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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

3. Kosalasaṁyutta: With the Kosalan

II. Childless — SN3.15: Battle (2nd)

1Then King Ajātasattu Vedehiputta of Magadha mobilized an army of four divisions and marched to Kāsi to attack King Pasenadi of Kosala. When King Pasenadi heard of this, he mobilized an army of four divisions and marched to Kāsi to defend it against Ajātasattu. Then the two kings met in battle. And in that battle Pasenadi defeated Ajātasattu and captured him alive.


2Then King Pasenadi thought: “Even though I’ve never betrayed this King Ajātasattu, he betrayed me. Still, he is my nephew. Now that I’ve vanquished all of Ajātasattu’s elephant troops, cavalry, chariots, and infantry, why don’t I let him loose with just his life?”

And that’s what he did.


3-6Then several mendicants … told the Buddha what had happened.


6Then, knowing the meaning of this, on that occasion the Buddha recited these verses:

“A man goes on plundering
as long as it serves his ends.
But as soon as others plunder him,
the plunderer is plundered.

For the fool thinks they’ve got away with it
as long as the wickedness doesn’t ripen.
But when the wickedness ripens,
they fall into suffering.

A killer creates a killer;
a conqueror creates a conqueror;
an abuser creates abuse,
and a bully creates a bully.
And so as deeds unfold
the plunderer is plundered.”

1Atha kho rājā māgadho ajātasattu vedehiputto caturaṅginiṁ senaṁ sannayhitvā rājānaṁ pasenadiṁ kosalaṁ abbhuyyāsi yena kāsi. Assosi kho rājā pasenadi kosalo: "rājā kira māgadho ajātasattu vedehiputto caturaṅginiṁ senaṁ sannayhitvā mamaṁ abbhuyyāto yena kāsī"ti. Atha kho rājā pasenadi kosalo caturaṅginiṁ senaṁ sannayhitvā rājānaṁ māgadhaṁ ajātasattuṁ vedehiputtaṁ paccuyyāsi yena kāsi. Atha kho rājā ca māgadho ajātasattu vedehiputto rājā ca pasenadi kosalo saṅgāmesuṁ. Tasmiṁ kho pana saṅgāme rājā pasenadi kosalo rājānaṁ māgadhaṁ ajātasattuṁ vedehiputtaṁ parājesi, jīvaggāhañca naṁ aggahesi. Atha kho rañño pasenadissa kosalassa etadahosi: "kiñcāpi kho myāyaṁ rājā māgadho ajātasattu vedehiputto adubbhantassa dubbhati, atha ca pana me bhāgineyyo hoti. Yannūnāhaṁ rañño māgadhassa ajātasattuno vedehiputtassa sabbaṁ hatthikāyaṁ pariyādiyitvā sabbaṁ assakāyaṁ pariyādiyitvā sabbaṁ rathakāyaṁ pariyādiyitvā sabbaṁ pattikāyaṁ pariyādiyitvā jīvantameva naṁ osajjeyyan"ti.


2Atha kho rājā pasenadi kosalo rañño māgadhassa ajātasattuno vedehiputtassa sabbaṁ hatthikāyaṁ pariyādiyitvā sabbaṁ assakāyaṁ pariyādiyitvā sabbaṁ rathakāyaṁ pariyādiyitvā sabbaṁ pattikāyaṁ pariyādiyitvā jīvantameva naṁ osajji.


3Atha kho sambahulā bhikkhū pubbaṇhasamayaṁ nivāsetvā pattacīvaramādāya sāvatthiṁ piṇḍāya pavisiṁsu. Sāvatthiyaṁ piṇḍāya caritvā pacchābhattaṁ piṇḍapātapaṭikkantā yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkamiṁsu; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdiṁsu. Ekamantaṁ nisinnā kho te bhikkhū bhagavantaṁ etadavocuṁ: 

4"Idha, bhante, rājā māgadho ajātasattu vedehiputto caturaṅginiṁ senaṁ sannayhitvā rājānaṁ pasenadiṁ kosalaṁ abbhuyyāsi yena kāsi. Assosi kho, bhante, rājā pasenadi kosalo: ‘rājā kira māgadho ajātasattu vedehiputto caturaṅginiṁ senaṁ sannayhitvā mamaṁ abbhuyyāto yena kāsī’ti. Atha kho, bhante, rājā pasenadi kosalo caturaṅginiṁ senaṁ sannayhitvā rājānaṁ māgadhaṁ ajātasattuṁ vedehiputtaṁ paccuyyāsi yena kāsi. Atha kho, bhante, rājā ca māgadho ajātasattu vedehiputto rājā ca pasenadi kosalo saṅgāmesuṁ. Tasmiṁ kho pana, bhante, saṅgāme rājā pasenadi kosalo rājānaṁ māgadhaṁ ajātasattuṁ vedehiputtaṁ parājesi, jīvaggāhañca naṁ aggahesi. Atha kho, bhante, rañño pasenadissa kosalassa etadahosi: ‘kiñcāpi kho myāyaṁ rājā māgadho ajātasattu vedehiputto adubbhantassa dubbhati, atha ca pana me bhāgineyyo hoti. Yannūnāhaṁ rañño māgadhassa ajātasattuno vedehiputtassa sabbaṁ hatthikāyaṁ pariyādiyitvā sabbaṁ assakāyaṁ sabbaṁ rathakāyaṁ sabbaṁ pattikāyaṁ pariyādiyitvā jīvantameva naṁ osajjeyyan’"ti.

5"Atha kho, bhante, rājā pasenadi kosalo rañño māgadhassa ajātasattuno vedehiputtassa sabbaṁ hatthikāyaṁ pariyādiyitvā sabbaṁ assakāyaṁ pariyādiyitvā sabbaṁ rathakāyaṁ pariyādiyitvā sabbaṁ pattikāyaṁ pariyādiyitvā jīvantameva naṁ osajjī"ti.


6Atha kho bhagavā etamatthaṁ viditvā tāyaṁ velāyaṁ imā gāthāyo abhāsi: 

7"Vilumpateva puriso,
yāvassa upakappati;
Yadā caññe vilumpanti,
so vilutto viluppati.

8Ṭhānañhi maññati bālo,
yāva pāpaṁ na paccati;
Yadā ca paccati pāpaṁ,
atha dukkhaṁ nigacchati.

9Hantā labhati hantāraṁ,
jetāraṁ labhate jayaṁ;
Akkosako ca akkosaṁ,
rosetārañca rosako;
Atha kammavivaṭṭena,
so vilutto viluppatī"ti.