sutta » sn » sn17 » Saṁyutta Nikāya 17.3

Kummasutta

A Turtle

Sāvatthiyaṁ viharati.
At Sāvatthī.

“Dāruṇo, bhikkhave, lābhasakkārasiloko …pe… adhigamāya.
“Possessions, honor, and popularity are brutal …

Bhūtapubbaṁ, bhikkhave, aññatarasmiṁ udakarahade mahākummakulaṁ ciranivāsi ahosi.
Once upon a time in a certain lake there was a large family of turtles that had lived there for a long time.

Atha kho, bhikkhave, aññataro kummo aññataraṁ kummaṁ etadavoca:
Then one of the turtles said to another,

‘mā kho tvaṁ, tāta kumma, etaṁ padesaṁ agamāsī’ti.
‘My dear turtle, don’t you go to that place.’

Agamāsi kho, bhikkhave, so kummo taṁ padesaṁ.
But that turtle did go to that place,

Tamenaṁ luddo papatāya vijjhi.
and a hunter pierced her with a harpoon.

Atha kho, bhikkhave, so kummo yena so kummo tenupasaṅkami.
Then that turtle went back to the other turtle.

Addasā kho, bhikkhave, so kummo taṁ kummaṁ dūratova āgacchantaṁ.
When the other turtle saw her coming off in the distance,

Disvāna taṁ kummaṁ etadavoca:
he said,

‘kacci tvaṁ, tāta kumma, na taṁ padesaṁ agamāsī’ti?
‘My dear turtle, I hope you didn’t go to that place!’

‘Agamāsiṁ khvāhaṁ, tāta kumma, taṁ padesan’ti.
‘I did.’

‘Kacci panāsi, tāta kumma, akkhato anupahato’ti?
‘But my dear turtle, I hope you’re not hurt or injured!’

‘Akkhato khomhi, tāta kumma, anupahato, atthi ca me idaṁ suttakaṁ piṭṭhito piṭṭhito anubandhan’ti.
‘I’m not hurt or injured. But this cord keeps dragging behind me.’

‘Tagghasi, tāta kumma, khato, taggha upahato.
‘Indeed, my dear turtle, you’re hurt and injured!

Etena hi te, tāta kumma, suttakena pitaro ca pitāmahā ca anayaṁ āpannā byasanaṁ āpannā.
Your father and grandfather met with tragedy and disaster because of such a cord.

Gaccha dāni tvaṁ, tāta kumma, na dāni tvaṁ amhākan’ti.
Go now, you are no longer one of us.’

Luddoti kho, bhikkhave, mārassetaṁ pāpimato adhivacanaṁ.
‘Hunter’ is a term for Māra the Wicked.

Papatāti kho, bhikkhave, lābhasakkārasilokassetaṁ adhivacanaṁ.
‘Harpoon’ is a term for possessions, honor, and popularity.

Suttakanti kho, bhikkhave, nandīrāgassetaṁ adhivacanaṁ.
‘Cord’ is a term for greed and relishing.

Yo hi koci, bhikkhave, bhikkhu uppannaṁ lābhasakkārasilokaṁ assādeti nikāmeti—
Whoever enjoys and likes arisen possessions, honor, and popularity is called a mendicant who has been pierced with a harpoon. They’ve met with tragedy and disaster, and the Wicked One can do with them what he wants.

ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, bhikkhu giddho papatāya anayaṁ āpanno byasanaṁ āpanno yathākāmakaraṇīyo pāpimato.

Evaṁ dāruṇo kho, bhikkhave, lābhasakkārasiloko …pe…
So brutal are possessions, honor, and popularity. …”

evañhi vo, bhikkhave, sikkhitabban”ti.

Tatiyaṁ.