1 So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery. Then, late at night, several glorious deities of the host of a hundred felicities, lighting up the entire Jeta’s Grove, went up to the Buddha, bowed, and stood to one side. Standing to one side, one deity spoke this verse in the Buddha’s presence:
1 Evaṁ me sutaṁ— ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme. Atha kho sambahulā satullapakāyikā devatāyo abhikkantāya rattiyā abhikkantavaṇṇā kevalakappaṁ jetavanaṁ obhāsetvā yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkamiṁsu; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ aṭṭhaṁsu. Ekamantaṁ ṭhitā kho ekā devatā bhagavato santike imaṁ gāthaṁ abhāsi:
2 “Associate only with the virtuous! Try to get close to the virtuous! Understanding the true teaching of the good, things get better, not worse.”
2 “Sabbhireva samāsetha, sabbhi kubbetha santhavaṁ; Sataṁ saddhammamaññāya, seyyo hoti na pāpiyo”ti.
3 Then another deity spoke this verse in the Buddha’s presence:
3 Atha kho aparā devatā bhagavato santike imaṁ gāthaṁ abhāsi:
4 “Associate only with the virtuous! Try to get close to the virtuous! Understanding the true teaching of the good, wisdom is gained—but not from anyone else.”
4 “Sabbhireva samāsetha, sabbhi kubbetha santhavaṁ; Sataṁ saddhammamaññāya, paññā labbhati nāññato”ti.
5 Then another deity spoke this verse in the Buddha’s presence:
5 Atha kho aparā devatā bhagavato santike imaṁ gāthaṁ abhāsi:
6 “Associate only with the virtuous! Try to get close to the virtuous! Understanding the true teaching of the good, you grieve not among the grieving.”
6 “Sabbhireva samāsetha, sabbhi kubbetha santhavaṁ; Sataṁ saddhammamaññāya, sokamajjhe na socatī”ti.
7 Then another deity spoke this verse in the Buddha’s presence:
7 Atha kho aparā devatā bhagavato santike imaṁ gāthaṁ abhāsi:
8 “Associate only with the virtuous! Try to get close to the virtuous! Understanding the true teaching of the good, you dazzle among your relatives.”
8 “Sabbhireva samāsetha, sabbhi kubbetha santhavaṁ; Sataṁ saddhammamaññāya, ñātimajjhe virocatī”ti.
9 Then another deity spoke this verse in the Buddha’s presence:
9 Atha kho aparā devatā bhagavato santike imaṁ gāthaṁ abhāsi:
10 “Associate only with the virtuous! Try to get close to the virtuous! Understanding the true teaching of the good, sentient beings go to a good place.”
10 “Sabbhireva samāsetha, sabbhi kubbetha santhavaṁ; Sataṁ saddhammamaññāya, sattā gacchanti suggatin”ti.
11 Then another deity spoke this verse in the Buddha’s presence:
11 Atha kho aparā devatā bhagavato santike imaṁ gāthaṁ abhāsi:
12 “Associate only with the virtuous! Try to get close to the virtuous! Understanding the true teaching of the good, sentient beings live happily.”
12 “Sabbhireva samāsetha, sabbhi kubbetha santhavaṁ; Sataṁ saddhammamaññāya, sattā tiṭṭhanti sātatan”ti.
13 Then another deity said to the Buddha, “Sir, who has spoken well?”
13 Atha kho aparā devatā bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “kassa nu kho, bhagavā, subhāsitan”ti?
14 “You’ve all spoken well in your own way. However, listen to me also:
14 “Sabbāsaṁ vo subhāsitaṁ pariyāyena, api ca mamapi suṇātha—
15 Associate only with the virtuous! Try to get close to the virtuous! Understanding the true teaching of the good, you’re released from all suffering.”
15 Sabbhireva samāsetha, sabbhi kubbetha santhavaṁ; Sataṁ saddhammamaññāya, sabbadukkhā pamuccatī”ti.
16 That is what the Buddha said. Delighted, those deities bowed and respectfully circled the Buddha, keeping him on their right, before vanishing right there.
16 Idamavoca bhagavā. Attamanā tā devatāyo bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā padakkhiṇaṁ katvā tatthevantaradhāyiṁsūti.
Mark SN 1.31 as studied Keeps a dated record in My Study and a ✓ in the library
SN 1.30 SN 1.32 English — SuttaCentral English (Bhikkhu Sujato; Vinaya: Bhikkhu Brahmali) (2018). CC0 (public domain dedication). Translated by Bhikkhu Sujato and Bhikkhu Brahmali, dedicated to the public domain (CC0), SuttaCentral. Source
Pāli — Tipiṭaka (Pāli, Mahāsaṅgīti edition) (Pāli canon; Mahāsaṅgīti Tipiṭaka edition). CC0 (public domain dedication). Pāli text (Mahāsaṅgīti edition) via SuttaCentral, CC0. Source
Numbers in the margin count the paragraphs of each discourse; SuttaCentral’s own segment numbering is the same in every language, so the versions line up exactly.
