1(1) "Bhikkhus, when the foliage of the Tāvatiṁsa devas’ pāricchattaka coral tree has turned yellow, [n.1586] DPPN explains that the pāricchattaka is a tree growing in the Nandana Grove in the Tāvatiṁsa heaven. It is a hundred leagues in circumference and at its foot is Sakka's stone seat. The pāricchattaka is said to be one of seven trees that last throughout the eon. (I am grateful to Dr. Julie Plummer of the Department of Plant Biology, University of Western Australia, for providing precise botanical terms for the different stages of floral development referred to in this sutta.) the Tāvatiṁsa devas are elated, thinking: ‘The foliage of the pāricchattaka coral tree now has turned yellow. Now it won’t be long before its foliage will fall.’

2(2) "When the foliage of the Tāvatiṁsa devas’ pāricchattaka coral tree has fallen, the Tāvatiṁsa devas are elated, thinking: ‘The foliage of the pāricchattaka coral tree now has fallen. Now it won’t be long before its floral initiation occurs.’ [n.1587] Na cirass’eva dāni jālakajāto bhavissati. Mp: "The occasion when the tree gives birth to webs of leaves and flower, which come forth together."

3(3) "When the Tāvatiṁsa devas’ pāricchattaka coral tree has had its floral initiation, the Tāvatiṁsa devas are elated, thinking: ‘The pāricchattaka coral tree now has had its floral initiation. Now it won’t be long before its floral differentiation occurs.’ [n.1588] Na cirass’eva dāni khārakajāto bhavissati. Mp: "The occasion when it becomes possessed of a web of leaves and of flowers well divided and growing separately."

4(4) "When the Tāvatiṁsa devas’ pāricchattaka coral tree has had its floral differentiation, the Tāvatiṁsa devas are elated, thinking: ‘The pāricchattaka coral tree now has had its floral differentiation. Now it won’t be long before its bud formation occurs.’ [n.1589] Ce and Ee: kuḍumalakajāto; Be: kuṭumalakajāto. Mp: "It starts to bud."

5(5) "When the Tāvatiṁsa devas’ pāricchattaka coral tree has had its bud formation, the Tāvatiṁsa devas are elated, thinking: ‘The pāricchattaka coral tree now has had its bud formation. Now it won’t be long before its bud burst occurs.’ [n.1590] Ce and Ee: kokāsakajāto; Be: korakajāto. Mp: "It acquires flowers that have not yet blossomed, with closed mouths and large bellies."

6(6) "When the Tāvatiṁsa devas’ pāricchattaka coral tree has had its bud burst, the Tāvatiṁsa devas are elated, thinking: ‘The pāricchattaka coral tree now has had its bud burst. Now it won’t be long before it fully blossoms.’ [n.1591] Ce: sabbapāliphullo; Be and Ee: sabbaphāliphullo. Mp: "It has flowered fully in all respects."

7(7) "When the Tāvatiṁsa devas’ pāricchattaka coral tree has fully blossomed, the Tāvatiṁsa devas are elated, and they spend four celestial months at the foot of the pāricchattaka coral tree enjoying themselves furnished and endowed with the five objects of sensual pleasure.

8When the pāricchattaka coral tree has fully blossomed, a radiance suffuses the area fifty yojanas all around and a fragrance is carried along with the wind for a hundred yojanas. This is the majesty of the pāricchattaka coral tree.

9(1) "So too, bhikkhus, when a noble disciple intends to go forth from the household life into homelessness, on that occasion he is one whose foliage has turned yellow, like the Tāvatiṁsa devas’ pāricchattaka coral tree. [n.1592] The simile does not merely compare the noble disciple to a coral tree at its different stages but uses the name of the stage to describe the noble disciple's development. He is "a noble disciple at (such and such stage) like the Tāvatiṁsa devas’ pāricchattaka coral tree." Ee omits the va after devānaṁ, though it acknowledges this as a variant reading.

10(2) "When a noble disciple has shaved off his hair and beard, put on ochre robes, and gone forth from the household life into homelessness, on that occasion he is one whose foliage has fallen, like the Tāvatiṁsa devas’ pāricchattaka coral tree.

11(3) "When, secluded from sensual pleasures, secluded from unwholesome states, a noble disciple enters and dwells in the first jhāna … on that occasion his floral initiation has occurred, like the Tāvatiṁsa devas’ pāricchattaka coral tree.

12(4) "When, with the subsiding of thought and examination, a noble disciple enters and dwells in the second jhāna … on that occasion his floral differentiation has occurred, like the Tāvatiṁsa devas’ pāricchattaka coral tree.

13(5) "When, with the fading away as well of rapture, a noble disciple … enters and dwells in the third jhāna … on that occasion his bud formation has occurred, like the Tāvatiṁsa devas’ pāricchattaka coral tree.

14(6) "When, with the abandoning of pleasure and pain, and with the previous passing away of joy and dejection, a noble disciple enters and dwells in the fourth jhāna … on that occasion his buds have burst open, like the Tāvatiṁsa devas’ pāricchattaka coral tree.

15(7) "When, with the destruction of the taints, a noble disciple has realized for himself with direct knowledge, in this very life, the taintless liberation of mind, liberation by wisdom, and having entered upon it, dwells in it, on that occasion he has fully blossomed, like the Tāvatiṁsa devas’ pāricchattaka coral tree.

16"On that occasion, bhikkhus, the earth-dwelling devas raise a cry: ‘This Venerable So-and-So, the pupil of that Venerable One, went forth from the household life into homelessness from such and such a village or town, and now, with the destruction of the taints, he has realized for himself with direct knowledge, in this very life, the taintless liberation of mind, liberation by wisdom, and having entered upon it, dwells in it.’ Having heard the cry of the earth-dwelling devas, the devas ruled by the four great kings raise a cry …. Having heard the cry of the devas ruled by the four great kings, the Tāvatiṁsa devas … the Yāma devas … the Tusita devas … the devas who delight in creation … the devas who control what is created by others … the devas of Brahmā's company raise a cry: ‘This Venerable So-and-So … has realized for himself with direct knowledge, in this very life, the taintless liberation of mind, liberation by wisdom, and having entered upon it, dwells in it.’ Thus at that moment, at that instant, at that second, the cry spreads as far as the brahma world. [n.1593] In a similar way, the cry of the deities, ascending through the celestial realms, occurs at the conclusion of the Buddha’s first discourse. See SN 56:11, V 423,17 –24,4. This is the spiritual majesty of a bhikkhu whose taints are destroyed."

1"Yasmiṁ, bhikkhave, samaye devānaṁ tāvatiṁsānaṁ pāricchattako koviḷāro paṇḍupalāso hoti, attamanā, bhikkhave, devā tāvatiṁsā tasmiṁ samaye honti: ‘paṇḍupalāso dāni pāricchattako koviḷāro nacirasseva dāni pannapalāso bhavissatī’ti. (1)

2Yasmiṁ, bhikkhave, samaye devānaṁ tāvatiṁsānaṁ pāricchattako koviḷāro pannapalāso hoti, attamanā, bhikkhave, devā tāvatiṁsā tasmiṁ samaye honti: ‘pannapalāso dāni pāricchattako koviḷāro nacirasseva dāni jālakajāto bhavissatī’ti. (2)

3Yasmiṁ, bhikkhave, samaye devānaṁ tāvatiṁsānaṁ pāricchattako koviḷāro jālakajāto hoti, attamanā, bhikkhave, devā tāvatiṁsā tasmiṁ samaye honti: ‘jālakajāto dāni pāricchattako koviḷāro nacirasseva dāni khārakajāto bhavissatī’ti. (3)

4Yasmiṁ, bhikkhave, samaye devānaṁ tāvatiṁsānaṁ pāricchattako koviḷāro khārakajāto hoti, attamanā, bhikkhave, devā tāvatiṁsā tasmiṁ samaye honti: ‘khārakajāto dāni pāricchattako koviḷāro nacirasseva dāni kuṭumalakajāto bhavissatī’ti. (4)

5Yasmiṁ, bhikkhave, samaye devānaṁ tāvatiṁsānaṁ pāricchattako koviḷāro kuṭumalakajāto hoti, attamanā, bhikkhave, devā tāvatiṁsā tasmiṁ samaye honti: ‘kuṭumalakajāto dāni pāricchattako koviḷāro nacirasseva dāni korakajāto bhavissatī’ti. (5)

6Yasmiṁ, bhikkhave, samaye devānaṁ tāvatiṁsānaṁ pāricchattako koviḷāro korakajāto hoti, attamanā, bhikkhave, devā tāvatiṁsā tasmiṁ samaye honti: ‘korakajāto dāni pāricchattako koviḷāro nacirasseva dāni sabbaphāliphullo bhavissatī’ti. (6)

7Yasmiṁ, bhikkhave, samaye devānaṁ tāvatiṁsānaṁ pāricchattako koviḷāro sabbaphāliphullo hoti, attamanā, bhikkhave, devā tāvatiṁsā pāricchattakassa koviḷārassa mūle dibbe cattāro māse pañcahi kāmaguṇehi samappitā samaṅgībhūtā paricārenti. (7)

8Sabbaphāliphullassa kho pana, bhikkhave, pāricchattakassa koviḷārassa samantā paññāsayojanāni ābhāya phuṭaṁ hoti, anuvātaṁ yojanasataṁ gandho gacchati, ayamānubhāvo pāricchattakassa koviḷārassa.

9Evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, yasmiṁ samaye ariyasāvako agārasmā anagāriyaṁ pabbajjāya ceteti, paṇḍupalāso, bhikkhave, ariyasāvako tasmiṁ samaye hoti devānaṁva tāvatiṁsānaṁ pāricchattako koviḷāro. (1)

10Yasmiṁ, bhikkhave, samaye ariyasāvako kesamassuṁ ohāretvā kāsāyāni vatthāni acchādetvā agārasmā anagāriyaṁ pabbajito hoti, pannapalāso, bhikkhave, ariyasāvako tasmiṁ samaye hoti devānaṁva tāvatiṁsānaṁ pāricchattako koviḷāro. (2)

11Yasmiṁ, bhikkhave, samaye ariyasāvako vivicceva kāmehi … pe … paṭhamaṁ jhānaṁ upasampajja viharati, jālakajāto, bhikkhave, ariyasāvako tasmiṁ samaye hoti devānaṁva tāvatiṁsānaṁ pāricchattako koviḷāro. (3)

12Yasmiṁ, bhikkhave, samaye ariyasāvako vitakkavicārānaṁ vūpasamā … pe … dutiyaṁ jhānaṁ upasampajja viharati, khārakajāto, bhikkhave, ariyasāvako tasmiṁ samaye hoti devānaṁva tāvatiṁsānaṁ pāricchattako koviḷāro. (4)

13Yasmiṁ, bhikkhave, samaye ariyasāvako pītiyā ca virāgā … pe … tatiyaṁ jhānaṁ upasampajja viharati, kuṭumalakajāto, bhikkhave, ariyasāvako tasmiṁ samaye hoti devānaṁva tāvatiṁsānaṁ pāricchattako koviḷāro. (5)

14Yasmiṁ, bhikkhave, samaye ariyasāvako sukhassa ca pahānā dukkhassa ca pahānā … pe … catutthaṁ jhānaṁ upasampajja viharati, korakajāto, bhikkhave, ariyasāvako tasmiṁ samaye hoti devānaṁva tāvatiṁsānaṁ pāricchattako koviḷāro. (6)

15Yasmiṁ, bhikkhave, samaye ariyasāvako āsavānaṁ khayā … pe … sacchikatvā upasampajja viharati, sabbaphāliphullo, bhikkhave, ariyasāvako tasmiṁ samaye hoti devānaṁva tāvatiṁsānaṁ pāricchattako koviḷāro. (7)

16Tasmiṁ, bhikkhave, samaye bhummā devā saddamanussāventi: ‘eso itthannāmo āyasmā itthannāmassa āyasmato saddhivihāriko amukamhā gāmā vā nigamā vā agārasmā anagāriyaṁ pabbajito āsavānaṁ khayā anāsavaṁ cetovimuttiṁ paññāvimuttiṁ diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja viharatī’ti. Bhummānaṁ devānaṁ saddaṁ sutvā cātumahārājikā devā … pe … tāvatiṁsā devā … yāmā devā … tusitā devā … nimmānaratī devā … paranimmitavasavattī devā … brahmakāyikā devā saddamanussāventi: ‘eso itthannāmo āyasmā itthannāmassa āyasmato saddhivihāriko amukamhā gāmā vā nigamā vā agārasmā anagāriyaṁ pabbajito āsavānaṁ khayā anāsavaṁ cetovimuttiṁ paññāvimuttiṁ diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja viharatī’ti. Itiha tena khaṇena tena muhuttena yāva brahmalokā saddo abbhuggacchati, ayamānubhāvo khīṇāsavassa bhikkhuno"ti.

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Pañcamaṁ.