The Dhammapada: Verses and Stories

Dhammapada Verse 18
Sumanadevi Vatthu

The Dhammapada Commentary
Courtesy of Nibbana.com
Translated by the Department of Pali
University of Rangoon, Burma
1966

Idha nandati, pecca nandati,
katapunno ubhayattha nandati.
"punnam me katan" ti nandati
bhiyyo nandatisuggatim gato.

(One who has done good deeds rejoices here and rejoices afterwards too; he rejoices in both places. Thinking "I have done good deeds" he rejoices, he rejoices all the more having gone to a happy existence.)

The Master while residing at Jetavana delivered this religious discourse beginning with "Here (in this world) one who has done good deeds rejoices" in connection with Sumanadevi.


At Savatthi, two thousand monks used to take their meals daily in the house of Anathapindika and a similar number in the house of the eminent female-devotee Visakha. Whosoever wished to give alms in Savatthi, they used to do so after getting permission of these two. What was the reason for this? Even though a sum of a hundred thousand was spent in charity, the monks used to ask:

"Has Anathapindika or Visakha come to our alms-hall?" If told, "They have not", they used to express words of disapproval saying "What sort of a charity is this?" The fact was that both of them (Anathapindika and Visakha) knew exceedingly well what the congregation of monks liked, as also what ought to be done befitting the occasion. When they supervised, the monks could take food according to their liking, and so all those who wished to give alms used to take those two with them. As a result, they (Anathapindika and Visakha) could not get the opportunity to serve the monks in their own homes.

Thereupon, pondering as to who could take her place and entertain the congregation of monks with food, and finding her son's daughter, Visakha made her take the place. She started serving food to the congregation of monks in Visakha's house. Anathapindika too made his eldest daughter, Mahasubhadda by name, officiate in his stead. While attending to the monks, she used to listen to the Dhamma. She became a Sotapanna and went to the house of her husband. Then he (Anathapindika) put Cullasubhadda in her place. She too acting likewise became a Sotapanna and went to her husband's house. Then his youngest daughter Sumanadevi was assigned the place. She, however, attained the fruition of sakadagami. Though she was only a young maiden, she became afflicted with so severe a disease that she stopped taking her food and wishing to see her father sent for him.

Anathapindika received the message while in an almshouse. At once he returned and asked her what the matter was. She said to him, 'Brother, what is it?' He said 'Dear, are you talking in delirium?' Replied she, 'Brother, I am not delirious.' He asked, 'Dear, are you in fear?' and she replied, 'No, I am not, brother.' Saying only these words she passed away. Though a Sotapanna, the banker was unable to bear the grief that arose in him for his daughter and after having had the funeral rites of his daughter performed, approached the Master weeping. Being asked: Householder, what makes you come sad and depressed, weeping with a tearful face?', he replied 'Lord, my daughter Sumanadevi has passed away.' 'But, why do you lament? Isn't death common to all beings?' 'Lord, this I am aware of, but the fact that my daughter, who was so conscious of a sense of shame and fear of evil, was not able to maintain her self-possession at the time of her death and passed away talking in delirium, has made me very depressed.' 'But, noble banker, what was it that she said?'

'When I addressed her as "Dear Sumana", she said "What is it, dear brother? "*

'Then when I asked her "Dear, are you talking in delirium ?", she replied "I am not talking in delirium, brother".

'When I asked her "Are you in fear, dear?", she replied "Brother, I am not". Saying this much she passed away.'

Thereupon the Master told him, Noble banker, your daughter was not talking in delirium.' When asked why she spoke like that, the Master replied, 'It is because of your lower spiritual position; indeed your daughter held a higher position than you did in the attainment of the path (magga) and fruition (phala); you are only a Sotapanna but your daughter was a sakadagami, it was because of her higher position in the attainment of path and fruition that she spoke to you in that way'. The banker asked, 'Is that so Lord ?', and the Master affirmed saying 'It is so'. When asked 'Where is she reborn at present?' the Master said, 'In the Tusita heaven, O householder'. Then the banker made this remark, 'Lord, having rejoiced here in this world in the midst of kinsmen, now again, after passing away, my daughter has been reborn in a place of joy.' Thereupon the Master told him, 'Yes banker, the diligent, whether they are householders or samanas, surely rejoice in this world as well as in the next', and uttered this stanza.

Idha nandati, pecca nandati,
katapunno ubhayattha nandati.
"punnam me katan" ti nandati
bhiyyo nandatisuggatim gato.

One who has done good deeds rejoices here and rejoices afterwards too; he rejoices in both places. Thinking "I have done good deeds" he rejoices, he rejoices all the more having gone to a happy existence.

Therein, idha implies in this world, where one rejoices on account of the joy derived from one's own deeds.

Pecca implies that in the next world one rejoices on account of the resultant joy.

Katapunno means the performer of merit of various kinds.

Ubhayattha implies that in this world one rejoices at the thought "I have done good and have not done evil" and in the next he rejoices enjoying the result.

"Punnam me" means while rejoicing here at the thought "I have performed a meritorius deed", one rejoices with mere happiness arising from the satisfaction in his own good deed.

bhiyyo implies that having gone to a happy existence (saggatim gato) one rejoices exceedingly on account of the resultant joy, enjoying the celestial glory for fifty-seven crores and sixty lakhs** years in the Tusita Heaven.

At the end of the verse, many people became Sotapannas and so on, and the discourse became beneficial to the multitude.

The story of Sumanadevi, the thirteenth one.


* younger brother, "Kanitthabhatika". It would have been terribly rude, shocking, for a daughter to address her father as 'younger brother' in ordinary circumstances.

** A crore is 10,000,000: a Lakh is 100,000.

Dhammapada

Preface

I.Yamakavagga
Verse 001
Verse 002
Verse 003
Verse 005
Verse 006
Verse 007
Verse 009
Verse 011
Verse 013
Verse 015
Verse 016
Verse 017
Verse 018
Verse 019

II.Appamadavagga
Verse 021
Verse 024
Verse 025
Verse 026
Verse 028
Verse 029
Verse 030
Verse 031
Verse 032

III.Cittavagga
Verse 033
Verse 035
Verse 036
Verse 037
Verse 038
Verse 040
Verse 041
Verse 042
Verse 043

IV.Pupphavagga
Verse 044
Verse 046
Verse 047
Verse 048
Verse 049
Verse 050
Verse 051
Verse 053
Verse 054
Verse 056
Verse 057
Verse 058

V.Balavagga
Verse 060
Verse 061
Verse 062
Verse 063
Verse 064
Verse 065
Verse 066
Verse 067
Verse 068
Verse 069
Verse 070
Verse 071
Verse 072
Verse 073
Verse 075

VI.Panditavagga
Verse 076
Verse 077
Verse 078
Verse 079
Verse 080
Verse 081
Verse 082
Verse 083
Verse 084
Verse 085
Verse 087

VII.Arahantavagga
Verse 090
Verse 091
Verse 092
Verse 093
Verse 094
Verse 095
Verse 096
Verse 097
Verse 098
Verse 099

VIII.Sahassavagga
Verse 100
Verse 101
Verse 102
Verse 104
Verse 106
Verse 107
Verse 108
Verse 109
Verse 110
Verse 111
Verse 112
Verse 113
Verse 114
Verse 115

IX.Papavagga
Verse 116
Verse 117
Verse 118
Verse 119
Verse 121
Verse 122
Verse 123
Verse 124
Verse 125
Verse 126
Verse 127
Verse 128

X.Dandavagga
Verse 129
Verse 130
Verse 131
Verse 133
Verse 135
Verse 136
Verse 137
Verse 141
Verse 142
Verse 143
Verse 145

XI.Jaravagga
Verse 146
Verse 147
Verse 148
Verse 149
Verse 150
Verse 151
Verse 152
Verse 153
Verse 155

XII.Attavagga
Verse 157
Verse 158
Verse 159
Verse 160
Verse 161
Verse 162
Verse 163
Verse 164
Verse 165
Verse 166

XIII.Lokavagga
Verse 167
Verse 168
Verse 170
Verse 171
Verse 172
Verse 173
Verse 174
Verse 175
Verse 176
Verse 177
Verse 178

XIV.Buddhavagga
Verse 179
Verse 181
Verse 182
Verse 183
Verse 186
Verse 188
Verse 193
Verse 194
Verse 195

XV.Sukhavagga
Verse 197
Verse 200
Verse 201
Verse 202
Verse 203
Verse 204
Verse 205
Verse 206

XVI.Piyavagga
Verse 209
Verse 212
Verse 213
Verse 214
Verse 215
Verse 216
Verse 217
Verse 218
Verse 219

XVII.Kodhavagga
Verse 221
Verse 222
Verse 223
Verse 224
Verse 225
Verse 226
Verse 227
Verse 231

XVIII.Malavagga
Verse 235
Verse 239
Verse 240
Verse 241
Verse 242
Verse 244
Verse 246
Verse 249
Verse 251
Verse 252
Verse 253
Verse 254

XIX.Dhammatthavagga
Verse 256
Verse 258
Verse 259
Verse 260
Verse 262
Verse 264
Verse 266
Verse 268
Verse 270
Verse 271

XX.Maggavagga
Verse 273
Verse 277
Verse 280
Verse 281
Verse 282
Verse 283
Verse 285
Verse 286
Verse 287
Verse 288

XXI.Pakinnakavagga
Verse 290
Verse 291
Verse 292
Verse 294
Verse 296
Verse 302
Verse 303
Verse 304
Verse 305

XXII.Nirayavagga
Verse 306
Verse 307
Verse 308
Verse 309
Verse 311
Verse 314
Verse 315
Verse 316
Verse 318

XXIII.Nagavagga
Verse 320
Verse 323
Verse 324
Verse 325
Verse 326
Verse 327
Verse 328
Verse 331

XXIV.Tanhavagga
Verse 334
Verse 338
Verse 344
Verse 345
Verse 347
Verse 348
Verse 349
Verse 351
Verse 353
Verse 354
Verse 355
Verse 356

XXV.Bhikkhuvagga
Verse 360
Verse 362
Verse 363
Verse 364
Verse 365
Verse 367
Verse 368
Verse 377
Verse 378
Verse 379
Verse 381
Verse 382

XXVI.Brahmanavagga
Verse 383
Verse 384
Verse 385
Verse 386
Verse 387
Verse 388
Verse 389
Verse 391
Verse 392
Verse 393
Verse 394
Verse 395
Verse 396
Verse 397
Verse 398
Verse 399
Verse 400
Verse 401
Verse 402
Verse 403
Verse 404
Verse 405
Verse 406
Verse 407
Verse 408
Verse 409
Verse 410
Verse 411
Verse 412
Verse 413
Verse 414
Verse 415
*Verse 416
*Verse 416
Verse 417
Verse 418
Verse 419
Verse 421
Verse 422
Verse 423

*These two stories have the same verse.