Reference Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0).
Sāvatthiyaṁ.
At Sāvatthī.
Tatra kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi:
There the Buddha addressed the mendicants,
“bhikkhavo”ti.
“Mendicants!”
“Bhadante”ti te bhikkhū bhagavato paccassosuṁ.
“Venerable sir,” they replied.
Bhagavā etadavoca:
The Buddha said this:
“Bhūtapubbaṁ, bhikkhave, asurā deve abhiyaṁsu.
“Once upon a time, mendicants, the titans marched against the gods.
Atha kho, bhikkhave, sakko devānamindo susīmaṁ devaputtaṁ āmantesi:
Then Sakka, lord of gods, addressed the godling Susīma,
‘ete, tāta susīma, asurā deve abhiyanti.
‘Dear Susīma, the titans march against the gods!
Gaccha, tāta susīma, asure paccuyyāhī’ti.
Go, and march against the titans!’
‘Evaṁ, bhaddantavā’ti kho, bhikkhave, susīmo devaputto sakkassa devānamindassa paṭissutvā pamādaṁ āpādesi.
‘Yes, lord,’ replied Susīma. But he fell into negligence.
Dutiyampi kho, bhikkhave, sakko devānamindo susīmaṁ devaputtaṁ āmantesi …pe…
For a second time …
dutiyampi pamādaṁ āpādesi.
Tatiyampi kho, bhikkhave, sakko devānamindo susīmaṁ devaputtaṁ āmantesi …pe…
For a third time …
tatiyampi pamādaṁ āpādesi.
Atha kho, bhikkhave, sakko devānamindo susīmaṁ devaputtaṁ gāthāya ajjhabhāsi:
Then Sakka addressed the godling Susīma in verse:
‘Anuṭṭhahaṁ avāyāmaṁ,
‘Susīma, go to that place
sukhaṁ yatrādhigacchati;
where you can achieve happiness
Susīma tattha gacchāhi,
without working for it or trying hard—
mañca tattheva pāpayā’ti.
and take me with you!’
‘Alasvassa anuṭṭhātā,
‘That a lazy man who does no work,
na ca kiccāni kāraye;
and doesn’t do his duty,
Sabbakāmasamiddhassa,
should fulfill all his desires:
taṁ me sakka varaṁ disā’ti.
Sakka, render me this boon!’
‘Yatthālaso anuṭṭhātā,
‘Susīma, go to that place
accantaṁ sukhamedhati;
where a lazy man who does no work
Susīma tattha gacchāhi,
prospers in unending happiness—
mañca tattheva pāpayā’ti.
and take me with you!’
‘Akammunā devaseṭṭha,
‘O Sakka, first among gods,
sakka vindemu yaṁ sukhaṁ;
that we might find the happiness
Asokaṁ anupāyāsaṁ,
that’s sorrowless, unstressed:
taṁ me sakka varaṁ disā’ti.
Sakka, render me this boon!’
‘Sace atthi akammena,
‘If there exists anywhere a place
koci kvaci na jīvati;
where one can live happily without working,
Nibbānassa hi so maggo,
that surely would be extinguishment’s path!
susīma tattha gacchāhi;
Susīma, go to that place
Mañca tattheva pāpayā’ti.
and take me with you!’
So hi nāma, bhikkhave, sakko devānamindo sakaṁ puññaphalaṁ upajīvamāno devānaṁ tāvatiṁsānaṁ issariyādhipaccaṁ rajjaṁ kārento uṭṭhānavīriyassa vaṇṇavādī bhavissati.
Since, mendicants, even that Sakka, lord of gods—while living off of the fruit of his good deeds, and ruling as sovereign lord over these gods of the thirty-three—will speak in praise of initiative and energy,
Idha kho taṁ, bhikkhave, sobhetha, yaṁ tumhe evaṁ svākkhāte dhammavinaye pabbajitā samānā uṭṭhaheyyātha ghaṭeyyātha vāyameyyātha appattassa pattiyā, anadhigatassa adhigamāya, asacchikatassa sacchikiriyāyā”ti.
you can excel at this, for you who have gone forth in such a well explained teaching and training can try hard, strive, and make an effort to attain the unattained, achieve the unachieved, and realize the unrealized.”
Reference Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0).
At Sāvatthī.
There the Buddha addressed the mendicants,
“Mendicants!”
“Venerable sir,” they replied.
The Buddha said this:
“Once upon a time, mendicants, the titans marched against the gods.
Then Sakka, lord of gods, addressed the godling Susīma,
‘Dear Susīma, the titans march against the gods!
Go, and march against the titans!’
‘Yes, lord,’ replied Susīma. But he fell into negligence.
For a second time …
For a third time …
Then Sakka addressed the godling Susīma in verse:
‘Susīma, go to that place
where you can achieve happiness
without working for it or trying hard—
and take me with you!’
‘That a lazy man who does no work,
and doesn’t do his duty,
should fulfill all his desires:
Sakka, render me this boon!’
‘Susīma, go to that place
where a lazy man who does no work
prospers in unending happiness—
and take me with you!’
‘O Sakka, first among gods,
that we might find the happiness
that’s sorrowless, unstressed:
Sakka, render me this boon!’
‘If there exists anywhere a place
where one can live happily without working,
that surely would be extinguishment’s path!
Susīma, go to that place
and take me with you!’
Since, mendicants, even that Sakka, lord of gods—while living off of the fruit of his good deeds, and ruling as sovereign lord over these gods of the thirty-three—will speak in praise of initiative and energy,
you can excel at this, for you who have gone forth in such a well explained teaching and training can try hard, strive, and make an effort to attain the unattained, achieve the unachieved, and realize the unrealized.”
Sāvatthiyaṁ.
Tatra kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi:
“bhikkhavo”ti.
“Bhadante”ti te bhikkhū bhagavato paccassosuṁ.
Bhagavā etadavoca:
“Bhūtapubbaṁ, bhikkhave, asurā deve abhiyaṁsu.
Atha kho, bhikkhave, sakko devānamindo susīmaṁ devaputtaṁ āmantesi:
‘ete, tāta susīma, asurā deve abhiyanti.
Gaccha, tāta susīma, asure paccuyyāhī’ti.
‘Evaṁ, bhaddantavā’ti kho, bhikkhave, susīmo devaputto sakkassa devānamindassa paṭissutvā pamādaṁ āpādesi.
Dutiyampi kho, bhikkhave, sakko devānamindo susīmaṁ devaputtaṁ āmantesi …pe…
dutiyampi pamādaṁ āpādesi.
Tatiyampi kho, bhikkhave, sakko devānamindo susīmaṁ devaputtaṁ āmantesi …pe…
tatiyampi pamādaṁ āpādesi.
Atha kho, bhikkhave, sakko devānamindo susīmaṁ devaputtaṁ gāthāya ajjhabhāsi:
‘Anuṭṭhahaṁ avāyāmaṁ,
sukhaṁ yatrādhigacchati;
Susīma tattha gacchāhi,
mañca tattheva pāpayā’ti.
‘Alasvassa anuṭṭhātā,
na ca kiccāni kāraye;
Sabbakāmasamiddhassa,
taṁ me sakka varaṁ disā’ti.
‘Yatthālaso anuṭṭhātā,
accantaṁ sukhamedhati;
Susīma tattha gacchāhi,
mañca tattheva pāpayā’ti.
‘Akammunā devaseṭṭha,
sakka vindemu yaṁ sukhaṁ;
Asokaṁ anupāyāsaṁ,
taṁ me sakka varaṁ disā’ti.
‘Sace atthi akammena,
koci kvaci na jīvati;
Nibbānassa hi so maggo,
susīma tattha gacchāhi;
Mañca tattheva pāpayā’ti.
So hi nāma, bhikkhave, sakko devānamindo sakaṁ puññaphalaṁ upajīvamāno devānaṁ tāvatiṁsānaṁ issariyādhipaccaṁ rajjaṁ kārento uṭṭhānavīriyassa vaṇṇavādī bhavissati.
Idha kho taṁ, bhikkhave, sobhetha, yaṁ tumhe evaṁ svākkhāte dhammavinaye pabbajitā samānā uṭṭhaheyyātha ghaṭeyyātha vāyameyyātha appattassa pattiyā, anadhigatassa adhigamāya, asacchikatassa sacchikiriyāyā”ti.