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Saį¹yutta NikÄya 11.11 Linked Discourses 11.11
2. Dutiyavagga Chapter Two The Second Subchapter
Vatapadasutta Vows Vows
SÄvatthiyaį¹. At SÄvatthÄ«. At SÄvatthÄ«.
āSakkassa, bhikkhave, devÄnamindassa pubbe manussabhÅ«tassa satta vatapadÄni samattÄni samÄdinnÄni ahesuį¹, yesaį¹ samÄdinnattÄ sakko sakkattaį¹ ajjhagÄ. āMendicants, in a former life, when Sakka was a human being, he undertook seven vows. And it was because of undertaking these that he achieved the status of Sakka. The oldest stories of Indra already evidence a shift from the violent victory over the serpent Vį¹tra (see SN 2.3:3.4) to his liberating the Vala cave, which he did by the power of truth in his role as bį¹haspaļ»æti, the ālord of hymnsā. Curiously, just as this discourse follows one featuring Sambara, later legend connects Indraās power in this life to advice he received from Sambara in the past; namely, to always honor and respect brahmins (MahÄbhÄrata 13.36).āBhikkhus, in the past, when Sakka, lord of the devas, was a human being, he adopted and undertook seven vows by the undertaking of which he achieved the status of Sakka.
KatamÄni satta vatapadÄni? What seven? The seven vows and following verses also appear in the next two discourses.What were the seven vows?
YÄvajÄ«vaį¹ mÄtÄpettibharo assaį¹, As long as I live, may I support my parents. āAs long as I live may I support my parents.ā
yÄvajÄ«vaį¹ kule jeį¹į¹hÄpacÄyÄ« assaį¹, As long as I live, may I honor the elders in the family. āAs long as I live may I respect the family elders.ā
yÄvajÄ«vaį¹ saį¹havÄco assaį¹, As long as I live, may I speak gently. āAs long as I live may I speak gently.ā
yÄvajÄ«vaį¹ apisuį¹avÄco assaį¹, As long as I live, may I not backbite. āAs long as I live may I not speak divisively.ā
yÄvajÄ«vaį¹ vigatamalamaccherena cetasÄ agÄraį¹ ajjhÄvaseyyaį¹ muttacÄgo payatapÄį¹i vossaggarato yÄcayogo dÄnasaį¹vibhÄgarato, As long as I live, may I live at home with heart rid of the stain of stinginess, freely generous, open-handed, loving to let go, committed to charity, loving to give and to share. āAs long as I live may I dwell at home with a mind devoid of the stain of stinginess, freely generous, open-handed, delighting in relinquishment, devoted to charity, delighting in giving and sharing.ā
yÄvajÄ«vaį¹ saccavÄco assaį¹, As long as I live, may I speak the truth. āAs long as I live may I speak the truth.ā
yÄvajÄ«vaį¹ akkodhano assaį¹āsacepi me kodho uppajjeyya, khippameva naį¹ paį¹ivineyyanti. As long as I live, may I be free of anger, or should anger arise, may I quickly get rid of it. āAs long as I live may I be free from anger, and if anger should arise in me may I dispel it quickly.ā
Sakkassa, bhikkhave, devÄnamindassa pubbe manussabhÅ«tassa imÄni satta vatapadÄni samattÄni samÄdinnÄni ahesuį¹, yesaį¹ samÄdinnattÄ sakko sakkattaį¹ ajjhagÄti. In a former life, when Sakka was a human being, he undertook seven vows. And it was because of undertaking these that he achieved the status of Sakka. In the past, bhikkhus, when Sakka, lord of the devas, was a human being, he adopted and undertook these seven vows by the undertaking of which he achieved the status of Sakka.
MÄtÄpettibharaį¹ jantuį¹, A child who respects their parents, Here jantu shows its original meaning of āone who is bornā, namely a human child.When a person supports his parents,
kule jeį¹į¹hÄpacÄyinaį¹; and honors the elders in the family, And respects the family elders;
Saį¹haį¹ sakhilasambhÄsaį¹, whose speech is gentle and courteous, When his speech is gentle and courteous,
pesuį¹eyyappahÄyinaį¹. and has given up backbiting; And he refrains from divisive words;
Maccheravinaye yuttaį¹, whoās committed to getting rid of stinginess, When he strives to remove meanness,
saccaį¹ kodhÄbhibhuį¹ naraį¹; is truthful, and has mastered anger: Is truthful, and vanquishes anger,
Taį¹ ve devÄ tÄvatiį¹sÄ, the gods of the thirty-three declare The Tavatimsa devas call him
Ähu sappuriso itÄ«āti. them to be a true person.ā Truly a superior person.ā