Aṇguttara Nikāya
X. Dasaka-Nipāta
XVII: Jāṇussoṇi-Vagga
The Book of the Gradual Sayings
X. The Book of the Tens
XVII: Jāṇussoṇi
Sutta 177
Jāṇussoṇī Suttaṃ
Jāṇussoṇi
Translated from the Pali by F. L. Woodward, M.A.
Copyright The Pali Text Society
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Once the Exalted One was dwelling near Sāvatthī.
Now the brāhmin Jāṇussoṇi,[1] came to see the Exalted One,
and on coming to him
greeted him courteously, and,
after the exchange of greetings and reminiscent talk,
sat down at one side.
As he thus sat he said this to the Exalted One:
"Master Gotama, let me tell you we brāhmins so-called
give charitable gifts:
we make the (shrāddhā) offerings to the dead,[2]
saying:
'May this gift to our kinsmen
and blood-relations who are dead and gone
be of profit.[3]
May our kinsmen
and blood-relations who are dead and gone
enjoy this offering.'
Pray, Master Gotama,
does that gift profit [181] our kinsmen
and blood-relations dead and gone?
Do they really enjoy that gift?"
■
"Well, brāhmin,
if there be ground for it,
it does profit them,
but not if there be no ground."
■
"Pray, Master Gotama, what is ground,
and what is no-ground?"
"Herein, brāhmin,
a certain one takes life,
takes what is not given,
in sexual desires is a wrongdoer,
is a slanderer,
of bitter speech,
an idle babbler,
covetous,
harmful in thought
and wrong in view.
When body breaks up,
beyond death
he rises up again in a purgatory.
There he subsists on food
proper to dwellers in purgatory.
On that he is grounded.
This, brāhmin, is the no-ground,
standing on which that gift profits him not.
■
Herein again a certain one takes life,
takes what is not given,
in sexual desires is a wrongdoer,
is a slanderer,
of bitter speech,
an idle babbler,
covetous,
harmful in thought
and wrong in view.
He, when body breaks up,
beyond death
rises up again in the womb of an animal.
There also he subsists on food
proper to creatures so born.
On that he is grounded.
This also, brāhmin, is no-ground,
whereon standing that gift profits him not.
■
Yet again a certain one abstains from taking life,
from taking what is not given,
from wrong conduct in sexual desires,
from falsehood,
from slander,
from bitter speech,
from idle babble;
he is not covetous,
his thoughts are not harmful
and he has right view.
When body breaks up,
beyond death
he rises up again in the company of human beings.
There he subsists on food proper to human beings.
On that he is grounded.
But this also, brāhmin, is no-ground,
whereon standing that gift profits him not.
■
Yet again a certain one abstains from taking life,
from taking what is not given,
from wrong conduct in sexual desires,
from falsehood,
from slander,
from bitter speech,
from idle babble;
he is not covetous,
his thoughts are not harmful
and he has right view.
When body breaks up,
beyond death
he rises up again in the company of the devas.
There he subsists on food proper to devas.
On that he is grounded.
This also, brāhmin, is no-ground,
standing on which that gift profits him not.
■
Herein again, brāhmin, a certain one takes life,
takes what is not given,
in sexual desires is a wrongdoer,
is a slanderer,
of bitter speech,
an idle babbler,
covetous,
harmful in thought
and wrong in view.
When body breaks up,
beyond death
he rises up again in the region of the departed (petā).
There [182] he subsists on whatever be the food
proper to beings in that region.
On that he is grounded.
Whatsoever offerings his friends
and fellows
or kinsmen and blood-relations
convey[4] to him,
on that he subsists,
on that he is grounded.
This indeed, brāhmin, is the ground,
standing on which that gift is of profit to him."
§
"But, Master Gotama, suppose that this blood-relation
who is dead and gone
has not reached that place,
who then enjoys that offering?"
"In that case, brāhmin,
other blood-relations dead and gone,
who have reached that place,
enjoy it."
■
"But suppose, Master Gotama,
that both that blood-relation
and the others who are dead and gone
have not reached that place,
who then enjoys that offering?"
"That, brāhmin, is impossible,
it cannot come to pass
that that place should be empty
for so long a time
of blood-relations dead and gone.
Anyhow, brāhmin,
he who offers to the dead[5] and gone
is not without reward."
■
"Does the worthy Gotama make any assumption
in an impossible case?"[6]
"I do, brāhmin.
In this connexion
suppose a certain one takes life,
takes what is not given,
in sexual desires is a wrongdoer,
is a slanderer,
of bitter speech,
an idle babbler,
covetous,
harmful in thought
and wrong in view;
but he has been one
who gives to recluses and brāhmins
food and drink,
cloth and vehicle,
flowers,
scents and unguents,
bed,
lodging
and light.
When body breaks up,
beyond death,
he rises up again in the company of elephants.
There he has gain of food and drink,
flowers
and various adornments.
In so far as he was one who took life,
takes what is not given,
in sexual desires is a wrongdoer,
is a slanderer,
of bitter speech,
an idle babbler,
covetous,
harmful in thought
and wrong in view,
for that reason he,
when body broke up,
beyond death
arose in the company of elephants.
But in so far as he was a giver
to recluses and brāhmins
of food and drink,
cloth and vehicle,
flowers,
scents and unguents,
bed,
lodging
and light,
for that reason he has gain of food and drink,
flowers
and various adornments.
■
Suppose again, brāhmin, a certain one takes life,
takes what is not given,
in sexual desires is a wrongdoer,
is a slanderer,
of bitter speech,
an idle babbler,
covetous,
harmful in thought
and wrong in view.
But he was a giver
to [183] recluses and brāhmins of food and drink,
cloth and vehicle,
flowers,
scents and unguents,
bed,
lodging
and light,
for that reason he has gain of food and drink,
flowers
and various adornments.
When body breaks up, beyond death he rises up again in the company of horses.
There he has gain of food and drink,
flowers
and various adornments.
In so far as he was one who took life,
takes what is not given,
in sexual desires is a wrongdoer,
is a slanderer,
of bitter speech,
an idle babbler,
covetous,
harmful in thought
and wrong in view,
for that reason he,
when body broke up,
beyond death
arose in the company of horses.
But in so far as he was a giver
to recluses and brāhmins
of food and drink,
cloth and vehicle,
flowers,
scents and unguents,
bed,
lodging
and light,
for that reason he has gain of food and drink,
flowers
and various adornments.
■
Suppose again, brāhmin, a certain one takes life,
takes what is not given,
in sexual desires is a wrongdoer,
is a slanderer,
of bitter speech,
an idle babbler,
covetous,
harmful in thought
and wrong in view.
But he was a giver
to recluses and brāhmins of food and drink,
cloth and vehicle,
flowers,
scents and unguents,
bed,
lodging
and light,
for that reason he has gain of food and drink,
flowers
and various adornments.
When body breaks up, beyond death he rises up again in the company of cattle.
There he has gain of food and drink,
flowers
and various adornments.
In so far as he was one who took life,
takes what is not given,
in sexual desires is a wrongdoer,
is a slanderer,
of bitter speech,
an idle babbler,
covetous,
harmful in thought
and wrong in view,
for that reason he,
when body broke up,
beyond death
arose in the company of cattle.
But in so far as he was a giver
to recluses and brāhmins
of food and drink,
cloth and vehicle,
flowers,
scents and unguents,
bed,
lodging
and light,
for that reason he has gain of food and drink,
flowers
and various adornments.
■
Suppose again, brāhmin, a certain one takes life,
takes what is not given,
in sexual desires is a wrongdoer,
is a slanderer,
of bitter speech,
an idle babbler,
covetous,
harmful in thought
and wrong in view.
But he was a giver
to recluses and brāhmins of food and drink,
cloth and vehicle,
flowers,
scents and unguents,
bed,
lodging
and light,
for that reason he has gain of food and drink,
flowers
and various adornments.
When body breaks up, beyond death he rises up again in the company of poultry.
There he has gain of food and drink,
flowers
and various adornments.
In so far as he was one who took life,
takes what is not given,
in sexual desires is a wrongdoer,
is a slanderer,
of bitter speech,
an idle babbler,
covetous,
harmful in thought
and wrong in view,
for that reason he,
when body broke up,
beyond death
arose in the company of poultry.
But in so far as he was a giver
to recluses and brāhmins
of food and drink,
cloth and vehicle,
flowers,
scents and unguents,
bed,
lodging
and light,
for that reason he has gain of food and drink,
flowers
and various adornments.
■
Herein again, brāhmin, a certain one abstains from taking life,
from taking what is not given,
from wrong conduct in sexual desires,
from falsehood,
from slander,
from bitter speech,
from idle babble;
he is not covetous,
his thoughts are not harmful
and he has right view.
But he has been a giver to recluses and brāhmins of food and drink,
cloth and vehicle,
flowers,
scents and unguents,
bed,
lodging
and light,
for that reason he has gain of food and drink,
flowers
and various adornments.
When body breaks up,
beyond death
he rises up again in the company of human beings.
There he has gain
of the five sensual delights
belonging to human beings.
In so far as he abstained from taking life,
from taking what is not given,
from wrong conduct in sexual desires,
from falsehood,
from slander,
from bitter speech,
from idle babble;
he is not covetous,
his thoughts are not harmful
and he has right view,
that is why beyond death
he rose up again in the company of human beings.
As he gave to recluses and brāhmins, of food and drink,
cloth and vehicle,
flowers,
scents and unguents,
bed,
lodging
and light,
for that reason he has gain of food and drink,
flowers
and various adornments
in that next life
he has gain of the five sensual delights
belonging to human beings.'
[1] At G.S. i, 150, he asks about sacrifice.
[2] Called puññāni in the quotation at PvA. 27.
[3] Cf. Khp. vii, ito dinnaṃ petānaṃ upakappati.
[4] Anupavecchanti, quoted PvA. 28.
[5] Dāyako.
[6] Aṭṭhāne parikappaṃ vadati.
