Saṃyutta Nikāya
I. Sagātha Vagga
9. Vana-Saṃyutta
The Book of the Kindred Sayings
I. Kindred Sayings with Verses
9. The Forest Suttas
Sutta 9
Vajjiputta or Vesāli Suttaṃ
The Vajjian (or Vesāliyan)
Translated by Mrs. Rhys Davids
Assisted by Sūriyagoḍa Sumangala Thera
Copyright The Pali Text Society. Public Domain.
[9.1][than] THUS HAVE I HEARD: —
A certain brother of the Vajjian clan[1] was once staying near Vesālī,
in a certain forest-tract.
Now an all-night festival
took place at Vesali,
and the brother,
hearing the throb and thrum of the music[2]
and the noise of voices,
lamented,
uttering in that hour the verse: —
"Each by himself we in the forest dwell,
Like a stripped log left lying[3] in the woods.
On such a night as this [of revelry]
Who more ill-plighted in their lot than we?"
Then the deva who haunted that forest,
moved with compassion for that brother,
desiring his welfare,
and wishing to agitate him,
drew near and addressed him in the verse: —
[258] "Thou by thyself dost in the forest dwell,
Like a stripped log left lying in the woods.
And many a one may envy thee thy lot,
E'en as the hell-bound them that go to heaven."
Then that brother, disturbed in mind by the deva, was greatly moved.
[1] By birth a raja (or oligarch of the Vajjian republic), who 'had resigned the umbrella' (noble rank). Comy. The story not quite verbatim is given in Theragāthā Comy. The Therag. verse is slightly different (see Pss. of the Brethren, LXII), the deva there repeating the 'we' of the first line, and using 'me' for 'thee' below.
[2] 'The thrumming of musical instruments such as tom-toms, etc., and the noise of lutes, etc., and talking.' Comy.
[3] 'Deprived of garments, and adornments like timber laid aside. ... Comy.
