Saṃyutta Nikāya
3. Khandha Vagga
29. Nāga Saṃyutta
The Book of the Kindred Sayings
3. The Book Called the Khandhā-Vagga
Containing Kindred Sayings on the Elements of Sensory Existence and other Subjects
29. Kindred Sayings on Nāgas
Sutta 2
Paṇīta-Tara Suttaṃ
Pre-Eminent
Translated by F. L. Woodward
Edited by Mrs. Rhys Davids
Copyright The Pali Text Society
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The Exalted One was once staying near Sāvatthī
at the Jeta Grove in Anāthapiṇḍika's Park.
And there the Exalted One addressed the brethren, saying:
"Brethren!"
"Master!" responded those brethren.
The Exalted One said:
"There are these four sorts of birth, brethren,
as nāgas.
What four?
The egg-born,
the womb-born
the sweat-born,
those born without parents.
§
Herein, brethren, the womb-born,
the sweat-born
and those born without parents
are better than[1] the egg-born.
The sweat-born[ed1]
and those born without parents
are better than the womb-born
and the egg-born.
Those born without parents,
are better than the sweat-born
the womb-born,
and the egg-born.
Such, brethren, are the four sorts of births as nāgas."
[1] Paṇītatara
[ed1] Woodward abridges as follows:
Herein, brethren, the womb-born,
the sweat-born
and those born without parents
are better than the egg-born.
The two latter sorts
are better than the two former,
and the last three
are better than the egg-born.
which would repeat the first sequence for the last sequence.
