AN 4.70

Adhammikasutta

“Yasmiṁ, bhikkhave, samaye rājāno adhammikā honti, rājāyuttāpi tasmiṁ samaye adhammikā honti. Rājāyuttesu adhammikesu brāhmaṇagahapatikāpi tasmiṁ samaye adhammikā honti. Brāhmaṇagahapatikesu adhammikesu negamajānapadāpi tasmiṁ samaye adhammikā honti. Negamajānapadesu adhammikesu visamaṁ candimasūriyā parivattanti. Visamaṁ candimasūriyesu parivattantesu visamaṁ nakkhattāni tārakarūpāni parivattanti. Visamaṁ nakkhattesu tārakarūpesu parivattantesu visamaṁ rattindivā parivattanti. Visamaṁ rattindivesu parivattantesu visamaṁ māsaddhamāsā parivattanti. Visamaṁ māsaddhamāsesu parivattantesu visamaṁ utusaṁvaccharā parivattanti. Visamaṁ utusaṁvaccharesu parivattantesu visamaṁ vātā vāyanti visamā apañjasā. Visamaṁ vātesu vāyantesu visamesu apañjasesu devatā parikupitā bhavanti. Devatāsu parikupitāsu devo na sammā dhāraṁ anuppavecchati. Deve na sammā dhāraṁ anuppavecchante visamapākāni sassāni bhavanti. Visamapākāni, bhikkhave, sassāni manussā paribhuñjantā appāyukā honti dubbaṇṇā ca bavhābādhā ca.

Unprincipled

“At a time when kings are unprincipled, royal officials become unprincipled. When royal officials are unprincipled, brahmins and householders become unprincipled. When brahmins and householders are unprincipled, the people of town and country become unprincipled. When the people of town and country are unprincipled, the courses of the moon and sun become erratic. … the courses of the stars and constellations … the days and nights … the months and fortnights … the seasons and years become erratic. … the blowing of the winds becomes erratic and chaotic. … the deities are angered. … the heavens don’t provide enough rain. … the crops ripen erratically. When people eat crops that have ripened erratically, they become short-lived, ugly, weak, and sickly.

Yasmiṁ, bhikkhave, samaye rājāno dhammikā honti, rājāyuttāpi tasmiṁ samaye dhammikā honti. Rājāyuttesu dhammikesu brāhmaṇagahapatikāpi tasmiṁ samaye dhammikā honti. Brāhmaṇagahapatikesu dhammikesu negamajānapadāpi tasmiṁ samaye dhammikā honti. Negamajānapadesu dhammikesu samaṁ candimasūriyā parivattanti. Samaṁ candimasūriyesu parivattantesu samaṁ nakkhattāni tārakarūpāni parivattanti. Samaṁ nakkhattesu tārakarūpesu parivattantesu samaṁ rattindivā parivattanti. Samaṁ rattindivesu parivattantesu samaṁ māsaddhamāsā parivattanti. Samaṁ māsaddhamāsesu parivattantesu samaṁ utusaṁvaccharā parivattanti. Samaṁ utusaṁvaccharesu parivattantesu samaṁ vātā vāyanti samā pañjasā. Samaṁ vātesu vāyantesu samesu pañjasesu devatā aparikupitā bhavanti. Devatāsu aparikupitāsu devo sammā dhāraṁ anuppavecchati. Deve sammā dhāraṁ anuppavecchante samapākāni sassāni bhavanti. Samapākāni, bhikkhave, sassāni manussā paribhuñjantā dīghāyukā ca honti vaṇṇavanto ca balavanto ca appābādhā cāti.

At a time when kings are principled, royal officials become principled. … brahmins and householders … people of town and country become principled. When the people of town and country are principled, the courses of the sun and moon become regular. … the stars and constellations … the days and nights … the months and fortnights … the seasons and years become regular. … the blowing of the winds becomes regular and orderly. … the deities are not angered. … the heavens provide plenty of rain. When the heavens provide plenty of rain, the crops ripen well. When people eat crops that have ripened well, they become long-lived, beautiful, strong, and healthy.

Gunnañce taramānānaṁ, jimhaṁ gacchati puṅgavo; Sabbā tā jimhaṁ gacchanti, nette jimhaṁ gate sati.

When cattle cross a river, if the bull goes off course, they all go off course, because their leader is off course.

Evamevaṁ manussesu, yo hoti seṭṭhasammato; So ce adhammaṁ carati, pageva itarā pajā; Sabbaṁ raṭṭhaṁ dukkhaṁ seti, rājā ce hoti adhammiko.

So it is for humans: when the one deemed chief behaves badly, what do you expect the rest to do? The whole nation sleeps badly, when the king is unprincipled.

Gunnañce taramānānaṁ, ujuṁ gacchati puṅgavo; Sabbā tā ujuṁ gacchanti, nette ujuṁ gate sati.

When cattle cross a river, if the bull goes straight, they all go straight, because their leader is straight.

Evamevaṁ manussesu, yo hoti seṭṭhasammato; So sace dhammaṁ carati, pageva itarā pajā; Sabbaṁ raṭṭhaṁ sukhaṁ seti, rājā ce hoti dhammiko”ti.

So it is for humans: when the one deemed chief does the right thing, what do you expect the rest to do? The whole nation sleeps at ease, when the king is just.”