1At Sāvatthī. Then, in the middle of the day, King Pasenadi of Kosala approached the Blessed One. … The Blessed One said to him as he was sitting to one side: "Now where are you coming from, great king, in the middle of the day?"

"Just now, venerable sir, I have been engaged in those affairs of kingship typical for head-anointed khattiya kings, who are intoxicated with the intoxication of sovereignty, who are obsessed by greed for sensual pleasures, who have attained stable control in their country, and who rule having conquered a great sphere of territory on earth." [n.257] Spk says that Pasenadi arrived after he had just finished impaling a band of criminals that he had arrested when they tried to ambush him and usurp the kingdom. The Buddha thought, "If I reprimand him for such a terrible deed, he will feel too dismayed to associate closely with me. Instead I will instruct him by an indirect method." I agree with C.Rh.D that the story does not fit well, and I would add that it even detracts from the solemn dignity of the Buddha’s discourse.

2"What do you think, great king? sn.i.101 Here, a man would come to you from the east, one who is trustworthy and reliable; having approached, he would tell you: ‘For sure, great king, you should know this: I am coming from the east, and there I saw a great mountain high as the clouds coming this way, crushing all living beings. Do whatever you think should be done, great king.’ Then a second man would come to you from the west … Then a third man would come to you from the north … … Then a fourth man would come to you from the south, one who is trustworthy and reliable; having approached, he would tell you: ‘For sure, great king, you should know this: I am coming from the south, and there I saw a great mountain high as the clouds coming this way, crushing all living beings. Do whatever you think should be done, great king.’ If, great king, such a great peril should arise, such a terrible destruction of human life, the human state being so difficult to obtain, what should be done?"

3"If, venerable sir, such a great peril should arise, such a terrible destruction of human life, the human state being so difficult to obtain, what else should be done but to live by the Dhamma, to live righteously, and to do wholesome and meritorious deeds?" [n.258] Spk explains dhammacariya as the ten wholesome courses of kamma and says that samacariya, righteous conduct, means the same.

4"I inform you, great king, I announce to you, great king: aging and death are rolling in on you. When aging and death are rolling in on you, great king, what should be done?"

"As aging and death are rolling in on me, venerable sir, what else should be done but to live by the Dhamma, to live righteously, and to do wholesome and meritorious deeds?

"There are, venerable sir, elephant battles fought by head-anointed khattiya kings, who are intoxicated with the intoxication of sovereignty, who are obsessed by greed for sensual pleasures, who have attained stable control in their country, and who rule having conquered a great sphere of territory on earth; but there is no place for those elephant battles, no scope for them, when aging and death are rolling in. [n.259] Natthi gati natthi visayo adhivattamane jaramaraṇe. Spk glosses gati (= place of motion, "room") as nipphatti, success (Spk-pṭ: "The point is that there is no success to be achieved by battle"); visaya ("scope"), as okasa, opportunity, or samatthabhava, capability; "for it is not possible to ward off aging and death by these battles." There are, venerable sir, cavalry battles (fought by) head-anointed khattiya kings … There are chariot battles … infantry battles … sn.i.102 but there is no place for those infantry battles, no scope for them, when aging and death are rolling in. In this royal court, venerable sir, there are counsellors who, when the enemies arrive, are capable of dividing them by subterfuge; but there is no place for those battles of subterfuge, no scope for them, when aging and death are rolling in. In this royal court, venerable sir, there exists abundant bullion and gold stored in vaults and depositories, and with such wealth we are capable of mollifying the enemies when they come; but there is no place for those battles of wealth, no scope for them, when aging and death are rolling in. As aging and death are rolling in on me, venerable sir, what else should be done but to live by the Dhamma, to live righteously, and to do wholesome and meritorious deeds?"

5"So it is, great king! So it is, great king! As aging and death are rolling in on you, what else should be done but to live by the Dhamma, to live righteously, and to do wholesome and meritorious deeds?"

This is what the Blessed One said. Having said this, the Fortunate One, the Teacher, further said this:

sn.i.103

1Sāvatthinidānaṁ. Ekamantaṁ nisinnaṁ kho rājānaṁ pasenadiṁ kosalaṁ bhagavā etadavoca: "handa kuto nu tvaṁ, mahārāja, āgacchasi divā divassā"ti? "Yāni tāni, bhante, raññaṁ khattiyānaṁ muddhāvasittānaṁ issariyamadamattānaṁ kāmagedhapariyuṭṭhitānaṁ janapadatthāvariyappattānaṁ mahantaṁ pathavimaṇḍalaṁ abhivijiya ajjhāvasantānaṁ rājakaraṇīyāni bhavanti, tesu khvāhaṁ, etarahi ussukkamāpanno"ti.

2"Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, mahārāja, idha te puriso āgaccheyya puratthimāya disāya saddhāyiko paccayiko. So taṁ upasaṅkamitvā evaṁ vadeyya: ‘yagghe, mahārāja, jāneyyāsi, ahaṁ āgacchāmi puratthimāya disāya. Tatthaddasaṁ mahantaṁ pabbataṁ abbhasamaṁ, sabbe pāṇe nippothento āgacchati. Yaṁ te, mahārāja, karaṇīyaṁ, taṁ karohī’ti. Atha dutiyo puriso āgaccheyya pacchimāya disāya … pe … atha tatiyo puriso āgaccheyya uttarāya disāya … atha catuttho puriso āgaccheyya dakkhiṇāya disāya saddhāyiko paccayiko. So taṁ upasaṅkamitvā evaṁ vadeyya: ‘yagghe, mahārāja, jāneyyāsi, ahaṁ āgacchāmi dakkhiṇāya disāya. Tatthaddasaṁ mahantaṁ pabbataṁ abbhasamaṁ sabbe pāṇe nippothento āgacchati. Yaṁ te, mahārāja, karaṇīyaṁ taṁ karohī’ti. Evarūpe te, mahārāja, mahati mahabbhaye samuppanne dāruṇe manussakkhaye dullabhe manussatte kimassa karaṇīyan"ti?

3"Evarūpe me, bhante, mahati mahabbhaye samuppanne dāruṇe manussakkhaye dullabhe manussatte kimassa karaṇīyaṁ aññatra dhammacariyāya aññatra samacariyāya aññatra kusalakiriyāya aññatra puññakiriyāyā"ti?

4"Ārocemi kho te, mahārāja, paṭivedemi kho te, mahārāja, adhivattati kho taṁ, mahārāja, jarāmaraṇaṁ. Adhivattamāne ce te, mahārāja, jarāmaraṇe kimassa karaṇīyan"ti?

"Adhivattamāne ca me, bhante, jarāmaraṇe kimassa karaṇīyaṁ aññatra dhammacariyāya samacariyāya kusalakiriyāya puññakiriyāya?

Yāni tāni, bhante, raññaṁ khattiyānaṁ muddhāvasittānaṁ issariyamadamattānaṁ kāmagedhapariyuṭṭhitānaṁ janapadatthāvariyappattānaṁ mahantaṁ pathavimaṇḍalaṁ abhivijiya ajjhāvasantānaṁ hatthiyuddhāni bhavanti; tesampi, bhante, hatthiyuddhānaṁ natthi gati natthi visayo adhivattamāne jarāmaraṇe. Yānipi tāni, bhante, raññaṁ khattiyānaṁ muddhāvasittānaṁ … pe … ajjhāvasantānaṁ assayuddhāni bhavanti … pe … rathayuddhāni bhavanti … pe … pattiyuddhāni bhavanti; tesampi, bhante, pattiyuddhānaṁ natthi gati natthi visayo adhivattamāne jarāmaraṇe. Santi kho pana, bhante, imasmiṁ rājakule mantino mahāmattā, ye pahonti āgate paccatthike mantehi bhedayituṁ. Tesampi, bhante, mantayuddhānaṁ natthi gati natthi visayo adhivattamāne jarāmaraṇe. Saṁvijjati kho pana, bhante, imasmiṁ rājakule pahūtaṁ hiraññasuvaṇṇaṁ bhūmigatañceva vehāsaṭṭhañca, yena mayaṁ pahoma āgate paccatthike dhanena upalāpetuṁ. Tesampi, bhante, dhanayuddhānaṁ natthi gati natthi visayo adhivattamāne jarāmaraṇe. Adhivattamāne ca me, bhante, jarāmaraṇe kimassa karaṇīyaṁ aññatra dhammacariyāya samacariyāya kusalakiriyāya puññakiriyāyā"ti?

5"Evametaṁ, mahārāja, evametaṁ, mahārāja. Adhivattamāne jarāmaraṇe kimassa karaṇīyaṁ aññatra dhammacariyāya samacariyāya kusalakiriyāya puññakiriyāyā"ti?

Idamavoca bhagavā … pe … satthā:

Tatiyo vaggo.

Kosalasaṁyuttaṁ samattaṁ.