Aṅguttara-Nikāya
III. Tika Nipāta
IV. Deva-Dūta Vagga

The Book of the Gradual Sayings
or
More-Numbered Suttas
III. The Book of the Threes
IV. Messengers of the Devas

Sutta 34

Hatthaka Suttaṁ

Of Āḷavī^[1]

Translated from the Pali by
F.L. Woodward, M.A.

Copyright The Pali Text Society
Commercial Rights Reserved

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[119]

[1][than][bodh] Thus have I heard:

On a certain occasion the Exalted One was staying near Āḷavī,
at Cowpath in Siṇsapa Grove,^[2]
lodging on the leaf-strewn ground.

Now Hatthaka of Āḷavī
was wandering there afoot,
and as he went along
he saw the Exalted One in that place,
seated on the ground strewn with leaves.

On seeing him he approached
and saluting him sat down at one side.

So seated Hatthakka of Āḷavī
said this to the Exalted One:

"Pray, sir, does the Exalted One live happily?"^[3]

"Yes, my lad, I live happily.

I am one of those who live happily in the world."

"But, sir, the winter nights are cold,
the dark half of the month^[4] is the time of snowfall.

Hard is the ground
trampled [120] by the hoofs of cattle,^[5]
thin the carpet of fallen leaves,
sparse are the leaves of the tree,
cold are the saffron robes
and cold the gale of wind that blows."

Then said the Exalted One:

"Still, my lad,^[6]
I live happily.

Of those who live happy in the world
I am one.

Now, my lad,
I will question you about this
and do you reply as you think fit.

What think you, my lad?

Suppose a housefather or housefather's son
has a house with a gabled roof,^[7]
plastered inside and out,
with well-fitting doors and casements.

Therein is a couch
spread with a long-fleeced woolen rug,
a bed-spread of white wool,^[8]
a coverlet embroidered with flowers,^[9]
spread with a costly skin of antelope,
having a canopy overhead
and a scarlet cushion at each end.

Here is a lamp burning
and four wives to wait upon him
with all their charms.^[10]

Now what think you, my lad?

Would he live happily or not?

How think you?"

"Yes, he would, sir.

He is one of those
who live happily in the world."^[11]

"Well now, my lad,
what think you?

Would there not arise
in that housefather or housefather's son
torments of body or of mind
that are born of lust
so that, tortured by them,
he would live unhappily?"

"They would arise, sir."

"Well, my lad,
as to those torments of body or of mind
born of lust,
tortured by which he would live unhappily,
that lust has been abandoned by the Tathāgata,
cut off at the root,
made like a palm-tree stump,
made unable to become again,
of a nature not to arise again in future time.

That is why I live happily.

[121] Again, would there not arise
in that housefather or housefather's son
torments of body or of mind
that are born of malice
so that, tortured by them,
he would live unhappily?"

"They would arise, sir."

"Well, my lad, as to those torments of body or of mind
born of malice,
tortured by which he would live unhappily,
that malice has been abandoned by the Tathāgata,
cut off at the root,
made like a palm-tree stump,
made unable to become again,
of a nature not to arise again in future time.

That is why I live happily.

Again, would not there arise
in that housefather or housefather's son
torments of body or of mind
that are born of delusion
so that, tortured by them,
he would live unhappily?"

"They would arise, sir."

"Well, my lad, as to those torments of body or of mind
born of delusion,
tortured by which he would live unhappily,
that delusion has been abandoned by the Tathāgata,
cut off at the root,
made like a palm-tree stump,
made unable to become again,
of a nature not to arise again in future time.

That is why I live happily."

 

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Yea, happily he lives, the Brāhman^[12] set free
Whom lusts defile not, who is cooled and loosed from bonds,
Who hath all barriers burst, restraining his heart's pain.
Happy the calm one lives who wins the peace of mind.'

 

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^[1] Āḷavī. Cf. K.S. i, 234 n. and supra, text 26, 88.

^[2] Cf. K.S. v, 370

^[3] Sukhaṁ viharati, cf. S. iv, 127 for the meaning of sukhaṁ to the Ariyan. Sukhaṁ asayittha. The aorist is in its habitual sense. So Comy.

^[4] Antar'aṭṭhako, lit. 'between the eights,' a week before and after full moon. Cf. M. i, 79. Comy. 'The eight-day interval between (the full moon of) Māgha and Phagguna (February, March).'

^[5] Go-kaṇṭaka (hoof)-hatā. Cf. Vin. i. 195

^[6] Comy. reads rāja-kumāra.

^[7] Cf. supra, text 101; for what follows cf. D. i, 7.

^[8] Paṭik'atthato = uṇṇāmayena setattharakena atthato. Comy.

^[9] Putalik'atthato = ghaṇa-pupphena uṇṇāmaya-attharakena atthato. Comy. Text reads paṭilik-.

^[10] Manāpa-manāpena. Comy. has it once.

^[11] Text arrranges wrongly. Ye ca pana belongs to the speech of Hatthaka.

^[12] Brāhmaṇo = arahant. Cf. Vin. ii, 156; S. i, x, 8 (K.S. i, 273).