1"Bhikkhus, (1) on the eighth of the fortnight, the ministers and assembly members of the four great kings wander over this world, [n.384] The eighth of the fortnight is the day of the quarter moon, both waxing and waning. The "four great kings" (catumahārājāno) are the rulers of the lowest of the six sense-sphere heavenly worlds, the realm closest to the human. We find here a graded sequence: on the eighth, their ministers and assembly members (amaccā pārisajjā) inspect the world; on the fourteenth (the day before the full moon and new moon), their sons (puttā) inspect the world; and on the fifteenth, the actual full-moon and new-moon days, the four great kings themselves inspect the world. thinking: ‘We hope there are many people who behave properly toward their mother and father, behave properly toward ascetics and brahmins, honor the elders of the family, observe the uposatha, keep the extra observance days, and do meritorious deeds.’ [n.385] Mp: "When they observe the uposatha, they undertake the uposatha factors eight times per month. Keeping the extra observance days (paṭijāgaranti), in a single fortnight they do so by anticipating and following up (paccuggamanānugamana) the four uposatha days. Anticipating the uposatha of the fifth, they undertake the uposatha on the fourth; and following up, on the sixth. Anticipating the uposatha of the eighth, they observe it on the seventh; and following up, on the ninth. Anticipating the uposatha of the fourteenth, they observe it on the thirteenth, and following up the uposatha of the fifteenth, they observe the uposatha at the beginning (of the next fortnight). They do meritorious deeds (puññāni karonti) in various ways: by going for refuge, constantly observing the precepts, offering flowers, listening to the Dhamma, offering lights, making dwellings, etc. Having wandered around, (the ministers and assembly members) write down the names of the merit-makers on a golden sheet and present it to the four great kings." For canonical accounts of the uposatha observance, see AN3.70 and AN8.41, AN8.42. (2) On the fourteenth of the fortnight, the sons of the four great kings wander over this world, thinking: ‘We hope there are many people who behave properly toward their mother and father … … and do meritorious deeds.’ (3) On the fifteenth, the uposatha day, the four great kings themselves wander over this world, thinking: ‘We hope there are many people who behave properly toward their mother and father … and do meritorious deeds.’

2"If, bhikkhus, there are few people who behave properly toward their mother and father … and do meritorious deeds, the four great kings report this to the Tāvatiṁsa devas when they meet and are sitting together in the Sudhamma council hall: ‘Revered sirs, there are few people who behave properly toward their mother and father … and do meritorious deeds.’ Then, because of this, the Tāvatiṁsa devas become displeased, saying: ‘Alas, the celestial company will decline and the company of asuras will flourish!’

3"But if there are many people who behave properly toward their mother and father … and do meritorious deeds, the four great kings report this to the Tāvatiṁsa devas when they meet and are sitting together in the Sudhamma council hall: ‘Revered sirs, there are many people who behave properly toward their mother and father, behave properly toward ascetics and brahmins, honor the elders of the family, observe the uposatha, keep the extra observance days, and do meritorious deeds.’ Then, because of this, the Tāvatiṁsa devas become elated, saying: ‘Indeed, the celestial company will flourish and the company of asuras will decline!’"

4"Bhikkhus, once in the past, when Sakka, ruler of the devas, was guiding the Tāvatiṁsa devas, he recited this verse: [n.386] I follow Be as against Ce and Ee in the division between this sutta and the next. Ce and Ee take this sentence as the beginning of AN3.38 (No. 37in Ee's scheme) and the second narrative that begins bhūtapubbaṁ bhikkhave ("Bhikkhus, once in the past")—several paragraphs below—as a continuation of the sutta. Be, however, takes the first narrative about Sakka to be a continuation of AN3.37, and the second narrative to mark the beginning of AN3.38. A Chinese parallel, SĀ 1117 (T II 295c10 –296a23), agrees with Be on this but merges into one the two statements about Sakka and the liberated bhikkhu.

5"‘The person who would be like me
should observe the uposatha
complete in the eight factors,
on the fourteenth, fifteenth,
and eighth of the fortnight,
and during special fortnights.’ [n.387] Pāṭihāriyapakkha. Mp says that they undertake a continuous uposatha observance for the full three months of the rains (antovasse temāsaṁ); if they cannot manage this, they should observe it for a full month after the rains, between the two invitation days, or at least for a two-week period following the first invitation day. The "invitation" (pavāraṇa) is the occasion, at the end of the rains, when bhikkhus and bhikkhunīs "invite" (pavāreti) their fellows to point out any faults in their behavior during the rains. Spk I 307,9–16, commenting on pāṭihāriyapakkha at SN 10:5, I 208,27, explains the term in a broader sense (see CDB AN3.111, n. 573).

6"This verse, bhikkhus, was badly recited by Sakka, ruler of the devas, not well recited. It was badly stated, not well stated. For what reason? Because Sakka, ruler of the devas, is not devoid of lust, hatred, and delusion.

7But in the case of a bhikkhu who is an arahant—one whose taints are destroyed, who has lived the spiritual life, done what had to be done, laid down the burden, reached his own goal, utterly destroyed the fetters of existence, one completely liberated through final knowledge—it is fitting for him to say:

8‘The person who would be like me
should observe the uposatha
complete in the eight factors,
on the fourteenth, fifteenth,
and eighth of the fortnight,
and during special fortnights.’

9"For what reason? Because that bhikkhu is devoid of lust, hatred, and delusion."

1"Aṭṭhamiyaṁ, bhikkhave, pakkhassa catunnaṁ mahārājānaṁ amaccā pārisajjā imaṁ lokaṁ anuvicaranti: ‘kacci bahū manussā manussesu matteyyā petteyyā sāmaññā brahmaññā kule jeṭṭhāpacāyino uposathaṁ upavasanti paṭijāgaronti puññāni karontī’ti. Cātuddasiṁ, bhikkhave, pakkhassa catunnaṁ mahārājānaṁ puttā imaṁ lokaṁ anuvicaranti: ‘kacci bahū manussā manussesu matteyyā petteyyā sāmaññā brahmaññā kule jeṭṭhāpacāyino uposathaṁ upavasanti paṭijāgaronti puññāni karontī’ti. Tadahu, bhikkhave, uposathe pannarase cattāro mahārājāno sāmaññeva imaṁ lokaṁ anuvicaranti: ‘kacci bahū manussā manussesu matteyyā petteyyā sāmaññā brahmaññā kule jeṭṭhāpacāyino uposathaṁ upavasanti paṭijāgaronti puññāni karontī’ti.

2Sace, bhikkhave, appakā honti manussā manussesu matteyyā petteyyā sāmaññā brahmaññā kule jeṭṭhāpacāyino uposathaṁ upavasanti paṭijāgaronti puññāni karonti. Tamenaṁ, bhikkhave, cattāro mahārājāno devānaṁ tāvatiṁsānaṁ sudhammāya sabhāya sannisinnānaṁ sannipatitānaṁ ārocenti: ‘appakā kho, mārisā, manussā manussesu matteyyā petteyyā sāmaññā brahmaññā kule jeṭṭhāpacāyino uposathaṁ upavasanti paṭijāgaronti puññāni karontī’ti. Tena kho, bhikkhave, devā tāvatiṁsā anattamanā honti: ‘dibbā vata, bho, kāyā parihāyissanti, paripūrissanti asurakāyā’ti.

3Sace pana, bhikkhave, bahū honti manussā manussesu matteyyā petteyyā sāmaññā brahmaññā kule jeṭṭhāpacāyino uposathaṁ upavasanti paṭijāgaronti puññāni karonti. Tamenaṁ, bhikkhave, cattāro mahārājāno devānaṁ tāvatiṁsānaṁ sudhammāya sabhāya sannisinnānaṁ sannipatitānaṁ ārocenti: ‘bahū kho, mārisā, manussā manussesu matteyyā petteyyā sāmaññā brahmaññā kule jeṭṭhāpacāyino uposathaṁ upavasanti paṭijāgaronti puññāni karontī’ti. Tena, bhikkhave, devā tāvatiṁsā attamanā honti: ‘dibbā vata bho kāyā paripūrissanti, parihāyissanti asurakāyā’ti.

4Bhūtapubbaṁ, bhikkhave, sakko devānamindo deve tāvatiṁse anunayamāno tāyaṁ velāyaṁ imaṁ gāthaṁ abhāsi:

5‘Cātuddasiṁ pañcadasiṁ,
yā ca pakkhassa aṭṭhamī;
Pāṭihāriyapakkhañca,
aṭṭhaṅgasusamāgataṁ;
Uposathaṁ upavaseyya,
yopissa mādiso naro’ti.

6Sā kho panesā, bhikkhave, sakkena devānamindena gāthā duggītā na sugītā dubbhāsitā na subhāsitā. Taṁ kissa hetu? Sakko hi, bhikkhave, devānamindo avītarāgo avītadoso avītamoho.

7Yo ca kho so, bhikkhave, bhikkhu arahaṁ khīṇāsavo vusitavā brahmacariyo katakaraṇīyo ohitabhāro anuppattasadattho parikkhīṇabhavasaṁyojano sammadaññāvimutto, tassa kho etaṁ, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno kallaṁ vacanāya:

8‘Cātuddasiṁ pañcadasiṁ,
yā ca pakkhassa aṭṭhamī;
Pāṭihāriyapakkhañca,
aṭṭhaṅgasusamāgataṁ;
Uposathaṁ upavaseyya,
yopissa mādiso naro’ti.

9Taṁ kissa hetu? So hi, bhikkhave, bhikkhu vītarāgo vītadoso vītamoho"ti.

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Sattamaṁ.