Sutta Nipata Chapter 1: The Serpent Chapter - Uragavagga
1:10 Āḷavaka
1:10 Āḷavaka
Thus have I heard. On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Āḷavī, in the abode of the yakkha Āḷavaka. Then the yakkha Āḷavaka approached the Blessed One and said to him: “Get out, ascetic!”
“All right, friend,” the Blessed One said, and he went out.
“Come in, ascetic."
"All right, friend,” the Blessed One said, and he went in.
A second time . . .
A third time the yakkha Āḷavaka said to the Blessed One: “Get out, ascetic!"
"All right, friend,” the Blessed One said, and he went out.
“Come in, ascetic."
"All right, friend,” the Blessed One said, and he went in.
A fourth time the yakkha Āḷavaka said to the Blessed One: “Get out, ascetic.”
“I won’t [32] go out, friend. Do whatever you must do.”
“I’ll ask you a question, ascetic. If you won’t answer me, I’ll drive you insane or split your heart or grab you by the feet and hurl you across the Ganges.”
“I do not see anyone in this world, friend, with its devas, Māra, and Brahmā, in this population with its ascetics and brahmins, its devas and humans, who could drive me insane or split my heart or grab me by the feet and hurl me across the Ganges. But ask whatever you want, friend.”
The yakkha Āḷavaka then addressed the Blessed One in verse:
181“What here is a person’s best treasure?
What well practiced brings happiness?
What is really the sweetest of tastes?
How lives the one whose life they say is best?” (1)
[The Blessed One:]
182“Faith is here a person’s best treasure;
the Dhamma well practiced brings happiness;
truth is really the sweetest of tastes;
living by wisdom, they say, one’s life is best.” (2)
[Āḷavaka:]
183“How does one cross the flood?
How does one cross the sea?
How does one overcome suffering?
How is one fully purified?” (3) [33]
[The Blessed One:]
184“By faith one crosses the flood,
by heedfulness one crosses the sea.
By energy one overcomes suffering;
by wisdom one is fully purified.” (4)
[Āḷavaka:]
185“How does one gain wisdom?
How does one find wealth?
How does one achieve acclaim?
How does one bind friends?
When passing from this world to the next,
how does one not sorrow?” (5)
[The Blessed One:]
186“Placing faith in the Dhamma of the arahants
for the attainment of nibbāna,
one gains wisdom from a desire to learn
if one is heedful and astute. (6)
187“Doing what is proper, dutiful,
one with initiative finds wealth.
By truthfulness one wins acclaim;
by giving, one binds friends.The parallel at SN I 215,2 has a couplet here not in the Sn version: asmā lokā paraṃ lokaṃ, evaṃ pecca na socati, “That is how one does not sorrow when passing from this world to the next.” (7)
188“The faithful seeker of the household life
who possesses these four qualities —
truth, dhamma, steadfastness, generosity —
does not sorrow when he passes on. (8)
189“Come now, ask the others as well,
the many ascetics and brahmins,
whether there exists here anything better
than truth, self-control, generosity, and patience.” (9)
[Āḷavaka:]
190.“Why now should I ask
the many ascetics and brahmins?
Today I have understood
the good pertaining to future lives. (10)
191.“Indeed, it was for my sake
that the Buddha came to stay at Āḷavī.
Today I have understood
where what is given bears great fruit. (11)
192.“Now I will travel about
from village to village, from city to city,
paying homage to the Enlightened One
and to the excellence of the Dhamma.” (12) [34]
Snp 1.10: Āḷavakasutta
Evaṁ me sutaṁ—
Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā āḷaviyaṁ viharati āḷavakassa yakkhassa bhavane. Atha kho āḷavako yakkho yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: "nikkhama, samaṇā"ti.
"Sādhāvuso"ti bhagavā nikkhami.
"Pavisa, samaṇā"ti.
"Sādhāvuso"ti bhagavā pāvisi.
Dutiyampi kho … pe …
tatiyampi kho āḷavako yakkho bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: "nikkhama, samaṇā"ti.
"Sādhāvuso"ti bhagavā nikkhami.
"Pavisa, samaṇā"ti.
"Sādhāvuso"ti bhagavā pāvisi.
Catutthampi kho āḷavako yakkho bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: "nikkhama, samaṇā"ti.
"Na khvāhaṁ taṁ, āvuso, nikkhamissāmi. Yaṁ te karaṇīyaṁ, taṁ karohī"ti.
"Pañhaṁ taṁ, samaṇa, pucchissāmi. Sace me na byākarissasi, cittaṁ vā te khipissāmi, hadayaṁ vā te phālessāmi, pādesu vā gahetvā pāragaṅgāya khipissāmī"ti.
"Na khvāhaṁ taṁ, āvuso, passāmi sadevake loke samārake sabrahmake sassamaṇabrāhmaṇiyā pajāya sadevamanussāya yo me cittaṁ vā khipeyya hadayaṁ vā phāleyya pādesu vā gahetvā pāragaṅgāya khipeyya. Api ca tvaṁ, āvuso, puccha yadākaṅkhasī"ti.
Atha kho āḷavako yakkho bhagavantaṁ gāthāya ajjhabhāsi:
181"Kiṁ sūdha vittaṁ purisassa seṭṭhaṁ,
Kiṁ su suciṇṇaṁ sukhamāvahāti;
Kiṁ su have sādutaraṁ rasānaṁ,
Kathaṁjīviṁ jīvitamāhu seṭṭhaṁ".
182
"Saddhīdha vittaṁ purisassa seṭṭhaṁ,
Dhammo suciṇṇo sukhamāvahāti;
Saccaṁ have sādutaraṁ rasānaṁ,
Paññājīviṁ jīvitamāhu seṭṭhaṁ".
183
"Kathaṁ su tarati oghaṁ,
kathaṁ su tarati aṇṇavaṁ;
Kathaṁ su dukkhamacceti,
kathaṁ su parisujjhati".
184
"Saddhāya tarati oghaṁ,
appamādena aṇṇavaṁ;
Vīriyena dukkhamacceti,
paññāya parisujjhati".
185
"Kathaṁ su labhate paññaṁ,
kathaṁ su vindate dhanaṁ;
Kathaṁ su kittiṁ pappoti,
kathaṁ mittāni ganthati;
Asmā lokā paraṁ lokaṁ,
kathaṁ pecca na socati".
186
"Saddahāno arahataṁ,
dhammaṁ nibbānapattiyā;
Sussūsaṁ labhate paññaṁ,
appamatto vicakkhaṇo.
187
Patirūpakārī dhuravā,
uṭṭhātā vindate dhanaṁ;
Saccena kittiṁ pappoti,
dadaṁ mittāni ganthati.
188
Yassete caturo dhammā,
saddhassa gharamesino;
Saccaṁ dhammo dhiti cāgo,
sa ve pecca na socati.
189
Iṅgha aññepi pucchassu,
puthū samaṇabrāhmaṇe;
Yadi saccā damā cāgā,
khantyā bhiyyodha vijjati".
190
"Kathaṁ nu dāni puccheyyaṁ,
Puthū samaṇabrāhmaṇe;
Yohaṁ ajja pajānāmi,
Yo attho samparāyiko.
191
Atthāya vata me buddho,
Vāsāyāḷavimāgamā;
Yohaṁ ajja pajānāmi,
Yattha dinnaṁ mahapphalaṁ.
192
So ahaṁ vicarissāmi,
Gāmā gāmaṁ purā puraṁ;
Namassamāno sambuddhaṁ,
Dhammassa ca sudhammatan"ti.
Āḷavakasuttaṁ dasamaṁ.