AN 4.67

Ahirājasutta

Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme. Tena kho pana samayena sāvatthiyaṁ aññataro bhikkhu ahinā daṭṭho kālaṅkato hoti. Atha kho sambahulā bhikkhū yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkamiṁsu; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdiṁsu. Ekamantaṁ nisinnā kho te bhikkhū bhagavantaṁ etadavocuṁ: “idha, bhante, sāvatthiyaṁ aññataro bhikkhu ahinā daṭṭho kālaṅkato”ti.

The Snake King

At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery. Now, at that time a monk in Sāvatthī passed away due to a snake bite. Then several mendicants went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and said to him, “Sir, a monk in Sāvatthī has passed away due to a snake bite.”

“Na hi nūna so, bhikkhave, bhikkhu cattāri ahirājakulāni mettena cittena phari. Sace hi so, bhikkhave, bhikkhu cattāri ahirājakulāni mettena cittena phareyya, na hi so, bhikkhave, bhikkhu ahinā daṭṭho kālaṁ kareyya.

“Mendicants, that monk mustn’t have spread a mind of love to the four royal snake families. If he had, he wouldn’t have died due to a snake bite.

Katamāni cattāri? Virūpakkhaṁ ahirājakulaṁ, erāpathaṁ ahirājakulaṁ, chabyāputtaṁ ahirājakulaṁ, kaṇhāgotamakaṁ ahirājakulaṁ. Na hi nūna so, bhikkhave, bhikkhu imāni cattāri ahirājakulāni mettena cittena phari. Sace hi so, bhikkhave, bhikkhu imāni cattāri ahirājakulāni mettena cittena phareyya, na hi so, bhikkhave, bhikkhu ahinā daṭṭho kālaṁ kareyya.

What four? The royal snake families of Virūpakkha, Erāpatha, Chabyāputta, and Kaṇhāgotamaka. …

Anujānāmi, bhikkhave, imāni cattāri ahirājakulāni mettena cittena pharituṁ attaguttiyā attarakkhāya attaparittāyāti.

Mendicants, I urge you to spread a mind of love to the four royal snake families, for your own safety, security, and protection.

Virūpakkhehi me mettaṁ, Mettaṁ erāpathehi me; Chabyāputtehi me mettaṁ, Mettaṁ kaṇhāgotamakehi ca.

I love the Virūpakkhas, the Erāpathas I love, I love the Chabyāputtas, the Kaṇhāgotamakas I love.

Apādakehi me mettaṁ, mettaṁ dvipādakehi me; Catuppadehi me mettaṁ, mettaṁ bahuppadehi me.

I love the footless creatures, the two-footed I love, I love the four-footed, the many-footed I love.

Mā maṁ apādako hiṁsi, mā maṁ hiṁsi dvipādako; Mā maṁ catuppado hiṁsi, mā maṁ hiṁsi bahuppado.

May the footless not harm me! May I not be harmed by the two-footed! May the four-footed not harm me! May I not be harmed by the many-footed!

Sabbe sattā sabbe pāṇā, sabbe bhūtā ca kevalā; Sabbe bhadrāni passantu, mā kañci pāpamāgamā.

All sentient beings, all living things, all creatures, every one: may they see only nice things, may bad not come to anyone.

Appamāṇo buddho, Appamāṇo dhammo; Appamāṇo saṅgho, Pamāṇavantāni sarīsapāni.

The Buddha is immeasurable, the teaching is immeasurable, the Saṅgha is immeasurable. But limited are reptiles,

Ahivicchikā satapadī, Uṇṇanābhī sarabū mūsikā; Katā me rakkhā katā me parittā, Paṭikkamantu bhūtāni; Sohaṁ namo bhagavato, Namo sattannaṁ sammāsambuddhānan”ti.

snakes and scorpions, centipedes, spiders and lizards and mice. I’ve made this safeguard, I’ve made this protection: go away, creatures! And so I revere the Blessed One, I revere the seven perfectly awakened Buddhas.”