Other Translations: Deutsch , Italiano , ŃŃĢŃŃŠŗŠøŠ¹ ŃŠ·ŃĢŠŗ , Srpski
From: , ,
Saį¹yutta NikÄya 1.13 Linked Discourses 1.13
2. Nandanavagga 2. The Garden of Delight
Natthiputtasamasutta Thereās Nothing Like a Child None Equal to That for a Son
SÄvatthinidÄnaį¹. At SÄvatthÄ«. At Savatthi.
Ekamantaį¹ į¹hitÄ kho sÄ devatÄ bhagavato santike imaį¹ gÄthaį¹ abhÄsi: Standing to one side, that deity spoke this verse in the Buddhaās presence: Standing to one side, that devatÄ spoke this verse in the presence of the Blessed One:
āNatthi puttasamaį¹ pemaį¹, āThereās no fondness like that for a child, āThere is no affection like that for a son,
natthi gosamitaį¹ dhanaį¹; no wealth equal to cattle, VÄjasaneyi Saį¹hitÄ 23.48b says cattle have no measure.No wealth equal to cattle,
Natthi sÅ«riyasamÄ ÄbhÄ, no light like that of the sun, These lines closely mirror the question at VÄjasaneyi Saį¹hitÄ 23.47a (quoted at Åatapatha BrÄhmaį¹a 13.5.2.13), āWhat light equals the sun? What lake equals the ocean?ā The answers given in the next verse are āBrahmÄā and āheavenā. This points to the myth that the rivers, especially the Ganges, originate in the ācausal oceanā (garbhodaka) of heaven. The rivers of northern India, bringing life down from the Himalayas, naturally suggest a divine origin.There is no light like the sun,
samuddaparamÄ sarÄāti. and of streams the ocean is paramount.ā Sara means originally āflowā, hence āstream, riverā, then ālakeā. The ocean as the paramount lake is a destination, the final point where rivers converge. As such it evokes the Upaniį¹£adic idea that consciousness converges in Divinity (see notes on SN 1.61:2.4 and MN 9:53.2). This is ultimately the same as the ācausal oceanā from which the rivers flow.Among the waters the ocean is supreme. ā
āNatthi attasamaį¹ pemaį¹, āThereās no fondness like that for oneself, The Theravada tradition, starting from the Vimuttimagga, begins the meditation on love (mettÄ) by focusing on oneself, a practice that draws on passages such as this. See also SN 3.8, Ud 5.1. Here the Pali uses pema (āfondnessā) rather than mettÄ (āloveā).āThere is no affection like that for oneself,
natthi dhaƱƱasamaį¹ dhanaį¹; no wealth equal to grain, No wealth equal to grain,
Natthi paƱƱÄsamÄ ÄbhÄ, no light like that of wisdom, There is no light like wisdom,
vuį¹į¹hi ve paramÄ sarÄāti. and of streams the rain is paramount.ā By pointing to the rain, the Buddha indicates the natural cause of the lakes and oceans.Among the waters the rain is supreme. ā