Aṇguttara Nikāya
Chakka-Nipāta
IV: Devatā-Vagga
The Book of the Gradual Sayings
The Book of the Sixes
Chapter IV: The Devas
Sutta 34
Moggallāna Suttaṃ
Mahā Moggallāna
Translated from the Pali by E.M. Hare.
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[1] Thus have I heard:
Once when the Exalted One dwelt near Sāvatthī,
at Jeta Grove,
in Anāthapiṇḍika's Park
this thought came to the venerable Mahā Moggallāna,
gone apart for solitude:
'To how many devas is there this knowledge:
"We have Won to the Stream;
are no more for the abyss;
in sureness we make for the awakening beyond?"'[1]
■
Now[2] at that time
a monk named Tissa had just died
and was reborn in one of the Brahma worlds,
and they knew him even there as Tissa the mighty,
Tissa the powerful.
■
Then the venerable Mahā Moggallāna —
as a strong man might stretch out his bent arm,
might bend his stretched arm —
vanished from Jeta Grove
and appeared in that Brahma-world.
■
And deva Tissa saw the venerable one from afar,
coming along,
and on [234] seeing him said:
'Come, worthy[3] Moggallāna;
welcome, worthy Moggallāna!
'Tis long since you made this round,[4]
I mean, came here.
Pray be seated, good sir, here is the seat ready.'
And the venerable Mahā Moggallāna sat down;
and deva Tissa,
after saluting,
sat down also,
at one side.
Then said the venerable Mahā Moggallāna
to deva Tissa,
so seated:
'To how many devās, Tissa,
is there this knowledge:
"We have won to the Stream;
are no more for the abyss;
in sureness we make for the awakening beyond"'?
Cātum'mahārājikānaṃ devānaṃ. "Those devas of the Four Kings."
— p.p.
'The Four Royal Devas, worthy sir,
have this knowledge.'
■
'What, have all the Four Royal Devas this knowledge:
"We have won to the Stream;
are no more for the abyss;
in sureness we make for the awakening beyond?"'
'No, worthy sir, not all The Four Royal Devas
have this knowledge.'
"We have won to the Stream;
are no more for the abyss;
in sureness we make for the awakening beyond."
Those Four Royal Devas
who possess not perfect[5] faith
in the Buddha, Dhamma and Order,
possess not perfect faith in the virtues,
beloved by Ariyans,
they know not that:
"We have won to the Stream;
are no more for the abyss;
in sureness we make for the awakening beyond."
But those Four Royal Devas who possess perfect faith
in the Buddha, Dhamma and Order,
possess perfect faith in the virtues,
beloved by Ariyans,
they know that:
"We have won to the Stream;
are no more for the abyss;
in sureness we make for the awakening beyond."'
■
'And is it just the Four Royal Devas who have this knowledge:
"We have won to the Stream;
are no more for the abyss;
in sureness we make for the awakening beyond?"
Or do the devas of the Thirty also have this knowledge:
"We have won to the Stream;
are no more for the abyss;
in sureness we make for the awakening beyond?"'
■
'It is not only the Four Royal Devas, worthy sir,
who have his knowledge:
"We have won to the Stream;
are no more for the abyss;
in sureness we make for the awakening beyond?"
The devas of the Thirty also have this knowledge:
"We have won to the Stream;
are no more for the abyss;
in sureness we make for the awakening beyond."'
■
'What, have all the devas of the Thirty this knowledge:
"We have won to the Stream;
are no more for the abyss;
in sureness we make for the awakening beyond?"'
'No, worthy sir, not all The devas of the Thirty
have this knowledge.'
"We have won to the Stream;
are no more for the abyss;
in sureness we make for the awakening beyond."
Those devas of the Thirty
who possess not perfect faith
in the Buddha, Dhamma and Order,
possess not perfect faith in the virtues,
beloved by Ariyans,
they know not that:
"We have won to the Stream;
are no more for the abyss;
in sureness we make for the awakening beyond."
But those devas of the Thirty who possess perfect faith
in the Buddha, Dhamma and Order,
possess perfect faith in the virtues,
beloved by Ariyans,
they know that:
"We have won to the Stream;
are no more for the abyss;
in sureness we make for the awakening beyond."'
■
'And is it just the Four Royal Devas,
and the devas of the Thirty[ed1]
who have this knowledge:
"We have won to the Stream;
are no more for the abyss;
in sureness we make for the awakening beyond?"
Or do Yama's devas also have this knowledge:
"We have won to the Stream;
are no more for the abyss;
in sureness we make for the awakening beyond?"'
■
'It is not only the Four Royal Devas,
and the devas of the Thirty, worthy sir,
who have his knowledge:
"We have won to the Stream;
are no more for the abyss;
in sureness we make for the awakening beyond?"
The Yama's devas also have this knowledge:
"We have won to the Stream;
are no more for the abyss;
in sureness we make for the awakening beyond."'
■
'What, have all Yama's devas this knowledge:
"We have won to the Stream;
are no more for the abyss;
in sureness we make for the awakening beyond?"'
■
'No, worthy sir, not all Yama's devas
have this knowledge.'
"We have won to the Stream;
are no more for the abyss;
in sureness we make for the awakening beyond."
Those Yama's devas
who possess not perfect faith
in the Buddha, Dhamma and Order,
possess not perfect faith in the virtues,
beloved by Ariyans,
they know not that:
"We have won to the Stream;
are no more for the abyss;
in sureness we make for the awakening beyond."
But those Yama's devas who possess perfect faith
in the Buddha, Dhamma and Order,
possess perfect faith in the virtues,
beloved by Ariyans,
they know that:
"We have won to the Stream;
are no more for the abyss;
in sureness we make for the awakening beyond."'
■
'And is it just the Four Royal Devas,
and the devas of the Thirty
and Yama's devas who have this knowledge:
"We have won to the Stream;
are no more for the abyss;
in sureness we make for the awakening beyond?"
Or do the devas of Tusita also have this knowledge:
"We have won to the Stream;
are no more for the abyss;
in sureness we make for the awakening beyond?"'
■
'It is not only the Four Royal Devas,
and the devas of the Thirty
and Yama's devas, worthy sir,
who have his knowledge:
"We have won to the Stream;
are no more for the abyss;
in sureness we make for the awakening beyond?"
The devas of Tusita also have this knowledge:
"We have won to the Stream;
are no more for the abyss;
in sureness we make for the awakening beyond."'
■
'What, have all the devas of Tusita this knowledge:
"We have won to the Stream;
are no more for the abyss;
in sureness we make for the awakening beyond?"'
'No, worthy sir, not all the devas of Tusita
have this knowledge.'
"We have won to the Stream;
are no more for the abyss;
in sureness we make for the awakening beyond."
Those devas of Tusita
who possess not perfect faith
in the Buddha, Dhamma and Order,
possess not perfect faith in the virtues,
beloved by Ariyans,
they know not that:
"We have won to the Stream;
are no more for the abyss;
in sureness we make for the awakening beyond."
But those devas of Tusita who possess perfect faith
in the Buddha, Dhamma and Order,
possess perfect faith in the virtues,
beloved by Ariyans,
they know that:
"We have won to the Stream;
are no more for the abyss;
in sureness we make for the awakening beyond."'
■
'And is it just the Four Royal Devas,
and the devas of the Thirty
and Yama's devas
and the devas of Tusita who have this knowledge:
"We have won to the Stream;
are no more for the abyss;
in sureness we make for the awakening beyond?"
Or do the devas who delight in creating also have this knowledge:
"We have won to the Stream;
are no more for the abyss;
in sureness we make for the awakening beyond?"'
■
'It is not only the Four Royal Devas,
and the devas of the Thirty
and Yama's devas
and the devas of Tusita, worthy sir,
who have his knowledge:
"We have won to the Stream;
are no more for the abyss;
in sureness we make for the awakening beyond?"
The devas who delight in creating also have this knowledge:
"We have won to the Stream;
are no more for the abyss;
in sureness we make for the awakening beyond."'
■
'What, have all the devas who delight in creating this knowledge:
"We have won to the Stream;
are no more for the abyss;
in sureness we make for the awakening beyond?"'
'No, worthy sir, not all the devas who delight in creating
have this knowledge.'
"We have won to the Stream;
are no more for the abyss;
in sureness we make for the awakening beyond."
Those devas who delight in creating
who possess not perfect faith
in the Buddha, Dhamma and Order,
possess not perfect faith in the virtues,
beloved by Ariyans,
they know not that:
"We have won to the Stream;
are no more for the abyss;
in sureness we make for the awakening beyond."
But those devas who delight in creating who possess perfect faith
in the Buddha, Dhamma and Order,
possess perfect faith in the virtues,
beloved by Ariyans,
they know that:
"We have won to the Stream;
are no more for the abyss;
in sureness we make for the awakening beyond."'
■
'And is it just the Four Royal Devas,
and the devas of the Thirty
and Yama's devas
and the devas of Tusita
and the devas who delight in creating
who have this knowledge:
"We have won to the Stream;
are no more for the abyss;
in sureness we make for the awakening beyond?"
Or do the devas who have power over others' creations
also have this knowledge:
"We have won to the Stream;
are no more for the abyss;
in sureness we make for the awakening beyond?"'
■
'It is not only the Four Royal Devas,
and the devas of the Thirty
and Yama's devas
and the devas of Tusita
and the devas who delight in creating, worthy sir,
who have his knowledge:
"We have won to the Stream;
are no more for the abyss;
in sureness we make for the awakening beyond?"
The devas who have power over others' creations
also have this knowledge:
"We have won to the Stream;
are no more for the abyss;
in sureness we make for the awakening beyond."'
'What, have all the devas who have power over others' creations this knowledge:
"We have won to the Stream;
are no more for the abyss;
in sureness we make for the awakening beyond?"'
'No, worthy sir, not all the devas who have power over others' creations
have this knowledge.'
"We have won to the Stream;
are no more for the abyss;
in sureness we make for the awakening beyond."
Those devas who have power over others' creations
who possess not perfect faith
in the Buddha, Dhamma and Order,
possess not perfect faith in the virtues,
beloved by Ariyans,
they know not that:
"We have won to the Stream;
are no more for the abyss;
in sureness we make for the awakening beyond."
But those devas who have power over others' creations
who possess perfect faith
in the Buddha, Dhamma and Order,
possess perfect faith in the virtues,
beloved by Ariyans,
they know that:
"We have won to the Stream;
are no more for the abyss;
in sureness we make for the awakening beyond."'
■
And the venerable Mahā Moggallāna approved
and commended Brahmā Tissa's words;
and, as a strong man might stretch and bend his arm,
he vanished from the Brahma world
and appeared at Jeta Grove.
[1] Sambodhi-pārāyanā
[2] Cf. A. iv, 74, where all this recurs at Rājagaha of upādiseso and an°-. Comy. observes that Tissa was a pupil of M.'s.
[3] Mārisa Comy. in that world it is the common form of friendly greeting; but folk here say: 'Whence come you, sir? (bhavaṃ). 'Tis long since you came! How did you know the way here? What, did you go astray?' - and the like.
[4] Pariyāyaṃ Comy. vāraṃ, choice, or turn; see Dial. i, 245 n.; K.S. i, 180.
[5] Cf. S. v, 394; D. ii, 93 (as Dhammādāsa); M. ii, 51; A. ii, 56.
[ed1] This sutta both in translation and in the Pali has been abridged beyond comprehension. I have pieced it together as I believe it was originally presented. In addition I have added (to the translation only), the accumulating aspect of this line and the similar ones below. Though this feature is not hinted at in the Pali, it seems required by the sense and is not a feature of suttas that is not found elsewhere.
