Aṇguttara Nikāya
Pañcaka Nipāta
VI: Nīvaraṇa Vagga

The Book of the Gradual Sayings
The Book of the Fives
VI: The Hindrances

Sutta 58

Licchavi Kumāra Suttaṃ

The Licchavi Young Men

Translated by E. M. Hare

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[75] [62]

[1][bodh] Thus have I heard:

At one time the Exalted One dwelt near Veaālī,
at the Cabled Hall,
in Mahāvana.

And early one morning,
after dressing,
the Exalted One took bowl and robe
and entered Veaālī for alms.

And having gone his round,
on his return,
after the midday meal,
he made his way into the great forest of Mahāvana,
and sat down for the noonday rest
at the foot of a tree.

Now at that time a company, of Lacchavi young men
were out stalking and ranging in Mahāvana;
they had their bows strung
and were surrounded by a pack of dogs;
and they saw the Exalted One
seated at the foot of the tree.

Then at that sight
they cast aside their bows,
called off their dogs
and approached the Exalted One,
saluted him
and stood with hands upraised
in silence reverencing him.

■

Just then Mahānāma,^[1] the Licchavi,
was stretching his legs in Mahāvana
by walking up and down;
and he saw those young Licchavis
with upraised hands
silently reverencing the Exalted One.

And Mahānāma, the Licchavi,
went to the Exalted One,
saluted him
and sat down at one side.

So seated, he salid with bated breath:^[2]

'They will become Vajjians,^[3]
they will become Vajjians!'

'But why, Mahānāma, dost thou speak so:

"They will become Vajjians!"?'

'Lord, these Licchavi young men
are quick-tempered,
rough,
greedy fellows.

Such presents as are sent^[4] by clanfolk —
[63] sugar-cane,
jujube fruit,
sweet cakes,
sweetmeats
and lolly-pops^[5] —
they go about plundering and eating;
they slap the women and the girls of the clan on the back.^[6]

Such are these fellows
who now with upraised hands
stand in silence reverencing the Exalted One.'

■

'Wheresoever these five conditions are found, Mahānāma,
whether in a crowned warrior-rajah,
or in a countryman living on his paternal^[7] farm,
or in a general of an army,
or in a governor of villages,^[8]
or in a guild-master,^[9]
or in those who make themselves
the one power among the clans,
growth may be expected
and not decline.

What five?

Take the case, Mahānāma,
of a clansman who,^[10]
with wealth gotten by work and zeal,
gathered by the strength of the arm,
earned by the sweat of the brow,
justly obtained in a lawful way,
honours,
reveres,
venerates
and reverences his parents.

At once his parents,
honoured,
revered,
venerated
and reverenced,
fondly regard him
with loving thoughts
and say:

"Long life to you,
and may your long life be protected!"

To the clansman, Mahānāma,
who has the fond regard of his parents,
growth may be expected
and not decline.

■

Moreover, Mahānāma,
a clansman who,
with wealth gotten by work and zeal,
gathered by the strength of the arm,
earned by the sweat of the brow,
justly obtained
in a lawful way,
honours,
reveres,
venerates
and reverences his children and wife.

At once his children and wife,
honoured,
revered,
venerated
and reverenced,
fondly regard him
with loving thoughts
and say:

"Long life to you,
and may your long life be protected!"

To the clansman, Mahānāma,
who has the fond regard of his children and wife,
growth may be expected
and not decline.

■

Moreover, Mahānāma,
a clansman who,
with wealth gotten by work and zeal,
gathered by the strength of the arm,
earned by the sweat of the brow,
justly obtained
in a lawful way,
honours,
reveres,
venerates
and reverences
his slaves, workfolk and men.

At once his slaves, workfolk and men,
honoured,
revered,
venerated
and reverenced,
fondly regard him
with loving thoughts
and say:

"Long life to you,
and may your long life be protected!"

To the clansman, Mahānāma,
who has the fond regard of his slaves, workfolk and men,
growth may be expected
and not decline.

■

Moreover, Mahānāma,
a clansman who,
with wealth gotten by work and zeal,
gathered by the strength of the arm,
earned by the sweat of the brow,
justly obtained
in a lawful way,
honours,
reveres,
venerates
and reverences
the labourers in his fields
and those whose business is with the boundaries.^[11]

At once the labourers in his fields
and those whose business is with the boundaries,
honoured,
revered,
venerated
and reverenced,
fondly regard him
with loving thoughts
and say:

"Long life to you,
and may your long life be protected!"

To the clansman, Mahānāma,
who has the fond regard of the labourers in his fields
and those whose business is with the boundaries,
growth may be expected
and not decline.

■

[64]Moreover, Mahānāma,
a clansman who,
with wealth gotten by work and zeal,
gathered by the strength of the arm,
earned by the sweat of the brow,
justly obtained
in a lawful way,
honours,
reveres,
venerates
and reverences
the devas who are wont to receive oblations.

At once his the devas who are wont to receive oblations,
honoured,
revered,
venerated
and reverenced,
fondly regard him
with loving thoughts
and say:

"Long life to you,
and may your long life be protected!"

To the clansman, Mahānāma,
who has the fond regard of the devas who are wont to receive oblations,
growth may be expected
and not decline.

■

Moreover, Mahānāma,
a clansman who,
with wealth gotten by work and zeal,
gathered by the strength of the arm,
earned by the sweat of the brow,
justly obtained
in a lawful way,
honours,
reveres,
venerates
and reverences
recluses and godly men.

At once recluses and godly men,
honoured,
revered,
venerated
and reverenced,
fondly regard him
with loving thoughts
and say:

"Long life to you,
and may your long life be protected!"

To the clansman, Mahānāma,
who has the fond regard of recluses and godly men,
growth may be expected
and not decline.

Wheresoever these five conditions are found, Mahānāma,
whether in a crowned warrior-rajah,
a countryman living on his paternal farm,
a general of an army,
a governor of villages,
a guild-master,
or in those who make themselves
the one power among the clans,
growth may be expected and not decline.

To mother, father dutiful, to child and wife
A blessing ever, for the weal of both:
Of those within the home and those who live^[12]
By him, moral and wise in word is he.
For him, for those gone on before, for such
As live e'en here,^[13] for samaṇa and brāhman,
Breeder of welfare doth the wise become,
(In that) by Dhamma in the home he lives.
Author of lovely^[14] (conduct) worshipful^[15]
Doth he become, and worthy praise. E'en here
Men praise him, and to the hereafter gone,
In the bright world he dwells in happiness.'^[16]

 

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^[1] We are not able to link up this Mahānāma with others of that name, either, e.g. with him of the first five disciples, or the Sakyan lay-kinsman. It is possible that we have a name substituted, when written suttas involved many blurred words, for the forgotten name of a disciple. Rhys Davids lists Licchavis and Videhas as forming two branches of one Vajjian confederacy, but this sutta points to Licchavis as not Vajjians, a more cultured oligarchy. Cf. Dial. ii, p. 79ff.; Buddh. India, ch. ii; C.H.I. i, 175.

^[2] Udānaṃ udānesi.

^[3] Or, as we might say, they will end by becoming Vajjians, their more cultured neighbours.

^[4] Pahiṇakānini pahīyanti. I do not think the latter is from √HA, but from √HI and formed by false analogy. Thus as from pajahati the passive is pahīyati, pp. pahīna; so from pahiṇati (the Singhalese spell it with a dental, not lingual) the passive is pahiyati (so S.e., not with text pahīyati) with an adj.-noun, pahīṇa.

^[5] Sakkhalakā.

^[6] Pacchāliyaṃ khipanti. Comy. pacchato gantvā, piṭṭhipādena paharanti, they go behind and kick them with the upper part of the foot (see Vism. trsl. 288 on piṭṭhipādo). P.E.D. suggests 'lap' or 'basket' for pacchāliyaṃ, but the word may be resolved into pacchā and āli, a dike; so: side, see Childers. As regards khipanti, in English we have the counterpart in the word 'chuck.'

^[7] Pettanika. Comy. pitaraṃ dattaṃ sāpateyyaṃ bhuñjati.

^[8] Gāmagāmika. Comy. gāmānaṃ gāmika. A gāma is more like our old term 'hundred' than the modem idea of village.

^[9] Pūgagāmaṇika. Comy. gaṇajeitthaka.

^[10] Cf. above, § 41.

^[11] Sāmanta-saṃvohāre, Comy. rajju-daṇḍehi bhūmippamāṇe gāhake saṃvohāre, those who hold the office of measuring the ground with rope and rod — i.e., surveyors.

^[12] The text and S.e. read anujīvino, but Comy. upajīvino.

^[13] Diṭṭhe dhamme ca jīvitaṃ. Comy. ye ca ... jīvanti,

^[14] So karitvāna kalyāṇaṃ.

^[15] We should read with Comy. and S.e. pujjo, I think.

^[16] The last line of the text recurs above, § 41, and at A. ii, 5; It. 111.