1Thus have I heard. On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling among the Sakyans at Kapilavatthu in Nigrodha's Park. Then Mahānāma the Sakyan approached the Blessed One, paid homage to him, sat down to one side, and said to him:

"Venerable sir, this Kapilavatthu is rich and prosperous, populous, crowded, with congested thoroughfares. [n.336] Sambādhabyūhaṁ. The explanation in Spk suggests that byūhā are major traffic routes. They are said to be "congested" (sambādha) to show the crowded living conditions in the city. In the evening, when I am entering Kapilavatthu after visiting the Blessed One or the bhikkhus worthy of esteem, I come across a stray elephant, a stray horse, a stray chariot, a stray cart, a stray man. [n.337] On manobhāvanīya, "worthy of esteem," see III, n. 2. Ee bhante na should be changed globally to bhantena, instrumental past participle of bhamati. Spk glosses with "wandering about here and there, roaming excitedly" (to c’ ito ca paribbhamantena uddhatacārinā). On that occasion, venerable sir, my mindfulness regarding the Blessed One becomes muddled, my mindfulness regarding the Dhamma becomes muddled, my mindfulness regarding the Saṅgha becomes muddled. The thought then occurs to me: ‘If at this moment I should die, what would be my destination, what would be my future bourn?’"

2"Don’t be afraid, Mahānāma! Don’t be afraid, Mahānāma! Your death will not be a bad one, your demise will not be a bad one. [n.338] At the time Mahānāma was at least a stream-enterer, possibly a once-returner; hence he was assured of a good rebirth and had no reason to fear death. When a person's mind has been fortified over a long time by faith, virtue, learning, generosity, and wisdom, right here crows, vultures, hawks, dogs, jackals, or various creatures eat his body, consisting of form, composed of the four great elements, sn.v.370 originating from mother and father, built up out of rice and gruel, subject to impermanence, to being worn and rubbed away away, to breaking apart and dispersal. But his mind, which has been fortified over a long time by faith, virtue, learning, generosity, and wisdom—that goes upwards, goes to distinction. [n.339] Taṁ uddhaṅgāmi hoti visesagāmi. The passage shows citta as the principle of personal continuity which survives the death of the body and reaps the fruits of kamma. In the case of a noble disciple it "goes to distinction" by way of a higher rebirth and by evolving onwards to Nibbāna. The following simile of the pot is at SN42.6, differently applied.

3"Suppose, Mahānāma, a man submerges a pot of ghee or a pot of oil in a deep pool of water and breaks it. All of its shards and fragments would sink downwards, but the ghee or oil there would rise upwards. So too, Mahānāma, when a person's mind has been fortified over a long time by faith, virtue, learning, generosity, and wisdom, right here crows … or various creatures eat his body. … But his mind, which has been fortified over a long time by faith, virtue, learning, generosity, and wisdom—that goes upwards, goes to distinction. sn.v.371

"Don’t be afraid, Mahānāma! Don’t be afraid, Mahānāma! Your death will not be a bad one, your demise will not be a bad one."

1Evaṁ me sutaṁ—​ ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sakkesu vihārati kapilavatthusmiṁ nigrodhārāme. Atha kho mahānāmo sakko yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho mahānāmo sakko bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:

"Idaṁ, bhante, kapilavatthu iddhañceva phītañca bāhujaññaṁ ākiṇṇamanussaṁ sambādhabyūhaṁ. So khvāhaṁ, bhante, bhagavantaṁ vā payirupāsitvā manobhāvanīye vā bhikkhū sāyanhasamayaṁ kapilavatthuṁ pavisanto; bhantenapi hatthinā samāgacchāmi; bhantenapi assena samāgacchāmi; bhantenapi rathena samāgacchāmi; bhantenapi sakaṭena samāgacchāmi; bhantenapi purisena samāgacchāmi. Tassa mayhaṁ, bhante, tasmiṁ samaye mussateva bhagavantaṁ ārabbha sati, mussati dhammaṁ ārabbha sati, mussati saṅghaṁ ārabbha sati. Tassa mayhaṁ, bhante, evaṁ hoti: ‘imamhi cāhaṁ samaye kālaṁ kareyyaṁ, kā mayhaṁ gati, ko abhisamparāyo’"ti?

2"Mā bhāyi, mahānāma, mā bhāyi, mahānāma. Apāpakaṁ te maraṇaṁ bhavissati apāpikā kālaṅkiriyā. Yassa kassaci, mahānāma, dīgharattaṁ saddhāparibhāvitaṁ cittaṁ sīlaparibhāvitaṁ cittaṁ sutaparibhāvitaṁ cittaṁ cāgaparibhāvitaṁ cittaṁ paññāparibhāvitaṁ cittaṁ, tassa yo hi khvāyaṁ kāyo rūpī cātumahābhūtiko mātāpettikasambhavo odanakummāsūpacayo aniccucchādanaparimaddanabhedanaviddhaṁsanadhammo. Taṁ idheva kākā vā khādanti gijjhā vā khādanti kulalā vā khādanti sunakhā vā khādanti siṅgālā vā khādanti vividhā vā pāṇakajātā khādanti; yañca khvassa cittaṁ dīgharattaṁ saddhāparibhāvitaṁ … pe … paññāparibhāvitaṁ taṁ uddhagāmi hoti visesagāmi.

3Seyyathāpi, mahānāma, puriso sappikumbhaṁ vā telakumbhaṁ vā gambhīraṁ udakarahadaṁ ogāhitvā bhindeyya. Tatra yā assa sakkharā vā kaṭhalā vā sā adhogāmī assa, yañca khvassa tatra sappi vā telaṁ vā taṁ uddhagāmi assa visesagāmi. Evameva kho, mahānāma, yassa kassaci dīgharattaṁ saddhāparibhāvitaṁ cittaṁ … pe … paññāparibhāvitaṁ cittaṁ tassa yo hi khvāyaṁ kāyo rūpī cātumahābhūtiko mātāpettikasambhavo odanakummāsūpacayo aniccucchādanaparimaddanabhedanaviddhaṁsanadhammo taṁ idheva kākā vā khādanti gijjhā vā khādanti kulalā vā khādanti sunakhā vā khādanti siṅgālā vā khādanti vividhā vā pāṇakajātā khādanti; yañca khvassa cittaṁ dīgharattaṁ saddhāparibhāvitaṁ … pe … paññāparibhāvitaṁ taṁ uddhagāmi hoti visesagāmi. Tuyhaṁ kho pana, mahānāma, dīgharattaṁ saddhāparibhāvitaṁ cittaṁ … pe … paññāparibhāvitaṁ cittaṁ.

Mā bhāyi, mahānāma, mā bhāyi, mahānāma. Apāpakaṁ te maraṇaṁ bhavissati, apāpikā kālaṅkiriyā"ti.

Paṭhamaṁ.