Reference Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0).
“Sīho, bhikkhave, migarājā sāyanhasamayaṁ āsayā nikkhamati.
“Mendicants, towards evening the lion, king of beasts, emerges from his den,
Āsayā nikkhamitvā vijambhati.
yawns,
Vijambhitvā samantā catuddisā anuviloketi.
surveys the four quarters,
Samantā catuddisā anuviloketvā tikkhattuṁ sīhanādaṁ nadati.
and roars his lion’s roar three times.
Tikkhattuṁ sīhanādaṁ naditvā gocarāya pakkamati.
Then he sets out on the hunt.
Ye kho pana te, bhikkhave, tiracchānagatā pāṇā sīhassa migarañño nadato saddaṁ suṇanti, te yebhuyyena bhayaṁ saṁvegaṁ santāsaṁ āpajjanti.
And the animals who hear the roar of the lion, king of beasts, are typically filled with fear, awe, and terror.
Bilaṁ bilāsayā pavisanti, dakaṁ dakāsayā pavisanti, vanaṁ vanāsayā pavisanti, ākāsaṁ pakkhino bhajanti.
They return to their lairs, be they in a hole, the water, or a wood; and the birds take to the air.
Yepi te, bhikkhave, rañño nāgā gāmanigamarājadhānīsu daḷhehi varattehi bandhanehi baddhā, tepi tāni bandhanāni sañchinditvā sampadāletvā bhītā muttakarīsaṁ cajamānā yena vā tena vā palāyanti.
Even the royal elephants, bound with strong harnesses in the villages, towns, and capital cities, break apart their bonds, and urinate and defecate in terror as they flee here and there.
Evaṁ mahiddhiko kho, bhikkhave, sīho migarājā tiracchānagatānaṁ pāṇānaṁ, evaṁ mahesakkho evaṁ mahānubhāvo.
That’s how powerful is the lion, king of beasts, over animals, how illustrious and mighty.
Evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, yadā tathāgato loke uppajjati arahaṁ sammāsambuddho vijjācaraṇasampanno sugato lokavidū anuttaro purisadammasārathi satthā devamanussānaṁ buddho bhagavā, so dhammaṁ deseti:
In the same way, when a Realized One arises in the world—perfected, a fully awakened Buddha, accomplished in knowledge and conduct, holy, knower of the world, supreme guide for those fit for training, teacher of gods and humans, awakened, blessed—he teaches the Dhamma:
‘iti sakkāyo, iti sakkāyasamudayo, iti sakkāyanirodho, iti sakkāyanirodhagāminī paṭipadā’ti.
‘Such is substantial reality, such is the origin of substantial reality, such is the cessation of substantial reality, such is the practice that leads to the cessation of substantial reality.’
Yepi te, bhikkhave, devā dīghāyukā vaṇṇavanto sukhabahulā uccesu vimānesu ciraṭṭhitikā, tepi tathāgatassa dhammadesanaṁ sutvā yebhuyyena bhayaṁ saṁvegaṁ santāsaṁ āpajjanti:
Now, there are gods who are long-lived, beautiful, and very happy, lasting long in their divine palaces. When they hear this teaching by the Realized One, they’re typically filled with fear, awe, and terror.
‘aniccā vata kira, bho, mayaṁ samānā niccamhāti amaññimha;
‘Oh no! It turns out we’re impermanent, though we thought we were permanent!
addhuvā vata kira, bho, mayaṁ samānā dhuvamhāti amaññimha;
It turns out we don’t last, though we thought we were everlasting!
asassatā vata kira, bho, mayaṁ samānā sassatamhāti amaññimha.
It turns out we’re transient, though we thought we were eternal!
Mayaṁ kira, bho, aniccā addhuvā asassatā sakkāyapariyāpannā’ti.
It turns out that we’re impermanent, not lasting, transient, and included within substantial reality.’
Evaṁ mahiddhiko kho, bhikkhave, tathāgato sadevakassa lokassa, evaṁ mahesakkho evaṁ mahānubhāvoti.
That’s how powerful is the Realized One in the world with its gods, how illustrious and mighty.
Yadā buddho abhiññāya,
The Buddha, the unrivaled teacher
dhammacakkaṁ pavattayī;
in all the world with its gods,
Sadevakassa lokassa,
rolls forth the Wheel of Dhamma
satthā appaṭipuggalo.
from his own insight:
Sakkāyañca nirodhañca,
substantial reality, its cessation,
sakkāyassa ca sambhavaṁ;
the origin of substantial reality,
Ariyañcaṭṭhaṅgikaṁ maggaṁ,
and the noble eightfold path
dukkhūpasamagāminaṁ.
that leads to the stilling of suffering.
Yepi dīghāyukā devā,
And then the long-lived gods,
vaṇṇavanto yasassino;
so beautiful and famous,
Bhītā santāsamāpāduṁ,
are afraid and full of terror,
sīhassevitare migā.
like the other beasts when they hear a lion.
Avītivattā sakkāyaṁ,
‘We haven’t passed beyond substantial reality!
aniccā kira bho mayaṁ;
It turns out we’re impermanent!’
Sutvā arahato vākyaṁ,
So they say when they hear the word
vippamuttassa tādino”ti.
of the perfected one, free and unaffected.”
Tatiyaṁ.
Reference Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0).
“Mendicants, towards evening the lion, king of beasts, emerges from his den,
yawns,
surveys the four quarters,
and roars his lion’s roar three times.
Then he sets out on the hunt.
And the animals who hear the roar of the lion, king of beasts, are typically filled with fear, awe, and terror.
They return to their lairs, be they in a hole, the water, or a wood; and the birds take to the air.
Even the royal elephants, bound with strong harnesses in the villages, towns, and capital cities, break apart their bonds, and urinate and defecate in terror as they flee here and there.
That’s how powerful is the lion, king of beasts, over animals, how illustrious and mighty.
In the same way, when a Realized One arises in the world—perfected, a fully awakened Buddha, accomplished in knowledge and conduct, holy, knower of the world, supreme guide for those fit for training, teacher of gods and humans, awakened, blessed—he teaches the Dhamma:
‘Such is substantial reality, such is the origin of substantial reality, such is the cessation of substantial reality, such is the practice that leads to the cessation of substantial reality.’
Now, there are gods who are long-lived, beautiful, and very happy, lasting long in their divine palaces. When they hear this teaching by the Realized One, they’re typically filled with fear, awe, and terror.
‘Oh no! It turns out we’re impermanent, though we thought we were permanent!
It turns out we don’t last, though we thought we were everlasting!
It turns out we’re transient, though we thought we were eternal!
It turns out that we’re impermanent, not lasting, transient, and included within substantial reality.’
That’s how powerful is the Realized One in the world with its gods, how illustrious and mighty.
The Buddha, the unrivaled teacher
in all the world with its gods,
rolls forth the Wheel of Dhamma
from his own insight:
substantial reality, its cessation,
the origin of substantial reality,
and the noble eightfold path
that leads to the stilling of suffering.
And then the long-lived gods,
so beautiful and famous,
are afraid and full of terror,
like the other beasts when they hear a lion.
‘We haven’t passed beyond substantial reality!
It turns out we’re impermanent!’
So they say when they hear the word
of the perfected one, free and unaffected.”
“Sīho, bhikkhave, migarājā sāyanhasamayaṁ āsayā nikkhamati.
Āsayā nikkhamitvā vijambhati.
Vijambhitvā samantā catuddisā anuviloketi.
Samantā catuddisā anuviloketvā tikkhattuṁ sīhanādaṁ nadati.
Tikkhattuṁ sīhanādaṁ naditvā gocarāya pakkamati.
Ye kho pana te, bhikkhave, tiracchānagatā pāṇā sīhassa migarañño nadato saddaṁ suṇanti, te yebhuyyena bhayaṁ saṁvegaṁ santāsaṁ āpajjanti.
Bilaṁ bilāsayā pavisanti, dakaṁ dakāsayā pavisanti, vanaṁ vanāsayā pavisanti, ākāsaṁ pakkhino bhajanti.
Yepi te, bhikkhave, rañño nāgā gāmanigamarājadhānīsu daḷhehi varattehi bandhanehi baddhā, tepi tāni bandhanāni sañchinditvā sampadāletvā bhītā muttakarīsaṁ cajamānā yena vā tena vā palāyanti.
Evaṁ mahiddhiko kho, bhikkhave, sīho migarājā tiracchānagatānaṁ pāṇānaṁ, evaṁ mahesakkho evaṁ mahānubhāvo.
Evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, yadā tathāgato loke uppajjati arahaṁ sammāsambuddho vijjācaraṇasampanno sugato lokavidū anuttaro purisadammasārathi satthā devamanussānaṁ buddho bhagavā, so dhammaṁ deseti:
‘iti sakkāyo, iti sakkāyasamudayo, iti sakkāyanirodho, iti sakkāyanirodhagāminī paṭipadā’ti.
Yepi te, bhikkhave, devā dīghāyukā vaṇṇavanto sukhabahulā uccesu vimānesu ciraṭṭhitikā, tepi tathāgatassa dhammadesanaṁ sutvā yebhuyyena bhayaṁ saṁvegaṁ santāsaṁ āpajjanti:
‘aniccā vata kira, bho, mayaṁ samānā niccamhāti amaññimha;
addhuvā vata kira, bho, mayaṁ samānā dhuvamhāti amaññimha;
asassatā vata kira, bho, mayaṁ samānā sassatamhāti amaññimha.
Mayaṁ kira, bho, aniccā addhuvā asassatā sakkāyapariyāpannā’ti.
Evaṁ mahiddhiko kho, bhikkhave, tathāgato sadevakassa lokassa, evaṁ mahesakkho evaṁ mahānubhāvoti.
Yadā buddho abhiññāya,
dhammacakkaṁ pavattayī;
Sadevakassa lokassa,
satthā appaṭipuggalo.
Sakkāyañca nirodhañca,
sakkāyassa ca sambhavaṁ;
Ariyañcaṭṭhaṅgikaṁ maggaṁ,
dukkhūpasamagāminaṁ.
Yepi dīghāyukā devā,
vaṇṇavanto yasassino;
Bhītā santāsamāpāduṁ,
sīhassevitare migā.
Avītivattā sakkāyaṁ,
aniccā kira bho mayaṁ;
Sutvā arahato vākyaṁ,
vippamuttassa tādino”ti.
Tatiyaṁ.