Ayyikāsutta

Saṁyutta Nikāya 3.22

Linked Discourses 3.22

3. Tatiyavagga

3. Kosala

Ayyikāsutta

Grandmother

Sāvatthinidānaṁ.

At Sāvatthī.

Ekamantaṁ nisinnaṁ kho rājānaṁ pasenadiṁ kosalaṁ bhagavā etadavoca:

King Pasenadi of Kosala sat to one side, and the Buddha said to him,

“handa kuto nu tvaṁ, mahārāja, āgacchasi divādivassā”ti?

“So, Great King, where are you coming from in the middle of the day?”

“Ayyikā me, bhante, kālaṅkatā jiṇṇā vuḍḍhā mahallikā addhagatā vayoanuppattā vīsavassasatikā jātiyā.

“Sir, my grandmother has passed away. She was old, elderly and senior. She was advanced in years and had reached the final stage of life; she was a hundred and twenty years old.

Ayyikā kho pana me, bhante, piyā hoti manāpā.

But I loved my grandmother; she was dear to me.

Hatthiratanena cepāhaṁ, bhante, labheyyaṁ ‘mā me ayyikā kālamakāsī’ti, hatthiratanampāhaṁ dadeyyaṁ:

If by giving away the elephant-treasure I could get my grandmother back, I’d do it.

‘mā me ayyikā kālamakāsī’ti.

Assaratanena cepāhaṁ, bhante, labheyyaṁ ‘mā me ayyikā kālamakāsī’ti, assaratanampāhaṁ dadeyyaṁ:

If by giving away the horse-treasure I could get my grandmother back, I’d do it.

‘mā me ayyikā kālamakāsī’ti.

Gāmavarena cepāhaṁ, bhante, labheyyaṁ ‘mā me ayyikā kālamakāsī’ti, gāmavarampāhaṁ dadeyyaṁ:

If by giving away a prize village I could get my grandmother back, I’d do it.

‘mā me ayyikā kālamakāsī’ti.

Janapadapadesena cepāhaṁ, bhante, labheyyaṁ ‘mā me ayyikā kālamakāsī’ti, janapadapadesampāhaṁ dadeyyaṁ:

If by giving away the whole country I could get my grandmother back, I’d do it.”

‘mā me ayyikā kālamakāsī’”ti.

“Sabbe sattā, mahārāja, maraṇadhammā maraṇapariyosānā maraṇaṁ anatītā”ti.

“Great king, all sentient beings are liable to die. Death is their end; they’re not exempt from death.”

“Acchariyaṁ, bhante, abbhutaṁ, bhante.

“It’s incredible, sir, it’s amazing,

Yāvasubhāsitamidaṁ, bhante, bhagavatā—

how well said this was by the Buddha:

sabbe sattā maraṇadhammā maraṇapariyosānā maraṇaṁ anatītā’”ti.

‘All sentient beings are liable to die. Death is their end; they’re not exempt from death.’”

“Evametaṁ, mahārāja, evametaṁ, mahārāja.

“That’s so true, Great King! That’s so true!

Sabbe sattā maraṇadhammā maraṇapariyosānā maraṇaṁ anatītā.

All sentient beings are liable to die. Death is their end; they’re not exempt from death.

Seyyathāpi, mahārāja, yāni kānici kumbhakārabhājanāni āmakāni ceva pakkāni ca sabbāni tāni bhedanadhammāni bhedanapariyosānāni bhedanaṁ anatītāni;

It’s like the vessels made by potters. Whatever kind they are, whether baked or unbaked, all of them are liable to break apart. Breaking is their end; they’re not exempt from breakage.

evameva kho, mahārāja, sabbe sattā maraṇadhammā maraṇapariyosānā maraṇaṁ anatītā”ti.

In the same way, all sentient beings are liable to die. Death is their end; they’re not exempt from death.”

Idamavoca …pe…

That is what the Buddha said. …

“Sabbe sattā marissanti,

“All beings will die,

maraṇantañhi jīvitaṁ;

for life ends in death.

Yathākammaṁ gamissanti,

They pass on according to their deeds,

puññapāpaphalūpagā;

reaping the fruits of good and bad.

Nirayaṁ pāpakammantā,

Those who do bad go to hell,

puññakammā ca suggatiṁ.

and if you do good you go to heaven.

Tasmā kareyya kalyāṇaṁ,

That’s why you should do good,

nicayaṁ samparāyikaṁ;

investing in the future life.

Puññāni paralokasmiṁ,

The good deeds of sentient beings

patiṭṭhā honti pāṇinan”ti.

support them in the next world.”