SN 11.7 Not Betray

Reference Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0).

Sāvatthiyaṁ.

At Sāvatthī.

“Bhūtapubbaṁ, bhikkhave, sakkassa devānamindassa rahogatassa paṭisallīnassa evaṁ cetaso parivitakko udapādi:

“Once upon a time, mendicants, as Sakka, lord of gods, was in private retreat this thought came to his mind,

‘yopi me assa supaccatthiko tassapāhaṁ na dubbheyyan’ti.

‘I should never betray even a sworn enemy.’

Atha kho, bhikkhave, vepacitti asurindo sakkassa devānamindassa cetasā cetoparivitakkamaññāya yena sakko devānamindo tenupasaṅkami.

And then Vepacitti, lord of titans, knowing Sakka’s train of thought, approached him.

Addasā kho, bhikkhave, sakko devānamindo vepacittiṁ asurindaṁ dūratova āgacchantaṁ.

Sakka saw Vepacitti coming off in the distance,

Disvāna vepacittiṁ asurindaṁ etadavoca:

and said to him,

‘tiṭṭha, vepacitti, gahitosī’ti.

‘Stop, Vepacitti, you’re caught!’

‘Yadeva te, mārisa, pubbe cittaṁ, tadeva tvaṁ mā pajahāsī’ti.

‘Good fellow, don’t give up the idea you just had!’

‘Sapassu ca me, vepacitti, adubbhāyā’ti.

‘Swear, Vepacitti, that you won’t betray me.’

‘Yaṁ musā bhaṇato pāpaṁ,

‘Whatever bad things happen to a liar,

Yaṁ pāpaṁ ariyūpavādino;

or to someone who slanders the noble ones,

Mittadduno ca yaṁ pāpaṁ,

or to someone who betrays a friend,

Yaṁ pāpaṁ akataññuno;

or to someone who’s ungrateful,

Tameva pāpaṁ phusatu,

the same bad things impact

Yo te dubbhe sujampatī’”ti.

anyone who betrays you, Sujā’s husband.’”