1"Bhikkhus, even a wheel-turning monarch, a righteous king who rules by the Dhamma, does not turn the wheel without a king above him..

When this was said, a certain bhikkhu said to the Blessed One: "But, Bhante, who is the king above a wheel-turning monarch, a righteous king who rules by the Dhamma?.

"It is the Dhamma, bhikkhu," the Blessed One said. [n.346] Mp glosses dhamma here as "the Dhamma of the ten courses of wholesome kamma" (dasakusalakammapathadhammo). This is certainly too narrow, but it is clear that "Dhamma" here does not mean the Buddha’s teaching as such. Rather, it is the universal principle of goodness and truth followed by virtuous people irrespective of their religious convictions. On the basis of this Dhamma the wheel-turning monarch provides righteous (dhammika) protection to all in his realm. "Here, bhikkhu, a wheel-turning monarch, a righteous king who rules by the Dhamma, relying just on the Dhamma, honoring, respecting, and venerating the Dhamma, taking the Dhamma as his standard, banner, and authority, provides righteous protection, shelter, and guard for the people in his court.

2Again, a wheel-turning monarch, a righteous king who rules by the Dhamma, relying just on the Dhamma, honoring, respecting, and venerating the Dhamma, taking the Dhamma as his standard, banner, and authority, provides righteous protection, shelter, and guard for his khattiya vassals, his army, brahmins and householders, the people of town and countryside, ascetics and brahmins, and the animals and birds. Having provided such righteous protection, shelter, and guard for all these beings, that wheel-turning monarch, a righteous king who rules by the Dhamma, turns the wheel solely through the Dhamma, [n.347] Mp: "He sets in motion the wheel just by means of the Dhamma of the ten courses of wholesome kamma." Ce and Be read the verb here as vatteti, but below, in relation to the Buddha, as pavatteti; Ee has pavatteti in relation to both. If vatteti is the original reading, the change in verbs may be intended to suggest that a wheel-turning monarch does not initiate the rule of righteousness but continues the heritage of his forefathers, whereas a Buddha sets in motion the wheel of Dhamma previously unknown. a wheel that cannot be turned back by any hostile human being. [n.348] Kenaci manussabhūtena paccatthikena pāṇinā. Lit. "by any hostile living being that has become human." Mp: "The deities, it is said, can do whatever they want. Therefore they are not included, but ‘human being’ is mentioned." This is in contrast with the Buddha, whose wheel cannot be turned back by any beings including the deities.

3(1) "So too, bhikkhu, the Tathāgata, the Arahant, the Perfectly Enlightened One, the righteous king of the Dhamma, relying just on the Dhamma, honoring, respecting, and venerating the Dhamma, taking the Dhamma as his standard, banner, and authority, provides righteous protection, shelter, and guard in regard to bodily action, saying: ‘Such bodily action should be cultivated; such bodily action should not be cultivated.’

4(2) "Again, the Tathāgata, the Arahant, the Perfectly Enlightened One, the righteous king of the Dhamma, relying just on the Dhamma, honoring, respecting, and venerating the Dhamma, taking the Dhamma as his standard, banner, and authority, provides righteous protection, shelter, and guard in regard to verbal action, saying: ‘Such verbal action should be cultivated; such verbal action should not be cultivated..

"Again, the Tathāgata, the Arahant, the Perfectly Enlightened One, the righteous king of the Dhamma, relying just on the Dhamma, honoring, respecting, and venerating the Dhamma, taking the Dhamma as his standard, banner, and authority, provides righteous protection, shelter, and guard in regard to mental action, saying: ‘Such mental action should be cultivated; such mental action should not be cultivated.’

5"Having provided such righteous protection, shelter, and guard in regard to bodily action, verbal action, and mental action, the Tathāgata, the Arahant, the Perfectly Enlightened One, the righteous king of the Dhamma, sets in motion the unsurpassed wheel of the Dhamma solely through the Dhamma, a wheel that cannot be turned back by any ascetic, brahmin, deva, Māra, or Brahmā, or by anyone in the world."

1"Yopi so, bhikkhave, rājā cakkavattī dhammiko dhammarājā sopi na arājakaṁ cakkaṁ vattetī"ti.

Evaṁ vutte, aññataro bhikkhu bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: "ko pana, bhante, rañño cakkavattissa dhammikassa dhammarañño rājā"ti.

"Dhammo, bhikkhū"ti bhagavā avoca: "idha, bhikkhu, rājā cakkavattī dhammiko dhammarājā dhammaṁyeva nissāya dhammaṁ sakkaronto dhammaṁ garuṁ karonto dhammaṁ apacāyamāno dhammaddhajo dhammaketu dhammādhipateyyo dhammikaṁ rakkhāvaraṇaguttiṁ saṁvidahati antojanasmiṁ.

2Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhu, rājā cakkavattī dhammiko dhammarājā dhammaṁyeva nissāya dhammaṁ sakkaronto dhammaṁ garuṁ karonto dhammaṁ apacāyamāno dhammaddhajo dhammaketu dhammādhipateyyo dhammikaṁ rakkhāvaraṇaguttiṁ saṁvidahati khattiyesu, anuyantesu, balakāyasmiṁ, brāhmaṇagahapatikesu, negamajānapadesu, samaṇabrāhmaṇesu, migapakkhīsu. Sa kho so bhikkhu rājā cakkavattī dhammiko dhammarājā dhammaṁyeva nissāya dhammaṁ sakkaronto dhammaṁ garuṁ karonto dhammaṁ apacāyamāno dhammaddhajo dhammaketu dhammādhipateyyo dhammikaṁ rakkhāvaraṇaguttiṁ saṁvidahitvā antojanasmiṁ, dhammikaṁ rakkhāvaraṇaguttiṁ saṁvidahitvā khattiyesu … pe … anuyantesu, balakāyasmiṁ, brāhmaṇagahapatikesu, negamajānapadesu, samaṇabrāhmaṇesu, migapakkhīsu, dhammeneva cakkaṁ vatteti. Taṁ hoti cakkaṁ appaṭivattiyaṁ kenaci manussabhūtena paccatthikena pāṇinā.

3Evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhu, tathāgato arahaṁ sammāsambuddho dhammiko dhammarājā dhammaṁyeva nissāya dhammaṁ sakkaronto dhammaṁ garuṁ karonto dhammaṁ apacāyamāno dhammaddhajo dhammaketu dhammādhipateyyo dhammikaṁ rakkhāvaraṇaguttiṁ saṁvidahati kāyakammasmiṁ: ‘evarūpaṁ kāyakammaṁ sevitabbaṁ, evarūpaṁ kāyakammaṁ na sevitabban’ti.

4Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhu, tathāgato arahaṁ sammāsambuddho dhammiko dhammarājā dhammaṁyeva nissāya dhammaṁ sakkaronto dhammaṁ garuṁ karonto dhammaṁ apacāyamāno dhammaddhajo dhammaketu dhammādhipateyyo dhammikaṁ rakkhāvaraṇaguttiṁ saṁvidahati vacīkammasmiṁ: ‘evarūpaṁ vacīkammaṁ sevitabbaṁ, evarūpaṁ vacīkammaṁ na sevitabban’ti … pe … manokammasmiṁ: ‘evarūpaṁ manokammaṁ sevitabbaṁ, evarūpaṁ manokammaṁ na sevitabban’ti.

5Sa kho so, bhikkhu, tathāgato arahaṁ sammāsambuddho dhammiko dhammarājā dhammaṁyeva nissāya dhammaṁ sakkaronto dhammaṁ garuṁ karonto dhammaṁ apacāyamāno dhammaddhajo dhammaketu dhammādhipateyyo dhammikaṁ rakkhāvaraṇaguttiṁ saṁvidahitvā kāyakammasmiṁ, dhammikaṁ rakkhāvaraṇaguttiṁ saṁvidahitvā vacīkammasmiṁ, dhammikaṁ rakkhāvaraṇaguttiṁ saṁvidahitvā manokammasmiṁ, dhammeneva anuttaraṁ dhammacakkaṁ pavatteti. Taṁ hoti cakkaṁ appaṭivattiyaṁ samaṇena vā brāhmaṇena vā devena vā mārena vā brahmunā vā kenaci vā lokasmin"ti.

Catutthaṁ.