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Saį¹yutta NikÄya 10.3 Linked Discourses 10.3
1. Indakavagga 1. With Indaka
SÅ«cilomasutta With Spiky SÅ«ciloma
Ekaį¹ samayaį¹ bhagavÄ gayÄyaį¹ viharati į¹aį¹
kitamaƱce sÅ«cilomassa yakkhassa bhavane. At one time the Buddha was staying near GayÄ on the cut-stone ledge in the haunt of Spiky the native spirit. This discourse is also at Snp 2.5.On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at GayÄ at the į¹¬aį¹
kita Bed, the haunt of the yakkha SÅ«ciloma.
Tena kho pana samayena kharo ca yakkho sÅ«cilomo ca yakkho bhagavato avidÅ«re atikkamanti. Now at that time the native spirits Shaggy and Spiky were passing by not far from the Buddha. āShaggyā is khara and āSpikyā is sÅ«ciloma, literally āneedle-hairā. Some yakkhas are magnificent kings or warriors, but this pair are more like grotesque demons (rakkhasas), a stereotype that bedeviled yakį¹£as of later times. Khara is found for a number of demons in Sanskrit. We donāt find suciloma, but compare the demons Khara and his twin sister, the ugly and mutilated ÅÅ«rpaį¹akhÄ (āwicker-nailsā).Now on that occasion the yakkha Khara and the yakkha SÅ«ciloma were passing by not far from the Blessed One.
Atha kho kharo yakkho sÅ«cilomaį¹ yakkhaį¹ etadavoca: So Shaggy said to Spiky, Then the yakkha Khara said to the yakkha SÅ«ciloma:
āeso samaį¹oāti. āThatās an ascetic.ā āThat is an ascetic.ā
āNeso samaį¹o, samaį¹ako eso. āThatās no ascetic, heās a faker! āThat is not an ascetic; that is a sham ascetic.
YÄva jÄnÄmi yadi vÄ so samaį¹o yadi vÄ pana so samaį¹akoāti. Iāll soon find out whether heās an ascetic or a faker.ā Iāll soon find out whether he is an ascetic or a sham ascetic.ā
Atha kho sÅ«cilomo yakkho yena bhagavÄ tenupasaį¹
kami; upasaį¹
kamitvÄ bhagavato kÄyaį¹ upanÄmesi. Then Spiky went up to the Buddha and leaned up against his body, Then the yakkha SÅ«ciloma approached the Blessed One and bent over the Blessed One.
Atha kho bhagavÄ kÄyaį¹ apanÄmesi. but the Buddha pulled away. The Blessed One drew back.
Atha kho sÅ«cilomo yakkho bhagavantaį¹ etadavoca: Then Spiky said to the Buddha, Then the yakkha SÅ«ciloma said to the Blessed One:
ābhÄyasi maį¹, samaį¹Äāti? āAre you afraid, ascetic?ā āAre you afraid of me, ascetic?ā
āNa khvÄhaį¹ taį¹, Ävuso, bhÄyÄmi; āNo, respectable sir, Iām not afraid. āIām not afraid of you, friend.
api ca te samphasso pÄpakoāti. But your touch is nasty.ā It is just that your touch is evil.ā
āPaƱhaį¹ taį¹, samaį¹a, pucchissÄmi. āI will ask you a question, ascetic. āIāll ask you a question, ascetic.
Sace me na byÄkarissasi, cittaį¹ vÄ te khipissÄmi, hadayaį¹ vÄ te phÄlessÄmi, pÄdesu vÄ gahetvÄ pÄragaį¹
gÄya khipissÄmÄ«āti. If you donāt answer me, Iāll drive you insane, or explode your heart, or grab you by the feet and throw you to the far shore of the Ganges!ā Considering the Ganges is 100 km away, this is even more impressive.If you wonāt answer me, Iāll drive you insane or Iāll split your heart or Iāll grab you by the feet and hurl you across the Ganges.ā
āNa khvÄhaį¹ taį¹, Ävuso, passÄmi sadevake loke samÄrake sabrahmake sassamaį¹abrÄhmaį¹iyÄ pajÄya sadevamanussÄya, yo me cittaį¹ vÄ khipeyya hadayaį¹ vÄ phÄleyya pÄdesu vÄ gahetvÄ pÄragaį¹
gÄya khipeyya; āI donāt see anyone in this world with its gods, MÄras, and divinities, this population with its ascetics and brahmins, its gods and humans who could do that to me. āI do not see anyone in this world, friend, with its devas, MÄra, and BrahmÄ, in this generation with its ascetics and brahmins, its devas and humans, who could drive me insane or split my heart or grab me by the feet and hurl me across the Ganges.
api ca tvaį¹, Ävuso, puccha yadÄ kaį¹
khasÄ«āti. (ā¦) But anyway, ask what you wish.ā But ask whatever you want, friend.ā
āRÄgo ca doso ca kutonidÄnÄ, āWhere do greed and hate come from? Despite their savage demeanor, they pivot right away to deep Dhamma questions. This kind of rapid pivot is characteristic of such conversion narratives.āWhat is the source of lust and hatred?
AratÄ« ratÄ« lomahaį¹so kutojÄ; From where spring discontent, desire, and terror? Whence spring discontent, delight, and terror?
Kuto samuį¹į¹hÄya manovitakkÄ, Where do the mindās thoughts originate, Having arisen from what do the mindās thoughts
KumÄrakÄ dhaį¹
kamivossajantÄ«āti. like a crow let loose by boys.ā [Toss one around] as boys toss up a crow?ā
āRÄgo ca doso ca itonidÄnÄ, āGreed and hate come from here; āLust and hatred have their source here;
AratÄ« ratÄ« lomahaį¹so itojÄ; from here spring discontent, desire, and terror; From this spring discontent, delight, and terror;
Ito samuį¹į¹hÄya manovitakkÄ, hereās where the mindās thoughts originate, Having arisen from this, the mindās thoughts
KumÄrakÄ dhaį¹
kamivossajanti. like a crow let loose by boys. [Toss one around] as boys toss up a crow.
SnehajÄ attasambhÅ«tÄ, Born of affection, originating in oneself, āSprung from affection, arisen from oneself,
nigrodhasseva khandhajÄ; like prop roots sprouting from a banyan; The banyan is ātrunk-bornā (khandhaja) in two ways. As an epiphyte, it is sometimes called the āstrangler figā, since it grows around the trunk of a previous tree, strangling it (much like the mÄluva below). Then the banyan sends out aerial roots from the branches; when they reach the ground they establish themselves as supportive trunks known as āprop rootsā, so that even if original trunk dies, the tree survives. Thus the tree itself is ātrunk-bornā and its multiple prop roots are also ātrunk-bornā. Grammar and commentary indicate the second sense is meant here. The metaphor is even more apt, since the word nigrodha (ābanyanā) means ādown-growerā, as the tree grows not to the sky but back into the earth.Like the trunk-born shoots of the banyan tree;
PuthÅ« visattÄ kÄmesu, the many kinds of attachment to sensual pleasures Manifold, clinging to sensual pleasures,
mÄluvÄva vitatÄ vane. are like camelās foot creeper creeping through the woods. The ācamelās foot creeperā (mÄluva) takes root and grows over the tree, ultimately engulfing and destroying it (MN 45:4.1).Like a mÄluvÄ creeper stretched across the woods.
Ye naį¹ pajÄnanti yatonidÄnaį¹, Those who understand where they come from āThose who understand their source,
Te naį¹ vinodenti suį¹ohi yakkha; dispel themālisten up, spirit! They dispel itālisten, O yakkha!ā
Te duttaraį¹ oghamimaį¹ taranti, They cross this flood so hard to cross, They cross this flood so hard to cross,
Atiį¹į¹apubbaį¹ apunabbhavÄyÄāti. not crossed before, so as to not be reborn.ā Uncrossed before, for no renewed existence.ā