Sutta Nipata Chapter 1: The Serpent Chapter - Uragavagga
1:9 Hemavata
1:9 Hemavata
(Said the yakkha Sātāgira)
153“Today is the fifteenth, the uposatha,”
“a celestial night has arrived.
Come, let us see Gotama,
the teacher of perfect name.” (1)
(Said the yakkha Hemavata)
154“Is the mind of the impartial one,”
“well disposed toward all beings?
Has he mastered his intentions
toward the desirable and undesirable?” (2)
(Said the yakkha Sātāgira)
155“The mind of the impartial one,”
“is well disposed toward all beings.
He has mastered his intentions
toward the desirable and undesirable.” (3)
(Said the yakkha Hemavata)
156“Does he avoid taking what has not been given?”
“Is he self-controlled in regard to living beings?
Does he keep far from heedlessness?
Is he not devoid of jhāna?” (4)
(Said the yakkha Sātāgira)
157“He does not take what has not been given,”
“and is self-controlled in regard to living beings.
He also keeps far from heedlessness.
The Buddha is not devoid of jhāna.” (5)
(Said the yakkha Hemavata) [28]
158“Does he avoid speaking falsely?”
“Is his way of speaking not rough?
Does he not say anything destructive?
Does he not speak idle chatter?” (6)
(Said the yakkha Sātāgira)
159“He does not speak falsely,”
“and his way of speaking is not rough.
He does not say what is destructive.
With reflection, he speaks what is meaningful.” (7)
(Said the yakkha Hemavata)
160“Does he have no lust for sensual pleasures?”
“Is his mind unsullied?
Has he overcome delusion?
Does he have the vision of phenomena?” (8)
(Said the yakkha Sātāgira)
161“He has no lust for sensual pleasures,”
“and his mind is unsullied.
He has overcome all delusion;
the Buddha has the vision of phenomena.” (9)
(Said the yakkha Hemavata)
162“Is he endowed with clear knowledge?”
“Is he also pure in conduct?
Have the influxes been destroyed by him?
Is there for him no renewed existence?” (10) [29]
(Said the yakkha Sātāgira)
163“He is endowed with clear knowledge,”
“He is also pure in conduct.
All the influxes have been destroyed by him;
for him there is no renewed existence.” (11)
[Hemavata:]
163A.According to a note in Ee, these verses were included in only two of the Burmese-script manuscripts available to the editors. However, Pj II comments on them, and Be and Ce take them as authentic and give them separate numbers. “The muni’s mind is accomplished
with respect to action and way of speech.
In accordance with the Dhamma you praise him,
one accomplished in clear knowledge and conduct.”Ee punctuates as if 163–67 were all spoken by Sātāgira. Pj II, however, explains that 163A was spoken by Hemavata, 163B–64 by Sātāgira, 165–66 by Hemavata, and 167 by both yakkhas together. For clarity I have added the speakers’ names in brackets, following the ascriptions in Pj II. (11A)
[Sātāgira:]
163B. “The muni’s mind is accomplished
with respect to action and way of speech.
In accordance with the Dhamma you rejoice over
one accomplished in clear knowledge and conduct. (11B)
164“The muni’s mind is accomplished
with respect to action and way of speech.
Come, let’s go see Gotama,
one accomplished in clear knowledge and conduct.” (12)
[Hemavata:]
165“Come, let’s go see Gotama,
the muni meditating in the woods,
with antelope calves, slender, a hero,Reading with Be and Ce vīro as against Ee dhīro. The gloss in Pj II clearly supports vīro.
eating little, greedless. (13)
166“Having approached the nāga,
who is like a lion, wandering alone,
indifferent to sensual pleasures,
let’s ask about release from the snare of death.” (14)
[Sātāgira and Hemavata:]
167“Let us ask Gotama,
the expounder, the instructor,
one gone beyond all phenomena,
the Buddha who has overcome enmity and peril!” (15)
(Said the yakkha Hemavata)
168“In what has the world arisen?”
“In what does it form intimacy?
Having clung to what is the world
afflicted in regard to what?” (16) [30]
(The Blessed One)
169“In six the world has arisen,
“In six it forms intimacy;
having clung to six, the world
is afflicted in regard to six.” (17)
170“What is that clinging
in which the world is afflicted?
When asked about the outlet, tell:
how is one released from suffering?” (18)
171“Five strands of sensual pleasure
with mind as sixth are declared in the world:
having expunged desire for these,
one is thereby released from suffering. (19)
172“This outlet from the world
has been expounded to you just as it is.
This is what I declare to you:
one is thereby released from suffering.” (20)
173“Who here crosses the flood?
Who here crosses the sea?
Who does not sink in the deep,
which is without foothold, without support?” (21)
174“One always accomplished in good behavior,
endowed with wisdom, well concentrated,
inwardly reflective, mindful,
crosses the flood so hard to cross. (22)
175“One who has abstained from sensual perception,
who has overcome all fetters,
who has utterly destroyed delight and existence —
he does not sink in the deep.” (23)
176“Behold him of deep wisdom,
the one who sees the subtle meaning,
owning nothing, unattached
to sensual pleasures and existence.
Behold him, everywhere released,
the great rishi treading the divine path. (24)
177“Behold him of perfect name,
the one who sees the subtle meaning,
the giver of wisdom, unattached
to the lair of sensual pleasures, [31]
all-knowing, very wise,
the great rishi treading the noble path. (25)
178“Today indeed we have had a good sight,
a good morning, a good arising,
since we have seen the Enlightened One,
one without influxes who has crossed the flood. (26)
179“These thousand yakkhas
possessing psychic potency and fame
all go to you for refuge:
you are our unsurpassed teacher. (27)
180“We will wander from village to village,
from mountain to mountain,
paying homage to the Enlightened One
and to the excellence of the Dhamma.” (28)
Hemavatasutta
(iti sātāgiro yakkho):
153"Ajja pannaraso uposatho,
Dibbā ratti upaṭṭhitā;
Anomanāmaṁ satthāraṁ,
Handa passāma gotamaṁ".
(iti hemavato yakkho):
(iti sātāgiro yakkho):
(iti hemavato yakkho):
(iti sātāgiro yakkho):
(iti hemavato yakkho):
158 "Kacci musā na bhaṇati,
Kacci na khīṇabyappatho;
Kacci vebhūtiyaṁ nāha,
Kacci samphaṁ na bhāsati".
(iti sātāgiro yakkho):
(iti hemavato yakkho):
160 "Kacci na rajjati kāmesu,
Kacci cittaṁ anāvilaṁ;
Kacci mohaṁ atikkanto,
Kacci dhammesu cakkhumā".
(iti sātāgiro yakkho):
(iti hemavato yakkho):
(iti sātāgiro yakkho):
163 "Vijjāya ceva sampanno,
Atho saṁsuddhacāraṇo;
Sabbassa āsavā khīṇā,
Natthi tassa punabbhavo".
163A
"Sampannaṁ munino cittaṁ,
Kammunā byappathena ca;
Vijjācaraṇasampannaṁ,
Dhammato naṁ pasaṁsati".
(iti hemavato yakkho):
(hemavatāti bhagavā):
170
"Katamaṁ taṁ upādānaṁ,
Yattha loko vihaññati;
Niyyānaṁ pucchito brūhi,
Kathaṁ dukkhā pamuccati".
176
"Gambhīrapaññaṁ nipuṇatthadassiṁ,
Akiñcanaṁ kāmabhave asattaṁ;
Taṁ passatha sabbadhi vippamuttaṁ,
Dibbe pathe kamamānaṁ mahesiṁ.
177
Anomanāmaṁ nipuṇatthadassiṁ,
Paññādadaṁ kāmālaye asattaṁ;
Taṁ passatha sabbaviduṁ sumedhaṁ,
Ariye pathe kamamānaṁ mahesiṁ.
180
Te mayaṁ vicarissāma,
Gāmā gāmaṁ nagā nagaṁ;
Namassamānā sambuddhaṁ,
Dhammassa ca sudhammatan"ti.
Hemavatasuttaṁ navamaṁ.