1"Bhikkhus, there are these four streams of merit, streams of the wholesome, nutriments of happiness—heavenly, ripening in happiness, conducive to heaven—that lead to what is wished for, desired, and agreeable, to one's welfare and happiness. What four? [n.735] Here, the four streams of merit are explained in terms of the four requisites: robes, almsfood, lodging, and medicines. Mp apparently misses the correct derivation of sovaggika, deriving it from suṭṭhu aggānaṁ rūpādīnaṁ dāyakā. The word is properly derived from sagga (Skt svarga), heaven. But Mp to AN4.61 gives the correct derivation; see AN4.61, n. 746.

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"(1) When a bhikkhu enters and dwells in a measureless concentration of mind [n.736] Appamāṇaṁ cetosamādhiṁ. Mp: "The concentration of the fruit of arahantship" (arahattaphalasamādhi). while using a robe that one has given him, one acquires a measureless stream of merit, stream of the wholesome, a nutriment of happiness … that leads … to one's welfare and happiness.

2(2) When a bhikkhu enters and dwells in a measureless concentration of mind while using almsfood that one has given him, one acquires a measureless stream of merit, stream of the wholesome, a nutriment of happiness … that leads … to one's welfare and happiness.

3(3) When a bhikkhu enters and dwells in a measureless concentration of mind while using a lodging that one has given him, one acquires a measureless stream of merit, stream of the wholesome, a nutriment of happiness … that leads … to one's welfare and happiness.

4(4) When a bhikkhu enters and dwells in a measureless concentration of mind while using medicines and provisions for the sick that one has given him, one acquires a measureless stream of merit, stream of the wholesome, a nutriment of happiness … that leads to one's welfare and happiness.

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"These are the four streams of merit, streams of the wholesome, nutriments of happiness—heavenly, ripening in happiness, conducive to heaven—that lead to what is wished for, desired, and agreeable, to one's welfare and happiness.

5"When, bhikkhus, a noble disciple possesses these four streams of merit, streams of the wholesome, it is not easy to measure his merit thus: ‘Just so much is his stream of merit, stream of the wholesome, nutriment of happiness … that leads to … one's welfare and happiness’; rather, it is reckoned simply as an incalculable, immeasurable, great mass of merit.

6"Bhikkhus, just as it is not easy to measure the water in the great ocean thus: ‘There are so many gallons of water,’ or ‘There are so many hundreds of gallons of water,’ or ‘There are so many thousands of gallons of water,’ or ‘There are so many hundreds of thousands of gallons of water,’ but rather it is reckoned simply as an incalculable, immeasurable, great mass of water; so too, when a noble disciple possesses these four streams of merit … it is reckoned simply as an incalculable, immeasurable, great mass of merit."

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7Just as the many rivers used by the hosts of people,
flowing downstream, reach the ocean,
the great mass of water, the boundless sea,
the fearsome receptacle of heaps of gems;

8so the streams of merit reach the wise man
who is a giver of food, drink, and cloth;
they reach the donor of beds, seats, and covers
like rivers carrying their waters to the sea.

1Sāvatthinidānaṁ. "Cattārome, bhikkhave, puññābhisandā kusalābhisandā sukhassāhārā sovaggikā sukhavipākā saggasaṁvattanikā iṭṭhāya kantāya manāpāya hitāya sukhāya saṁvattanti. Katame cattāro?

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Yassa, bhikkhave, bhikkhu cīvaraṁ paribhuñjamāno appamāṇaṁ cetosamādhiṁ upasampajja viharati, appamāṇo tassa puññābhisando kusalābhisando sukhassāhāro sovaggiko sukhavipāko saggasaṁvattaniko iṭṭhāya kantāya manāpāya hitāya sukhāya saṁvattati.

2Yassa, bhikkhave, bhikkhu piṇḍapātaṁ paribhuñjamāno appamāṇaṁ cetosamādhiṁ upasampajja viharati, appamāṇo tassa puññābhisando kusalābhisando sukhassāhāro sovaggiko sukhavipāko saggasaṁvattaniko iṭṭhāya kantāya manāpāya hitāya sukhāya saṁvattati.

3Yassa, bhikkhave, bhikkhu senāsanaṁ paribhuñjamāno appamāṇaṁ cetosamādhiṁ upasampajja viharati, appamāṇo tassa puññābhisando kusalābhisando sukhassāhāro sovaggiko sukhavipāko saggasaṁvattaniko iṭṭhāya kantāya manāpāya hitāya sukhāya saṁvattati.

4Yassa, bhikkhave, bhikkhu gilānappaccayabhesajjaparikkhāraṁ paribhuñjamāno appamāṇaṁ cetosamādhiṁ upasampajja viharati, appamāṇo tassa puññābhisando kusalābhisando sukhassāhāro sovaggiko sukhavipāko saggasaṁvattaniko iṭṭhāya kantāya manāpāya hitāya sukhāya saṁvattati.

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Ime kho, bhikkhave, cattāro puññābhisandā kusalābhisandā sukhassāhārā sovaggikā sukhavipākā saggasaṁvattanikā iṭṭhāya kantāya manāpāya hitāya sukhāya saṁvattanti.

5Imehi ca pana, bhikkhave, catūhi puññābhisandehi kusalābhisandehi samannāgatassa ariyasāvakassa na sukaraṁ puññassa pamāṇaṁ gahetuṁ: ‘ettako puññābhisando kusalābhisando sukhassāhāro sovaggiko sukhavipāko saggasaṁvattaniko iṭṭhāya kantāya manāpāya hitāya sukhāya saṁvattatī’ti. Atha kho asaṅkhyeyyo appameyyo mahāpuññakkhandhotveva saṅkhyaṁ gacchati.

6Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, mahāsamudde na sukaraṁ udakassa pamāṇaṁ gahetuṁ: ‘ettakāni udakāḷhakānīti vā, ettakāni udakāḷhakasatānīti vā, ettakāni udakāḷhakasahassānīti vā, ettakāni udakāḷhakasatasahassānīti vā’, atha kho asaṅkhyeyyo appameyyo mahāudakakkhandhotveva saṅkhyaṁ gacchati; evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, imehi catūhi puññābhisandehi kusalābhisandehi samannāgatassa ariyasāvakassa na sukaraṁ puññassa pamāṇaṁ gahetuṁ: ‘ettako puññābhisando kusalābhisando sukhassāhāro sovaggiko sukhavipāko saggasaṁvattaniko iṭṭhāya kantāya manāpāya hitāya sukhāya saṁvattatī’ti. Atha kho asaṅkhyeyyo appameyyo mahāpuññakkhandhotveva saṅkhyaṁ gacchatīti.

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7Mahodadhiṁ aparimitaṁ mahāsaraṁ,
Bahubheravaṁ ratanavarānamālayaṁ;
Najjo yathā naragaṇasaṅghasevitā,
Puthū savantī upayanti sāgaraṁ.

8Evaṁ naraṁ annadapānavatthadaṁ,
Seyyānisajjattharaṇassa dāyakaṁ;
Puññassa dhārā upayanti paṇḍitaṁ,
Najjo yathā vārivahāva sāgaran"ti.

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Paṭhamaṁ.