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Saṁyutta Nikāya 3.9 Linked Discourses 3.9
1. Paṭhamavagga 1. Shackles
Yaññasutta Sacrifice Sacrifice
Sāvatthinidānaṁ. At Sāvatthī. At Sāvatthī.
Tena kho pana samayena rañño pasenadissa kosalassa mahāyañño paccupaṭṭhito hoti, pañca ca usabhasatāni pañca ca vacchatarasatāni pañca ca vacchatarisatāni pañca ca ajasatāni pañca ca urabbhasatāni thūṇūpanītāni honti yaññatthāya. Now at that time a grand sacrifice had been set up for King Pasenadi of Kosala. Bulls, bullocks, heifers, goats and rams—five hundred of each—had been led to the pillar for the sacrifice. It would be strange for a devoted Buddhist to undertake such a sacrifice. Perhaps this was before Pasenadi converted. The commentary, however, says that it was in response to a terrifying nightmare, on the advice of his brahmin priest. While it is true that Buddhism has mostly ended cruel sacrifices, I have heard of such things in Buddhist communities even in modern times.Now on that occasion a great sacrifice had been set up for King Pasenadi of Kosala. Five hundred bulls, five hundred bullocks, five hundred heifers, five hundred goats, and five hundred rams had been led to the pillar for the sacrifice.
Yepissa te honti dāsāti vā pessāti vā kammakarāti vā, tepi daṇḍatajjitā bhayatajjitā assumukhā rudamānā parikammāni karonti. His bondservants, servants, and workers did their jobs under threat of punishment and danger, weeping with tearful faces. And his slaves, servants, and workers, spurred on by punishment and fear, were busy making the preparations, wailing with tearful faces.
Atha kho sambahulā bhikkhū pubbaṇhasamayaṁ nivāsetvā pattacīvaramādāya sāvatthiṁ piṇḍāya pavisiṁsu. Then several mendicants robed up in the morning and, taking their bowls and robes, entered Sāvatthī for alms. Then, in the morning, a number of bhikkhus dressed and, taking their bowls and robes, entered Sāvatthī for alms.
Sāvatthiyaṁ piṇḍāya caritvā pacchābhattaṁ piṇḍapātapaṭikkantā yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkamiṁsu; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdiṁsu. Ekamantaṁ nisinnā kho te bhikkhū bhagavantaṁ etadavocuṁ: Then, after the meal, when they returned from almsround, they went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and told him what was happening. When they had walked for alms in Sāvatthī and had returned from their alms round, after the meal they approached the Blessed One, paid homage to him, sat down to one side, and said:
“idha, bhante, rañño pasenadissa kosalassa mahāyañño paccupaṭṭhito hoti, pañca ca usabhasatāni pañca ca vacchatarasatāni pañca ca vacchatarisatāni pañca ca ajasatāni pañca ca urabbhasatāni thūṇūpanītāni honti yaññatthāya. “Here, venerable sir, a great sacrifice has been set up for King Pasenadi of Kosala. Five hundred bulls . . . have been led to the pillar for the sacrifice.
Yepissa te honti dāsāti vā pessāti vā kammakarāti vā, tepi daṇḍatajjitā bhayatajjitā assumukhā rudamānā parikammāni karontī”ti. And his slaves servants, and workers, spurred on by punishment and fear, are busy making preparations, wailing with tearful faces. ”
Atha kho bhagavā etamatthaṁ viditvā tāyaṁ velāyaṁ imā gāthāyo abhāsi: Then, understanding this matter, on that occasion the Buddha recited these verses: The rituals listed are grand sacrifices requiring the slaughter of many beasts, intended to establish or grow the power of the king. Not all are readily identifiable in Vedic texts.Then the Blessed One, having understood the meaning of this, on that occasion recited these verses:
“Assamedhaṁ purisamedhaṁ, “Horse sacrifice, human sacrifice, The horse sacrifice (assamedha, Sanskrit aśvamedha) was expensive, dangerous, and rarely performed. A horse was set free for a year, followed by the king and his army who would conquer any lands on which it strayed. Then it was killed in an obscene rite. It appears in the late stages of the Rig Veda (1.162, 1.163, and perhaps 10.86) and was a major feature of the sacrificial systems (eg. Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa 13) and cosmic meditations (Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad 1.1). | Even before the Buddha, human sacrifice was regarded by the Vedists as a long-abandoned practice, substituted by a horse, then an ox, a sheep, and finally a goat, and finally as rice and barley (Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa 1.2.3.6; compare Genesis 22). It persisted, however, in darker corners of Indian folk religion. “The horse sacrifice, human sacrifice,
sammāpāsaṁ vājapeyyaṁ; the ‘casting of the yoke-pin’, the ‘royal soma drinking’, The “casting of the yoke-pin” (sammāpāsa) is obscure. I think it originated as the pulling out of a yoke-pin (śamyā) of the beasts of the journey, which were cast about at journey’s end to establish one’s territory (see Manu 8.237). | The “royal soma drinking” (vājapeyya) is a rite where, after a horse race, the king drinks the soma, giving him superhuman strength and prowess in battle, and at which several animals, sometimes said to be seventeen, are sacrificed. This is said to be a higher sacrifice that establishes a king as emperor (see Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa 5.1.1).
Niraggaḷaṁ mahārambhā, and the ‘unimpeded’—The niraggaḷa is probably a form of the horse sacrifice where the horse is “unimpeded”, thus establishing the king as similarly unstoppable. The Buddha adopted the term for arahants (MN 22:34.1[).These great sacrifices, fraught with violence,
na te honti mahapphalā. these grand, violent sacrifices yield no great fruit. Do not bring great fruit.
Ajeḷakā ca gāvo ca, The great sages of right comportment “Where goats, sheep, and cattle
vividhā yattha haññare; don’t attend sacrifices Of various kinds are slain,
Na taṁ sammaggatā yaññaṁ, where goats, sheep, and cattle They do not attend that sacrifice:
upayanti mahesino. and various creatures are killed. The great seers of right conduct.
Ye ca yaññā nirārambhā, But the great sages of right comportment “But when sacrifices free from violence
yajanti anukulaṁ sadā; do attend those sacrifices Are always offered by family custom,
Ajeḷakā ca gāvo ca, that are non-violent and propitious, The anukula (“propitious”) sacrifice is mentioned several times (eg. DN 5:22.4, AN 4.40:2.2). The Pali commentaries interpret it as “in line with (anu-) family (kula)”. But nothing in the contexts connects it with family customs, nor is such a term known in Sanskrit. It seems rather to be a misunderstanding of Sanskrit anukūla, literally “along the riverbank”, and in applied use, “in conformity with”, “favorable to”, as in the favor of the gods. This is the standard reading in Buddhist Sanskrit. Such a sacrifice is characterized, not by family custom, but by harmlessness. Thus anukula means “propitious, favored (by the gods and the Dhamma)”.Where no goats, sheep, or cattle
vividhā nettha haññare; where goats, sheep, and cattle, Of various kinds are slain:
Etaṁ sammaggatā yaññaṁ, and various creatures are not killed. They attend a sacrifice like this:
upayanti mahesino. The great seers of right conduct.
Etaṁ yajetha medhāvī, An intelligent person should sacrifice like this, “The wise person should offer this,
eso yañño mahapphalo; for this sacrifice is very fruitful. A sacrifice bringing great fruit.
Etañhi yajamānassa, For a sponsor of sacrifices like this, For one who makes such sacrifice
seyyo hoti na pāpiyo; things get better, not worse. It is indeed better, never worse.
Yañño ca vipulo hoti, Such a sacrifice is truly abundant, Such a sacrifice is truly vast
pasīdanti ca devatā”ti. and even the deities are pleased.” And the devatās too are pleased. ”