Passing Superior

Translated from the Pāḷi
by
Michael M. Olds

[1][pts] I Hear Tell:

Once upon a time, The Lucky Man
Sāvatthī-town revisiting,
Jeta Grove,
Anāthapiṇḍika's Park.

There then the Lucky Man said this to the beggars there::

"Beggars!"

"Bhante!" they responded.

The Lucky Man said:

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

What four?

The egg-born,
the womb-born
the sweat-born,
the spontaneously-born.

Here, beggars, of the egg-born,
the womb-born,
the sweat-born
and the spontaneously born
are passing superior.

Of the egg-born
and the womb-born,
the sweat-born,
and the spontaneously born
are passing superior.

Of the egg-born
and the womb-born
and the sweat-born,
the spontaneously born
is passing superior.

These then, beggars, are the four sorts of birth as nāgas."