
say they really are a true person.”