Dutiyaaputtakasutta
Childless (2nd)
Atha kho rājā pasenadi kosalo divā divassa yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā ekamantaṁ nisinnaṁ kho rājānaṁ pasenadiṁ kosalaṁ bhagavā etadavoca:
Then King Pasenadi of Kosala went up to the Buddha in the middle of the day … The Buddha said to him,
“handa kuto nu tvaṁ, mahārāja, āgacchasi divā divassā”ti?
“So, great king, where are you coming from in the middle of the day?”
“Idha, bhante, sāvatthiyaṁ seṭṭhi gahapati kālaṅkato.
“Sir, here in Sāvatthī a financier householder has passed away.
Tamahaṁ aputtakaṁ sāpateyyaṁ rājantepuraṁ atiharitvā āgacchāmi.
Since he died childless, I have come after transferring his fortune to the royal compound.
Sataṁ, bhante, satasahassāni hiraññasseva, ko pana vādo rūpiyassa.
There was ten million in gold coin, not to mention the silver coin.
Tassa kho pana, bhante, seṭṭhissa gahapatissa evarūpo bhattabhogo ahosi—
And yet that financier ate meals of
kaṇājakaṁ bhuñjati bilaṅgadutiyaṁ.
rough gruel with pickles.
Evarūpo vatthabhogo ahosi—
He wore clothes consisting of
sāṇaṁ dhāreti tipakkhavasanaṁ.
three pieces of sunn hemp.
Evarūpo yānabhogo ahosi—
He traveled around in a vehicle that was
jajjararathakena yāti paṇṇachattakena dhāriyamānenā”ti.
a dilapidated little cart, holding a leaf as sunshade.”
“Evametaṁ, mahārāja, evametaṁ, mahārāja.
“That’s so true, great king! That’s so true!
Bhūtapubbaṁ so, mahārāja, seṭṭhi gahapati taggarasikhiṁ nāma paccekasambuddhaṁ piṇḍapātena paṭipādesi.
Once upon a time, great king, that financier householder provided almsfood on behalf of an independent Buddha named Tagarasikhī.
‘Detha samaṇassa piṇḍan’ti vatvā uṭṭhāyāsanā pakkāmi.
He instructed: ‘Give alms to that ascetic,’ before getting up from his seat and leaving.
Datvā ca pana pacchā vippaṭisārī ahosi:
But after giving he regretted it:
‘varametaṁ piṇḍapātaṁ dāsā vā kammakarā vā bhuñjeyyun’ti.
‘It would have been better to feed the bondservants or workers with that almsfood.’
Bhātu ca pana ekaputtakaṁ sāpateyyassa kāraṇā jīvitā voropesi.
What’s more, he murdered his brother’s only child for the sake of his fortune.
Yaṁ kho so, mahārāja, seṭṭhi gahapati taggarasikhiṁ paccekasambuddhaṁ piṇḍapātena paṭipādesi, tassa kammassa vipākena sattakkhattuṁ sugatiṁ saggaṁ lokaṁ upapajji.
Because that financier provided Tagarasikhī with almsfood, as a result of that deed he was reborn seven times in a good place, a heavenly realm.
Tasseva kammassa vipākāvasesena imissāyeva sāvatthiyā sattakkhattuṁ seṭṭhittaṁ kāresi.
And as a residual result of that same deed he held the position of financier seven times right here in Sāvatthī.
Yaṁ kho so, mahārāja, seṭṭhi gahapati datvā pacchā vippaṭisārī ahosi:
But because that financier regretted giving alms,
‘varametaṁ piṇḍapātaṁ dāsā vā kammakarā vā bhuñjeyyun’ti, tassa kammassa vipākena nāssuḷārāya bhattabhogāya cittaṁ namati, nāssuḷārāya vatthabhogāya cittaṁ namati, nāssuḷārāya yānabhogāya cittaṁ namati, nāssuḷārānaṁ pañcannaṁ kāmaguṇānaṁ bhogāya cittaṁ namati.
as a result of that deed his mind didn’t tend to enjoy nice food, clothes, vehicles, or the five refined kinds of sensual stimulation.
Yaṁ kho so, mahārāja, seṭṭhi gahapati bhātu ca pana ekaputtakaṁ sāpateyyassa kāraṇā jīvitā voropesi, tassa kammassa vipākena bahūni vassāni bahūni vassasatāni bahūni vassasahassāni bahūni vassasatasahassāni niraye paccittha.
And because that financier murdered his brother’s only child for the sake of his fortune, as a result of that deed he burned in hell for many years, for many hundreds, many thousands, many hundreds of thousands of years.
Tasseva kammassa vipākāvasesena idaṁ sattamaṁ aputtakaṁ sāpateyyaṁ rājakosaṁ paveseti.
And as a residual result of that same deed, he is childless for the seventh time, his fortune ending up in the royal treasury.
Tassa kho, mahārāja, seṭṭhissa gahapatissa purāṇañca puññaṁ parikkhīṇaṁ, navañca puññaṁ anupacitaṁ.
Now the old merit of that financier has been used up, and he hasn’t accumulated new merit.
Ajja pana, mahārāja, seṭṭhi gahapati mahāroruve niraye paccatī”ti.
Today, great king, that financier burns in the Great Hell of Screams.”
“Evaṁ, bhante, seṭṭhi gahapati mahāroruvaṁ nirayaṁ upapanno”ti.
“Really, sir, that financier has been reborn in the Great Hell of Screams?”
“Evaṁ, mahārāja, seṭṭhi gahapati mahāroruvaṁ nirayaṁ upapanno”ti.
“Yes he has, great king.”
Idamavoca …pe….
That is what the Buddha said. …
“Dhaññaṁ dhanaṁ rajataṁ jātarūpaṁ, “Grain, money, silver, and gold,
Pariggahaṁ vāpi yadatthi kiñci; or whatever other possessions there are;
Dāsā kammakarā pessā, bondservants, workers, servants,
Ye cassa anujīvino. and those dependent for their livelihood:
Sabbaṁ nādāya gantabbaṁ,
you must go on without taking these;
sabbaṁ nikkhippagāminaṁ;
all of them are left behind.
Yañca karoti kāyena, But the deeds you do
vācāya uda cetasā. by body, speech, and mind—
Tañhi tassa sakaṁ hoti, that’s what you can call your own.
taṁva ādāya gacchati; That’s what you take when you go.
Taṁvassa anugaṁ hoti, That’s what goes with you,
chāyāva anapāyinī. like a shadow that never leaves.
Tasmā kareyya kalyāṇaṁ, That’s why you should do good,
nicayaṁ samparāyikaṁ; investing in the future life.
Puññāni paralokasmiṁ, The good deeds of sentient beings
patiṭṭhā honti pāṇinan”ti. support them in the next world.”
Jaṭilā pañca rājāno,
Doṇapākakurena ca;
Saṅgāmena dve vuttāni,
Mallikā dve appamādena ca;
Aputtakena dve vuttā,
Vaggo tena pavuccatīti.
