1On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Sāvatthī in Jeta's Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika's Park. Now on that occasion the female lay follower Veḷukaṇṭakī Nandamātā had prepared an offering possessed of six factors for the Saṅgha of bhikkhus headed by Sāriputta and Moggallāna. With the divine eye, which is purified and surpasses the human, the Blessed One saw the female lay follower Veḷukaṇṭakī Nandamātā preparing this offering and he then addressed the bhikkhus:

"Bhikkhus, the female lay follower Veḷukaṇṭakī Nandamātā is preparing an offering possessed of six factors for the Saṅgha of bhikkhus headed by Sāriputta and Moggallāna.

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2And how is an offering possessed of six factors? Here, the donor has three factors and the recipients have three factors. "What are the three factors of the donor? (1) The donor is joyful before giving; (2) she has a placid, confident mind in the act of giving; and (3) she is elated after giving. These are the three factors of the donor.

3"What are the three factors of the recipients? Here, (4) the recipients are devoid of lust or are practicing to remove lust; (5) they are devoid of hatred or are practicing to remove hatred; (6) they are devoid of delusion or are practicing to remove delusion. These are the three factors of the recipients.

"Thus the donor has three factors, and the recipients have three factors. In such a way the offering possesses six factors.

4It is not easy to measure the merit of such an offering thus: ‘Just so much is the stream of merit, stream of the wholesome, nutriment of happiness—heavenly, ripening in happiness, conducive to heaven—that leads to what is wished for, desired, and agreeable, to one's welfare and happiness’; rather, it is reckoned simply as an incalculable, immeasurable, great mass of merit.

5Bhikkhus, just as it is not easy to measure the water in the great ocean thus: ‘There are so many gallons of water,’ or ‘There are so many hundreds of gallons of water,’ or ‘There are so many thousands of gallons of water,’ or ‘There are so many hundreds of thousands of gallons of water,’ but rather it is reckoned simply as an incalculable, immeasurable, great mass of water; so too, it is not easy to measure the merit of such an offering … rather, it is reckoned simply as an incalculable, immeasurable, great mass of merit."

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6Prior to giving one is joyful;
while giving one settles the mind in trust;
after giving one is elated:
this is success in the act of offering.

7When they are devoid of lust and hatred,
devoid of delusion, without taints,
self-controlled, living the spiritual life,
the field for the offering is complete.

8Having cleansed oneself [n.1307] Ācamayitvāna. Mp explains this literally: one washes one's hands and feet and cleans one's mouth.
and given with one's own hands,
the act of charity is very fruitful
for oneself and in relation to others.

9Having performed such a charitable deed
with a mind free from miserliness,
the wise person, rich in faith,
is reborn in a happy, non-afflictive world.

1Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme. Tena kho pana samayena veḷukaṇḍakī nandamātā upāsikā sāriputtamoggallānappamukhe bhikkhusaṅghe chaḷaṅgasamannāgataṁ dakkhiṇaṁ patiṭṭhāpeti. Addasā kho bhagavā dibbena cakkhunā visuddhena atikkantamānusakena veḷukaṇḍakiṁ nandamātaraṁ upāsikaṁ sāriputtamoggallānappamukhe bhikkhusaṅghe chaḷaṅgasamannāgataṁ dakkhiṇaṁ patiṭṭhāpentiṁ. Disvā bhikkhū āmantesi:

"Esā, bhikkhave, veḷukaṇḍakī nandamātā upāsikā sāriputtamoggallānappamukhe bhikkhusaṅghe chaḷaṅgasamannāgataṁ dakkhiṇaṁ patiṭṭhāpeti.

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2Kathañca, bhikkhave, chaḷaṅgasamannāgatā dakkhiṇā hoti? Idha, bhikkhave, dāyakassa tīṇaṅgāni honti, paṭiggāhakānaṁ tīṇaṅgāni. Katamāni dāyakassa tīṇaṅgāni? Idha, bhikkhave, dāyako pubbeva dānā sumano hoti, dadaṁ cittaṁ pasādeti, datvā attamano hoti. Imāni dāyakassa tīṇaṅgāni.

3Katamāni paṭiggāhakānaṁ tīṇaṅgāni? Idha, bhikkhave, paṭiggāhakā vītarāgā vā honti rāgavinayāya vā paṭipannā, vītadosā vā honti dosavinayāya vā paṭipannā, vītamohā vā honti mohavinayāya vā paṭipannā. Imāni paṭiggāhakānaṁ tīṇaṅgāni.

Iti dāyakassa tīṇaṅgāni, paṭiggāhakānaṁ tīṇaṅgāni. Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, chaḷaṅgasamannāgatā dakkhiṇā hoti.

4Evaṁ chaḷaṅgasamannāgatāya, bhikkhave, dakkhiṇāya na sukaraṁ puññassa pamāṇaṁ gahetuṁ: ‘ettako puññābhisando kusalābhisando sukhassāhāro sovaggiko sukhavipāko saggasaṁvattaniko iṭṭhāya kantāya manāpāya hitāya sukhāya saṁvattatī’ti. Atha kho asaṅkhyeyyo appameyyo mahāpuññakkhandhotveva saṅkhaṁ gacchati.

5Seyyathāpi, bhikkhave, mahāsamudde na sukaraṁ udakassa pamāṇaṁ gahetuṁ: ‘ettakāni udakāḷhakānīti vā ettakāni udakāḷhakasatānīti vā ettakāni udakāḷhakasahassānīti vā ettakāni udakāḷhakasatasahassānī’ti vā. Atha kho asaṅkhyeyyo appameyyo mahāudakakkhandhotveva saṅkhaṁ gacchati. Evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, evaṁ chaḷaṅgasamannāgatāya dakkhiṇāya na sukaraṁ puññassa pamāṇaṁ gahetuṁ: ‘ettako puññābhisando kusalābhisando sukhassāhāro sovaggiko sukhavipāko saggasaṁvattaniko iṭṭhāya kantāya manāpāya hitāya sukhāya saṁvattatī’ti. Atha kho asaṅkhyeyyo appameyyo mahāpuññakkhandhotveva saṅkhaṁ gacchatī"ti.

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6"Pubbeva dānā sumano,
dadaṁ cittaṁ pasādaye;
Datvā attamano hoti,
esā yaññassa sampadā.

7Vītarāgā vītadosā,
vītamohā anāsavā;
Khettaṁ yaññassa sampannaṁ,
saññatā brahmacārayo.

8Sayaṁ ācamayitvāna,
datvā sakehi pāṇibhi;
Attano parato ceso,
yañño hoti mahapphalo.

9Evaṁ yajitvā medhāvī,
saddho muttena cetasā;
Abyāpajjaṁ sukhaṁ lokaṁ,
paṇḍito upapajjatī"ti.

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Sattamaṁ.