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Saį¹yutta NikÄya 3.8 Linked Discourses 3.8
1. Paį¹hamavagga 1. Shackles
MallikÄsutta With Queen MallikÄ MallikaĢ
SÄvatthinidÄnaį¹. At SÄvatthÄ«. At SaĢvatthiĢ.
Tena kho pana samayena rÄjÄ pasenadi kosalo mallikÄya deviyÄ saddhiį¹ uparipÄsÄdavaragato hoti. Now at that time King Pasenadi of Kosala was upstairs in the royal longhouse together with Queen MallikÄ. In addition to conversations on the theme of attachment to loved ones (MN 87, Ud 5.1), unrelated incidents with MallikÄ appear at AN 4.197, Bu Pc 53:1.1, and Bu Pc 83:1.2.7. She is listed as an eminent lay disciple (AN 8.91ā117:1.1) and maintained a monastery for philosophical debates (MN 78:1.3). Her passing is recorded at AN 5.49. This is what we know of her from early texts, while later JÄtakas and other scriptures tell many colorful tales about her and her unique marriage. | ÅvetÄmbara Jains hold that, in the far distant past, the nineteenth founding teacher (tÄ«rthaį¹
kara) was the lady Malli (Triį¹£aį¹£į¹iÅalÄkÄpuruį¹£acaritra 6.6). Perhaps the Buddhist stories of the wise lady MallikÄ helped inspire this legend.Now on that occasion King Pasenadi of Kosala had gone together with Queen MallikaĢ to the upper terrace of the palace.
Atha kho rÄjÄ pasenadi kosalo mallikaį¹ deviį¹ etadavoca: Then the king said to the queen, Then King Pasenadi of Kosala said to Queen MallikaĢ:
āatthi nu kho te, mallike, kocaƱƱo attanÄ piyataroāti? āMallikÄ, is there anyone more dear to you than yourself?ā This passage echoes Bį¹hadÄraį¹yaka Upaniį¹£ad 1.4.8: āThe Self is more dear than a son, than wealth, than everything else.ā The reason, it argues, is that only the Self is immortal, not those who are dear. Pasenadi is of course using āselfā in a conventional rather than metaphysical sense.āIs there, MallikaĢ, anyone more dear to you than yourself?ā
āNatthi kho me, mahÄrÄja, kocaƱƱo attanÄ piyataro. āNo, Great King, there isnāt. MallikÄās reply is brave, given that she is telling her king and husband she loves herself more than him. This passage alludes to the famous dialogue where YÄjƱavalkya explains to his wife MaitreyÄ« that he is renouncing in order to seek the true Self.āThere is no one, great king, more dear to me than myself.
Tuyhaį¹ pana, mahÄrÄja, atthaƱƱo koci attanÄ piyataroāti? But is there anyone more dear to you than yourself?ā But is there anyone, great king, more dear to you than yourself?ā
āMayhampi kho, mallike, natthaƱƱo koci attanÄ piyataroāti. āFor me also, MallikÄ, thereās no one.ā āFor me too, MallikaĢ, there is no one more dear than myself. ā
Atha kho rÄjÄ pasenadi kosalo pÄsÄdÄ orohitvÄ yena bhagavÄ tenupasaį¹
kami; upasaį¹
kamitvÄ bhagavantaį¹ abhivÄdetvÄ ekamantaį¹ nisÄ«di. Ekamantaį¹ nisinno kho rÄjÄ pasenadi kosalo bhagavantaį¹ etadavoca: Then King Pasenadi of Kosala came downstairs from the stilt longhouse, went to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and told him what had happened. Then King Pasenadi of Kosala descended from the palace and approached the Blessed One. Having approached, he paid homage to the Blessed One, sat down to one side, and said to him:
āidhÄhaį¹, bhante, mallikÄya deviyÄ saddhiį¹ uparipÄsÄdavaragato mallikaį¹ deviį¹ etadavocaį¹:
āatthi nu kho te, mallike, kocaƱƱo attanÄ piyataroāti?
Evaį¹ vutte, bhante, mallikÄ devÄ« maį¹ etadavoca:
ānatthi kho me, mahÄrÄja, kocaƱƱo attanÄ piyataro.
Tuyhaį¹ pana, mahÄrÄja, atthaƱƱo koci attanÄ piyataroāti?
Evaį¹ vuttÄhaį¹, bhante, mallikaį¹ deviį¹ etadavocaį¹:
āmayhampi kho, mallike, natthaƱƱo koci attanÄ piyataroāāti.
Atha kho bhagavÄ etamatthaį¹ viditvÄ tÄyaį¹ velÄyaį¹ imaį¹ gÄthaį¹ abhÄsi: Then, understanding this matter, on that occasion the Buddha spoke this verse: Then the Blessed One, having understood the meaning of this,
āSabbÄ disÄ anuparigamma cetasÄ, āHaving explored every quarter with the mind, āHaving traversed all quarters with the mind,
NevajjhagÄ piyataramattanÄ kvaci; one finds no one dearer than oneself. One finds none anywhere dearer than oneself.
Evaį¹ piyo puthu attÄ paresaį¹, Likewise for others, each holds themselves dear; Care for oneself is not selfishness. This is an expression of the Golden Rule.Likewise, each person holds himself most dear;
TasmÄ na hiį¹se paramattakÄmoāti. so one who desires self-knowledge would harm no other.ā For attakÄma (ādesires self-knowledgeā) see MN 31:3.5.Hence one who loves himself should not harm others. ā