Buddhism · Sutta Pitaka · Linked Discourses (Saṁyutta)

SN 9.7

With Nāgadatta · Nāgadattasutta

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At one time Venerable Nāgadatta was staying in the land of the Kosalans in a certain forest grove. Now at that time Venerable Nāgadatta had been entering the village too early and returning late in the day. Then the deity haunting that forest had sympathy for Nāgadatta, wanting what’s best for him. So they approached him wanting to stir him up, and recited these verses:

Ekaṁ samayaṁ āyasmā nāgadatto kosalesu viharati aññatarasmiṁ vanasaṇḍe. Tena kho pana samayena āyasmā nāgadatto atikālena gāmaṁ pavisati, atidivā paṭikkamati. Atha kho yā tasmiṁ vanasaṇḍe adhivatthā devatā āyasmato nāgadattassa anukampikā atthakāmā āyasmantaṁ nāgadattaṁ saṁvejetukāmā yenāyasmā nāgadatto tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmantaṁ nāgadattaṁ gāthāhi ajjhabhāsi:

“Entering the village too early, and returning too late in the day, Nāgadatta mixes with lay people, sharing their joys and sorrows.

“Kāle pavisa nāgadatta, Divā ca āgantvā ativelacārī; Saṁsaṭṭho gahaṭṭhehi, Samānasukhadukkho.

I’m afraid for Nāgadatta; he’s reckless, shackled to families. May he not come under the King of Death’s power, under the sway of the terminator!”

Bhāyāmi nāgadattaṁ suppagabbhaṁ, Kulesu vinibaddhaṁ; Mā heva maccurañño balavato, Antakassa vasaṁ upesī”ti.

Impelled by that deity, Venerable Nāgadatta was struck with a sense of urgency.

Atha kho āyasmā nāgadatto tāya devatāya saṁvejito saṁvegamāpādīti.