SN11:18 The Worship of Householders (or Sakka's Worship (1))
- DG BB TBW © Translated from the Pali by Bhikkhu Bodhi. (More copyright information)
1At Sāvatthī. There the Blessed One said this: "Bhikkhus, once in the past Sakka, lord of the devas, addressed his charioteer Mātali thus: ‘Harness the chariot with its team of a thousand thoroughbreds, friend Mātali. Let us go to the park grounds to see the beautiful scenery.’ - ‘Yes, your lordship,’ Mātali the charioteer replied. Then he harnessed the chariot with its team of a thousand thoroughbreds and announced to Sakka, lord of the devas: ‘The chariot has been harnessed, dear sir. You may come at your own convenience.’ [n.650] Yassa dani kalaṁ maññasi. See Manné, "On a Departure Formula and its Translation." The expression also occurs at SN35.88 (IV 62,31), SN35.243 (IV 183,15, 30), SN44.1 (IV 379,29), SN54.9 (V 321,16–17), and SN55.6 (V 348,27); I have varied the rendering slightly to fit the context.
"Then, bhikkhus, Sakka, lord of the devas, descending from the Vejayanta Palace, raised his joined hands in reverential salutation, and worshipped the different quarters. Then Mātali the charioteer addressed Sakka in verse:
2v.920 "‘These all humbly worship you—
Those versed in the Triple Veda,
All the khattiyas reigning on earth,
The Four Great Kings and the glorious Thirty—
So who, O Sakka, is that spirit
To whom you bow in worship?’
[n.651] Those versed in the Triple Veda are the brahmins; the Four Great Kings are the four divine rulers of the lowest sense-sphere heaven; the glorious Thirty are the presiding devas of the Tāvatiṁsa heaven. The word rendered "spirit" is yakkha, used in a broad sense without specific reference to the demonic spirits.
(Sakka:)
3v.921 "‘These all humbly worship me—
Those versed in the Triple Veda,
All the khattiyas reigning on earth,
The Four Great Kings and the glorious Thirty—
4v.922 But I worship those endowed with virtue,
Those long trained in concentration,
Those who have properly gone forth
With the holy life their destination.
[n.652] Brahmacariyaparayaṇe. Spk does not explain the exact sense, but I interpret it as a compressed way of saying "those living the holy life that has Nibbāna as its destination." See SN48.42 (V 218,21): brahmacariyaṁ vussati nibbanaparayaṇaṁ.
5v.923 "‘I worship as well, O Mātali,
Those householders making merit,
The lay followers possessed of virtue
Who righteously maintain a wife.’
Mātali:
6v.924 "‘Those whom you worship, my lord Sakka,
Are indeed the best in the world.
I too will worship them—
Those whom you worship, Vāsavā.’
The Blessed One:
7v.925 "Having given this explanation,
Having worshipped the different quarters,
The deva-king Maghava, Suja's husband,
The chief, climbed into his chariot." sn.i.235
1Sāvatthiyaṁ. Tatra … pe … etadavoca: "Bhūtapubbaṁ, bhikkhave, sakko devānamindo mātaliṁ saṅgāhakaṁ āmantesi: ‘yojehi, samma mātali, sahassayuttaṁ ājaññarathaṁ. Uyyānabhūmiṁ gacchāma subhūmiṁ dassanāyā’ti. ‘Evaṁ, bhaddantavā’ti kho, bhikkhave, mātali saṅgāhako sakkassa devānamindassa paṭissutvā sahassayuttaṁ ājaññarathaṁ yojetvā sakkassa devānamindassa paṭivedesi: ‘yutto kho te, mārisa, sahassayutto ājaññaratho. Yassadāni kālaṁ maññasī’ti.
Atha kho, bhikkhave, sakko devānamindo vejayantapāsādā orohanto añjaliṁ katvā sudaṁ puthuddisā namassati. Atha kho, bhikkhave, mātali saṅgāhako sakkaṁ devānamindaṁ gāthāya ajjhabhāsi:
2‘Taṁ namassanti tevijjā,
sabbe bhummā ca khattiyā;
Cattāro ca mahārājā,
tidasā ca yasassino;
Atha ko nāma so yakkho,
yaṁ tvaṁ sakka namassasī’ti.
3‘Maṁ namassanti tevijjā,
sabbe bhummā ca khattiyā;
Cattāro ca mahārājā,
tidasā ca yasassino.
4Ahañca sīlasampanne,
cirarattasamāhite;
Sammāpabbajite vande,
brahmacariyaparāyane.
5Ye gāhaṭṭhā puññakarā,
sīlavanto upāsakā;
Dhammena dāraṁ posenti,
te namassāmi mātalī’ti.
6‘Seṭṭhā hi kira lokasmiṁ,
ye tvaṁ sakka namassasi;
Ahampi te namassāmi,
ye namassasi vāsavā’ti.
7Idaṁ vatvāna maghavā,
devarājā sujampati;
Puthuddisā namassitvā,
pamukho rathamāruhī"ti.