Reference Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0).
Sāvatthinidānaṁ.
At Sāvatthī.
Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho rājā pasenadi kosalo bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:
Seated to one side, King Pasenadi said to the Buddha,
“kattha nu kho, bhante, dānaṁ dātabban”ti?
“Sir, where should a gift be given?”
“Yattha kho, mahārāja, cittaṁ pasīdatī”ti.
“Wherever your heart feels inspired, great king.”
“Kattha pana, bhante, dinnaṁ mahapphalan”ti?
“But sir, where is a gift very fruitful?”
“Aññaṁ kho etaṁ, mahārāja, kattha dānaṁ dātabbaṁ, aññaṁ panetaṁ kattha dinnaṁ mahapphalanti?
“Where a gift should be given is one thing, great king, but where a gift is very fruitful is another.
Sīlavato kho, mahārāja, dinnaṁ mahapphalaṁ, no tathā dussīle.
A gift is very fruitful when it’s given to an ethical person, not so much to an unethical person.
Tena hi, mahārāja, taññevettha paṭipucchissāmi. Yathā, te khameyya, tathā naṁ byākareyyāsi.
Well then, great king, I’ll ask you about this in return, and you can answer as you like.
Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, mahārāja,
What do you think, great king?
idha tyassa yuddhaṁ paccupaṭṭhitaṁ saṅgāmo samupabyūḷho.
Suppose you were at war, ready to fight a battle.
Atha āgaccheyya khattiyakumāro asikkhito akatahattho akatayoggo akatūpāsano bhīru chambhī utrāsī palāyī.
Then along comes an aristocrat youth who is untrained, inexpert, unfit, inexperienced. And he’s fearful, scared, nervous, quick to flee.
Bhareyyāsi taṁ purisaṁ, attho ca te tādisena purisenā”ti?
Would you employ such a man? Would he be of any use to you?”
“Nāhaṁ, bhante, bhareyyaṁ taṁ purisaṁ, na ca me attho tādisena purisenā”ti.
“No, sir, I would have no use for such a man.”
“Atha āgaccheyya brāhmaṇakumāro asikkhito …pe…
“What about a brahmin youth,
atha āgaccheyya vessakumāro asikkhito …pe…
a peasant youth,
atha āgaccheyya suddakumāro asikkhito …pe…
or a menial youth who was similar?”
na ca me attho tādisena purisenā”ti.
“No, sir, I would have no use for such a man.”
“Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, mahārāja,
“What do you think, great king?
idha tyassa yuddhaṁ paccupaṭṭhitaṁ saṅgāmo samupabyūḷho.
Suppose you were at war, ready to fight a battle.
Atha āgaccheyya khattiyakumāro susikkhito katahattho katayoggo katūpāsano abhīru acchambhī anutrāsī apalāyī.
Then along comes an aristocrat youth who is trained, expert, fit, experienced. And he’s fearless, brave, bold, standing his ground.
Bhareyyāsi taṁ purisaṁ, attho ca te tādisena purisenā”ti?
Would you employ such a man? Would he be of any use to you?”
“Bhareyyāhaṁ, bhante, taṁ purisaṁ, attho ca me tādisena purisenā”ti.
“Yes, sir, I would have a use for such a man.”
“Atha āgaccheyya brāhmaṇakumāro …pe…
“What about a brahmin youth,
atha āgaccheyya vessakumāro …pe…
a peasant youth,
atha āgaccheyya suddakumāro susikkhito katahattho katayoggo katūpāsano abhīru acchambhī anutrāsī apalāyī.
or a menial youth who was similar?
Bhareyyāsi taṁ purisaṁ, attho ca te tādisena purisenā”ti?
Would you employ such a man? Would he be of any use to you?”
“Bhareyyāhaṁ, bhante, taṁ purisaṁ, attho ca me tādisena purisenā”ti.
“Yes, sir, I would have a use for such a man.”
“Evameva kho, mahārāja, yasmā kasmā cepi kulā agārasmā anagāriyaṁ pabbajito hoti, so ca hoti pañcaṅgavippahīno pañcaṅgasamannāgato, tasmiṁ dinnaṁ mahapphalaṁ hoti.
“In the same way, a gift to anyone who has given up five factors and possesses five factors is very fruitful, no matter what family they’ve gone forth from.
Katamāni pañcaṅgāni pahīnāni honti?
What are the five factors they’ve given up?
Kāmacchando pahīno hoti, byāpādo pahīno hoti, thinamiddhaṁ pahīnaṁ hoti, uddhaccakukkuccaṁ pahīnaṁ hoti, vicikicchā pahīnā hoti.
Sensual desire, ill will, dullness and drowsiness, restlessness and remorse, and doubt.
Imāni pañcaṅgāni pahīnāni honti.
These are the five factors they’ve given up.
Katamehi pañcahaṅgehi samannāgato hoti?
What are the five factors they possess?
Asekkhena sīlakkhandhena samannāgato hoti, asekkhena samādhikkhandhena samannāgato hoti, asekkhena paññākkhandhena samannāgato hoti, asekkhena vimuttikkhandhena samannāgato hoti, asekkhena vimuttiñāṇadassanakkhandhena samannāgato hoti.
The entire spectrum of an adept’s ethics, immersion, wisdom, freedom, and knowledge and vision of freedom.
Imehi pañcahaṅgehi samannāgato hoti.
These are the five factors they possess.
Iti pañcaṅgavippahīne pañcaṅgasamannāgate dinnaṁ mahapphalan”ti.
I say that a gift to anyone who has given up these five factors and possesses these five factors is very fruitful.”
Idamavoca bhagavā …pe…
That is what the Buddha said.
satthā:
Then the Holy One, the Teacher, went on to say:
“Issattaṁ balavīriyañca,
“Any youth skilled at archery,
yasmiṁ vijjetha māṇave;
powerful and vigorous,
Taṁ yuddhattho bhare rājā,
would be employed by a king going to war—
nāsūraṁ jātipaccayā.
one is not a coward by reason of birth.
Tatheva khantisoraccaṁ,
Just so, whoever is settled
dhammā yasmiṁ patiṭṭhitā;
in the qualities of patience and gentleness,
Ariyavuttiṁ medhāviṁ,
a clever person with noble conduct,
hīnajaccampi pūjaye.
should be venerated even if they’re low born.
Kāraye assame ramme,
You should build lovely hermitages
vāsayettha bahussute;
and settle learned people in them.
Papañca vivane kayirā,
You should set up water supplies in barren regions
dugge saṅkamanāni ca.
and passages in places hard to travel.
Annaṁ pānaṁ khādanīyaṁ,
Food, drink, edibles,
vatthasenāsanāni ca;
clothes, and lodgings
Dadeyya ujubhūtesu,
should be given to the upright ones,
vippasannena cetasā.
with a clear and confident heart.
Yathā hi megho thanayaṁ,
The thundering rain cloud,
vijjumālī satakkaku;
its hundred peaks wreathed in lightning,
Thalaṁ ninnañca pūreti,
pours down over the rich earth,
abhivassaṁ vasundharaṁ.
soaking the uplands and valleys.
Tatheva saddho sutavā,
So too an astute person,
abhisaṅkhacca bhojanaṁ;
faithful and learned,
Vanibbake tappayati,
should prepare a meal to satisfy
annapānena paṇḍito.
supplicants with food and drink.
Āmodamāno pakireti,
Rejoicing, they strew gifts about,
detha dethāti bhāsati;
crying ‘Give! give!’
Taṁ hissa gajjitaṁ hoti,
For that is their thunder,
devasseva pavassato;
like rain sent from the heavens.
Sā puññadhārā vipulā,
That stream of merit so abundant
dātāraṁ abhivassatī”ti.
showers down on the giver.”
Reference Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0).
At Sāvatthī.
Seated to one side, King Pasenadi said to the Buddha,
“Sir, where should a gift be given?”
“Wherever your heart feels inspired, great king.”
“But sir, where is a gift very fruitful?”
“Where a gift should be given is one thing, great king, but where a gift is very fruitful is another.
A gift is very fruitful when it’s given to an ethical person, not so much to an unethical person.
Well then, great king, I’ll ask you about this in return, and you can answer as you like.
What do you think, great king?
Suppose you were at war, ready to fight a battle.
Then along comes an aristocrat youth who is untrained, inexpert, unfit, inexperienced. And he’s fearful, scared, nervous, quick to flee.
Would you employ such a man? Would he be of any use to you?”
“No, sir, I would have no use for such a man.”
“What about a brahmin youth,
a peasant youth,
or a menial youth who was similar?”
“No, sir, I would have no use for such a man.”
“What do you think, great king?
Suppose you were at war, ready to fight a battle.
Then along comes an aristocrat youth who is trained, expert, fit, experienced. And he’s fearless, brave, bold, standing his ground.
Would you employ such a man? Would he be of any use to you?”
“Yes, sir, I would have a use for such a man.”
“What about a brahmin youth,
a peasant youth,
or a menial youth who was similar?
Would you employ such a man? Would he be of any use to you?”
“Yes, sir, I would have a use for such a man.”
“In the same way, a gift to anyone who has given up five factors and possesses five factors is very fruitful, no matter what family they’ve gone forth from.
What are the five factors they’ve given up?
Sensual desire, ill will, dullness and drowsiness, restlessness and remorse, and doubt.
These are the five factors they’ve given up.
What are the five factors they possess?
The entire spectrum of an adept’s ethics, immersion, wisdom, freedom, and knowledge and vision of freedom.
These are the five factors they possess.
I say that a gift to anyone who has given up these five factors and possesses these five factors is very fruitful.”
That is what the Buddha said.
Then the Holy One, the Teacher, went on to say:
“Any youth skilled at archery,
powerful and vigorous,
would be employed by a king going to war—
one is not a coward by reason of birth.
Just so, whoever is settled
in the qualities of patience and gentleness,
a clever person with noble conduct,
should be venerated even if they’re low born.
You should build lovely hermitages
and settle learned people in them.
You should set up water supplies in barren regions
and passages in places hard to travel.
Food, drink, edibles,
clothes, and lodgings
should be given to the upright ones,
with a clear and confident heart.
The thundering rain cloud,
its hundred peaks wreathed in lightning,
pours down over the rich earth,
soaking the uplands and valleys.
So too an astute person,
faithful and learned,
should prepare a meal to satisfy
supplicants with food and drink.
Rejoicing, they strew gifts about,
crying ‘Give! give!’
For that is their thunder,
like rain sent from the heavens.
That stream of merit so abundant
showers down on the giver.”
Sāvatthinidānaṁ.
Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho rājā pasenadi kosalo bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:
“kattha nu kho, bhante, dānaṁ dātabban”ti?
“Yattha kho, mahārāja, cittaṁ pasīdatī”ti.
“Kattha pana, bhante, dinnaṁ mahapphalan”ti?
“Aññaṁ kho etaṁ, mahārāja, kattha dānaṁ dātabbaṁ, aññaṁ panetaṁ kattha dinnaṁ mahapphalanti?
Sīlavato kho, mahārāja, dinnaṁ mahapphalaṁ, no tathā dussīle.
Tena hi, mahārāja, taññevettha paṭipucchissāmi. Yathā, te khameyya, tathā naṁ byākareyyāsi.
Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, mahārāja,
idha tyassa yuddhaṁ paccupaṭṭhitaṁ saṅgāmo samupabyūḷho.
Atha āgaccheyya khattiyakumāro asikkhito akatahattho akatayoggo akatūpāsano bhīru chambhī utrāsī palāyī.
Bhareyyāsi taṁ purisaṁ, attho ca te tādisena purisenā”ti?
“Nāhaṁ, bhante, bhareyyaṁ taṁ purisaṁ, na ca me attho tādisena purisenā”ti.
“Atha āgaccheyya brāhmaṇakumāro asikkhito …pe…
atha āgaccheyya vessakumāro asikkhito …pe…
atha āgaccheyya suddakumāro asikkhito …pe…
na ca me attho tādisena purisenā”ti.
“Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, mahārāja,
idha tyassa yuddhaṁ paccupaṭṭhitaṁ saṅgāmo samupabyūḷho.
Atha āgaccheyya khattiyakumāro susikkhito katahattho katayoggo katūpāsano abhīru acchambhī anutrāsī apalāyī.
Bhareyyāsi taṁ purisaṁ, attho ca te tādisena purisenā”ti?
“Bhareyyāhaṁ, bhante, taṁ purisaṁ, attho ca me tādisena purisenā”ti.
“Atha āgaccheyya brāhmaṇakumāro …pe…
atha āgaccheyya vessakumāro …pe…
atha āgaccheyya suddakumāro susikkhito katahattho katayoggo katūpāsano abhīru acchambhī anutrāsī apalāyī.
Bhareyyāsi taṁ purisaṁ, attho ca te tādisena purisenā”ti?
“Bhareyyāhaṁ, bhante, taṁ purisaṁ, attho ca me tādisena purisenā”ti.
“Evameva kho, mahārāja, yasmā kasmā cepi kulā agārasmā anagāriyaṁ pabbajito hoti, so ca hoti pañcaṅgavippahīno pañcaṅgasamannāgato, tasmiṁ dinnaṁ mahapphalaṁ hoti.
Katamāni pañcaṅgāni pahīnāni honti?
Kāmacchando pahīno hoti, byāpādo pahīno hoti, thinamiddhaṁ pahīnaṁ hoti, uddhaccakukkuccaṁ pahīnaṁ hoti, vicikicchā pahīnā hoti.
Imāni pañcaṅgāni pahīnāni honti.
Katamehi pañcahaṅgehi samannāgato hoti?
Asekkhena sīlakkhandhena samannāgato hoti, asekkhena samādhikkhandhena samannāgato hoti, asekkhena paññākkhandhena samannāgato hoti, asekkhena vimuttikkhandhena samannāgato hoti, asekkhena vimuttiñāṇadassanakkhandhena samannāgato hoti.
Imehi pañcahaṅgehi samannāgato hoti.
Iti pañcaṅgavippahīne pañcaṅgasamannāgate dinnaṁ mahapphalan”ti.
Idamavoca bhagavā …pe…
satthā:
“Issattaṁ balavīriyañca,
yasmiṁ vijjetha māṇave;
Taṁ yuddhattho bhare rājā,
nāsūraṁ jātipaccayā.
Tatheva khantisoraccaṁ,
dhammā yasmiṁ patiṭṭhitā;
Ariyavuttiṁ medhāviṁ,
hīnajaccampi pūjaye.
Kāraye assame ramme,
vāsayettha bahussute;
Papañca vivane kayirā,
dugge saṅkamanāni ca.
Annaṁ pānaṁ khādanīyaṁ,
vatthasenāsanāni ca;
Dadeyya ujubhūtesu,
vippasannena cetasā.
Yathā hi megho thanayaṁ,
vijjumālī satakkaku;
Thalaṁ ninnañca pūreti,
abhivassaṁ vasundharaṁ.
Tatheva saddho sutavā,
abhisaṅkhacca bhojanaṁ;
Vanibbake tappayati,
annapānena paṇḍito.
Āmodamāno pakireti,
detha dethāti bhāsati;
Taṁ hissa gajjitaṁ hoti,
devasseva pavassato;
Sā puññadhārā vipulā,
dātāraṁ abhivassatī”ti.