Aṇguttara-Nikāya
III. Tika Nipāta
IV. Deva-Dūta Vagga
The Book of the Gradual Sayings
or
More-Numbered Suttas
III. The Book of the Threes
IV. Messengers of the Devas
Sutta 31
Sa-Brahmaka Suttaṃ
Equal with Brahma[1]
Translated from the Pali by
F.L. Woodward, M.A.
Copyright The Pali Text Society
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On a certain occasion the Exalted One was staying near Sāvatthi at Jeta Grove,
in Anāthapiṇḍika's Park.
Then the Exalted One addressed the monks, saying:
"Monks."
"Yes, Lord," replied those monks to the Exalted One.
The Exalted One said this:
"Monks, those families where mother and father are worshipped in the home are reckoned like unto Brahma.[2]
Those [115] families where mother and father are worshipped in the home are ranked with the teachers of old.
Worthy of offerings, monks, are those families where mother and father are worshipped in the home.
'Brahma,' monks, is a term for mother and father.
'Teachers of old,' monks, is a term for mother and father.
'Worthy of offerings,' monks, is a term for mother and father.
Why so?
Because mother and father do much for children, they bring them up,[3] nourish and introduce them to the world."[3]
Parents are called "Brahma," "teachers of old."[4]
Worthy of gifts are they, compassionate
Unto their tribe of children. Thus the wise
Should worship them and pay them honours due,
Serve them with food and drink,[5] clothing and beds,
Anoint their bodies, bathe and wash their feet.
For service such as this to parents given
In this life sages praise a man, and he
Hereafter has reward of joy in Heaven.[6]
[1] Cf. Itiv., p. 109; A. ii, 70. Our version agrees better with the gāthās below. These others introduce sapubba-devatāni as the second item of the text.
[2] Sābrahmakāni. Anticipated as injunction in Taittirīya Up. ii.
[3] Āpādakā, dassetāro, cf. supra, text 62.
[4] These gāthās are at JA, v, 330-1 and continue those given at A. ii, 32. Vuccare = vuccanti (cf. paccare = paccanti, PvA. 255; maññare = maññanti, A. ii, 72).
[5] Annena atha pānena. JA. has annena-m-atho pānena.
[6] This couplet, tāya naṃ paricariyāya, etc., is also at S. i, 182. Our text has nāya. For idh'eva naṃ pasaṇsanti of last line JA. reads idha o'eva, and JA. with A. ii, sagge ca modati for our sagge pamodati.
