Indakasutta  With Indaka

Evaṁ me sutaṁ—  So I have heard.
ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā rājagahe viharati indakūṭe pabbate, indakassa yakkhassa bhavane.  At one time the Buddha was staying near Rājagaha on Mount Indra’s Peak, the haunt of the native spirit Indaka.

Atha kho indako yakkho yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ gāthāya ajjhabhāsi:  Then the native spirit Indaka went up to the Buddha, and addressed him in verse:

“Rūpaṁ na jīvanti vadanti buddhā,  “The Buddhas say that form is not the soul.
Kathaṁ nvayaṁ vindatimaṁ sarīraṁ;  Then how does this body manifest?
Kutassa aṭṭhīyakapiṇḍameti,  Where do the bones and liver come from?
Kathaṁ nvayaṁ sajjati gabbharasmin”ti.  And how does one cling on in the womb?”

“Paṭhamaṁ kalalaṁ hoti,  “First there’s a drop of coagulate;
kalalā hoti abbudaṁ;  from there a little bud appears;
Abbudā jāyate pesi,  next it becomes a piece of flesh;
pesi nibbattatī ghano;  which produces a swelling.
Ghanā pasākhā jāyanti,  From that swelling the limbs appear,
kesā lomā nakhāpi ca.  the head hair, body hair, and nails.

Yañcassa bhuñjatī mātā,  And whatever the mother eats—
annaṁ pānañca bhojanaṁ;  the food and drink that she consumes—
Tena so tattha yāpeti,  nourishes them there,
mātukucchigato naro”ti.  the person in the mother’s womb.”