1On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Vesālī in the hall with the peaked roof in the Great Wood. Then, in the morning, the Blessed One dressed, took his bowl and robe, and entered Vesālī for alms. Having walked for alms in Vesālī, after the meal, when he had returned from his alms round, he entered the Great Wood and sat down at the foot of a tree to dwell for the day.

2Now on that occasion a number of Licchavi youths had taken their strung bows and were walking and wandering in the Great Wood, accompanied by a pack of dogs, when they saw the Blessed One seated at the foot of a tree to dwell for the day. When they saw him, they put down their strung bows, sent the dogs off to one side, and approached him. They paid homage to the Blessed One and silently stood in attendance upon him with their hands joined in reverential salutation.

3Now on that occasion the Licchavi youth Mahānāma was walking and wandering for exercise in the Great Wood when he saw the Licchavi youths silently standing in attendance upon the Blessed One with their hands joined in reverential salutation. He then approached the Blessed One, paid homage to him, sat down to one side, and uttered this inspired utterance: "They will be Vajjis! They will be Vajjis!"

4The Blessed One said: "But why, Mahānāma, do you say: ‘They will be Vajjis! They will be Vajjis!’?"

"These Licchavi youths, Bhante, are violent, rough, and brash. They are always plundering any sweets that are left as gifts among families, whether sugar cane, jujube fruits, cakes, pies, or sugarballs, and then they devour them. They give women and girls of respectable families blows on their backs. [n.1063] Mp glosses pacchāliyaṁ khipanti with: "They come up behind them and strike their backs with their foot" (pacchato gantvā piṭṭhiṁ pādena pāhāranti). Now they are standing silently in attendance upon the Blessed One with their hands joined in reverential salutation."

5"Mahānāma, in whatever clansman five qualities are found—whether he is a consecrated khattiya king, a country gentleman, the general of an army, a village headman, a guildmaster, or one of those who exercise private rulership over various clans—only growth is to be expected, not decline.

6What five?(1) "Here, Mahānāma, with wealth acquired by energetic striving, amassed by the strength of his arms, earned by the sweat of his brow, righteous wealth righteously gained, a clansman honors, respects, esteems, and venerates his parents. His parents, being honored, respected, esteemed, and venerated, have compassion on him with a good heart, thinking: ‘May you live long and maintain a long life span.’ When a clansman's parents have compassion for him, only growth is to be expected for him, not decline.

7(2) "Again, Mahānāma, with wealth acquired by energetic striving, amassed by the strength of his arms, earned by the sweat of his brow, righteous wealth righteously gained, a clansman honors, respects, esteems, and venerates his wife and children, his slaves, workers, and servants. Being honored, respected, esteemed, and venerated, they have compassion on him with a good heart, thinking: ‘May you live long!’ When a clansman's wife and children, slaves, workers, and servants have compassion for him, only growth is to be expected for him, not decline.

8(3) "Again, Mahānāma, with wealth acquired by energetic striving, amassed by the strength of his arms, earned by the sweat of his brow, righteous wealth righteously gained, a clansman honors, respects, esteems, and venerates the owners of the neighboring fields and those with whom he does business. [n.1064] Reading with Ce and Ee: khettakammantasāmantasaṁvohāre. Mp Ce: "The owners of the neighboring fields bordering his own fields, and those with whom he does business, who measure the land with measuring rods" (ye attano khettakammantānaṁ sāmantā anantarakkhettasāmino, te ca rajjudaṇḍehi bhūmippamāṇaggāhake saṁvohāre ca). I do not see that saṁvohāra, which normally means "transactions, business," has an explicit connection with the measuring of the land. Being honored, respected, esteemed, and venerated, they have compassion on him with a good heart, thinking: ‘May you live long!’ When the owners of the neighboring fields and those with whom he does business have compassion for a clansman, only growth is to be expected for him, not decline.

9(4) "Again, Mahānāma, with wealth acquired by energetic striving, amassed by the strength of his arms, earned by the sweat of his brow, righteous wealth righteously gained, a clansman honors, respects, esteems, and venerates the oblational deities. [n.1065] Balipaṭiggāhikā devatā. Mp: "The protective deities that have been worshipped by family tradition." Being honored, respected, esteemed, and venerated, they have compassion on him with a good heart, thinking: ‘May you live long!’ When the oblational deities have compassion for a clansman, only growth is to be expected for him, not decline.

10(5)"Again, Mahānāma, with wealth acquired by energetic striving, amassed by the strength of his arms, earned by the sweat of his brow, righteously gained, a clansman honors, respects, esteems, and venerates ascetics and brahmins. Being honored, respected, esteemed, and venerated, they have compassion on him with a good heart, thinking: ‘May you live long!’ When ascetics and brahmins have compassion for a clansman, only growth is to be expected for him, not decline.

11"Mahānāma, in whatever clansman these five qualities are found—whether he is a consecrated khattiya king, a country gentleman, the general of an army, a village headman, a guildmaster, or one of those who exercise private rulership over various clans—only growth is to be expected, not decline."

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12He always does his duty toward his parents;
he promotes the welfare of his wife and children.
He takes care of the people in his home
and those who live in dependence on him.

13The wise person, charitable and virtuous,
acts for the good of both kinds of relatives,
those who have passed away
and those still living in this world.

14He benefits ascetics and brahmins,
and also the deities;
he is one who gives rise to joy
while living a righteous life at home.

15Having done what is good,
he is worthy of veneration and praise.
They praise him here in this world
and after death he rejoices in heaven.

1Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā vesāliyaṁ viharati mahāvane kūṭāgārasālāyaṁ. Atha kho bhagavā pubbaṇhasamayaṁ nivāsetvā pattacīvaramādāya vesāliṁ piṇḍāya pāvisi. Vesāliyaṁ piṇḍāya caritvā pacchābhattaṁ piṇḍapātapaṭikkanto mahāvanaṁ ajjhogāhetvā aññatarasmiṁ rukkhamūle divāvihāraṁ nisīdi.

2Tena kho pana samayena sambahulā licchavikumārakā sajjāni dhanūni ādāya kukkurasaṅghaparivutā mahāvane anucaṅkamamānā anuvicaramānā addasu bhagavantaṁ aññatarasmiṁ rukkhamūle nisinnaṁ; disvāna sajjāni dhanūni nikkhipitvā kukkurasaṅghaṁ ekamantaṁ uyyojetvā yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkamiṁsu; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā tuṇhībhūtā tuṇhībhūtā pañjalikā bhagavantaṁ payirupāsanti.

3Tena kho pana samayena mahānāmo licchavi mahāvane jaṅghāvihāraṁ anucaṅkamamāno addasa te licchavikumārake tuṇhībhūte tuṇhībhūte pañjalike bhagavantaṁ payirupāsante; disvā yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho mahānāmo licchavi udānaṁ udānesi: "bhavissanti vajjī, bhavissanti vajjī"ti.

4"Kiṁ pana tvaṁ, mahānāma, evaṁ vadesi: ‘bhavissanti vajjī, bhavissanti vajjī’"ti?

"Ime, bhante, licchavikumārakā caṇḍā pharusā apānubhā. Yānipi tāni kulesu paheṇakāni pahīyanti, ucchūti vā badarāti vā pūvāti vā modakāti vā saṅkulikāti vā, tāni vilumpitvā vilumpitvā khādanti; kulitthīnampi kulakumārīnampi pacchāliyaṁ khipanti. Te dānime tuṇhībhūtā tuṇhībhūtā pañjalikā bhagavantaṁ payirupāsantī"ti.

5"Yassa kassaci, mahānāma, kulaputtassa pañca dhammā saṁvijjanti – yadi vā rañño khattiyassa muddhāvasittassa, yadi vā raṭṭhikassa pettanikassa, yadi vā senāya senāpatikassa, yadi vā gāmagāmaṇikassa, yadi vā pūgagāmaṇikassa, ye vā pana kulesu paccekādhipaccaṁ kārenti, vuddhiyeva pāṭikaṅkhā, no parihāni.

6Katame pañca? Idha, mahānāma, kulaputto uṭṭhānavīriyādhigatehi bhogehi bāhābalaparicitehi sedāvakkhittehi dhammikehi dhammaladdhehi mātāpitaro sakkaroti garuṁ karoti māneti pūjeti. Tamenaṁ mātāpitaro sakkatā garukatā mānitā pūjitā kalyāṇena manasā anukampanti: ‘ciraṁ jīva, dīghamāyuṁ pālehī’ti. Mātāpitānukampitassa, mahānāma, kulaputtassa vuddhiyeva pāṭikaṅkhā, no parihāni.

7Puna caparaṁ, mahānāma, kulaputto uṭṭhānavīriyādhigatehi bhogehi bāhābalaparicitehi sedāvakkhittehi dhammikehi dhammaladdhehi puttadāradāsakammakaraporise sakkaroti garuṁ karoti māneti pūjeti. Tamenaṁ puttadāradāsakammakaraporisā sakkatā garukatā mānitā pūjitā kalyāṇena manasā anukampanti: ‘ciraṁ jīva, dīghamāyuṁ pālehī’ti. Puttadāradāsakammakaraporisānukampitassa, mahānāma, kulaputtassa vuddhiyeva pāṭikaṅkhā, no parihāni.

8Puna caparaṁ, mahānāma, kulaputto uṭṭhānavīriyādhigatehi bhogehi bāhābalaparicitehi sedāvakkhittehi dhammikehi dhammaladdhehi khettakammantasāmantasabyohāre sakkaroti garuṁ karoti māneti pūjeti. Tamenaṁ khettakammantasāmantasabyohārā sakkatā garukatā mānitā pūjitā kalyāṇena manasā anukampanti: ‘ciraṁ jīva, dīghamāyuṁ pālehī’ti. Khettakammantasāmantasabyohārānukampitassa, mahānāma, kulaputtassa vuddhiyeva pāṭikaṅkhā, no parihāni.

9Puna caparaṁ, mahānāma, kulaputto uṭṭhānavīriyādhigatehi bhogehi bāhābalaparicitehi sedāvakkhittehi dhammikehi dhammaladdhehi yāvatā balipaṭiggāhikā devatā sakkaroti garuṁ karoti māneti pūjeti. Tamenaṁ balipaṭiggāhikā devatā sakkatā garukatā mānitā pūjitā kalyāṇena manasā anukampanti: ‘ciraṁ jīva, dīghamāyuṁ pālehī’ti. Devatānukampitassa, mahānāma, kulaputtassa vuddhiyeva pāṭikaṅkhā, no parihāni.

10Puna caparaṁ, mahānāma, kulaputto uṭṭhānavīriyādhigatehi bhogehi bāhābalaparicitehi sedāvakkhittehi dhammikehi dhammaladdhehi samaṇabrāhmaṇe sakkaroti garuṁ karoti māneti pūjeti. Tamenaṁ samaṇabrāhmaṇā sakkatā garukatā mānitā pūjitā kalyāṇena manasā anukampanti: ‘ciraṁ jīva, dīghamāyuṁ pālehī’ti. Samaṇabrāhmaṇānukampitassa, mahānāma, kulaputtassa vuddhiyeva pāṭikaṅkhā, no parihāni.

11Yassa kassaci, mahānāma, kulaputtassa ime pañca dhammā saṁvijjanti – yadi vā rañño khattiyassa muddhābhisittassa, yadi vā raṭṭhikassa pettanikassa, yadi vā senāya senāpatikassa, yadi vā gāmagāmaṇikassa, yadi vā pūgagāmaṇikassa, ye vā pana kulesu paccekādhipaccaṁ kārenti, vuddhiyeva pāṭikaṅkhā, no parihānīti.

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12Mātāpitukiccakaro,
puttadārahito sadā;
Antojanassa atthāya,
ye cassa anujīvino.

13Ubhinnañceva atthāya,
Vadaññū hoti sīlavā;
Ñātīnaṁ pubbapetānaṁ,
Diṭṭhe dhamme ca jīvataṁ.

14Samaṇānaṁ brāhmaṇānaṁ,
devatānañca paṇḍito;
Vittisañjanano hoti,
dhammena gharamāvasaṁ.

15So karitvāna kalyāṇaṁ,
pujjo hoti pasaṁsiyo;
Idheva naṁ pasaṁsanti,
pecca sagge pamodatī"ti.

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Aṭṭhamaṁ.