Table of Contents

  • Synopsis
    • AN 4.114 Nāga (elephant)
      • (1. Elephant listens)
      • (2. Elephant destroys)
      • (3. Elephant patiently endures)
      • (4. Elephant goes)
      • (1. Monk listens)
      • (2. Monk destroys)
      • (3. Monk patiently endures)
      • (4. Monk goes)

Synopsis

AN 4.114 Nāga (elephant)

nāga-suttaṃ n (AN 4.114)
 AN 4.114 [Bull] Elephant-discourse
(cst4)
 (dervied from bodhi trans.)
♦ 114. “catūhi, bhikkhave, aṅgehi samannāgato
 “four-of-these, *********, factors possessed,
rañño nāgo
 (by a) king's bull-elephant
rāj-āraho hoti
 {makes it} worthy-of-a-king,
rāja-bhoggo,
 (a) king's accessory,
rañño aṅganteva saṅkhaṃ gacchati.
 (a) kingship factor (it is) reckoned.
katamehi catūhi?
 which four?
idha, bhikkhave,
 here, monks,
rañño nāgo sotā ca hoti,
 (a) king's bull-elephant listens ** *****,
hantā ca,
 and destroys,
khantā ca,
 and patiently-endures,
gantā ca.
 and goes.

(1. Elephant listens)

1. ♦ “kathañca, bhikkhave,
 (1) “And how, monks,
rañño nāgo sotā hoti?
 is a king’s bull elephant one who listens?
idha, bhikkhave, rañño nāgo
 Here, monks, a king's bull elephant,
yamenaṃ hatthi-damma-sārathi kāraṇaṃ kāreti —
 whatever task the elephant trainer sets for it,
yadi vā kata-pubbaṃ yadi vā a-kata-pubbaṃ —
 whether or-not (it has) done-it-previously before or not-done-it-previously -
taṃ aṭṭhiṃ katvā VAR
 that task (he) does,
manasi katvā
 (he) pays attention,
sabba-cetasā VAR samannāharitvā
 (with his) entire-mind (he) directs-towards (that),
ohita-soto suṇāti.
 (with) eager-ears (he) listens.
evaṃ kho, bhikkhave, rañño nāgo sotā hoti.
 In this way, monks, (a) kings elephant {is a} listener.

(2. Elephant destroys)

2. ♦ “kathañca, bhikkhave,
 (2) “And how, monks,
rañño nāgo hantā hoti?
 {is a} king’s bull-elephant (a) destroyer?
idha, bhikkhave,
 Here, monks,
rañño nāgo saṅgāma-gato
 (when a) king’s elephant (has) gone-into-battle,
hatthimpi hanati,
 elephants (he) destroys,
hatthā-ruhampi hanati,
 elephant-riders (he) destroys,
assampi hanati,
 horses (he) destroys,
assā-ruhampi hanati,
 horse-riders (he) destroys,
rathampi hanati,
 chariots (he) destroys,
rathikampi hanati,
 chariot-riders (he) destroys,
pattikampi hanati.
 infantry (he) destroys.
evaṃ kho, bhikkhave,
 thus indeed, monks,
rañño nāgo hantā hoti.
 (a) king's elephant {is a} destroyer.

(3. Elephant patiently endures)

3. ♦ “kathañca, bhikkhave,
 (3) “And how, monks,
rañño nāgo khantā hoti?
 {is a} king’s bull elephant (one who) patiently-endures?
idha bhikkhave,
 Here, monks,
rañño nāgo saṅgāma-gato
 (when a) king’s bull elephant (has) gone-into-battle,
khamo hoti
 (he) patiently-endures ****
sattip-pahārānaṃ
 spears-striking (him),
asip-pahārānaṃ
 swords-striking (him),
usup-pahārānaṃ
 arrows-striking (him),
pharasup-pahārānaṃ VAR
 axes-striking (him),
bheri-paṇava-saṅkha-tiṇava-ninnāda-saddānaṃ.
 {he [patiently endures thundering] sounds of} drums, kettledrums, conches, and tom-toms.
evaṃ kho, bhikkhave,
 It is in this way, monks,
rañño nāgo khantā hoti.
 (that a) king’s bull elephant (is one who) patiently-endures.

(4. Elephant goes)

4. ♦ “kathañca, bhikkhave,
 (4) “And how, monks,
rañño nāgo gantā hoti?
 (is a) king’s bull elephant (one who) goes?
idha, bhikkhave,
 Here, monks,
rañño nāgo yamenaṃ hatthi-damma-sārathi disaṃ peseti —
 the king’s bull elephant quickly goes to whatever region the elephant trainer sends it,
yadi vā gata-pubbaṃ yadi vā a-gata-pubbaṃ —
 whether or-not (he has) gone-there-previously or not-gone-there-previously,
taṃ khippameva gantā hoti.
 or not it has ever gone there before.
evaṃ kho, bhikkhave,
 It is in this way, monks,
rañño nāgo gantā hoti.
 (that a) king’s bull elephant (is one who) goes.
imehi kho, bhikkhave, catūhi aṅgehi samannāgato
 “(with) these ***, *********, four factors possessed,
rañño nāgo
 a king’s bull elephant
rāj-āraho hoti
 is worthy of a king,
rāja-bhoggo,
 an accessory of a king,
rañño aṅganteva saṅkhaṃ gacchati.
 and reckoned as a factor of kingship.
♦ “evamevaṃ kho, bhikkhave, catūhi dhammehi samannāgato bhikkhu āhuneyyo hoti ... pe ... anuttaraṃ puññakkhettaṃ lokassa.
 “So too, bhikkhus, possessing four qualities, a bhikkhu is worthy of gifts, worthy of hospitality, worthy of offerings, worthy of reverential salutation, an unsurpassed field of merit for the world.
katamehi catūhi?
 What four?
idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu sotā ca hoti, hantā ca, khantā ca, gantā ca.
 Here, a bhikkhu is one who listens, who destroys, who patiently endures, and who goes.

(1. Monk listens)

1. ♦ “kathañca, bhikkhave, bhikkhu sotā hoti?
 (1) “And how, bhikkhus, is a bhikkhu one who listens?
idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu
 Here, monks, a monk,
tathāgatap-pavedite dhamma-vinaye desiyamāne
 (when the) tathagata-proclaims (the) Dhamma-and-discipline (and is) taeching (it),
aṭṭhiṃ katvā
 a bhikkhu heeds it,
manasi katvā
 attends to it,
sabbacetasā samannāharitvā
 directs his whole mind to it,
ohita-soto dhammaṃ suṇāti.
 and listens with eager ears.
evaṃ kho, bhikkhave,
 It is in this way, monks,
bhikkhu sotā hoti.
 that a bhikkhu is one who listens.

(2. Monk destroys)

2. ♦ “kathañca, bhikkhave, bhikkhu hantā hoti?
 (2) “And how is a bhikkhu one who destroys?
idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu
 Here, a bhikkhu
uppannaṃ kāma-vitakkaṃ n-ādhivāseti
 does not tolerate an arisen sensual-thought,
pajahati vinodeti (hanati) VAR byantīkaroti anabhāvaṃ gameti,
 but abandons it, dispels it, terminates it, and obliterates it.
uppannaṃ byāpādavitakkaṃ ... pe ...
 He does not tolerate an arisen thought of ill will …
uppannaṃ vihiṃsāvitakkaṃ ... pe ...
 an arisen thought of harming …
uppannuppanne pāpake akusale dhamme nādhivāseti
 any other bad unwholesome states that arise from time to time,
pajahati vinodeti hanati byantīkaroti anabhāvaṃ gameti.
 but abandons them, dispels them, terminates them, and obliterates them.
evaṃ kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu
 It is in this way that a bhikkhu
hantā hoti.
 is one who destroys.

(3. Monk patiently endures)

3. ♦ “kathañca, bhikkhave, bhikkhu
 (3) “And how is a bhikkhu
khantā hoti?
 one who patiently endures?
idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu
 Here, a bhikkhu
khamo hoti
 patiently endures
sītassa uṇhassa
 cold and heat;
jighacchāya pipāsāya,
 hunger and thirst;
ḍaṃsa-makasa-vāt-ātapa-sarīsapa-samphassānaṃ
 contact with flies, mosquitoes, wind, the burning sun, and serpents;
duruttānaṃ durāgatānaṃ vacanapathānaṃ
 rude and offensive ways of speech; [118]
uppannānaṃ sārīrikānaṃ vedanānaṃ
 he is able to bear up with arisen bodily feelings
dukkhānaṃ tibbānaṃ kharānaṃ
 that are painful, racking, sharp,
kaṭukānaṃ a-sātānaṃ a-manāpānaṃ
 piercing, harrowing, disagreeable,
pāṇaharānaṃ adhivāsaka-jātiko hoti.
 sapping one’s vitality.
evaṃ kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu
 It is this way that a bhikkhu
khantā hoti.
 is one who patiently endures.

(4. Monk goes)

4. ♦ “kathañca, bhikkhave, bhikkhu
 (4) “And how is a bhikkhu
gantā hoti?
 one who goes?
idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu
 Here, a bhikkhu
yāyaṃ disā a-gata-pubbā
 quickly goes to that region where he has never before gone
iminā dīghena addhunā
 in this long stretch of time,
yadidaṃ
 that is,
sabba-saṅkhāra-samatho
 to the stilling of all activities,
sabb-ūpadhi-paṭinissaggo
 the relinquishment of all acquisitions,
taṇhāk-khayo
 the destruction of craving,
virāgo
 dispassion,
nirodho
 cessation,
nibbānaṃ,
 nibbāna.
taṃ khippaññeva gantā hoti.
 {...}
evaṃ kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu
 It is in this way that a bhikkhu
gantā hoti.
 is one who goes.
imehi kho, bhikkhave, catūhi dhammehi samannāgato bhikkhu āhuneyyo hoti ... pe ... anuttaraṃ puññakkhettaṃ lokassā”ti. catutthaṃ.
 “Possessing these four qualities, a bhikkhu is worthy of gifts … an unsurpassed field of merit for the world.”
(end of sutta)