sutta » sn » sn42 » Saṁyutta Nikāya 42.3

Yodhājīvasutta

A Warrior

Atha kho yodhājīvo gāmaṇi yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā …pe… ekamantaṁ nisinno kho yodhājīvo gāmaṇi bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:
Then Dustin the warrior chief went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and said to him:

“sutaṁ metaṁ, bhante, pubbakānaṁ ācariyapācariyānaṁ yodhājīvānaṁ bhāsamānānaṁ:
“Sir, I have heard that the warriors of the past who were teachers of teachers said:

‘yo so yodhājīvo saṅgāme ussahati vāyamati, tamenaṁ ussahantaṁ vāyamantaṁ pare hananti pariyāpādenti, so kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā parajitānaṁ devānaṁ sahabyataṁ upapajjatī’ti.
‘Suppose a warrior, while striving and struggling in battle, is killed and finished off by his foes. When his body breaks up, after death, he’s reborn in the company of the gods of the fallen.’

Idha bhagavā kimāhā”ti?
What does the Buddha say about this?”

“Alaṁ, gāmaṇi, tiṭṭhatetaṁ; mā maṁ etaṁ pucchī”ti.
“Enough, chief, let it be. Don’t ask me that.”

Dutiyampi kho …pe…
For a second time …

tatiyampi kho yodhājīvo gāmaṇi bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:
And for a third time the warrior chief said to the Buddha:

“sutaṁ metaṁ, bhante, pubbakānaṁ ācariyapācariyānaṁ yodhājīvānaṁ bhāsamānānaṁ:
“Sir, I have heard that the warriors of the past who were teachers of teachers said:

‘yo so yodhājīvo saṅgāme ussahati vāyamati, tamenaṁ ussahantaṁ vāyamantaṁ pare hananti pariyāpādenti, so kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā parajitānaṁ devānaṁ sahabyataṁ upapajjatī’ti.
‘Suppose a warrior, while striving and struggling in battle, is killed and finished off by his foes. When his body breaks up, after death, he’s reborn in the company of the gods of the fallen.’

Idha bhagavā kimāhā”ti?
What does the Buddha say about this?”

“Addhā kho tyāhaṁ, gāmaṇi, na labhāmi:
“Clearly, chief, I’m not getting through to you when I say:

‘alaṁ, gāmaṇi, tiṭṭhatetaṁ; mā maṁ etaṁ pucchī’ti.
‘Enough, chief, let it be. Don’t ask me that.’

Api ca tyāhaṁ byākarissāmi.
Nevertheless, I will answer you.

Yo so, gāmaṇi, yodhājīvo saṅgāme ussahati vāyamati, tassa taṁ cittaṁ pubbe gahitaṁ dukkaṭaṁ duppaṇihitaṁ:
When a warrior strives and struggles in battle, their mind is already low, degraded, and misdirected as they think:

‘ime sattā haññantu vā bajjhantu vā ucchijjantu vā vinassantu vā mā vā ahesuṁ iti vā’ti.
‘May these sentient beings be killed, slaughtered, slain, destroyed, or annihilated!’

Tamenaṁ ussahantaṁ vāyamantaṁ pare hananti pariyāpādenti;
His foes kill him and finish him off, and

so kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā parajito nāma nirayo tattha upapajjatīti.
when his body breaks up, after death, he’s reborn in the hell called ‘The Fallen’.

Sace kho panassa evaṁ diṭṭhi hoti:
But if you have such a view:

‘yo so yodhājīvo saṅgāme ussahati vāyamati tamenaṁ ussahantaṁ vāyamantaṁ pare hananti pariyāpādenti, so kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā parajitānaṁ devānaṁ sahabyataṁ upapajjatī’ti, sāssa hoti micchādiṭṭhi.
‘Suppose a warrior, while striving and struggling in battle, is killed and finished off by his foes. When his body breaks up, after death, he’s reborn in the company of the gods of the fallen.’ This is your wrong view.

Micchādiṭṭhikassa kho panāhaṁ, gāmaṇi, purisapuggalassa dvinnaṁ gatīnaṁ aññataraṁ gatiṁ vadāmi—
An individual with wrong view is reborn in one of two places, I say:

nirayaṁ vā tiracchānayoniṁ vā”ti.
hell or the animal realm.”

Evaṁ vutte, yodhājīvo gāmaṇi parodi, assūni pavattesi.
When he said this, Dustin the warrior chief cried and burst out in tears.

“Etaṁ kho tyāhaṁ, gāmaṇi, nālatthaṁ:
“This is what I didn’t get through to you when I said:

‘alaṁ, gāmaṇi, tiṭṭhatetaṁ; mā maṁ etaṁ pucchī’”ti.
‘Enough, chief, let it be. Don’t ask me that.’”

“Nāhaṁ, bhante, etaṁ rodāmi yaṁ maṁ bhagavā evamāha;
“Sir, I’m not crying because of what the Buddha said.

api cāhaṁ, bhante, pubbakehi ācariyapācariyehi yodhājīvehi dīgharattaṁ nikato vañcito paluddho:
But sir, for a long time I’ve been cheated, tricked, and deceived by the warriors of the past who were teachers of teachers, who said:

‘yo so yodhājīvo saṅgāme ussahati vāyamati, tamenaṁ ussahantaṁ vāyamantaṁ pare hananti pariyāpādenti, so kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā parajitānaṁ devānaṁ sahabyataṁ upapajjatī’”ti.
‘Suppose a warrior, while striving and struggling in battle, is killed and finished off by his foes. When his body breaks up, after death, he’s reborn in the company of the gods of the fallen.’

“Abhikkantaṁ, bhante …pe…
Excellent, sir! Excellent! …

ajjatagge pāṇupetaṁ saraṇaṁ gatan”ti.
From this day forth, may the Buddha remember me as a lay follower who has gone for refuge for life.”

Tatiyaṁ.