sutta » sn » sn31 » Saṁyutta Nikāya 31.3

Translators: sujato

Linked Discourses 31.3

1. Gandhabbavagga
1. Fairies

Mūlagandhadātāsutta

A Giver of Fragrant Roots

Sāvatthinidānaṁ.
At Sāvatthī.

Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho so bhikkhu bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:
Seated to one side, that mendicant said to the Buddha:

“ko nu kho, bhante, hetu, ko paccayo, yena midhekacco kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā mūlagandhe adhivatthānaṁ devānaṁ sahabyataṁ upapajjatī”ti?
“Sir, what is the cause, what is the reason why someone, when their body breaks up, after death, is reborn in the company of the gods of the centaur realm who live in fragrant roots?”

“Idha, bhikkhu, ekacco kāyena sucaritaṁ carati, vācāya sucaritaṁ carati, manasā sucaritaṁ carati.
“Mendicant, it’s when someone does good things by way of body, speech, and mind.

Tassa sutaṁ hoti:
And they’ve heard:

‘mūlagandhe adhivatthā devā dīghāyukā vaṇṇavanto sukhabahulā’ti.
‘The gods of the centaur realm who live in fragrant roots are long-lived, beautiful, and very happy.’

Tassa evaṁ hoti:
They think:

‘aho vatāhaṁ kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā mūlagandhe adhivatthānaṁ devānaṁ sahabyataṁ upapajjeyyan’ti.
‘If only, when my body breaks up, after death, I would be reborn in the company of the gods of the centaur realm who live in fragrant roots!’

So dātā hoti mūlagandhānaṁ.
They give gifts of fragrant roots.

So kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā mūlagandhe adhivatthānaṁ devānaṁ sahabyataṁ upapajjati.
When their body breaks up, after death, they’re reborn in the company of the gods of the centaur realm who live in fragrant roots.

Ayaṁ kho, bhikkhu, hetu …pe…
This is the cause, this is the reason why someone, when their body breaks up, after death, is reborn in the company of the gods of the centaur realm who live in fragrant roots.”

yena midhekacco kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā mūlagandhe adhivatthānaṁ devānaṁ sahabyataṁ upapajjatī”ti.

Tatiyaṁ.