1Standing to one side, the young deva Seri addressed the Blessed One in verse:

2v.333 "They always take delight in food,
Both devas and human beings.
So what sort of spirit could it be
That does not take delight in food?"

3v.334 "When they give out of faith
With a heart of confidence,
Food accrues to the giver himself
Both in this world and the next.

4v.335 "Therefore, having removed stinginess,
The conqueror of the stain should give a gift.
Merits are the support for living beings
When they arise in the other world." sn.i.58

5"It is wonderful, venerable sir! It is amazing, venerable sir! How well this was stated by the Blessed One:

6v.336 "They always take delight in food,
Both devas and human beings.
So what sort of spirit could it be
That does not take delight in food?"

7v.337 "Therefore, having removed stinginess,
The conqueror of the stain should give a gift.
Merits are the support for living beings
When they arise in the other world."

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8"Once in the past, venerable sir, I was a king named Seri, a donor, a philanthropist, one who spoke in praise of giving. At the four gates I had gifts given to ascetics, brahmins, paupers, wayfarers, mendicants, and beggars. Then, venerable sir, the harem women came to me and said: ‘Your majesty gives gifts, but we do not give gifts. It would be good if, with your majesty's assistance, we too might give gifts and do meritorious deeds.’ It occurred to me: ‘I am a donor, a philanthropist, one who speaks in praise of giving. So when they say, "Let us give gifts," what am I to say to them?’ So, venerable sir, I gave the first gate to the harem women. There the harem women gave gifts, and my gifts returned to me.

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9"Then, venerable sir, my khattiya vassals came to me and said: ‘Your majesty gives gifts, the harem women give gifts, but we do not give gifts. It would be good if, with your majesty's assistance, we too might give gifts and do meritorious deeds.’ It occurred to me: ‘I am a donor … .’ So, venerable sir, I gave the second gate to the khattiya vassals. There the khattiya vassals gave gifts, and my gifts returned to me.

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10"Then, venerable sir, my troops came to me … sn.i.59 … So, venerable sir, I gave the third gate to the troops. There the troops gave gifts, and my gifts returned to me.

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11"Then, venerable sir, the brahmins and householders came to me … So, venerable sir, I gave the fourth gate to the brahmins and householders. There the brahmins and householders gave gifts, and my gifts returned to me.

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12"Then, venerable sir, my men came to me and said: ‘Now your majesty is not giving gifts anywhere.’ [n.175] Spk: koci = katthaci. Koci in this sense is probably a contraction of kvaci. When this was said, I told those men: ‘Well then, I say, send half of the revenue generated in the outlying provinces from there to the palace. There itself give half as gifts to ascetics, brahmins, paupers, wayfarers, mendicants, and beggars.’

"I did not reach any limit, venerable sir, to the meritorious deeds that I did for such a long time, to the wholesome deeds that I did for such a long time, such that I could say: ‘There is just so much merit,’ or ‘There is just so much result of merit,’ or ‘For just so long am I to dwell in heaven.’ It is wonderful, venerable sir! It is amazing, venerable sir! How well this was stated by the Blessed One:

13v.338 "‘When they give out of faith
With a heart of confidence,
Food accrues to the giver himself
Both in this world and the next.

14v.339 "‘Therefore, having removed stinginess,
The conqueror of the stain should give a gift.
Deeds of merit are the support for living beings
When they arise in the other world.’" sn.i.60

1Ekamantaṁ ṭhito kho serī devaputto bhagavantaṁ gāthāya ajjhabhāsi:

2"Annamevābhinandanti,
ubhaye devamānusā;
Atha ko nāma so yakkho,
yaṁ annaṁ nābhinandatī"ti.

3"Ye naṁ dadanti saddhāya,
vippasannena cetasā;
Tameva annaṁ bhajati,
asmiṁ loke paramhi ca.

4Tasmā vineyya maccheraṁ,
dajjā dānaṁ malābhibhū;
Puññāni paralokasmiṁ,
patiṭṭhā honti pāṇinan"ti.

5"Acchariyaṁ, bhante, abbhutaṁ, bhante. Yāvasubhāsitamidaṁ, bhante, bhagavatā:

6‘Ye naṁ dadanti saddhāya,
vippasannena cetasā;
Tameva annaṁ bhajati,
asmiṁ loke paramhi ca.

7Tasmā vineyya maccheraṁ,
dajjā dānaṁ malābhibhū;
Puññāni paralokasmiṁ,
patiṭṭhā honti pāṇinan’ti.

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8Bhūtapubbāhaṁ, bhante, sirī nāma rājā ahosiṁ dāyako dānapati dānassa vaṇṇavādī. Tassa mayhaṁ, bhante, catūsu dvāresu dānaṁ dīyittha samaṇabrāhmaṇakapaṇaddhikavanibbakayācakānaṁ. Atha kho maṁ, bhante, itthāgāraṁ upasaṅkamitvā etadavoca: ‘devassa kho dānaṁ dīyati; amhākaṁ dānaṁ na dīyati. Sādhu mayampi devaṁ nissāya dānāni dadeyyāma, puññāni kareyyāmā’ti. Tassa mayhaṁ, bhante, etadahosi: ‘Ahaṁ khosmi dāyako dānapati dānassa vaṇṇavādī. Dānaṁ dassāmāti vadante kinti vadeyyan’ti? So khvāhaṁ, bhante, paṭhamaṁ dvāraṁ itthāgārassa adāsiṁ. Tattha itthāgārassa dānaṁ dīyittha; mama dānaṁ paṭikkami.

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9Atha kho maṁ, bhante, khattiyā anuyantā upasaṅkamitvā etadavocuṁ: ‘devassa kho dānaṁ dīyati; itthāgārassa dānaṁ dīyati; amhākaṁ dānaṁ na dīyati. Sādhu mayampi devaṁ nissāya dānāni dadeyyāma, puññāni kareyyāmā’ti. Tassa mayhaṁ, bhante, etadahosi: ‘Ahaṁ khosmi dāyako dānapati dānassa vaṇṇavādī. Dānaṁ dassāmāti vadante kinti vadeyyan’ti? So khvāhaṁ, bhante, dutiyaṁ dvāraṁ khattiyānaṁ anuyantānaṁ adāsiṁ. Tattha khattiyānaṁ anuyantānaṁ dānaṁ dīyittha, mama dānaṁ paṭikkami.

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10Atha kho maṁ, bhante, balakāyo upasaṅkamitvā etadavoca: ‘devassa kho dānaṁ dīyati; itthāgārassa dānaṁ dīyati; khattiyānaṁ anuyantānaṁ dānaṁ dīyati; amhākaṁ dānaṁ na dīyati. Sādhu mayampi devaṁ nissāya dānāni dadeyyāma, puññāni kareyyāmā’ti. Tassa mayhaṁ, bhante, etadahosi: ‘Ahaṁ khosmi dāyako dānapati dānassa vaṇṇavādī. Dānaṁ dassāmāti vadante kinti vadeyyan’ti? So khvāhaṁ, bhante, tatiyaṁ dvāraṁ balakāyassa adāsiṁ. Tattha balakāyassa dānaṁ dīyittha, mama dānaṁ paṭikkami.

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11Atha kho maṁ, bhante, brāhmaṇagahapatikā upasaṅkamitvā etadavocuṁ: ‘devassa kho dānaṁ dīyati; itthāgārassa dānaṁ dīyati; khattiyānaṁ anuyantānaṁ dānaṁ dīyati; balakāyassa dānaṁ dīyati; amhākaṁ dānaṁ na dīyati. Sādhu mayampi devaṁ nissāya dānāni dadeyyāma, puññāni kareyyāmā’ti. Tassa mayhaṁ, bhante, etadahosi: ‘Ahaṁ khosmi dāyako dānapati dānassa vaṇṇavādī. Dānaṁ dassāmāti vadante kinti vadeyyan’ti? So khvāhaṁ, bhante, catutthaṁ dvāraṁ brāhmaṇagahapatikānaṁ adāsiṁ. Tattha brāhmaṇagahapatikānaṁ dānaṁ dīyittha, mama dānaṁ paṭikkami.

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12Atha kho maṁ, bhante, purisā upasaṅkamitvā etadavocuṁ: ‘Na kho dāni devassa koci dānaṁ dīyatī’ti. Evaṁ vuttāhaṁ, bhante, te purise etadavocaṁ: ‘tena hi, bhaṇe, yo bāhiresu janapadesu āyo sañjāyati tato upaḍḍhaṁ antepure pavesetha, upaḍḍhaṁ tattheva dānaṁ detha samaṇabrāhmaṇakapaṇaddhikavanibbakayācakānan’ti.

So khvāhaṁ, bhante, evaṁ dīgharattaṁ katānaṁ puññānaṁ evaṁ dīgharattaṁ katānaṁ kusalānaṁ dhammānaṁ pariyantaṁ nādhigacchāmi – ettakaṁ puññanti vā ettako puññavipākoti vā ettakaṁ sagge ṭhātabbanti vāti. Acchariyaṁ, bhante, abbhutaṁ, bhante. Yāvasubhāsitamidaṁ, bhante, bhagavatā:

13‘Ye naṁ dadanti saddhāya,
vippasannena cetasā;
Tameva annaṁ bhajati,
asmiṁ loke paramhi ca.

14Tasmā vineyya maccheraṁ,
dajjā dānaṁ malābhibhū;
Puññāni paralokasmiṁ,
patiṭṭhā honti pāṇinan’"ti.