SN 3.8

Mallikāsutta

Sāvatthinidānaṁ. Tena kho pana samayena rājā pasenadi kosalo mallikāya deviyā saddhiṁ uparipāsādavaragato hoti. Atha kho rājā pasenadi kosalo mallikaṁ deviṁ etadavoca: “atthi nu kho te, mallike, kocañño attanā piyataro”ti? “Natthi kho me, mahārāja, kocañño attanā piyataro. Tuyhaṁ pana, mahārāja, atthañño koci attanā piyataro”ti? “Mayhampi kho, mallike, natthañño koci attanā piyataro”ti.

With Queen Mallikā

At Sāvatthī. Now at that time King Pasenadi of Kosala was upstairs in the royal longhouse together with Queen Mallikā. Then the king said to the queen, “Mallikā, is there anyone more dear to you than yourself?” “No, Great King, there isn’t. But is there anyone more dear to you than yourself?” “For me also, Mallikā, there’s no one.”

Atha kho rājā pasenadi kosalo pāsādā orohitvā yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho rājā pasenadi kosalo bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “idhāhaṁ, bhante, mallikāya deviyā saddhiṁ uparipāsādavaragato mallikaṁ deviṁ etadavocaṁ: ‘atthi nu kho te, mallike, kocañño attanā piyataro’ti? Evaṁ vutte, bhante, mallikā devī maṁ etadavoca: ‘natthi kho me, mahārāja, kocañño attanā piyataro. Tuyhaṁ pana, mahārāja, atthañño koci attanā piyataro’ti? Evaṁ vuttāhaṁ, bhante, mallikaṁ deviṁ etadavocaṁ: ‘mayhampi kho, mallike, natthañño koci attanā piyataro’”ti.

Then King Pasenadi of Kosala came downstairs from the stilt longhouse, went to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and told him what had happened.

Atha kho bhagavā etamatthaṁ viditvā tāyaṁ velāyaṁ imaṁ gāthaṁ abhāsi:

Then, understanding this matter, on that occasion the Buddha spoke this verse:

“Sabbā disā anuparigamma cetasā, Nevajjhagā piyataramattanā kvaci; Evaṁ piyo puthu attā paresaṁ, Tasmā na hiṁse paramattakāmo”ti.

“Having explored every quarter with the mind, one finds no one dearer than oneself. Likewise for others, each holds themselves dear; so one who desires self-knowledge would harm no other.”