Reference Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0).
Sāvatthiyaṁ jetavane.
Near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove.
Tatra kho …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 bhikkhusaṅghaṁ namassati.
Then Sakka descended from the Palace of Victory, raised his cupped palms, and revered the mendicant Saṅgha.
Atha kho, bhikkhave, mātali saṅgāhako sakkaṁ devānamindaṁ gāthāya ajjhabhāsi:
So Mātali the chariot handler addressed Sakka in verse:
‘Tañhi ete namasseyyuṁ,
‘It’s these who should worship you,
pūtidehasayā narā;
namely the humans stuck in their putrid bodies,
Nimuggā kuṇapamhete,
sunk in a carcass,
khuppipāsasamappitā.
stricken by hunger and thirst.
Kiṁ nu tesaṁ pihayasi,
Why then do you envy those
anāgārāna vāsava;
who are homeless, Vāsava?
Ācāraṁ isinaṁ brūhi,
Relate the seers’ way of life,
taṁ suṇoma vaco tavā’ti.
let us hear what you say.’
‘Etaṁ tesaṁ pihayāmi,
‘This is why I envy the
anāgārāna mātali;
homeless, Mātali.
Yamhā gāmā pakkamanti,
When they leave a village,
anapekkhā vajanti te.
they proceed without concern.
Na tesaṁ koṭṭhe openti,
They hoard no goods in storerooms,
na kumbhi na kaḷopiyaṁ;
nor in pots or baskets.
Paraniṭṭhitamesānā,
They seek food prepared by others,
tena yāpenti subbatā.
and, true to their vows, live on that.
Sumantamantino dhīrā,
The attentive, whose words are full of wisdom,
tuṇhībhūtā samañcarā;
live peacefully and quietly.
Devā viruddhā asurehi,
Gods fight with titans,
puthu maccā ca mātali.
and mortals fight each other, Mātali.
Aviruddhā viruddhesu,
Not fighting among those who fight,
attadaṇḍesu nibbutā;
quenched among those who have taken up arms,
Sādānesu anādānā,
not grasping among those who grasp:
te namassāmi mātalī’ti.
they’re who I worship, Mātali.’
‘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, Vāsava.’
Idaṁ vatvāna maghavā,
After saying this, Maghavā the chief,
devarājā sujampati;
king of gods, Sujā’s husband,
Bhikkhusaṅghaṁ namassitvā,
having worshiped the mendicant Saṅgha,
pamukho rathamāruhīti.
climbed into his chariot.”
Dutiyo vaggo.
Tassuddānaṁ
Devā pana tayo vuttā,
daliddañca rāmaṇeyyakaṁ;
Yajamānañca vandanā,
tayo sakkanamassanāti.
Reference Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0).
Near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove.
“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 mendicant Saṅgha.
So Mātali the chariot handler addressed Sakka in verse:
‘It’s these who should worship you,
namely the humans stuck in their putrid bodies,
sunk in a carcass,
stricken by hunger and thirst.
Why then do you envy those
who are homeless, Vāsava?
Relate the seers’ way of life,
let us hear what you say.’
‘This is why I envy the
homeless, Mātali.
When they leave a village,
they proceed without concern.
They hoard no goods in storerooms,
nor in pots or baskets.
They seek food prepared by others,
and, true to their vows, live on that.
The attentive, whose words are full of wisdom,
live peacefully and quietly.
Gods fight with titans,
and mortals fight each other, Mātali.
Not fighting among those who fight,
quenched among those who have taken up arms,
not grasping among those who grasp:
they’re who I worship, Mātali.’
‘Those who you worship
seem to be the best in the world, Sakka.
I too will worship
those who you worship, Vāsava.’
After saying this, Maghavā the chief,
king of gods, Sujā’s husband,
having worshiped the mendicant Saṅgha,
climbed into his chariot.”
Sāvatthiyaṁ jetavane.
Tatra kho …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 bhikkhusaṅghaṁ namassati.
Atha kho, bhikkhave, mātali saṅgāhako sakkaṁ devānamindaṁ gāthāya ajjhabhāsi:
‘Tañhi ete namasseyyuṁ,
pūtidehasayā narā;
Nimuggā kuṇapamhete,
khuppipāsasamappitā.
Kiṁ nu tesaṁ pihayasi,
anāgārāna vāsava;
Ācāraṁ isinaṁ brūhi,
taṁ suṇoma vaco tavā’ti.
‘Etaṁ tesaṁ pihayāmi,
anāgārāna mātali;
Yamhā gāmā pakkamanti,
anapekkhā vajanti te.
Na tesaṁ koṭṭhe openti,
na kumbhi na kaḷopiyaṁ;
Paraniṭṭhitamesānā,
tena yāpenti subbatā.
Sumantamantino dhīrā,
tuṇhībhūtā samañcarā;
Devā viruddhā asurehi,
puthu maccā ca mātali.
Aviruddhā viruddhesu,
attadaṇḍesu nibbutā;
Sādānesu anādānā,
te namassāmi mātalī’ti.
‘Seṭṭhā hi kira lokasmiṁ,
ye tvaṁ sakka namassasi;
Ahampi te namassāmi,
ye namassasi vāsavā’”ti.
Idaṁ vatvāna maghavā,
devarājā sujampati;
Bhikkhusaṅghaṁ namassitvā,
pamukho rathamāruhīti.
Dutiyo vaggo.
Tassuddānaṁ
Devā pana tayo vuttā,
daliddañca rāmaṇeyyakaṁ;
Yajamānañca vandanā,
tayo sakkanamassanāti.