sutta » sn » sn11 » Saṁyutta Nikāya 11.13

Mahālisutta

With Mahāli Mahāli

Evaṁ me sutaṁ—
So I have heard.
Thus have I heard.

ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā vesāliyaṁ viharati mahāvane kūṭāgārasālāyaṁ.
At one time the Buddha was staying near Vesālī, at the Great Wood, in the hall with the peaked roof.
On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Vesali in the Great Wood in the Hall with the Peaked Roof.

Atha kho mahāli licchavī yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho mahāli licchavī bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:
Then Mahāli the Licchavi went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and said to him,
Then Mahāli the Licchavi approached the Blessed One, paid homage to him, sat down to one side, and said to him:

“Diṭṭho kho, bhante, bhagavatā sakko devānamindo”ti?
“Sir, have you seen Sakka, lord of gods?”
“Venerable sir, has the Blessed One seen Sakka, lord of the devas?”

“Diṭṭho kho me, mahāli, sakko devānamindo”ti.
“I have, Mahāli.”
“I have, Mahāli.”

“So hi nūna, bhante, sakkapatirūpako bhavissati.
“But surely, sir, you must have seen someone who looked like Sakka.
“Surely, venerable sir, that must have been one who looked like Sakka, lord of the devas; for Sakka, lord of the devas,

Duddaso hi, bhante, sakko devānamindo”ti.
For Sakka is hard to see.”
is difficult to see.”

“Sakkañca khvāhaṁ, mahāli, pajānāmi sakkakaraṇe ca dhamme, yesaṁ dhammānaṁ samādinnattā sakko sakkattaṁ ajjhagā, tañca pajānāmi.
“Mahāli, I understand Sakka. And I understand the things that he undertook and committed to, which enabled him to achieve the status of Sakka.
“I know Sakka, Mahāli, and I know the qualities that make for Sakka, by the undertaking of which Sakka achieved the status of Sakka. ”

Sakko, mahāli, devānamindo pubbe manussabhūto samāno magho nāma māṇavo ahosi, tasmā maghavāti vuccati.
In a former life, when Sakka was a human being, he was a student named Magha. That’s why he’s called Maghavā.
“Mahāli, in the past, when Sakka, lord of the devas, was a human being, he was a brahmin youth named Magha; therefore he is called Maghavā.

Sakko, mahāli, devānamindo pubbe manussabhūto samāno sakkaccaṁ dānaṁ adāsi, tasmā sakkoti vuccati.
In a former life, when Sakka was a human being, he gave gifts ably. That’s why he’s called Sakka the Able.
Mahāli, in the past, when Sakka, lord of the devas, was a human being, he gave gifts in city after city; therefore he is called Purindada, the Urban Giver.

Sakko, mahāli, devānamindo pubbe manussabhūto samāno pure dānaṁ adāsi, tasmā purindadoti vuccati.
In a former life, when Sakka was a human being, he was first to give gifts. That’s why he’s called Purindada the Firstgiver.
Mahāli, in the past, when Sakka, lord of the devas, was a human being, he gave gifts considerately; therefore he is called Sakka.

Sakko, mahāli, devānamindo pubbe manussabhūto samāno āvasathaṁ adāsi, tasmā vāsavoti vuccati.
In a former life, when Sakka was a human being, he gave the gift of a guest house. That’s why he’s called Vāsava the Houser.
Mahāli, in the past, when Sakka, lord of the devas, was a human being, he gave a rest house; therefore he is called Vāsava.

Sakko, mahāli, devānamindo sahassampi atthānaṁ muhuttena cinteti, tasmā sahassakkhoti vuccati.
Sakka thinks of a thousand things in an hour. That’s why he’s called Sahassakkha the Thousand-Eyed.
Mahāli, Sakka, lord of the devas, thinks of a thousand matters in a moment; therefore he is called Sahassakkha, Thousand-eyed.

Sakkassa, mahāli, devānamindassa sujā nāma asurakaññā pajāpati, tasmā sujampatīti vuccati.
Sakka’s wife is the titan maiden named Sujā. That’s why he’s called Sujampati, Sujā’s Husband.
Mahāli, Sakka's wife is the asura maiden named Sujā; therefore he is called Sujampati, Sujā's husband.

Sakko, mahāli, devānamindo devānaṁ tāvatiṁsānaṁ issariyādhipaccaṁ rajjaṁ kāreti, tasmā devānamindoti vuccati.
Sakka rules as sovereign lord over the gods of the thirty-three. That’s why he’s called Devānaminda the lord of gods.
Mahāli, Sakka, lord of the devas, exercises supreme sovereignty and rulership over the Tavatimsa devas; therefore he is called lord of the devas.

Sakkassa, mahāli, devānamindassa pubbe manussabhūtassa satta vatapadāni samattāni samādinnāni ahesuṁ, yesaṁ samādinnattā sakko sakkattaṁ ajjhagā.
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.
Mahāli, 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.

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

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 honor the elders in the family.
‘As long as I live may I respect the family elders.’

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 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.
‘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.’

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 of anger, or should anger arise, may I quickly get rid of it.
‘As long as I live may I be free from anger, and if anger should arise in me may I dispel it quickly.’

Sakkassa, mahāli, devānamindassa pubbe manussabhūtassa imāni satta vatapadāni samattāni samādinnāni ahesuṁ, yesaṁ samādinnattā sakko sakkattaṁ ajjhagāti.
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.
In the past, Mahāli, 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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Taṁ ve devā tāvatiṁsā,
the gods of the thirty-three
The Tavatimsa devas call hi

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