Vatapadasutta

Saṁyutta Nikāya 11.11

Linked Discourses 11.11

2. Dutiyavagga

Chapter Two

Vatapadasutta

Vows

Sāvatthiyaṁ.

At Sāvatthī.

“Sakkassa, bhikkhave, devānamindassa pubbe manussabhūtassa satta vatapadāni samattāni samādinnāni ahesuṁ, yesaṁ samādinnattā sakko sakkattaṁ ajjhagā.

“Mendicants, in a former life, when Sakka was a human being, he undertook seven vows. And it was because of undertaking these that he achieved the status of Sakka.

Katamāni satta vatapadāni?

What seven?

Yāvajīvaṁ mātāpettibharo assaṁ,

As long as I live, may I support my parents.

yāvajīvaṁ kule jeṭṭhāpacāyī assaṁ,

As long as I live, may I honor the elders in the family.

yāvajīvaṁ saṇhavāco assaṁ,

As long as I live, may I speak gently.

yāvajīvaṁ apisuṇavāco assaṁ,

As long as I live, may I not backbite.

yāvajīvaṁ vigatamalamaccherena cetasā agāraṁ ajjhāvaseyyaṁ muttacāgo payatapāṇi vossaggarato yācayogo dānasaṁvibhāgarato,

As long as I live, may I live at home with heart rid of the stain of stinginess, freely generous, open-handed, loving to let go, committed to charity, loving to give and to share.

yāvajīvaṁ saccavāco assaṁ,

As long as I live, may I speak the truth.

yāvajīvaṁ akkodhano assaṁ—sacepi me kodho uppajjeyya, khippameva naṁ paṭivineyyanti.

As long as I live, may I be free of anger, or should anger arise, may I quickly get rid of it.

Sakkassa, bhikkhave, devānamindassa pubbe manussabhūtassa imāni satta vatapadāni samattāni samādinnāni ahesuṁ, yesaṁ samādinnattā sakko sakkattaṁ ajjhagāti.

In a former life, when Sakka was a human being, he undertook seven vows. And it was because of undertaking these that he achieved the status of Sakka.

Mātāpettibharaṁ jantuṁ,

A child who respects their parents,

kule jeṭṭhāpacāyinaṁ;

and honors the elders in the family,

Saṇhaṁ sakhilasambhāsaṁ,

whose speech is gentle and courteous,

pesuṇeyyappahāyinaṁ.

and has given up backbiting;

Maccheravinaye yuttaṁ,

who’s committed to getting rid of stinginess,

saccaṁ kodhābhibhuṁ naraṁ;

is truthful, and has mastered anger:

Taṁ ve devā tāvatiṁsā,

the gods of the thirty-three declare

āhu sappuriso itī”ti.

them to be a true person.”