Saṃyutta Nikāya
I. Sagātha Vagga
6. Brahmā Saṃyutta
The Book of the Kindred Sayings
I. Kindred Sayings with Verses
6. The Brahmā Suttas
Translated by Mrs. Rhys Davids
Assisted by Sūriyagoḍa Sumangala Thera
Public Domain
II: The Quintuplet
Sutta 11
Sanaṇ-Kumāra Suttaṃ
The Eternal Youth
[11.1] THUS HAVE I HEARD:
The Exalted One was once staying at Rājagaha,
on the banks of the Snake River.[1]
Now Brahmā Sanankumāra,[2] when the night was far spent,
shedding radiance by his effulgent beauty
over the entire [192] Snake River shore,
came into the presence of the Exalted One,
and saluting him,
stood at one side
and spake this verse before him: —
"As is the noble ranked the best among
The folk who pin their faith on breed and clan,
So he who walks in lore and conduct versed
Stands first in worlds of gods or world of man."[3]
So spake he, and the Master approved.
Then Brahmā Sanankumāra noting:
'The Master approves of my words!'
saluted by the right,
and there and then vanished.
[1] Sappinī, lit. she-snake. On this little (Comy.) river see Vin. Texts, i, 254, n, 2.
[2] Lit. the 'ever-boy' or youth. On this god see Dialogues, i, 121, n. 1. B. relates that in the day of the youth Five-Crest (Pañcasikha-kumāra-kāle), he from practice of Jhāna was reborn in Brahmā-world, and retained the appearance of a boy. And from retaining this perpetually he was called 'Eternal-Boy.'
Childers': Vijja (with definitions added): The eight vijjās, or branches of knowledge possessed by an Arhat, are:
1. Vipassanā-ñāṇaṃ, knowledge of insight into the rise and fall of things;
2. Mano-may'iddhi, the ability to exercise mental magic powers (see: The Gradual Course, The 10th Question, Part 1 The Powers;
3. Iddhi-p-pabhedo, Either 'various sorts of powers' or 'knowledge of how powers work';
4. Dibba-sotaṃ, the Deva Ear, the ability to hear both ordinary and other-worldly sounds, far or near;
5. Pharassa ceto-pariya-ñāṇaṃ, Deep knowledge of the ways of the heart;
6. Pubbe-nivās-ā-nussati-ñāṇaṃ, knowledge of the recollection of past abodes;
7. Dibba-cakkhu, the ability to see the rebirth of individuals according to kamma;
8. Āsava-k-khaya-ñāṇaṃ or āsava-saṇkhayo, knowledge that the corrupting influences have been completely destroyed in one. (D'Alwis, An Introduction of Kachchāyana's Grammar of the Pāli language. I. xxxiv; Man. B. 414)
— p.p.
[3] Cf. Dialogues, i, 122; D. iii, 93; M. i, 358; 'Lore' = vijjā, a word referring usually, both for brahmin and Buddhist, to some articulate body of doctrine: Vedas, spells, runes, or, for the latter of the two, to practical doctrines, such as are set out, B. reminds us, in the Bhayabherava Sutta (M. i, 22 f.), or the Ambaṭṭha-Sutta (Dialogues, i, 122; vijjā wisdom'), or the eight vijjās (see Childers' Dict. s.v.) or the seven saddhammas (M. i, 354) and the four Jhānas.
