SN 10.1 With Indaka

Reference Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0).

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 one obtain this body?

Kutassa aṭṭhīyakapiṇḍameti,

From where do his bones and organs come?

Kathaṁ nvayaṁ sajjati gabbharasmin”ti.

How does this one coalesce in the womb?”

“Paṭhamaṁ kalalaṁ hoti,

“First there’s the zygote;

kalalā hoti abbudaṁ;

then there’s the blastocyst;

Abbudā jāyate pesi,

from there arises the gastrula;

pesi nibbattatī ghano;

which produces the embryonic mass.

Ghanā pasākhā jāyanti,

From that the limb buds 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.”