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Mv VI 15
PTS: Mv VI 28.7 | CS: vin.mv.06.15
Sunīdhavassakāravatthu
'Line by Line'
The Story of Sunīdha and Vassakāra
by
Ven. Khematto Bhikkhu
Alternate translations/layout: 'read-friendly' layout

174. Sunīdhavassakāravatthu
The Story of Sunīdha and Vassakāra

[71] tena kho pana samayena sunīdhavassakārā magadhamahāmattā pāṭaligāme nagaraṁ māpenti vajjīnaṁ paṭibāhāya.

Now on that occasion, Sunīdha & Vassakāra, the chief ministers of Magadha, were building a fortified city at Pāṭali Village to preempt the Vajjians.

addasā kho bhagavā rattiyā paccūsasamayaṁ paccuṭṭhāya dibbena cakkhunā visuddhena atikkantamānusakena sambahulā devatāyo pāṭaligāme vatthūni pariggaṇhantiyo

Then, getting up in the last watch of the night, the Blessed One, with the divine eye — purified and surpassing the human — saw many devas occupying sites in Pāṭali Village.

yasmiṁ padese mahesakkhā devatā vatthūni pariggaṇhanti mahesakkhānaṁ tattha rājūnaṁ rājamahāmattānaṁ cittāni namanti nivesanāni māpetuṁ

In the area where devas of great influence occupied sites, there the minds of the king’s royal ministers of great influence were inclined to build their homes.

yasmiṁ padese majjhimā devatā vatthūni pariggaṇhanti majjhimānaṁ tattha rājūnaṁ rājamahāmattānaṁ cittāni namanti nivesanāni māpetuṁ

In the area where devas of middling influence occupied sites, there the minds of the king’s royal ministers of middling influence were inclined to build their homes.

yasmiṁ padese nīcā devatā vatthūni pariggaṇhanti nīcānaṁ tattha rājūnaṁ rājamahāmattānaṁ cittāni namanti nivesanāni māpetuṁ.

In the area where devas of low influence occupied sites, there the minds of the king’s royal ministers of low influence were inclined to build their homes.

(Mv.VI.28.8) athakho bhagavā āyasmantaṁ ānandaṁ āmantesi ke nu kho te ānanda pāṭaligāme nagaraṁ māpentīti.

So the Blessed One addressed Ven. Ānanda, “Ānanda, who is building a city at Pāṭali Village?”

sunīdhavassakārā bhante magadhamahāmattā pāṭaligāme nagaraṁ māpenti vajjīnaṁ paṭibāhāyāti.

“Lord, Sunīdha & Vassakāra, the chief ministers of Magadha, are building a city at Pāṭali Village to preempt the Vajjians.”

seyyathāpi nāma ānanda devehi tāvatiṁsehi saddhiṁ mantetvā evameva kho ānanda sunīdhavassakārā magadhamahāmattā pāṭaligāme nagaraṁ māpenti vajjīnaṁ paṭibāhāya

“Ānanda, it’s as if they had consulted the devas of the Thirty-three: That’s how & Vassakāra, the chief ministers of Magadha, are building a city at Pāṭali Village to preempt the Vajjians.

idhāhaṁ ānanda rattiyā paccūsasamayaṁ paccuṭṭhāya addasaṁ dibbena cakkhunā visuddhena atikkantamānusakena sambahulā devatāyo pāṭaligāme vatthūni pariggaṇhantiyo

“Just now, Ānanda, getting up in the last watch of the night, I saw, with the divine eye — purified and surpassing the human — many devas occupying sites in Pāṭali Village.

yasmiṁ padese mahesakkhā devatā vatthūni pariggaṇhanti mahesakkhānaṁ tattha rājūnaṁ rājamahāmattānaṁ cittāni namanti nivesanāni māpetuṁ yasmiṁ padese majjhimā devatā vatthūni pariggaṇhanti majjhimānaṁ tattha rājūnaṁ rājamahāmattānaṁ cittāni namanti nivesanāni māpetuṁ yasmiṁ padese nīcā devatā vatthūni pariggaṇhanti nīcānaṁ tattha rājūnaṁ rājamahāmattānaṁ cittāni namanti nivesanāni māpetuṁ

“In the area where devas of great influence occupy sites, there the minds of the king’s royal ministers of great influence are inclined to build their homes. In the area where devas of middling influence occupy sites, there the minds of the king’s royal ministers of middling influence are inclined to build their homes. In the area where devas of low influence occupy sites, there the minds of the king’s royal ministers of low influence are inclined to build their homes.

yāvatā ānanda ariyānaṁ āyatanaṁ yāvatā vaṇijjapatho idaṁ agganagaraṁ bhavissati pāṭaliputtaṁ puṭabhedanaṁ pāṭaliputtassa kho ānanda tayo antarāyā bhavissanti aggito vā udakato vā abbhantarato [‘abbhantarato’ missing in ME] vā mithubhedāti.

“Ānanda, as far as the sphere of the Aryans extends, as far as merchants’ roads extend, this will be the supreme city: Pāṭaliputta, where the seedpods (of the Pāṭali plant) break open. There will be three dangers for Pāṭaliputta: from fire, from water, or from the breaking of internal alliances.”

(Mv.VI.28.9) [72] atha kho sunīdhavassakārā magadhamahāmattā yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkamiṁsu upasaṅkamitvā bhagavatā saddhiṁ sammodiṁsu sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sārāṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ aṭṭhaṁsu.

Then Sunīdha & Vassakāra, the chief ministers of Magadha, went to the Blessed One and, on arrival, exchanged courteous greetings with him. After an exchange of friendly greetings & courtesies, they stood to one side.

ekamantaṁ ṭhitā kho sunīdhavassakārā magadhamahāmattā bhagavantaṁ etadavocuṁ adhivāsetu no bhavaṁ gotamo ajjatanāya bhattaṁ saddhiṁ bhikkhusaṅghenāti.

As they were standing there, they said to the Blessed One, “May Master Gotama acquiesce to my meal tomorrow, together with the Saṅgha of monks.”

adhivāsesi bhagavā tuṇhībhāvena.

The Blessed One acquiesced with silence.

athakho sunīdhavassakārā magadhamahāmattā bhagavato adhivāsanaṁ viditvā uṭṭhāyāsanā pakkamiṁsu.

Then Sunīdha & Vassakāra, the chief ministers of Magadha, understanding the Blessed One’s acquiescence, got up from their seats and left[1].

(Mv.VI.28.10) athakho sunīdhavassakārā magadhamahāmattā paṇītaṁ khādanīyaṁ bhojanīyaṁ paṭiyādāpetvā bhagavato kālaṁ ārocāpesuṁ kālo bho gotama niṭṭhitaṁ bhattanti.

As the night was ending, Sunīdha & Vassakāra, the chief ministers of Magadha, having ordered exquisite staple and non-staple food prepared, had the time announced to the Blessed One: “It’s time, Master Gotama. The meal is ready.”

athakho bhagavā pubbaṇhasamayaṁ nivāsetvā pattacīvaramādāya yena sunīdhavassakārānaṁ magadhamahāmattānaṁ parivesanā tenupasaṅkami upasaṅkamitvā paññatte āsane nisīdi saddhiṁ bhikkhusaṅghena.

Then, early in the morning, having adjusted his under robe — carrying his bowl and robes — the Blessed One went to the meal-offering of Sunīdha & Vassakāra, the chief ministers of Magadha, and on arrival, sat down on a seat laid out, along with the Saṅgha of monks.

athakho sunīdhavassakārā magadhamahāmattā buddhappamukhaṁ bhikkhusaṅghaṁ paṇītena khādanīyena bhojanīyena sahatthā santappetvā sampavāretvā bhagavantaṁ bhuttāviṁ onītapattapāṇiṁ ekamantaṁ nisīdiṁsu.

Then Sunīdha & Vassakāra, the chief ministers of Magadha, with their own hands served and satisfied the Blessed One & the Saṅgha of monks with exquisite staple and non-staple foods. When the Blessed One had finished his meal and withdrawn his hand from the bowl, they sat to one side.

ekamantaṁ nisinne kho sunīdhavassakāre magadhamahāmatte bhagavā imāhi gāthāhi anumodi

As they were sitting there, the Blessed One gave his approval with these verses:

(Mv.VI.28.11) [73] yasmiṁ padese kappeti

vāsaṁ paṇḍitajātiyo

sīlavantettha bhojetvā

saññate brahmacārino

“In whatever place

a wise person makes his dwelling,

— there providing food

for the virtuous,

the restrained,

leaders of the holy life —

yā tattha devatā āsuṁ

tāsaṁ dakkhiṇamādise.

tā pūjitā pūjayanti

mānitā mānayanti naṁ

he should dedicate that offering

to the devas there.

They, receiving honor, will honor him;

being respected, will show him respect.

tato naṁ anukampanti

mātā puttaṁva orasaṁ.

devatānukampito poso

sadā bhadrāni passatīti.

As a result, they will feel sympathy for him,

like that of a mother for her child, her son.

A person with whom the devas sympathize

always meets with auspicious things.”

[74] athakho bhagavā sunīdhavassakāre magadhamahāmatte imāhi gāthāhi anumoditvā uṭṭhāyāsanā pakkāmi.

Then the Blessed One, having given his approval to Sunīdha & Vassakāra with these verses, got up from his seat and left.

(Mv.VI.28.12) tena kho pana samayena sunīdhavassakārā magadhamahāmattā bhagavantaṁ piṭṭhito piṭṭhito anubaddhā honti yenajja samaṇo gotamo dvārena nikkhamissati taṁ gotamadvāraṁ nāma bhavissati yena titthena gaṅgaṁ nadiṁ uttarissati taṁ gotamatitthaṁ nāma bhavissatīti.

And on that occasion, Sunīdha & Vassakāra were following right after the Blessed One, (thinking,) “By whichever gate Gotama the contemplative goes out today, that will be called the Gotama Gate. And by whichever ford he crosses over the Ganges River, that will be called the Gotama Ford.”

athakho bhagavā yena dvārena nikkhami taṁ gotamadvāraṁ nāma ahosi.

So the gate by which the Blessed One went out was called the Gotama Gate.

athakho bhagavā yena gaṅgā nadī tenupasaṅkami.

Then he went to the Ganges River.

tena kho pana samayena gaṅgā nadī pūrā hoti samatittikā kākapeyyā.

Now on that occasion the Ganges River was full up to the banks, so that a crow could drink from it.

manussā aññe nāvaṁ pariyesanti aññe uḷumpaṁ pariyesanti aññe kullaṁ bandhanti orā pāraṁ gantukāmā.

Some people were searching for boats, some were searching for floats, and some were binding rafts — wanting to go from this shore to the other.

(Mv.VI.28.13) addasā kho bhagavā te manusse aññe nāvaṁ pariyesante aññe uḷumpaṁ pariyesante aññe kullaṁ bandhante orā pāraṁ gantukāme

The Blessed One saw the people — some searching for boats, some searching for floats, and some binding rafts — wanting to go from this shore to the other.

disvāna seyyathāpi nāma balavā puriso sammiñjitaṁ vā bāhaṁ pasāreyya pasāritaṁ vā bāhaṁ sammiñjeyya evameva bhagavā gaṅgāya nadiyā orime tīre antarahito pārime tīre paccuṭṭhāsi saddhiṁ bhikkhusaṅghena.

On seeing them, the Blessed One — just as a strong man might extend his flexed arm or flex his extended arm — disappeared from the near bank of the Ganges River and reappeared on the far bank together with the Saṅgha of monks[2].

athakho bhagavā etamatthaṁ viditvā tāyaṁ velāyaṁ imaṁ udānaṁ udānesi

Then, on realizing the significance of that, the Blessed One on that occasion exclaimed:

ye taranti aṇṇavaṁ saraṁ

setuṁ katvāna visajja pallalāni

kullaṁ hi jano pabandhati

tiṇṇā medhāvino janāti.

“Those who cross the foaming flood,

having made a bridge, avoiding the swamps

— while people are binding rafts —

intelligent people

have already crossed.”

Notes

1.
Note that they don’t bow or circumambulate the Blessed One.
2.
The order of events here is the reverse of DN 16: There he sees the people afterwards.
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