1At Sāvatthī. Then, in the middle of the day, King Pasenadi of Kosala approached the Blessed One. … The Blessed One said to him as he was sitting to one side: sn.i.97 "Where are you coming from, great king, in the middle of the day?"

1Sāvatthinidānaṁ. Ekamantaṁ nisinnaṁ kho rājānaṁ pasenadiṁ kosalaṁ bhagavā etadavoca: "handa kuto nu tvaṁ, mahārāja, āgacchasi divādivassā"ti?

2"Venerable sir, my grandmother has died. She was old, aged, burdened with years, advanced in life, come to the last stage, 120 years from birth. Venerable sir, my grandmother was dear and beloved to me. If, venerable sir, by means of the elephant-gem I could have redeemed her from death, I would have given away even the elephant-gem so that she would not have died.[n.251] Lit., "If by means of the elephant-gem I could have it, ‘Let my grandmother not die,’ I would have given away the elephant-gem, (thinking), ‘Let my grandmother not die.’"
Spk: When his mother died his grandmother filled her place in bringing him up; hence he had such strong affection for her. The elephant-gem was an elephant worth 100,000 kahapaṇa, decked with ornaments worth the same amount. The same explanation applies to the horse-gem and the prize village. If by means of the horse-gem I could have redeemed her from death … If by a prize village I could have redeemed her from death … If by means of the country I could have redeemed her from death, I would have given away even the country so that she would not have died."

2"Ayyikā me, bhante, kālaṅkatā jiṇṇā vuḍḍhā mahallikā addhagatā vayoanuppattā vīsavassasatikā jātiyā. Ayyikā kho pana me, bhante, piyā hoti manāpā. Hatthiratanena cepāhaṁ, bhante, labheyyaṁ ‘mā me ayyikā kālamakāsī’ti, hatthiratanampāhaṁ dadeyyaṁ: ‘mā me ayyikā kālamakāsī’ti. Assaratanena cepāhaṁ, bhante, labheyyaṁ ‘mā me ayyikā kālamakāsī’ti, assaratanampāhaṁ dadeyyaṁ: ‘mā me ayyikā kālamakāsī’ti. Gāmavarena cepāhaṁ, bhante, labheyyaṁ ‘mā me ayyikā kālamakāsī’ti, gāmavarampāhaṁ dadeyyaṁ: ‘mā me ayyikā kālamakāsī’ti. Janapadapadesena cepāhaṁ, bhante, labheyyaṁ ‘mā me ayyikā kālamakāsī’ti, janapadapadesampāhaṁ dadeyyaṁ: ‘mā me ayyikā kālamakāsī’ti.

"All beings, great king, are subject to death, terminate in death, and cannot escape death."

‘Sabbe sattā, mahārāja, maraṇadhammā maraṇapariyosānā maraṇaṁ anatītā’ti.

"It is wonderful, venerable sir! It is amazing, venerable sir! How well this has been stated by the Blessed One: ‘All beings, great king, are subject to death, terminate in death, and cannot escape death.’"

‘Acchariyaṁ, bhante, abbhutaṁ, bhante. Yāvasubhāsitamidaṁ, bhante, bhagavatā – sabbe sattā maraṇadhammā maraṇapariyosānā maraṇaṁ anatītā’"ti.

3"So it is, great king! So it is, great king! All beings, great king, are subject to death, terminate in death, and cannot escape death. Just as all the potter's vessels, whether unbaked or baked, are subject to a breakup, terminate in their breakup, and cannot escape their breakup, so all beings are subject to death, terminate in death, and cannot escape death.

3"Evametaṁ, mahārāja, evametaṁ, mahārāja. Sabbe sattā maraṇadhammā maraṇapariyosānā maraṇaṁ anatītā. Seyyathāpi, mahārāja, yāni kānici kumbhakārabhājanāni āmakāni ceva pakkāni ca sabbāni tāni bhedanadhammāni bhedanapariyosānāni bhedanaṁ anatītāni; evameva kho, mahārāja, sabbe sattā maraṇadhammā maraṇapariyosānā maraṇaṁ anatītā"ti. Idamavoca … pe …