Tuesday, August 11, 2020

Indra, Deva, Sura-Asura in Sutta Nipat

Indra, Deva, Sura-Asura in Sutta Nipat 

3-11 Nālaka sutta

682. Ānandajāte tidasagae patite/panite
Sakkacca inda sucivasane ca deve,

Dussa gahetvā atiriva thomayante

Asito isi addasa divāvihāre.

Asita the seer, in his mid-day meditation,

saw the devas of the Group of Thirty exultant, ecstatic 

dressed in pure white, honoring Indra,

holding up banners, cheering wildly,


 
683. Disvāna deve pamuditamane udagge
Cittiṃ/vittim karitvā idamavocāpi tattha,

Ki devasagho atiriva kalyarūpo

Dussa gahetvā ramayatha ki paicca.

And on seeing the devas so joyful and happy,

having paid his respects, he said:

"Why is the deva communit so wildly elated?

Why are they holding up banners and waving them around?


684. Yadāpi āsi asurehi sagamo
Jayo surāna asurā parājitā,

Tadāpi netādiso lomahasano

Ki abbhuta aṭṭhu marū pamoditā.


Even after the war with the Asuras

when victory was the devas'. 

the Asuras defeated,

even then there was no excitement like this.

Seeing what marvel  are the devas so joyful?


685. Selenti gāyanti ca vādayanti ca
Bhujāni pohenti ca naccayanti ca,

Pucchāmi voha merumuddhavāsine

Dhunātha me sasaya khippamārisā.


They shout,
 they sing, play music,

clap their hands,  dance.

So I ask you, who live on Mount Meru's summit.

Please dispel my doubt quickly, dear sirs."


686. So bodhisatto ratanavaro atulyo
Manusseloke hitasukhatāya1- jāto,
Sakyāna game janapade lumbineyye
Tenambha tuṭṭhā atiriva kalyarūpā.

"The Bodhisatta, the foremost jewel, unequaled,

has been born for welfare and ease in the human world,

in a town in the Sakyan countryside,  Lumbini.

That's why we're all so wildly elated.

 
687. So sabbasattuttamo aggapuggalo
Narāsabho sabbapajānamuttamo,
Vattessati
cakka isivahaye vane
Nada va siho balavā migābhibhū.

He, the highest of all beings, the ultimate person,

a bull among men, foremost of all people,

will set turning the Wheel (of Dhamma)

in the grove named after the seers,

like a strong, roaring lion,  the conqueror of beasts."

 
688. Ta sadda sutvā turitamavasari so
Suddhodanassa tadā bhavana upāgami,

Nisajja tatthu idamavocāsi sakye
Kuhi kumāro ahamapi daṭṭhukāmo.


Hearing these words, 
Asita quickly descended

and went to Suddhodana's dwelling.

There, taking a seat, he said to the Sakyans:  "Where is the prince?  

 I, too, want to see him."


689. Tato kumāra jalitamiva suvaṇṇa
Ukkāmukhe'va sukusalasampahaṭṭha,

Daddallamāna siriyā anomavaṇṇa

Dassisu putta asitavahayassa sakyā.

The Sakyans then showed

to the seer named Asita  their son, 

the prince  like gold aglow,

burnished by a most skillful smith in the mouth of the furnace,

blazing with glory, flawless in color.

 
690. Disvā kumāra sikhimiva pajjalatta
Tārāsabha va nabhasigama visuddha,

Suriya tapanta saradarivabbhamutta

Ānandajato vipulamalattha piti.

On seeing the prince blazing like flame,

pure like the bull of the stars  going across the sky

the burning sun,  released from the clouds of autumn —

he was exultant, filled with abundant rapture.

 
691. Anekapākhañca sahassamaṇḍala
Chatta marū dhārayumantalikkhe,

Suvaṇṇadaṇḍā vitipatanti cāmarā

Na dissare cāmarachatatagāhakā.

The devas held in the sky many-spoked sunshade

of a thousand circles. 

Gold-handled whisks waved up and down,

but those holding the whisks and

the sunshade  couldn't be seen.



692. Disvā kahasirivahayo isi
Suvaṇṇanekkha viya paṇḍukambale,

Setañca chatta dhariyantamuddhani

Udaggacitto sumano paiggahe.

The matted-haired seer named Dark Splendor,

seeing the boy, like an ornament of gold

on the red woolen blanket,

a white sunshade held over his head,

received him, happy and pleased.

-Sutta Nipat  Verse 682 to 692

The sutta Nipat is said to be authentic compare to other Books in Ti-Pitaka. While writing 'Buddha and His dhamma' Babasahab Ambedkar taken the required material for Buddha-charita, indeed was a challenging/difficult task !

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