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Aṅguttara Nikāya - The Numerical Discourses

5: The Book of the Fives

IV. With Sumanā — AN 5.37: Food

1“Mendicants, when a giver gives food, they give the recipients five things. What five? Long life, beauty, happiness, strength, and eloquence.

Giving long life, they have long life as a god or human.

Giving beauty, they have beauty as a god or human.

Giving happiness, they have happiness as a god or human.

Giving strength, they have strength as a god or human.

Giving eloquence, they are eloquent as a god or human.

When a giver gives food, they give the recipients five things.


2A wise one is a giver of life, strength,
beauty, and eloquence.
An intelligent giver of happiness
gains happiness in return.

3Giving life, strength, beauty,
happiness, and eloquence,
they’re long-lived and famous
wherever they’re reborn.”

1"Bhojanaṁ, bhikkhave, dadamāno dāyako paṭiggāhakānaṁ pañca ṭhānāni deti. Katamāni pañca? Āyuṁ deti, vaṇṇaṁ deti, sukhaṁ deti, balaṁ deti, paṭibhānaṁ deti.

Āyuṁ kho pana datvā āyussa bhāgī hoti dibbassa vā mānusassa vā;

vaṇṇaṁ datvā vaṇṇassa bhāgī hoti dibbassa vā mānusassa vā;

sukhaṁ datvā sukhassa bhāgī hoti dibbassa vā mānusassa vā;

balaṁ datvā balassa bhāgī hoti dibbassa vā mānusassa vā;

paṭibhānaṁ datvā paṭibhānassa bhāgī hoti dibbassa vā mānusassa vā.

Bhojanaṁ, bhikkhave, dadamāno dāyako paṭiggāhakānaṁ imāni pañca ṭhānāni detīti.


2Āyudo balado dhīro,
vaṇṇado paṭibhānado;
Sukhassa dātā medhāvī,
sukhaṁ so adhigacchati.

3Āyuṁ datvā balaṁ vaṇṇaṁ,
sukhañca paṭibhānakaṁ;
Dīghāyu yasavā hoti,
yattha yatthūpapajjatī"ti.

Sattamaṁ.