UD 3.7  Sakkudāna sutta - Sakka’s Inspired Utterance

Evaṁ me sutaṁ— ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā rājagahe viharati veḷuvane kalandakanivāpe. Tena kho pana samayena āyasmā mahākassapo pippaliguhāyaṁ viharati, sattāhaṁ ekapallaṅkena nisinno hoti aññataraṁ samādhiṁ samāpajjitvā. Atha kho āyasmā mahākassapo tassa sattāhassa accayena tamhā samādhimhā vuṭṭhāsi. Atha kho āyasmato mahākassapassa tamhā samādhimhā vuṭṭhitassa etadahosi: “yannūnāhaṁ rājagahaṁ piṇḍāya paviseyyan”ti.

Thus have I heard—At one time, the Blessed One was dwelling at |Rājagaha::name of a city; capital of Magadha; lit. king’s house [rājagaha]|, in the Bamboo grove, the Squirrels’ feeding ground. Now at that time, the venerable |Mahākassapa::foremost disciple of the Buddha in preaching ascetic practices; lit. Kassapa the great [mahākassapa]| was dwelling in the |Pippali Cave::name of a cave in Rājagaha [pippaliguhā]|—seated in one sitting posture for seven days, having entered upon a certain state of |collectedness::stability of mind, stillness of mind, mental composure [samādhi]|. Then, with the passing of those seven days, the venerable Mahākassapa emerged from that state of collectedness. Upon emerging from that state of collectedness, this thought occurred to him: “Perhaps I should enter Rājagaha for alms.”

Tena kho pana samayena pañcamattāni devatāsatāni ussukkaṁ āpannāni honti āyasmato mahākassapassa piṇḍapātapaṭilābhāya. Atha kho āyasmā mahākassapo tāni pañcamattāni devatāsatāni paṭikkhipitvā pubbaṇhasamayaṁ nivāsetvā pattacīvaramādāya rājagahaṁ piṇḍāya pāvisi.

Now at that time, some five hundred deities were exerting themselves for the venerable Mahākassapa’s obtaining of alms food. But the venerable Mahākassapa, having rejected those five hundred deities, dressed early in the morning, taking his alms bowl and outer robe, entered Rājagaha for alms.

Tena kho pana samayena sakko devānamindo āyasmato mahākassapassa piṇḍapātaṁ dātukāmo hoti. Pesakāravaṇṇaṁ abhinimminitvā tantaṁ vināti. Sujā asurakaññā tasaraṁ pūreti. Atha kho āyasmā mahākassapo rājagahe sapadānaṁ piṇḍāya caramāno yena sakkassa devānamindassa nivesanaṁ tenupasaṅkami. Addasā kho sakko devānamindo āyasmantaṁ mahākassapaṁ dūratova āgacchantaṁ. Disvāna gharā nikkhamitvā paccuggantvā hatthato pattaṁ gahetvā gharaṁ pavisitvā ghaṭiyā odanaṁ uddharitvā pattaṁ pūretvā āyasmato mahākassapassa adāsi. So ahosi piṇḍapāto anekasūpo anekabyañjano anekarasabyañjano. Atha kho āyasmato mahākassapassa etadahosi: “ko nu kho ayaṁ satto yassāyaṁ evarūpo iddhānubhāvo”ti? Atha kho āyasmato mahākassapassa etadahosi: “sakko kho ayaṁ devānamindo”ti. Iti viditvā sakkaṁ devānamindaṁ etadavoca: “kataṁ kho te idaṁ, kosiya; mā punapi evarūpamakāsī”ti. “Amhākampi, bhante kassapa, puññena attho; amhākampi puññena karaṇīyan”ti.

Now at that time, |Sakka::name of the king of the deities [sakka]|, lord of the gods, wanted to give alms food to the venerable Mahākassapa. Having created the appearance of a weaver, he worked the loom while the |Asura::titan [asura]| maiden |Sujā::name of Sakka’s wife [sujā]| filled the spindle. Then the venerable Mahākassapa, wandering |uninterruptedly::without skipping houses or taking a break [sapadānaṃ]| for alms in Rājagaha, approached the dwelling of Sakka, lord of the gods. Sakka, lord of the gods, saw the venerable Mahākassapa coming from afar. Having seen him, he exited the house, went out to meet him, took the bowl from his hand, entered the house, took rice from the pot, filled the bowl, and gave it to the venerable Mahākassapa. That alms food had various sauces, many spiced dishes, and curries with many different flavors. Then it occurred to the venerable Mahākassapa: “Who is this being who has such supernormal power?” Then it occurred to the venerable Mahākassapa: “This is Sakka, lord of the gods.” Having realized this, he said to Sakka, lord of the gods: “You have done this, |Kosiya::family name of Sakka; lit. from a cocoon [kosiya]|. Do not do such a thing again.” “We too, venerable Kassapa, have need of merit; we too must make merit.”

Atha kho sakko devānamindo āyasmantaṁ mahākassapaṁ abhivādetvā padakkhiṇaṁ katvā vehāsaṁ abbhuggantvā ākāse antalikkhe tikkhattuṁ udānaṁ udānesi: “aho dānaṁ paramadānaṁ kassape suppatiṭṭhitaṁ. Aho dānaṁ paramadānaṁ kassape suppatiṭṭhitaṁ. Aho dānaṁ paramadānaṁ kassape suppatiṭṭhitan”ti. Assosi kho bhagavā dibbāya sotadhātuyā visuddhāya atikkantamānusikāya sakkassa devānamindassa vehāsaṁ abbhuggantvā ākāse antalikkhe tikkhattuṁ udānaṁ udānentassa: “aho dānaṁ paramadānaṁ kassape suppatiṭṭhitaṁ. Aho dānaṁ paramadānaṁ kassape suppatiṭṭhitaṁ. Aho dānaṁ paramadānaṁ kassape suppatiṭṭhitan”ti.

Then Sakka, lord of the gods, bowed down to the venerable Mahākassapa, circumambulated him, and rose up into the air. Hovering in the open sky, he exclaimed this inspired utterance three times: “Truly, the giving of the supreme gift is well established in Kassapa! Truly, the giving of the supreme gift is well established in Kassapa! Truly, the giving of the supreme gift is well established in Kassapa!” The Blessed One, with the |divine ear element::clairaudience, the divine auditory faculty [dibba + sotadhātu]|, purified and surpassing the human range, heard Sakka, lord of the gods, as he rose into the air and exclaimed this inspired utterance three times: “Truly, the giving of the supreme gift is well established in Kassapa! Truly, the giving of the supreme gift is well established in Kassapa! Truly, the giving of the supreme gift is well established in Kassapa!”

Atha kho bhagavā etamatthaṁ viditvā tāyaṁ velāyaṁ imaṁ udānaṁ udānesi:

Then, understanding the significance of this, the Blessed One at that time expressed this inspired utterance:

“Piṇḍapātikassa bhikkhuno,
Attabharassa anaññaposino;
Devā pihayanti tādino,
Upasantassa sadā satīmato”ti.

“A bhikkhu who lives on alms food,
self-supported, |who supports no other::not nurturing another, not supporting another state of existence [anaññaposi]|;
Even the gods |covet::desire, endeavour for, long for [pihayati]| such a one,
who is |composed::calmed, tranquil [upasanta]| and ever |mindful::attentive, fully present [satīmant]|.”