1Then the headman Yodhajīva the Mercenary [n.339] Spk explains the name as meaning "one who earns his living by warfare" (yuddhena jīvikaṁ kappanako); this name, too, was assigned by the redactors of the Dhamma. I take the occupation to be that of a mercenary or professional soldier. approached the Blessed One, paid homage to him, sat down to one side, and said to him: "Venerable sir, I have heard it said by mercenaries of old in the lineage of teachers: ‘When a mercenary is one who strives and exerts himself in battle, if others slay him and finish him off while he is striving and exerting himself in battle, then with the breakup of the body, after death, he is reborn in the company of the battle-slain devas.’ [n.340] This free rendering of the name was suggested by VāT. Se and Ee read sarañjitanaṁ, but Be parajitānaṁ, "conquered by others," makes better sense. What does the Blessed One say about that?"

"Enough, headman, let it be! Don’t ask me that!"

A second time and a third time Yodhajīva the headman said: "Venerable sir, I have heard it said by mercenaries of old in the lineage of teachers: … What does the Blessed One say about that?" sn.iv.309

2"Surely, headman, I am not getting through to you when I say, ‘Enough, headman, let it be! Don’t ask me that!’ But still, I will answer you. When, headman, a mercenary is one who strives and exerts himself in battle, his mind is already low, depraved, misdirected by the thought: ‘Let these beings be slain, slaughtered, annihilated, destroyed, or exterminated.’ If others then slay him and finish him off while he is striving and exerting himself in battle, then with the breakup of the body, after death, he is reborn in the ‘Battle-Slain Hell.’ [n.341] Again, Spk says this is not a separate hell but a section of Avīci where beings appear as soldiers conquered in battle. But should he hold such a view as this: ‘When a mercenary strives and exerts himself in battle, if others slay him and finish him off while he is striving and exerting himself in battle, then with the breakup of the body, after death, he is reborn in the company of the battle-slain devas’—that is a wrong view on his part. For a person with wrong view, I say, there is one of two destinations: either hell or the animal realm."

3When this was said, Yodhajīva the headman cried out and burst into tears. The Blessed One said: "So I did not get through to you when I said, ‘Enough, headman, let it be! Don’t ask me that!’"

"I am not crying, venerable sir, because of what the Blessed One said to me, but because I have been tricked, cheated, and deceived for a long time by those mercenaries of old in the lineage of teachers who said: ‘When a mercenary is one who strives and exerts himself in battle, if others slay him and finish him off while he is striving and exerting himself in battle, then with the breakup of the body, after death, he is reborn in the company of the battle-slain devas.’

"Magnificent, venerable sir! … From today let the Blessed One remember me as a lay follower who has gone for refuge for life." sn.iv.310

1Atha kho yodhājīvo gāmaṇi yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā … pe … ekamantaṁ nisinno kho yodhājīvo gāmaṇi bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: "sutaṁ metaṁ, bhante, pubbakānaṁ acariyapācariyānaṁ yodhājīvānaṁ bhāsamānānaṁ: ‘yo so yodhājīvo saṅgāme ussahati vāyamati, tamenaṁ ussahantaṁ vāyamantaṁ pare hananti pariyāpādenti, so kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā parajitānaṁ devānaṁ sahabyataṁ upapajjatī’ti. Idha bhagavā kimāhā"ti?

"Alaṁ, gāmaṇi, tiṭṭhatetaṁ; mā maṁ etaṁ pucchī"ti.

Dutiyampi kho … pe … tatiyampi kho yodhājīvo gāmaṇi bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: "sutaṁ metaṁ, bhante, pubbakānaṁ acariyapācariyānaṁ yodhājīvānaṁ bhāsamānānaṁ: ‘yo so yodhājīvo saṅgāme ussahati vāyamati, tamenaṁ ussahantaṁ vāyamantaṁ pare hananti pariyāpādenti, so kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā parajitānaṁ devānaṁ sahabyataṁ upapajjatī’ti. Idha bhagavā kimāhā"ti?

2"Addhā kho tyāhaṁ, gāmaṇi, na labhāmi: ‘alaṁ, gāmaṇi, tiṭṭhatetaṁ; mā maṁ etaṁ pucchī’ti. Api ca tyāhaṁ byākarissāmi. Yo so, gāmaṇi, yodhājīvo saṅgāme ussahati vāyamati, tassa taṁ cittaṁ pubbe gahitaṁ dukkaṭaṁ duppaṇihitaṁ: ‘ime sattā haññantu vā bajjhantu vā ucchijjantu vā vinassantu vā mā vā ahesuṁ iti vā’ti. Tamenaṁ ussahantaṁ vāyamantaṁ pare hananti pariyāpādenti; so kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā parajito nāma nirayo tattha upapajjatīti. Sace kho panassa evaṁ diṭṭhi hoti: ‘yo so yodhājīvo saṅgāme ussahati vāyamati tamenaṁ ussahantaṁ vāyamantaṁ pare hananti pariyāpādenti, so kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā parajitānaṁ devānaṁ sahabyataṁ upapajjatī’ti, sāssa hoti micchādiṭṭhi. Micchādiṭṭhikassa kho panāhaṁ, gāmaṇi, purisapuggalassa dvinnaṁ gatīnaṁ aññataraṁ gatiṁ vadāmi – nirayaṁ vā tiracchānayoniṁ vā"ti.

3Evaṁ vutte, yodhājīvo gāmaṇi parodi, assūni pavattesi. "Etaṁ kho tyāhaṁ, gāmaṇi, nālatthaṁ: ‘alaṁ, gāmaṇi, tiṭṭhatetaṁ; mā maṁ etaṁ pucchī’"ti.

"Nāhaṁ, bhante, etaṁ rodāmi yaṁ maṁ bhagavā evamāha; api cāhaṁ, bhante, pubbakehi acariyapācariyehi yodhājīvehi dīgharattaṁ nikato vañcito paluddho: ‘yo so yodhājīvo saṅgāme ussahati vāyamati, tamenaṁ ussahantaṁ vāyamantaṁ pare hananti pariyāpādenti, so kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā parajitānaṁ devānaṁ sahabyataṁ upapajjatī’"ti.

"Abhikkantaṁ, bhante … pe … ajjatagge pāṇupetaṁ saraṇaṁ gatan"ti.

Tatiyaṁ.