Sudattasutta

Aṅguttara Nikāya 4.58

Numbered Discourses 4.58

6. Puññābhisandavagga

6. Overflowing Merit

Sudattasutta

Sudatta

Atha kho anāthapiṇḍiko gahapati yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinnaṁ kho anāthapiṇḍikaṁ gahapatiṁ bhagavā etadavoca:

Then the householder Anāthapiṇḍika went up to the Buddha, bowed, and sat down to one side. The Buddha said to him:

“Bhojanaṁ, gahapati, dadamāno ariyasāvako paṭiggāhakānaṁ cattāri ṭhānāni deti.

“Householder, when a noble disciple gives food, they give the recipients four things.

Katamāni cattāri?

What four?

Āyuṁ deti, vaṇṇaṁ deti, sukhaṁ deti, balaṁ deti.

Long life, beauty, happiness, and strength.

Āyuṁ kho pana datvā āyussa bhāgī hoti dibbassa vā mānusassa vā.

Giving long life, they have long life as a god or human. …

Vaṇṇaṁ datvā … sukhaṁ datvā … balaṁ datvā balassa bhāgī hoti dibbassa vā mānusassa vā.

Giving beauty … happiness … strength …

Bhojanaṁ, gahapati, dadamāno ariyasāvako paṭiggāhakānaṁ imāni cattāri ṭhānāni detīti.

When a noble disciple gives food, they give the recipients these four things.

Yo saññatānaṁ paradattabhojinaṁ,

Carefully giving food at the right time,

Kālena sakkacca dadāti bhojanaṁ;

to those who are disciplined,
eating only what others give,

Cattāri ṭhānāni anuppavecchati,

you provide them with four things:

Āyuñca vaṇṇañca sukhaṁ balañca.

long life, beauty, happiness, and strength.

So āyudāyī vaṇṇadāyī,

A person who gives long life, beauty,

sukhaṁ balaṁ dado naro;

happiness, and strength,

Dīghāyu yasavā hoti,

has long life and fame

yattha yatthūpapajjatī”ti.

wherever they’re reborn.”

Aṭṭhamaṁ.