Reference Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0).
Sāvatthiyaṁ.
At Sāvatthī.
Tatra …pe… etadavoca:
“bhūtapubbaṁ, bhikkhave, sakko devānamindo mātaliṁ saṅgāhakaṁ āmantesi:
“Once upon a time, mendicants, Sakka, lord of gods, addressed his chariot handler Mātali,
‘yojehi, samma mātali, sahassayuttaṁ ājaññarathaṁ. Uyyānabhūmiṁ gacchāma subhūmiṁ dassanāyā’ti.
‘My dear Mātali, harness the chariot with its team of a thousand thoroughbreds. We will go to a park and see the scenery.’
‘Evaṁ, bhaddantavā’ti kho, bhikkhave, mātali saṅgāhako sakkassa devānamindassa paṭissutvā sahassayuttaṁ ājaññarathaṁ yojetvā sakkassa devānamindassa paṭivedesi:
‘Yes, lord,’ replied Mātali. He harnessed the chariot and informed Sakka,
‘yutto kho te, mārisa, sahassayutto ājaññaratho.
‘Good fellow, the chariot with its team of a thousand thoroughbreds has been harnessed.
Yassadāni kālaṁ maññasī’ti.
Please go at your convenience.’
Atha kho, bhikkhave, sakko devānamindo vejayantapāsādā orohanto añjaliṁ katvā sudaṁ puthuddisā namassati.
Then Sakka descended from the Palace of Victory, raised his cupped palms, and revered the various quarters.
Atha kho, bhikkhave, mātali saṅgāhako sakkaṁ devānamindaṁ gāthāya ajjhabhāsi:
So Mātali the chariot handler addressed Sakka in verse:
‘Taṁ namassanti tevijjā,
‘Those proficient in the three Vedas worship you,
sabbe bhummā ca khattiyā;
as do all the aristocrats on earth,
Cattāro ca mahārājā,
the four great kings,
tidasā ca yasassino;
and the glorious host of Thirty.
Atha ko nāma so yakkho,
So what’s the name of the spirit
yaṁ tvaṁ sakka namassasī’ti.
that you worship, Sakka?’
‘Maṁ namassanti tevijjā,
‘Those proficient in the three Vedas worship me,
sabbe bhummā ca khattiyā;
as do all the aristocrats on earth,
Cattāro ca mahārājā,
the four great kings,
tidasā ca yasassino.
and the glorious host of Thirty.
Ahañca sīlasampanne,
But I revere those accomplished in ethics,
cirarattasamāhite;
who have long trained in immersion,
Sammāpabbajite vande,
who have rightly gone forth
brahmacariyaparāyane.
for the culmination of spiritual life.
Ye gahaṭṭhā puññakarā,
I also worship those householders,
sīlavanto upāsakā;
the ethical lay followers
Dhammena dāraṁ posenti,
who make merit, Mātali,
te namassāmi mātalī’ti.
providing for a partner in a principled manner.’
‘Seṭṭhā hi kira lokasmiṁ,
‘Those who you worship
ye tvaṁ sakka namassasi;
seem to be the best in the world, Sakka.
Ahampi te namassāmi,
I too will worship
ye namassasi vāsavā’ti.
those who you worship, Sakka.’
Idaṁ vatvāna maghavā,
After saying this, Maghavā the chief,
devarājā sujampati;
king of gods, Sujā’s husband,
Puthuddisā namassitvā,
having worshiped the various quarters
pamukho rathamāruhī”ti.
climbed into his chariot.”
Reference Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0).
At Sāvatthī.
“Once upon a time, mendicants, Sakka, lord of gods, addressed his chariot handler Mātali,
‘My dear Mātali, harness the chariot with its team of a thousand thoroughbreds. We will go to a park and see the scenery.’
‘Yes, lord,’ replied Mātali. He harnessed the chariot and informed Sakka,
‘Good fellow, the chariot with its team of a thousand thoroughbreds has been harnessed.
Please go at your convenience.’
Then Sakka descended from the Palace of Victory, raised his cupped palms, and revered the various quarters.
So Mātali the chariot handler addressed Sakka in verse:
‘Those proficient in the three Vedas worship you,
as do all the aristocrats on earth,
the four great kings,
and the glorious host of Thirty.
So what’s the name of the spirit
that you worship, Sakka?’
‘Those proficient in the three Vedas worship me,
as do all the aristocrats on earth,
the four great kings,
and the glorious host of Thirty.
But I revere those accomplished in ethics,
who have long trained in immersion,
who have rightly gone forth
for the culmination of spiritual life.
I also worship those householders,
the ethical lay followers
who make merit, Mātali,
providing for a partner in a principled manner.’
‘Those who you worship
seem to be the best in the world, Sakka.
I too will worship
those who you worship, Sakka.’
After saying this, Maghavā the chief,
king of gods, Sujā’s husband,
having worshiped the various quarters
climbed into his chariot.”
Sāvatthiyaṁ.
Tatra …pe… etadavoca:
“bhūtapubbaṁ, bhikkhave, sakko devānamindo mātaliṁ saṅgāhakaṁ āmantesi:
‘yojehi, samma mātali, sahassayuttaṁ ājaññarathaṁ. Uyyānabhūmiṁ gacchāma subhūmiṁ dassanāyā’ti.
‘Evaṁ, bhaddantavā’ti kho, bhikkhave, mātali saṅgāhako sakkassa devānamindassa paṭissutvā sahassayuttaṁ ājaññarathaṁ yojetvā sakkassa devānamindassa paṭivedesi:
‘yutto kho te, mārisa, sahassayutto ājaññaratho.
Yassadāni kālaṁ maññasī’ti.
Atha kho, bhikkhave, sakko devānamindo vejayantapāsādā orohanto añjaliṁ katvā sudaṁ puthuddisā namassati.
Atha kho, bhikkhave, mātali saṅgāhako sakkaṁ devānamindaṁ gāthāya ajjhabhāsi:
‘Taṁ namassanti tevijjā,
sabbe bhummā ca khattiyā;
Cattāro ca mahārājā,
tidasā ca yasassino;
Atha ko nāma so yakkho,
yaṁ tvaṁ sakka namassasī’ti.
‘Maṁ namassanti tevijjā,
sabbe bhummā ca khattiyā;
Cattāro ca mahārājā,
tidasā ca yasassino.
Ahañca sīlasampanne,
cirarattasamāhite;
Sammāpabbajite vande,
brahmacariyaparāyane.
Ye gahaṭṭhā puññakarā,
sīlavanto upāsakā;
Dhammena dāraṁ posenti,
te namassāmi mātalī’ti.
‘Seṭṭhā hi kira lokasmiṁ,
ye tvaṁ sakka namassasi;
Ahampi te namassāmi,
ye namassasi vāsavā’ti.
Idaṁ vatvāna maghavā,
devarājā sujampati;
Puthuddisā namassitvā,
pamukho rathamāruhī”ti.