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संयुत्त निकाय १५।८
Saṁyutta Nikāya 15.8
The Related Suttas Collection 15.8
१। पठमवग्ग
1. Paṭhamavagga
Chapter One
गङ्गासुत्त
Gaṅgāsutta
The Ganges
राजगहे विहरति वेळुवने। अथ खो अञ्ञतरो ब्राह्मणो येन भगवा तेनुपसङ्कमि; उपसङ्कमित्वा भगवता सद्धिं सम्मोदि।
Rājagahe viharati veḷuvane. Atha kho aññataro brāhmaṇo yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavatā saddhiṁ sammodi.
Near Rājagaha, in the Bamboo Grove. Then a certain brahmin went up to the Buddha, and exchanged greetings with him.
सम्मोदनीयं कथं सारणीयं वीतिसारेत्वा एकमन्तं निसीदि। एकमन्तं निसिन्नो खो सो ब्राह्मणो भगवन्तं एतदवोच: “कीवबहुका नु खो, भो गोतम, कप्पा अब्भतीता अतिक्कन्ता”ति?
Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho so brāhmaṇo bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “kīvabahukā nu kho, bho gotama, kappā abbhatītā atikkantā”ti?
When the greetings and polite conversation were over, he sat down to one side and asked the Buddha, “Sir, how many eons have passed?”
“बहुका खो, ब्राह्मण, कप्पा अब्भतीता अतिक्कन्ता। ते न सुकरा सङ्खातुं: ‘एत्तका कप्पा इति वा, एत्तकानि कप्पसतानि इति वा, एत्तकानि कप्पसहस्सानि इति वा, एत्तकानि कप्पसतसहस्सानि इति वाऽ”ति।
“Bahukā kho, brāhmaṇa, kappā abbhatītā atikkantā. Te na sukarā saṅkhātuṁ: ‘ettakā kappā iti vā, ettakāni kappasatāni iti vā, ettakāni kappasahassāni iti vā, ettakāni kappasatasahassāni iti vā’”ti.
“Brahmin, many eons have passed. It’s not easy to calculate how many eons have passed, how many hundreds or thousands or hundreds of thousands of eons.”
“सक्का पन, भो गोतम, उपमं कातुन्”ति?
“Sakkā pana, bho gotama, upamaṁ kātun”ti?
“But Master Gotama, can you give a simile?”
“सक्का, ब्राह्मणा”ति भगवा अवोच।
“Sakkā, brāhmaṇā”ti bhagavā avoca.
“I can,” said the Buddha.
“सेय्यथापि, ब्राह्मण, यतो चायं गङ्गा नदी पभवति यत्थ च महासमुद्दं अप्पेति, या एतस्मिं अन्तरे वालिका सा न सुकरा सङ्खातुं: ‘एत्तका वालिका इति वा, एत्तकानि वालिकसतानि इति वा, एत्तकानि वालिकसहस्सानि इति वा, एत्तकानि वालिकसतसहस्सानि इति वाऽति। ततो बहुतरा खो, ब्राह्मण, कप्पा अब्भतीता अतिक्कन्ता। ते न सुकरा सङ्खातुं: ‘एत्तका कप्पा इति वा, एत्तकानि कप्पसतानि इति वा, एत्तकानि कप्पसहस्सानि इति वा, एत्तकानि कप्पसतसहस्सानि इति वाऽति।
“Seyyathāpi, brāhmaṇa, yato cāyaṁ gaṅgā nadī pabhavati yattha ca mahāsamuddaṁ appeti, yā etasmiṁ antare vālikā sā na sukarā saṅkhātuṁ: ‘ettakā vālikā iti vā, ettakāni vālikasatāni iti vā, ettakāni vālikasahassāni iti vā, ettakāni vālikasatasahassāni iti vā’ti. Tato bahutarā kho, brāhmaṇa, kappā abbhatītā atikkantā. Te na sukarā saṅkhātuṁ: ‘ettakā kappā iti vā, ettakāni kappasatāni iti vā, ettakāni kappasahassāni iti vā, ettakāni kappasatasahassāni iti vā’ti.
“Consider the Ganges river from where it originates to where it enters the ocean. Between these places it’s not easy to calculate how many grains of sand there are, how many hundreds or thousands or hundreds of thousands of grains of sand. The eons that have passed are more than this. It’s not easy to calculate how many eons have passed, how many hundreds or thousands or hundreds of thousands of eons.
तं किस्स हेतु? अनमतग्गोयं, ब्राह्मण, संसारो। पुब्बा कोटि न पञ्ञायति अविज्जानीवरणानं सत्तानं तण्हासंयोजनानं सन्धावतं संसरतं। एवं दीघरत्तं खो, ब्राह्मण, दुक्खं पच्चनुभूतं तिब्बं पच्चनुभूतं ब्यसनं पच्चनुभूतं, कटसी वड्ढिता। यावञ्चिदं, ब्राह्मण, अलमेव सब्बसङ्खारेसु निब्बिन्दितुं, अलं विरज्जितुं, अलं विमुच्चितुन्”ति।
Taṁ kissa hetu? Anamataggoyaṁ, brāhmaṇa, saṁsāro. Pubbā koṭi na paññāyati avijjānīvaraṇānaṁ sattānaṁ taṇhāsaṁyojanānaṁ sandhāvataṁ saṁsarataṁ. Evaṁ dīgharattaṁ kho, brāhmaṇa, dukkhaṁ paccanubhūtaṁ tibbaṁ paccanubhūtaṁ byasanaṁ paccanubhūtaṁ, kaṭasī vaḍḍhitā. Yāvañcidaṁ, brāhmaṇa, alameva sabbasaṅkhāresu nibbindituṁ, alaṁ virajjituṁ, alaṁ vimuccitun”ti.
Why is that? Transmigration has no known beginning. No first point is found of sentient beings roaming and transmigrating, shrouded by ignorance and fettered by craving. For such a long time you have undergone suffering, agony, and disaster, swelling the cemeteries. This is quite enough for you to become disillusioned, dispassionate, and freed regarding all conditions.”
एवं वुत्ते, सो ब्राह्मणो भगवन्तं एतदवोच: “अभिक्कन्तं, भो गोतम, अभिक्कन्तं, भो गोतम …पे… उपासकं मं भवं गोतमो धारेतु अज्जतग्गे पाणुपेतं सरणं गतन्”ति।
Evaṁ vutte, so brāhmaṇo bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “abhikkantaṁ, bho gotama, abhikkantaṁ, bho gotama …pe… upāsakaṁ maṁ bhavaṁ gotamo dhāretu ajjatagge pāṇupetaṁ saraṇaṁ gatan”ti.
When he said this, the brahmin said to the Buddha, “Excellent, Master Gotama! Excellent! … From this day forth, may Master Gotama remember me as a lay follower who has gone for refuge for life.”
अट्ठमं।
Aṭṭhamaṁ.
The authoritative text of the Saṁyutta Nikāya is the Pāli text. The English translation is provided as an aid to the study of the original Pāli text. [CREDITS »]
