Nestlings (SA-2.49)

Thus have I heard, once, the Buddha was staying at Sāvatthī at the Jeta Grove in the Anāthapiṇḍika Park.

At that time the World-honored One said to the monks: “Once, long ago, Sakka did battle with the asuras. At that time the devas were inferior and the asuras were winning. Sakka, having seen that the devas were inferior, had his charioteer turn around, and wanted to return to his heavenly palace. On the way he noticed a withered sāla tree, where a suparṇa bird had built its nest. Sakka said to his charioteer Mātali: ‘In this nest there are two bird’s eggs. Let’s avoid damaging them. Make a turn and avoid that tree.’ Sakka addressed Mātali in verse:

“Do you see the nest in this tree? /
It contains two eggs.
If the chariot continues its course /
it will strike the tree and break the eggs.
I would rather throw my body /
against the host of the asuras
and lose my life /
than harm these eggs.”

Having spoken this verse, he promptly turned the chariot. When the asuras saw Sakka turning around, they all became afraid and said: ‘Sakka was just faking a retreat! Now that he has turned, he will certainly destroy our army!’ Then the asuras were routed and the devas pursued them all the way back to their city.”

The Buddha told the monks: “Sakka Devānaṁ Inda dwells as king among the gods. Just as he is always practicing loving-kindness and patience, so you, monks, should train yourselves likewise.”

The monks heard what the Buddha said, were happy and remembered it well.

Translation by Marcus Bingenheimer, 2005–8 (minor revisions 2009). First version published in Buddhist Studies Review vol. 23.1 (2006). The translations used here were revised by the translator and published in his Studies in Āgama Literature—with Special Reference to the Shorter Chinese Saṁyuktāgama, Dharma Drum Buddhist College, 2010.

Translated from the Taishō text of the CBETA-Database (Version Feb. 2006). All sutta titles added by the translator.

This series of translations were part of the project “A Digital Comparative Edition of the Bieyi za ahan jing” conducted at the Chung-hwa Institute for Buddhist Studies (中華佛學研究所) and the Dharma Drum Buddhist College (法鼓佛教研修學院), funded by the Chiang Ching-kuo Foundation for International Scholarly Exchange (蔣經國國際學術交流基金會). The full project, including parallel Chinese, Pali, and Sanskrit texts, is available online here.

Used with kind permission of the translator.

Prepared for SuttaCentral by Bhikkhu Sujato.