Saṃyutta Nikāya
3. Khandha Vagga
29. Nāga Saṃyutta

The Book of the Kindred Sayings
3. The Book Called the Khandhā-Vagga
Containing Kindred Sayings on the Elements of Sensory Existence and other Subjects
29. Kindred Sayings on Nāgas

Sutta 2

Paṇīta-Tara Suttaṃ

Pre-Eminent

Translated by F. L. Woodward
Edited by Mrs. Rhys Davids

Copyright The Pali Text Society
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[192]

[1][olds] Thus have I heard:

The Exalted One was once staying near Sāvatthī
at the Jeta Grove in Anāthapiṇḍika's Park.

And there the Exalted One addressed the brethren, saying:

"Brethren!"

"Master!" responded those brethren.

The Exalted One said:

"There are these four sorts of birth, brethren,
as nāgas.

What four?

The egg-born,
the womb-born
the sweat-born,
those born without parents.

 

§

 

Herein, brethren, the womb-born,
the sweat-born
and those born without parents
are better than^[1] the egg-born.

The sweat-born^[ed1]
and those born without parents
are better than the womb-born
and the egg-born.

Those born without parents,
are better than the sweat-born
the womb-born,
and the egg-born.

Such, brethren, are the four sorts of births as nāgas."

 

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^[1] Paṇītatara

 

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^[ed1] Woodward abridges as follows:

Herein, brethren, the womb-born,
the sweat-born
and those born without parents
are better than the egg-born.

The two latter sorts
are better than the two former,
and the last three
are better than the egg-born.

which would repeat the first sequence for the last sequence.