Uṇhavalāhakadānūpakārasutta

Saṁyutta Nikāya 32.13–52

Linked Discourses 32.13–52

1. Valāhakavagga

1. Gods of the Thunderclouds

Uṇhavalāhakadānūpakārasutta

How Giving Helps to Become a Warm Thundercloud God, Etc.

Sāvatthinidānaṁ.

At Sāvatthī.

Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho so bhikkhu bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:

Seated to one side, that mendicant said to the Buddha:

“ko nu kho, bhante, hetu, ko paccayo, yena midhekacco kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā uṇhavalāhakānaṁ devānaṁ …pe…

“Sir, what is the cause, what is the reason why someone, when their body breaks up, after death, is reborn in the company of the gods of warm thunderclouds …

abbhavalāhakānaṁ devānaṁ …pe…

stormy thunderclouds …

vātavalāhakānaṁ devānaṁ …pe…

windy thunderclouds …

vassavalāhakānaṁ devānaṁ sahabyataṁ upapajjatī”ti?

rainy thunderclouds?”

“Idha, bhikkhu, ekacco kāyena sucaritaṁ carati, vācāya sucaritaṁ carati, manasā sucaritaṁ carati.

“Mendicant, it’s when someone does good things by way of body, speech, and mind.

Tassa sutaṁ hoti:

And they’ve heard:

‘vassavalāhakā devā dīghāyukā vaṇṇavanto sukhabahulā’ti.

‘The gods of rainy thunderclouds are long-lived, beautiful, and very happy.’

Tassa evaṁ hoti:

They think:

‘aho vatāhaṁ kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā vassavalāhakānaṁ devānaṁ sahabyataṁ upapajjeyyan’ti.

‘If only, when my body breaks up, after death, I would be reborn in the company of the gods of rainy thunderclouds!’

So annaṁ deti …pe…

They give food …

padīpeyyaṁ deti.

a lamp.

So kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā vassavalāhakānaṁ devānaṁ sahabyataṁ upapajjati.

When their body breaks up, after death, they’re reborn in the company of the gods of rainy thunderclouds.

Ayaṁ kho, bhikkhu, hetu, ayaṁ paccayo, yena midhekacco kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā vassavalāhakānaṁ devānaṁ sahabyataṁ upapajjatī”ti.

This is the cause, this is the reason why someone, when their body breaks up, after death, is reborn in the company of the gods of rainy thunderclouds.”

Dvepaññāsamaṁ.