Dhammapada 25.7.p3

25.7.p3

Tasmiṃ khaṇe jetavanato vīsayojanasatamatthake kuraragharanagare therassa mātu mahāupāsikāya gehe adhivatthā devatāpi mahantena saddena sādhukāramadāsi. Atha naṃ upāsikā āha – ‘‘ko esa sādhukāraṃ detī’’ti? Ahaṃ, bhaginīti. Kosi tvanti? Tava gehe adhivatthā, devatāti. Tvaṃ ito pubbe mayhaṃ sādhukāraṃ adatvā ajja kasmā desīti? Nāhaṃ tuyhaṃ sādhukāraṃ dammīti. Atha kassa te sādhukāro dinnoti? Tava puttassa koṭikaṇṇassa soṇattherassāti. Kiṃ me puttena katanti? Putto te ajja satthārā saddhiṃ ekagandhakuṭiyaṃ vasitvā dhammaṃ desesi, satthā tava puttassa dhammaṃ sutvā pasanno sādhukāramadāsi. Tenassa mayāpi sādhukāro dinno. Sammāsambuddhassa hi sādhukāraṃ sampaṭicchitvā bhūmaṭṭhakadeve ādiṃ katvā yāva brahmalokā ekasādhukārameva jātanti. Kiṃ pana, sāmi, mama puttena satthu dhammo kathito, satthārā mama puttassa kathitoti? Tava puttena satthu kathitoti. Evaṃ devatāya kathentiyāva upāsikāya pañcavaṇṇā pīti uppajjitvā sakalasarīraṃ phari.

At that moment also the deity resident in the house of the eminent female lay disciple who was the mother of the Elder Soṇa in Kuraraghara city, at a distance of a hundred and twenty leagues from the Jetavana, gave a loud shout of applause. The female lay disciple said to the deity, “Who is this that gives applause?” The deity replied, “It is I, sister.” “Who are you?” “I am the deity resident in your

house." "You have never before bestowed applause upon me; why do you do so to-day?" "I am not bestowing applause upon you." "Then upon whom are you bestowing applause?" "Upon your son Elder Kūṭikaṇṇa Soṇa." "What has my son done?"

"To-day, your son, residing alone with the Teacher in the Perfumed Chamber, recited the Law to the Teacher. The Teacher, pleased with your son's recitation of the Law, bestowed applause upon him; therefore I also bestowed applause upon him. For when the deities heard the applause bestowed upon your son by the Supreme Buddha, all of them, from deities of earth to the World of Brahmā, gave one shout of applause." "Master, do you really mean that my son recited the Law to the Teacher? Did not the Teacher recite the Law to my son?" "It was your son who recited the Law to the Teacher."

As the deity thus spoke, the five kinds of joy sprang up within the disciple, suffusing her whole body. Then the following thought occurred to her, "If my son has been able, residing alone with the Teacher in the Perfumed Chamber, to recite the Law to him, he will be able to recite the Law to me also. When my son returns, I will arrange for a hearing of the Law and will listen to his preaching of the Law."