SN 3.12

Pañcarājasutta

Sāvatthinidānaṁ. Tena kho pana samayena pañcannaṁ rājūnaṁ pasenadipamukhānaṁ pañcahi kāmaguṇehi samappitānaṁ samaṅgībhūtānaṁ paricārayamānānaṁ ayamantarākathā udapādi: “kiṁ nu kho kāmānaṁ aggan”ti? Tatrekacce evamāhaṁsu: “rūpā kāmānaṁ aggan”ti. Ekacce evamāhaṁsu: “saddā kāmānaṁ aggan”ti. Ekacce evamāhaṁsu: “gandhā kāmānaṁ aggan”ti. Ekacce evamāhaṁsu: “rasā kāmānaṁ aggan”ti. Ekacce evamāhaṁsu: “phoṭṭhabbā kāmānaṁ aggan”ti. Yato kho te rājāno nāsakkhiṁsu aññamaññaṁ saññāpetuṁ.

Five Kings

At Sāvatthī. Now at that time five kings headed by Pasenadi were amusing themselves, supplied and provided with the five kinds of sensual stimulation, and this discussion came up among them: “What’s the best of sensual pleasures?” Some of them said, “Sights are the best of sensual pleasures!” Others said, “Sounds are best!” Others said, “Smells are best!” Others said, “Tastes are best!” Others said, “Touches are best!” Since those kings were unable to persuade each other,

Atha kho rājā pasenadi kosalo te rājāno etadavoca: “āyāma, mārisā, yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkamissāma; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ etamatthaṁ paṭipucchissāma. Yathā no bhagavā byākarissati tathā naṁ dhāressāmā”ti. “Evaṁ, mārisā”ti kho te rājāno rañño pasenadissa kosalassa paccassosuṁ.

King Pasenadi said to them, “Come, good fellows, let’s go to the Buddha and ask him about this. As he answers, so we’ll remember it.” “Yes, good fellows,” replied those kings.

Atha kho te pañca rājāno pasenadipamukhā yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkamiṁsu; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdiṁsu. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho rājā pasenadi kosalo bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “idha, bhante, amhākaṁ pañcannaṁ rājūnaṁ pañcahi kāmaguṇehi samappitānaṁ samaṅgībhūtānaṁ paricārayamānānaṁ ayamantarākathā udapādi: ‘kiṁ nu kho kāmānaṁ aggan’ti? Ekacce evamāhaṁsu: ‘rūpā kāmānaṁ aggan’ti. Ekacce evamāhaṁsu: ‘saddā kāmānaṁ aggan’ti. Ekacce evamāhaṁsu: ‘gandhā kāmānaṁ aggan’ti. Ekacce evamāhaṁsu: ‘rasā kāmānaṁ aggan’ti. Ekacce evamāhaṁsu: ‘phoṭṭhabbā kāmānaṁ aggan’ti. Kiṁ nu kho, bhante, kāmānaṁ aggan”ti?

Then those five kings headed by Pasenadi went to the Buddha, bowed, and sat down to one side. King Pasenadi reported their conversation to the Buddha, and said, “Sir, what’s the best of sensual pleasures?”

“Manāpapariyantaṁ khvāhaṁ, mahārāja, pañcasu kāmaguṇesu agganti vadāmi. Teva, mahārāja, rūpā ekaccassa manāpā honti, teva rūpā ekaccassa amanāpā honti. Yehi ca yo rūpehi attamano hoti paripuṇṇasaṅkappo, so tehi rūpehi aññaṁ rūpaṁ uttaritaraṁ vā paṇītataraṁ vā na pattheti. Te tassa rūpā paramā honti. Te tassa rūpā anuttarā honti.

“Great king, which kind of sensual stimulation is best is defined by which is most agreeable, I say. The very same sights that are agreeable to some are disagreeable to others. When you’re happy with certain sights, as you’ve got all you wished for, you don’t want any other sight that’s better or finer. For you, those sights are perfect and supreme.

Teva, mahārāja, saddā ekaccassa manāpā honti, teva saddā ekaccassa amanāpā honti. Yehi ca yo saddehi attamano hoti paripuṇṇasaṅkappo, so tehi saddehi aññaṁ saddaṁ uttaritaraṁ vā paṇītataraṁ vā na pattheti. Te tassa saddā paramā honti. Te tassa saddā anuttarā honti.

The very same sounds …

Teva, mahārāja, gandhā ekaccassa manāpā honti, teva gandhā ekaccassa amanāpā honti. Yehi ca yo gandhehi attamano hoti paripuṇṇasaṅkappo, so tehi gandhehi aññaṁ gandhaṁ uttaritaraṁ vā paṇītataraṁ vā na pattheti. Te tassa gandhā paramā honti. Te tassa gandhā anuttarā honti.

smells …

Teva, mahārāja, rasā ekaccassa manāpā honti, teva rasā ekaccassa amanāpā honti. Yehi ca yo rasehi attamano hoti paripuṇṇasaṅkappo, so tehi rasehi aññaṁ rasaṁ uttaritaraṁ vā paṇītataraṁ vā na pattheti. Te tassa rasā paramā honti. Te tassa rasā anuttarā honti.

tastes …

Teva, mahārāja, phoṭṭhabbā ekaccassa manāpā honti, teva phoṭṭhabbā ekaccassa amanāpā honti. Yehi ca yo phoṭṭhabbehi attamano hoti paripuṇṇasaṅkappo, so tehi phoṭṭhabbehi aññaṁ phoṭṭhabbaṁ uttaritaraṁ vā paṇītataraṁ vā na pattheti. Te tassa phoṭṭhabbā paramā honti. Te tassa phoṭṭhabbā anuttarā hontī”ti.

touches that are agreeable to some are disagreeable to others. When you’re happy with certain touches, as you’ve got all you wished for, you don’t want any other touch that’s better or finer. For you, those touches are perfect and supreme.”

Tena kho pana samayena candanaṅgaliko upāsako tassaṁ parisāyaṁ nisinno hoti. Atha kho candanaṅgaliko upāsako uṭṭhāyāsanā ekaṁsaṁ uttarāsaṅgaṁ karitvā yena bhagavā tenañjaliṁ paṇāmetvā bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “paṭibhāti maṁ, bhagavā, paṭibhāti maṁ, sugatā”ti. “Paṭibhātu taṁ, candanaṅgalikā”ti bhagavā avoca.

Now at that time the lay follower Candanaṅgalika was sitting in that assembly. Then he rose from his seat, arranged his robe over one shoulder, raised his cupped palms toward the Buddha, and said, “I feel inspired to speak, Blessed One! I feel inspired to speak, Holy One!” “Then speak as you feel inspired,” said the Buddha.

Atha kho candanaṅgaliko upāsako bhagavato sammukhā tadanurūpāya gāthāya abhitthavi:

Then the lay follower Candanaṅgalika extolled the Buddha in his presence with an appropriate verse:

“Padumaṁ yathā kokanadaṁ sugandhaṁ, Pāto siyā phullamavītagandhaṁ; Aṅgīrasaṁ passa virocamānaṁ, Tapantamādiccamivantalikkhe”ti.

“Like a fragrant pink lotus that blooms at daybreak, its fragrance unfaded— see Aṅgīrasa dazzle, bright as the sun in the sky!”

Atha kho te pañca rājāno candanaṅgalikaṁ upāsakaṁ pañcahi uttarāsaṅgehi acchādesuṁ. Atha kho candanaṅgaliko upāsako tehi pañcahi uttarāsaṅgehi bhagavantaṁ acchādesīti.

Then those five kings clothed Candanaṅgalika with five upper robes. And Candanaṅgalika in turn endowed the Buddha with those robes.