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Saṁyutta Nikāya 36.4 Linked Discourses 36.4
1. Sagāthāvagga 1. With Verses
Pātālasutta The Abyss
“Assutavā, bhikkhave, puthujjano yaṁ vācaṁ bhāsati: “Mendicants, when an unlearned ordinary person says that
‘atthi mahāsamudde pātālo’ti. there’s an abyss under the ocean, While the Buddha routinely spoke of various heavenly or lower realms, he only uses the term pātāla (“abyss”) in metaphorical senses (SN 9.1:3.3, SN 1.44:1.4). Tālapuṭa refers to it as a place, but this is in a line of poetry referring to mythical dangers of the oceans (Thag 19.1:14.2). The “Abyss” in the Purāṇas is said to be the lowest of the seven nether realms, but it is no hell. Rather, it is the glorious, jewel-festooned city of the dragons, beneath which Viṣṇu dwells, and whose glories exceed even the heavens (Śiva Purāṇa 5.15; Agni Purāṇa 120.2; Nārada Purāṇa 1.3.38). Perhaps the Buddha rejected such a notion as incompatible with his cosmology.
Taṁ kho panetaṁ, bhikkhave, assutavā puthujjano asantaṁ avijjamānaṁ evaṁ vācaṁ bhāsati: they’re speaking of something that doesn’t exist.
‘atthi mahāsamudde pātālo’ti.
Sārīrikānaṁ kho etaṁ, bhikkhave, dukkhānaṁ vedanānaṁ adhivacanaṁ yadidaṁ ‘pātālo’ti. ‘Abyss’ is a term for painful physical feelings.
Assutavā, bhikkhave, puthujjano sārīrikāya dukkhāya vedanāya phuṭṭho samāno socati kilamati paridevati urattāḷiṁ kandati sammohaṁ āpajjati. When an unlearned ordinary person experiences painful physical feelings they sorrow and wail and lament, beating their breast and falling into confusion.
Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, ‘assutavā puthujjano pātāle na paccuṭṭhāsi, gādhañca nājjhagā’. They’re called an unlearned ordinary person who hasn’t stood up in the abyss and has found no footing.
Sutavā ca kho, bhikkhave, ariyasāvako sārīrikāya dukkhāya vedanāya phuṭṭho samāno neva socati, na kilamati, na paridevati, na urattāḷiṁ kandati, na sammohaṁ āpajjati. When a learned noble disciple experiences painful physical feelings they don’t sorrow or wail or lament, beating their breast and falling into confusion.
Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, ‘sutavā ariyasāvako pātāle paccuṭṭhāsi, gādhañca ajjhagā’ti. They’re called a learned noble disciple who has stood up in the abyss and found a footing.
Yo etā nādhivāseti, If you can’t abide
uppannā vedanā dukhā; those painful physical feelings
Sārīrikā pāṇaharā, that arise and sap your vitality;
yāhi phuṭṭho pavedhati. if you tremble at their touch,
Akkandati parodati, weeping and wailing,
dubbalo appathāmako; a weakling lacking strength—
Na so pātāle paccuṭṭhāsi, you won’t stand up in the abyss
atho gādhampi nājjhagā. and find a footing.
Yo cetā adhivāseti, If you can endure
uppannā vedanā dukhā; those painful physical feelings
Sārīrikā pāṇaharā, that arise and sap your vitality;
yāhi phuṭṭho na vedhati; if you don’t tremble at their touch—
Sa ve pātāle paccuṭṭhāsi, you stand up in the abyss
atho gādhampi ajjhagā”ti. and find a footing.”
Catutthaṁ.