Saṁyutta Nikāya 31.4–12

Translators: sujato

Linked Discourses 31.4–12

1. Gandhabbavagga
1. Fairies

Sāragandhādidātāsuttanavaka

Nine Discourses On Givers of Fragrant Heartwood, Etc.

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 sāragandhe adhivatthānaṁ devānaṁ …pe…
“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 heartwood …

pheggugandhe adhivatthānaṁ devānaṁ …
softwood …

tacagandhe adhivatthānaṁ devānaṁ …
bark …

papaṭikagandhe adhivatthānaṁ devānaṁ …
sprouts …

pattagandhe adhivatthānaṁ devānaṁ …
leaves …

pupphagandhe adhivatthānaṁ devānaṁ …
flowers …

phalagandhe adhivatthānaṁ devānaṁ …
fruit …

rasagandhe adhivatthānaṁ devānaṁ …
sap …

gandhagandhe adhivatthānaṁ devānaṁ sahabyataṁ upapajjatī”ti?
fragrant scents?”

“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:

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

Tassa evaṁ hoti:
They think:

‘aho vatāhaṁ kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā sāragandhe adhivatthānaṁ devānaṁ …pe…
‘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 heartwood …

pheggugandhe adhivatthānaṁ devānaṁ …

tacagandhe adhivatthānaṁ devānaṁ …

papaṭikagandhe adhivatthānaṁ devānaṁ …

pattagandhe adhivatthānaṁ devānaṁ …

pupphagandhe adhivatthānaṁ devānaṁ …

phalagandhe adhivatthānaṁ devānaṁ …

rasagandhe adhivatthānaṁ devānaṁ …

gandhagandhe adhivatthānaṁ devānaṁ sahabyataṁ upapajjeyyan’ti.
fragrant scents!’

So dātā hoti sāragandhānaṁ …pe…
They give gifts of fragrant heartwood …

so dātā hoti pheggugandhānaṁ …

so dātā hoti tacagandhānaṁ …

so dātā hoti papaṭikagandhānaṁ …

so dātā hoti pattagandhānaṁ …

so dātā hoti pupphagandhānaṁ …

so dātā hoti phalagandhānaṁ …

so dātā hoti rasagandhānaṁ …

so dātā hoti gandhagandhānaṁ.
fragrant scents.

So kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā gandhagandhe 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 scents.

Ayaṁ kho, bhikkhu, hetu, ayaṁ paccayo, yena midhekacco kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā gandhagandhe adhivatthānaṁ devānaṁ sahabyataṁ upapajjatī”ti.
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 on fragrant scents.”

Dvādasamaṁ.