The Buddha teaches on Venerable Visākha, Pañcāli’s Son in the Connected Discourses with Bhikkhus, illustrating qualities and conduct on the path to liberation.

SN 21.7 With Visākha, Pañcāli’s Son

Evaṁ me sutaṁ ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā vesāliyaṁ viharati mahāvane kūṭāgārasālāyaṁ.

Tena kho pana samayena āyasmā visākho pañcālaputto upaṭṭhānasālāyaṁ bhikkhū dhammiyā kathāya sandasseti samādapeti samuttejeti sampahaṁseti, poriyā vācāya vissaṭṭhāya anelagalāya atthassa viññāpaniyā pariyāpannāya anissitāya.

Atha kho bhagavā sāyanhasamayaṁ paṭisallānā vuṭṭhito yena upaṭṭhānasālā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā paññatte āsane nisīdi. Nisajja kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi: “ko nu kho, bhikkhave, upaṭṭhānasālāyaṁ bhikkhū dhammiyā kathāya sandasseti samādapeti samuttejeti sampahaṁseti poriyā vācāya vissaṭṭhāya anelagalāya atthassa viññāpaniyā pariyāpannāya anissitāyā”ti?

“Āyasmā, bhante, visākho pañcālaputto upaṭṭhānasālāyaṁ bhikkhū dhammiyā kathāya sandasseti samādapeti samuttejeti sampahaṁseti, poriyā vācāya vissaṭṭhāya anelagalāya atthassa viññāpaniyā pariyāpannāya anissitāyā”ti.

Atha kho bhagavā āyasmantaṁ visākhaṁ pañcālaputtaṁ āmantesi:

“sādhu sādhu, visākha, sādhu kho tvaṁ, visākha, bhikkhū dhammiyā kathāya sandassesi …pe… atthassa viññāpaniyā pariyāpannāya anissitāyā”ti.

Idamavoca bhagavā. Idaṁ vatvāna sugato athāparaṁ etadavoca satthā:

“Nābhāsamānaṁ jānanti,
missaṁ bālehi paṇḍitaṁ;
Bhāsamānañca jānanti,
desentaṁ amataṁ padaṁ.

Bhāsaye jotaye dhammaṁ,
paggaṇhe isinaṁ dhajaṁ;
Subhāsitadhajā isayo,
dhammo hi isinaṁ dhajo”ti.

Sattamaṁ.

Reference Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0).

Evaṁ me sutaṁ

So I have heard.

ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā vesāliyaṁ viharati mahāvane kūṭāgārasālāyaṁ.

At one time the Buddha was staying near Vesālī, at the Great Wood, in the hall with the peaked roof.

Tena kho pana samayena āyasmā visākho pañcālaputto upaṭṭhānasālāyaṁ bhikkhū dhammiyā kathāya sandasseti samādapeti samuttejeti sampahaṁseti, poriyā vācāya vissaṭṭhāya anelagalāya atthassa viññāpaniyā pariyāpannāya anissitāya.

Now at that time Venerable Visākha, Pañcāli’s son, was educating, encouraging, firing up, and inspiring the mendicants in the assembly hall with a Dhamma talk. His words were polished, clear, articulate, expressing the meaning, comprehensive, and independent.

Atha kho bhagavā sāyanhasamayaṁ paṭisallānā vuṭṭhito yena upaṭṭhānasālā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā paññatte āsane nisīdi.

Then in the late afternoon, the Buddha came out of retreat and went to the assembly hall. He sat down on the seat spread out,

Nisajja kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi:

and addressed the mendicants:

“ko nu kho, bhikkhave, upaṭṭhānasālāyaṁ bhikkhū dhammiyā kathāya sandasseti samādapeti samuttejeti sampahaṁseti poriyā vācāya vissaṭṭhāya anelagalāya atthassa viññāpaniyā pariyāpannāya anissitāyā”ti?

“Mendicants, who was educating, encouraging, firing up, and inspiring the mendicants in the assembly hall with a Dhamma talk?”

“Āyasmā, bhante, visākho pañcālaputto upaṭṭhānasālāyaṁ bhikkhū dhammiyā kathāya sandasseti samādapeti samuttejeti sampahaṁseti, poriyā vācāya vissaṭṭhāya anelagalāya atthassa viññāpaniyā pariyāpannāya anissitāyā”ti.

“Sir, it was Venerable Visākha, Pañcāli’s son.”

Atha kho bhagavā āyasmantaṁ visākhaṁ pañcālaputtaṁ āmantesi:

Then the Buddha said to Visākha:

“sādhu sādhu, visākha,

“Good, good, Visākha!

sādhu kho tvaṁ, visākha, bhikkhū dhammiyā kathāya sandassesi …pe… atthassa viññāpaniyā pariyāpannāya anissitāyā”ti.

It’s good that you educate, encourage, fire up, and inspire the mendicants in the assembly hall with a Dhamma talk, with words that are polished, clear, articulate, expressing the meaning, comprehensive, and independent.”

Idamavoca bhagavā.

That is what the Buddha said.

Idaṁ vatvāna sugato athāparaṁ etadavoca satthā:

Then the Holy One, the Teacher, went on to say:

“Nābhāsamānaṁ jānanti,

“Though an astute person is mixed up with fools,

missaṁ bālehi paṇḍitaṁ;

they don’t know unless he speaks.

Bhāsamānañca jānanti,

But when he speaks they know,

desentaṁ amataṁ padaṁ.

he’s teaching the state free of death.

Bhāsaye jotaye dhammaṁ,

He should speak and illustrate the teaching,

paggaṇhe isinaṁ dhajaṁ;

holding up the banner of the seers.

Subhāsitadhajā isayo,

Words well spoken are the seers’ banner,

dhammo hi isinaṁ dhajo”ti.

for the teaching is the banner of the seers.”

Sattamaṁ.

Qualities:

Immaturity

Immaturity

A childish lack of discernment that fails to see the results of actions clearly. It delights in surface pleasure and ignores consequence. Immaturity leads to poor choices and association with unwise companions.

Also known as: lacking in discernment, lacking in good sense, child-like in understanding, lack of wisdom, lack of experience, foolishness
Pāli: bāla
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Wholesome

Wholesome

Conducive to or suggestive of good health and mental well-being.

Also known as: blameless, skillful, beneficial, good, useful, healthy, nourishing, sustaining
Pāli: kusala
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Wisdom

Wisdom

Lived understanding and sound judgment that steers the mind away from suffering, distinct from mere accumulation of facts.

Also known as: (of a person) wise, astute, intelligent, learned, skilled, firm, stable, steadfast, an experiential understanding of the four noble truths
Pāli: paññā, medhā, dhīra, paṇḍita, asammūḷha
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Last updated on July 27, 2026