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Saṁyutta Nikāya — The Linked Discourses

Vol 1:
Verses
SN1-11
Vol 2:
Causation
SN12-21
Vol 3:
Aggregates
SN22-34
Vol 4:
Sense Bases
SN35-44
Vol 5:
Great Book
SN45-56

11. Sakkasaṁyutta: With Sakka

I. The First Chapter — SN11.5: Victory by Good Speech

1At Sāvatthī.

“Once upon a time, mendicants, a battle was fought between the gods and the demons.

Then Vepacitti, lord of demons, said to Sakka, lord of gods, ‘Lord of gods, let there be victory by fine words!’

‘Vepacitti, let there be victory by fine words!’

Then the gods and the demons appointed a panel of judges, saying, ‘These will understand our good and bad statements.’

Then Vepacitti, lord of demons, said to Sakka, lord of gods, ‘Lord of gods, recite a verse!’

When he said this, Sakka said to him: ‘Vepacitti, you are the elder god here. Recite a verse.’

So Vepacitti recited this verse:


2‘Fools would vent even more
if there’s no-one to put a stop to them.
So an intelligent person should stop
a fool with forceful punishment.’


3The demons applauded Vepacitti’s verse, while the gods remained silent.

Then Vepacitti said to Sakka, ‘Lord of gods, recite a verse!’ So Sakka recited this verse:


4‘I think that this is the only way
to put a stop to a fool,
when you know that the other is upset,
be mindful and stay calm.’


5The gods applauded Sakka’s verse, while the demons remained silent.

Then Sakka said to Vepacitti, ‘Vepacitti, recite a verse!’ So Vepacitti recited this verse:

6‘I see this fault, Vāsava,
in just being patient.
When a fool thinks,
“He puts up with me out of fear,”
the idiot will go after you even harder,
like a cow chasing someone who runs away.’


7The demons applauded Vepacitti’s verse, while the gods remained silent.

Then Vepacitti said to Sakka, ‘Lord of gods, recite a verse!’ So Sakka recited this verse:


8‘Let him think this if he wishes, or not —
“He puts up with me out of fear.”
Of goals culminating in one’s own good,
none better than patience is found.

9When a strong person
puts up with a weakling,
they call that the ultimate patience,
for a weakling must always be patient.

10The strength of folly
is really just weakness, they say.
But no-one can challenge a person
who’s strong, guarded by the teaching.

11When you get angry at an angry person
you just make things worse for yourself.
When you don’t get angry at an angry person
you win a battle hard to win.

12When you know that the other is angry,
you act for the good of both
yourself and the other
if you’re mindful and stay calm.

13People unfamiliar with the teaching
consider one who heals both
oneself and the other
to be a fool.’


14The gods applauded Sakka’s verses, while the demons remained silent.

Then the panel of judges consisting of both gods and demons said this, ‘The verses spoken by Vepacitti evoke punishment and violence. That’s how you get arguments, quarrels, and disputes. The verses spoken by Sakka don’t evoke punishment and violence. That’s how you stay free of arguments, quarrels, and disputes.

Sakka, lord of gods, wins victory by fine words!’

And that’s how Sakka came to win victory by fine words.”

1Sāvatthinidānaṁ.

"Bhūtapubbaṁ, bhikkhave, devāsurasaṅgāmo samupabyūḷho ahosi.

Atha kho, bhikkhave, vepacitti asurindo sakkaṁ devānamindaṁ etadavoca: ‘hotu, devānaminda, subhāsitena jayo’ti.

‘Hotu, vepacitti, subhāsitena jayo’ti.

Atha kho, bhikkhave, devā ca asurā ca pārisajje ṭhapesuṁ: ‘ime no subhāsitadubbhāsitaṁ ājānissantī’ti.

Atha kho, bhikkhave, vepacitti asurindo sakkaṁ devānamindaṁ etadavoca: ‘bhaṇa, devānaminda, gāthan’ti.

Evaṁ vutte, bhikkhave, sakko devānamindo vepacittiṁ asurindaṁ etadavoca: ‘tumhe khvettha, vepacitti, pubbadevā. Bhaṇa, vepacitti, gāthan’ti.

Evaṁ vutte, bhikkhave, vepacitti asurindo imaṁ gāthaṁ abhāsi: 


2‘Bhiyyo bālā pabhijjeyyuṁ,
no cassa paṭisedhako;
Tasmā bhusena daṇḍena,
dhīro bālaṁ nisedhaye’ti.


3Bhāsitāya kho pana, bhikkhave, vepacittinā asurindena gāthāya asurā anumodiṁsu, devā tuṇhī ahesuṁ.

Atha kho, bhikkhave, vepacitti asurindo sakkaṁ devānamindaṁ etadavoca: ‘bhaṇa, devānaminda, gāthan’ti. Evaṁ vutte, bhikkhave, sakko devānamindo imaṁ gāthaṁ abhāsi: 


4‘Etadeva ahaṁ maññe,
bālassa paṭisedhanaṁ;
Paraṁ saṅkupitaṁ ñatvā,
yo sato upasammatī’ti.


5Bhāsitāya kho pana, bhikkhave, sakkena devānamindena gāthāya, devā anumodiṁsu, asurā tuṇhī ahesuṁ.

Atha kho, bhikkhave, sakko devānamindo vepacittiṁ asurindaṁ etadavoca: ‘bhaṇa, vepacitti, gāthan’ti. Evaṁ vutte, bhikkhave, vepacitti asurindo imaṁ gāthaṁ abhāsi: 

6‘Etadeva titikkhāya,
vajjaṁ passāmi vāsava;
Yadā naṁ maññati bālo,
bhayā myāyaṁ titikkhati;
Ajjhāruhati dummedho,
gova bhiyyo palāyinan’ti.


7Bhāsitāya kho pana, bhikkhave, vepacittinā asurindena gāthāya asurā anumodiṁsu, devā tuṇhī ahesuṁ.

Atha kho, bhikkhave, vepacitti asurindo sakkaṁ devānamindaṁ etadavoca: ‘bhaṇa, devānaminda, gāthan’ti. Evaṁ vutte, bhikkhave, sakko devānamindo imā gāthāyo abhāsi: 


8‘Kāmaṁ maññatu vā mā vā,
bhayā myāyaṁ titikkhati;
Sadatthaparamā atthā,
khantyā bhiyyo na vijjati.

9Yo have balavā santo,
dubbalassa titikkhati;
Tamāhu paramaṁ khantiṁ,
niccaṁ khamati dubbalo.

10Abalaṁ taṁ balaṁ āhu,
yassa bālabalaṁ balaṁ;
Balassa dhammaguttassa,
paṭivattā na vijjati.

11Tasseva tena pāpiyo,
yo kuddhaṁ paṭikujjhati;
Kuddhaṁ appaṭikujjhanto,
saṅgāmaṁ jeti dujjayaṁ.

12Ubhinnamatthaṁ carati,
attano ca parassa ca;
Paraṁ saṅkupitaṁ ñatvā,
yo sato upasammati.

13Ubhinnaṁ tikicchantānaṁ,
attano ca parassa ca;
Janā maññanti bāloti,
ye dhammassa akovidā’ti.


14Bhāsitāsu kho pana, bhikkhave, sakkena devānamindena gāthāsu, devā anumodiṁsu, asurā tuṇhī ahesuṁ.

Atha kho, bhikkhave, devānañca asurānañca pārisajjā etadavocuṁ: ‘bhāsitā kho vepacittinā asurindena gāthāyo. Tā ca kho sadaṇḍāvacarā sasatthāvacarā, iti bhaṇḍanaṁ iti viggaho iti kalaho. Bhāsitā kho sakkena devānamindena gāthāyo. Tā ca kho adaṇḍāvacarā asatthāvacarā, iti abhaṇḍanaṁ iti aviggaho iti akalaho.

Sakkassa devānamindassa subhāsitena jayo’ti.

Iti kho, bhikkhave, sakkassa devānamindassa subhāsitena jayo ahosī"ti.