SN11:19 The Worship of the Teacher (or Sakka's Worship (2))
- DG BB TBW © Translated from the Pali by Bhikkhu Bodhi. (More copyright information)
1At Sāvatthī. There the Blessed One said this: "Bhikkhus, once in the past Sakka, lord of the devas, addressed his charioteer Mātali thus: ‘Harness the chariot with its team of a thousand thoroughbreds, friend Mātali. Let us go to the park grounds to see the beautiful scenery.’ — ‘Yes, your lordship,’ Mātali the charioteer replied. Then he harnessed the chariot with its team of a thousand thoroughbreds and announced to Sakka, lord of the devas: ‘The chariot has been harnessed, dear sir. You may come at your own convenience.’ Yassa dani kalaṁ maññasi. See Manné, "On a Departure Formula and its Translation." The expression also occurs at SN35.88 (IV 62,31), SN35.243 (IV 183,15, 30), SN44.1 (IV 379,29), SN54.9 (V 321,16–17), and SN55.6 (V 348,27); I have varied the rendering slightly to fit the context.
"Then, bhikkhus, Sakka, lord of the devas, descending from the Vejayanta Palace, raised his joined hands in reverential salutation and worshipped the Blessed One. Then Mātali the charioteer addressed Sakka, lord of the devas, in verse:
2v.926 "‘Both devas and human beings
Humbly worship you, Vāsavā.
So who, O Sakka, is that spirit
To whom you bow in worship?’
Sakka:
3v.927 "‘The Perfectly Enlightened One here
In this world with its devas,
The Teacher of perfect name:
He is the one whom I worship, Mātali.
[n.653] The verse has five pādas. Pādas ab read: ye rāgadosavinayā avijjā̄samatikkamā, which Spk paraphrases: “by the transcendence of ignorance, the root of the round, which conceals the four truths” (catusaccapaṭicchādikāya vaṭṭamūlakaavijjā̄ya samatikkamena). The same lines appeared at v. 764ab, where, as referring to an arahant, they were appropriately translated as ablative in force. However, despite Spk’s paraphrase, this would not be suitable in relation to trainees (sekha), who have not yet fully removed the lust for existence or transcended all ignorance. I have therefore translated them as truncated datives.
Dismantling (apacaya) means the undoing of the process that sustains the round of existence. At 22:79 (III 89,22-24) it is said that the noble disciple in training is dismantling the five aggregates, while the arahant (III 90,11) abides having dismantled them (apacinitvā ṭhito). See too MN III 288,30.
4v.928 "‘Those for whom lust and hatred
And ignorance have been expunged,
The arahants with taints destroyed:
These are the ones whom I worship, Mātali.
5v.929 "‘The trainees who delight in dismantling,
Who diligently pursue the training
For the removal of lust and hatred,
For transcending ignorance:
These are the ones whom I worship, Mātali.’
[n.654] The verse has five padas. pādas ab read: ye ragadosavinaya avijjāsamatikkama, which Spk paraphrases: "by the transcendence of ignorance, the root of the round, which conceals the four truths" (catusaccapaṭicchadikaya vaṭṭamūlakaavijjāya samatikkamena). The same lines appeared at v. 764ab, where, as referring to an arahant, they were appropriately translated as ablative in force. However, despite Spk's paraphrase, this would not be suitable in relation to trainees (sekha), who have not yet fully removed the lust for existence or transcended all ignorance. I have therefore translated them as truncated datives. Dismantling (apacaya) means the undoing of the process that sustains the round of existence. At SN22.79 (III 89,22–24) it is said that the noble disciple in training is dismantling the five aggregates, while the arahant (III 90,11) abides having dismantled them (apacinitva ṭhito). See too MN III 288,30.
Mātali:
6v.930 "‘Those whom you worship, my lord Sakka,
Are indeed the best in the world.
I too will worship them—
Those whom you worship, Vāsavā.’
The Blessed One:
7v.931 "Having given this explanation,
Having worshipped the Blessed One,
The deva-king Maghava, Suja's husband,
The chief, climbed into his chariot."
1Sāvatthiyaṁ jetavane. "Bhūtapubbaṁ, bhikkhave, sakko devānamindo mātaliṁ saṅgāhakaṁ āmantesi: ‘yojehi, samma mātali, sahassayuttaṁ ājaññarathaṁ, uyyānabhūmiṁ gacchāma subhūmiṁ dassanāyā’ti. ‘Evaṁ, bhaddantavā’ti kho, bhikkhave, mātali saṅgāhako sakkassa devānamindassa paṭissutvā sahassayuttaṁ ājaññarathaṁ yojetvā sakkassa devānamindassa paṭivedesi: ‘yutto kho te, mārisa, sahassayutto ājaññaratho. Yassadāni kālaṁ maññasī’ti.
Atha kho, bhikkhave, sakko devānamindo vejayantapāsādā orohanto añjaliṁ katvā sudaṁ bhagavantaṁ namassati. Atha kho, bhikkhave, mātali saṅgāhako sakkaṁ devānamindaṁ gāthāya ajjhabhāsi:
2‘Yañhi devā manussā ca,
taṁ namassanti vāsava;
Atha ko nāma so yakkho,
yaṁ tvaṁ sakka namassasī’ti.
3‘Yo idha sammāsambuddho,
asmiṁ loke sadevake;
Anomanāmaṁ satthāraṁ,
taṁ namassāmi mātali.
4Yesaṁ rāgo ca doso ca,
avijjā ca virājitā;
Khīṇāsavā arahanto,
te namassāmi mātali.
5Ye rāgadosavinayā,
avijjāsamatikkamā;
Sekkhā apacayārāmā,
appamattānusikkhare;
Te namassāmi mātalī’ti.
6‘Seṭṭhā hi kira lokasmiṁ,
ye tvaṁ sakka namassasi;
Ahampi te namassāmi,
ye namassasi vāsavā’ti.
7Idaṁ vatvāna maghavā,
devarājā sujampati;
Bhagavantaṁ namassitvā,
pamukho rathamāruhī"ti.