Dighanikaya 23: 10. Pāyāsirājaññasuttavaṇṇanā

“Thus have I heard” is the Pāyāsirājaññasutta. Herein, this is the explanation of the unfamiliar terms: “Venerable” is an affectionate term of address. “Kumārakassapa” was his name. Because he went forth while a boy, when the Blessed One said, “Call Kassapa; give this fruit or this food to Kassapa,” and it was asked, “Which Kassapa?”, [the answer was,] “Kumārakassapa.” Because he received this name in this manner, from then on, even in his old age, he was called simply “Kumārakassapa.” Moreover, they also recognized him as “Kumārakassapa” because he was the king’s foster-son.

And this is the account of his manifestation beginning from his past endeavor: in the time of the Blessed One Padumuttara, the elder was, it is said, the son of a guild-head. Then one day, seeing the Blessed One establish one of his own disciples, an eloquent speaker, as foremost in that rank, he gave alms to the Blessed One for seven days, made the aspiration: “Blessed One, may I too in the future become an eloquent disciple of a Buddha just like this elder,” and while performing meritorious deeds, he went forth in the Dispensation of the Blessed One Kassapa, but was unable to produce any distinction. At that time, it is said, when the Dispensation of the fully extinguished Blessed One was declining, five bhikkhus, having made a ladder and climbed a mountain, practiced the ascetic life. The elder of the Saṅgha attained arahantship on the third day; the second elder became a non-returner on the fourth day; the other three, being unable to produce any distinction, were reborn in the heaven realm.

While they were experiencing prosperity among devas and humans for the interval between Buddhas, one was reborn in a royal family in Takkasilā, became a king named Pukkusāti, went forth in dedication to the Blessed One, and as he was travelling towards Rājagaha, he heard the Blessed One's Dhamma teaching in a potter's workshop and attained the fruit of non-returning. One was reborn in a respectable family in a seaport town, boarded a ship, was shipwrecked, clothed himself with bark-fibers, attained great gain, and conceived the thought, “I am an arahant”; then, spurred on by a benevolent devatā who said, “You are not an arahant; go, approach the Teacher and ask a question,” he did so and attained the fruit of arahantship.

One was conceived in the womb of a young woman of respectable family in Rājagaha. And she, having at first begged her parents and not obtaining the going forth, went to a family household and became pregnant. Not knowing that pregnancy had taken place, she won her husband's favor, and with his permission went forth among the bhikkhunīs. Seeing the sign of her pregnancy, the bhikkhunīs questioned Devadatta. He said: “She is not a true recluse.” They questioned the Ten-Powered One. The Teacher entrusted the matter to Upāli Thera. The elder summoned the families living in the city of Sāvatthī and the female lay disciple Visākhā, and while investigating, he said: “The pregnancy was conceived beforehand; her going forth is blameless.” The Teacher commended the elder: “The legal issue was properly judged!” That bhikkhunī gave birth to a son resembling a golden image. King Pasenadi of Kosala took him and had him brought up. He gave him the name “Kassapa,” and at a later time, having adorned him, brought him into the presence of the Teacher and had him go forth. Thus they recognized him as “Kumārakassapa” also because he was the king’s foster-son. One day, while he was practicing the ascetic life in the Andha Forest, a benevolent devatā taught him some questions and said: “Ask these questions to the Blessed One.” The elder asked the questions and at the conclusion of the explanation of the questions attained arahantship. The Blessed One too established him in the foremost place among bhikkhus who are eloquent speakers.

“Setabyā” is the name of that town. “North of Setabyā” means in the northern direction from Setabyā. “Prince” means an unconsecrated king. “Belief” means just a view. Just as when it is said “full of dung” or “full of urine,” there is nothing other than dung, etc., so “held as a belief” is just a view. “In this way too there is none” means having pointed out this or that reason, he says: “In this way too it does not exist.” “Lest… and so on… he convinces” means so long as he does not convince.

Explanation of the Simile of the Moon and the Sun

“These, master Kassapa, the moon and the sun”: questioned, it is said, by the elder, he thought: “This ascetic has at first brought forth the simile of the moon and the sun. He will be like the moon and the sun in wisdom, insurmountable by another. But if I say, ‘The moon and the sun are in this world,’ he will entangle [me] with questions like ‘What are they dependent on? Of what size are they? How high are they?’ But I will not be able to disentangle that. I will tell him just, ‘In the other world.’” Therefore he spoke thus.

Now not long before that, the Blessed One had spoken the Sudhābhojanīyajātaka. There it has come down: “In the moon is the devaputta Canda; in the sun is the devaputta Sūriya.” And a jātaka or a discourse spoken by the Blessed One becomes spread through the entire Jambudīpa. Thinking, “Because of this, it is not possible to say, ‘There are no devaputtas dwelling here,’” he said: “They are devas, not humans.”

"Is there, however, prince, a way?": he asks, "Is there, however, a reason?" "Afflicted": endowed with affliction characterized by discordant feeling. "Suffering": arrived at suffering. "Gravely ill": excessively ill. "Trustworthy": "I believe you; you are trustworthy to me, ones whose word is to be believed" is the meaning. "Reliable": "I trust you; you are reliable to me, ones who are to be trusted" is the meaning.

Explanation of the Simile of the Thief and the Rest

"Having designated": having shown them both oneself and the goods stored away, having made them receive [them] is the meaning. "To one lamenting": to one lamenting in various ways, "My son! My daughter! My wealth!" "Among the wardens of hell": among the beings who inflict torture in hell. There are those, however, who say: "Kamma alone inflicts torture; there are no wardens of hell." They contradict the Devadūtasutta: "Him, bhikkhus, the wardens of hell…" For just as there are torturers in royal courts in the human realm, so too there are wardens of hell in hell.

"With bamboo splints": with bamboo strips. "Scrape well": scrape so that it is thoroughly scraped away; remove it is the meaning.

"Impure": displeasing. "Reckoned as impure": consisting of an impure mass, or known as impure. "Foul-smelling": smelling like a corpse. "Loathsome": fit to be loathed. "Repulsive": causing aversion merely by being seen. "Bothers": even in the case of human beings such as universal monarchs, who have bathed twice a day, changed clothes three times, and are adorned and decorated, their smell bothers the deities standing a hundred leagues away, like a corpse hung around one's neck.

He speaks again with reference to those who undertake and observe the five precepts, beginning with refraining from taking life. "Of the Tāvatiṃsa [gods]": and he says this: "Let those who are born far away not come yet; but why do these not come?"

"You appeared to me, I think, like one born blind": you appeared like a blind person. "Wilderness tracts": 'wildernesses' due to their association with ascetic wilderness practice; 'tracts' due to their being great forest expanses. "Remote": far off.

"Of good character": of lovely character by means of that very virtue. "Averse to suffering": not desiring suffering. "It will be better": the bliss of a good destination will come to be in the next world is the intention.

"Near to giving birth": whose time of giving birth has drawn near, whose pregnancy is ripe; she will give birth before long is the meaning. "She will be an attendant": she will be a handmaiden. "Ruin and destruction": great suffering. "Aya" means happiness; not aya is anaya, suffering. That very [suffering] ruins (byasati), scatters, happiness in every way, hence destruction (byasana). Thus anaya itself is byasana: ruin and destruction; great suffering is the meaning. "In an improper way": through an incorrect method. "They do not ripen what is unripe": they do not prematurely cut off life that has not run its course and is not exhausted. "They wait for the ripening": they wait for the time of the ripening of life. This was also spoken by the General of the Dhamma:

“I do not delight in death, I do not delight in life; / And I await my time, as a hired laborer his wages.”

"Having broken open": having broken the clay coating.

"Delightfulness": the state of being delightful. "Velāsikā": one fond of play. "Young girl": an adolescent girl. "Your soul": do they perhaps see the soul exiting or entering at the time of seeing a dream? Here he speaks taking the activity of consciousness as the "soul." For he has the notion of a soul with regard to that.

"With a bowstring": with a string of a bow, having wrapped it around the neck is the meaning. "Stiffer": more rigid. What does he show by this? You say that during life a being has five aggregates, but at the time of passing away only the material form aggregate remains, the three aggregates cease to function, and the consciousness aggregate goes away. The remaining material form aggregate ought to be lighter, yet it is heavier. Therefore, there is no one going anywhere—this is the meaning he shows.

"Extinguished": with its heat subsided.

"Without injuring": without destroying. "Is half-dead": has begun to die, being half-dead. "Shake down": move it to this side. "Shake out": move it to that side. "Shake off": move it this way and that. "And he does not experience that base": through that eye he does not discern that visible-form base. This is the method everywhere.

"Conch-blower": a player of a conch. "Having blown": having sounded it.

"Fire-worshipper": an attendant of the fire. "I would produce": I would bring about, or I would make it reach its lifespan. "I would nurture": I would maintain with food and the like. "I would rear": I would bring to growth. "Together with the fire-drills": a pair of fire-sticks.

"Even foreign kings": kings in foreign countries, in other realms too, know. "Incompetent": unclear, unskilled. "Even through anger": through anger arising towards those who will speak of me in this way, I will carry, I will maintain, this wrong view, taking it and wandering about. "Through denigration": even through denigration characterized by the disparaging of the valid reasons stated by you. "Through rivalry": even through rivalry characterized by competing with you.

"Greenery": any green thing, even moist grass is not [to be found] is the meaning. "With their quivers bound": with the bows and quivers strapped on. "Paths flooded with water": roads and ravines filled with water. "Draft animals": oxen.

"Departed long before": set out much earlier, set out a long time ago is the meaning. "With the goods brought along": with the goods of grass, wood, and water loaded by you, with that brought along, as loaded, as taken is the meaning.

"Of little worth": of low value. "Merchandise": goods.

Explanation of the Simile of the Dung-Bearer and the Rest

"And food for my pigs": this is food for me and for the pigs. "Dripping": oozing on top. "Trickling down": leaking below. "You here, my good men": you indeed here, my good men; or this itself is the reading. "For this is food for my pigs": for this dung is indeed food for my pigs.

"Swallows the losing die as it comes" means he swallows the ball representing defeat as it comes. "I will perform an oblation" means I will make an offering, meaning I will perform an oblation ritual. "Let us play with dice" means let us play with balls [used as dice]. "Smeared with extreme poison" means smeared with poison possessing extreme virulence.

"The site of a village" refers to an abandoned village area. There is also the reading "gāmapada"; its meaning is the same. "A load of hemp" means a load of hemp bark. "Well tied together" means securely fastened. "You must find out" means you should know. It means: "If you wish to take it, take it."

"Linen" means flax bast. "Iron" means black metal. "Copper" means red metal. "Silver" means refined silver. "Gold" means golden māṣakas. "Rejoiced" means were pleased.

"Delighted" means having one's own mind contented, with a happy heart. "Satisfied" means deeply pleased. "Spontaneous replies to questions" means solutions to the questions. "To show opposition" means I thought I should act as an opponent, as an adversary; the meaning is: taking an opposing stance, I stood firm.

"Fall into destruction" means they fall into ruin, death. "Not of great fruit" means not bearing great fruit by way of result. "Not of great benefit" means not having great benefit by way of virtue. "Not of great splendor" means not possessing great splendor by way of majesty. "Not of great diffusion" means not of great diffusion because of the expansiveness of the result. "Seed and plow" means both seed and plow. "In a poor field" means in a bad field, a barren field. "On rugged soil" means on an uneven tract of ground. "Should plant" means should place. "Broken" means cut and fractured. "Rotten" means devoid of essence. "Damaged by wind and heat" means struck by wind and heat, with their vigor completely consumed. "Without essence" means chaff destitute of the pith of husked grain. "Not well preserved" means those that have been dried and stored, poured into a granary, are called 'well preserved'; but these were not like that. "Would send down" means would let fall; the meaning is: it would not rain properly, not raining every half-month, every ten days, or every five days. "Would they..." means, indeed, when there are such defects in the field, seed, and rain, would those seeds attain growth upwards in shoots, roots, and leaves, downward development, and fullness in all respects? "Such is a sacrifice, chieftain" means: such a gift, chieftain, because of the impurity of the requisites obtained by harming others, of the donor, and of the recipient, is not of great fruit.

"Such is a sacrifice, chieftain" means: such a gift of a chieftain, because the requisites were obtained without harming others, because the donor is virtuous by not harming others, and because the recipient is endowed with virtues such as right view, is of great fruit. If, moreover, one obtains an exceedingly virtuous recipient who has emerged from cessation, and the intention is vast, it yields its fruit in this very life.

Now, having heard this Dhamma discourse of the elder, Prince Pāyāsi invited the elder, gave a great gift to the elder for seven days, and from then on established a gift for the multitude. Referring to this, it was said: "Then Prince Pāyāsi..." and so forth. In that passage, "broken rice" means boiled rice with the grains damaged and accompanied by bran. "Together with sour gruel" means accompanied by fermented rice water. "And rough cloths" means and coarse garments. "With tassel borders" means having fringed ends; the meaning is: having large tassels standing in thick bunches. "Thus he designated" means thus he directed. "Even with a foot" means even by a foot.

"Disrespectfully" means lacking faith, a gift without faith. "Not with one's own hand" means not by one's own hand. "Carelessly" means lacking care; without having aroused respect and without having prepared it with an elevated mind, he gave it. "Cast away" means discarded, thrown aside. "An empty Serīsaka [mansion]" means he entered an empty silver celestial mansion named Serīsaka. Near its door, it is said, there was a great sirīsa tree; therefore it is called "Serīsaka".

"Venerable Gavaṃpati": in the past, during his time as a human, the elder was the eldest of the cowherd boys; having cleared the base of a great sirīsa tree and scattered sand, he made an elder who collected alms food sit at the foot of the tree, and gave him the food he had obtained for himself. Passing away from there, by the power of that deed, he was reborn in that silver mansion. The sirīsa tree stood at the door of the mansion. It bears fruit in fifty years; then, realizing fifty years have passed, that young deva experiences spiritual urgency. Later on, in the time of our Blessed One, he was reborn among humans, and having heard the Dhamma talk of the Teacher, attained arahantship. But by force of former habit, he frequently went to that very mansion for the daytime rest, for it is said the temperature there was agreeable to him. Referring to this, it was said: "Now at that time the Venerable Gavaṃpati..." and so forth.

"Having given gifts respectfully": he, even when giving a gift consisting of another's property, gave it respectfully. "Thus he announced": he announced in this manner: "Give gifts respectfully!" and so forth. And having heard that announcement of the elder, the multitude gave gifts respectfully and was reborn in the heavenly world. But the attendants of Prince Pāyāsi, even though they gave gifts respectfully, went and were reborn in his presence because of their attachment to him. That mansion, moving according to direction, was situated in the Vaṭṭani Forest, it is said. And one day the young deva Pāyāsi revealed himself to merchants and related his own deeds.

Thus, in the Sumaṅgalavilāsinī, the commentary on the Dīghanikāya,

The explanation of the Pāyāsirājañña Sutta is finished.

And the explanation of the meaning of the Great Division is finished.

The Commentary on the Great Division is finished.