Aṇguttara Nikāya
VIII. Aṭṭhaka Nipāta
IV. Dāna Vagga
The Book of the Gradual Sayings
The Book of the Eights
IV: On Giving
Sutta 36
Puñña-Kiriya-Vatthu Suttaṃ
Action
Translated from the Pali by E.M. Hare.
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Once the Exalted One was dwelling near Sāvatthī,
at Jeta Grove,
in Anāthapiṇḍika's Park.
There the Exalted One addressed the monks, saying:
"Monks."
"Yes, lord," they replied, and the Exalted One said:
"Monks, there are three bases[1] of meritorious action.
What three?
The base founded on gifts,
the base founded on virtue
and the base founded on making mind become.
§
Take the case, monks, of a man who only on a small[2]scale [165]
creates the base of meritorious action founded on gifts,
only on a small scale
creates the base of meritorious action founded on virtue
and does not reach the base of meritorious action
founded on making mind become.
■
He, on the breaking up of the body after death,
is reborn among men[3] of ill luck.
§
Take the case, monks, of the man who creates the bases of meritorious action
founded on gifts and virtue
to a medium[4] degree
and does not reach the base of making mind become.
He, on the breaking up of the body after death,
is reborn among men[5] of good luck.
§
Take the case of a man who creates the bases of meritorious action
founded on gifts and virtue
to a high degree
and does not reach the base of making mind become.
He, on the breaking up of the body after death,
is reborn among the company of the Four Royal devas.
-◦-
There the Four Royal devas
having created the bases of meritorious action
founded on gifts and virtue
to a very high degree,
surpass the devas of their realm
in ten ranges,
that is to say:
in divine life,
beauty,
happiness,
pomp and power,
in divine shapes,
sounds,
perfumes,
tastes
and touch.[6]
■
Or, on the breaking up of the body after death,
he is reborn among the devas of the Thirty.
-◦-
There Sakka, king of devas, having created the bases of meritorious action
founded on gifts and virtue
to a very high degree,
surpass the devas of their realm
in ten ranges,
that is to say:
in divine life,
beauty,
happiness,
pomp and power,
in divine shapes,
sounds,
perfumes,
tastes
and touch.
■
Or, on the breaking up of the body after death,
he is reborn among the Yama devas.
-◦-
There Suyama,[7] son of devas,
having created the bases of meritorious action
founded on gifts and virtue
to a very high degree,
surpass the devas of their realm
in ten ranges,
that is to say:
in divine life,
beauty,
happiness,
pomp and power,
in divine shapes,
sounds,
perfumes,
tastes
and touch.
■
Or, on the breaking up of the body after death,
he is reborn among the Tusita devas, where Santusita, son of devas, having created the bases of meritorious action
founded on gifts and virtue
to a very high degree,
surpasses all others of that realm
in ten ranges,
that is to say:
in divine life,
beauty,
happiness,
pomp and power,
in divine shapes,
sounds,
perfumes,
tastes
and touch.
■
Or, on the breaking up of the body after death,
he is reborn among the devas who delight in creating,
where Sunimmita, son of devas,
having created the bases of meritorious action
founded on gifts and virtue
to a very high degree,
surpasses all others of that realm
in ten ranges,
that is to say:
in divine life,
beauty,
happiness,
pomp and power,
in divine shapes,
sounds,
perfumes,
tastes
and touch.
§
[166] Take the case, monks, of a man who creates the base of meritorious action
founded on gifts and virtue
to a high degree
and does not reach the base founded on making mind become.
■
He, on the breaking up of the body after death,
is reborn among the devas who have power over others' creations.
-◦-
There Vasavattin, son of devas,
having created the bases of meritorious action
founded on gifts and virtue
to a very high degree,
surpasses the devas of that realm
in ten ranges,
that is to say:
in divine life,
beauty,
happiness,
pomp and power,
in divine shapes,
sounds,
perfumes,
tastes
and touch.
Monks, these are the three bases of meritorious action.'
[1] These three are given at D. iii, 218; It. 51.
[2] Parittaṃ. Comy. glosses, thokaṃ, mandaṃ; for the latter word see Childers in this meaning.
[3] Dobhaggaṃ. Comy. observes one of the five low stocks; cf. A. i, 107; ii, 85; M. ii, 152; F. Dial. ii, 86: trappers, rush-plaiters, cartwrights and vermin-killers.
[4] Mattaso; see note at K.S. iii, 177.
[5] Sobhaggaṃ. Comy. One of the three high stocks - viz., a noble, a brahman or a yeoman.
[6] Cf. D. iii, 146; Dial. ii, 296.
[7] These devas names recur at D. i, 217.
