Paṭhamaidhalokikasutta

Aṅguttara Nikāya 8.49

Numbered Discourses 8.49

5. Uposathavagga

5. Sabbath

Paṭhamaidhalokikasutta

Winning in This Life (1st)

Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati pubbārāme migāramātupāsāde.

At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in the stilt longhouse of Migāra’s mother in the Eastern Monastery.

Atha kho visākhā migāramātā yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami …pe….

Then Visākhā, Migāra’s mother, went up to the Buddha, bowed, and sat down to one side.

Ekamantaṁ nisinnaṁ kho visākhaṁ migāramātaraṁ bhagavā etadavoca:

The Buddha said to her:

“Catūhi kho, visākhe, dhammehi samannāgato mātugāmo idhalokavijayāya paṭipanno hoti, ayaṁsa loko āraddho hoti.

“Visākhā, a lady who has four qualities is practicing to win in this life, and she succeeds at it.

Katamehi catūhi?

What four?

Idha, visākhe, mātugāmo susaṁvihitakammanto hoti, saṅgahitaparijano, bhattu manāpaṁ carati, sambhataṁ anurakkhati.

It’s when a lady is well-organized at work, manages the domestic help, acts lovingly toward her husband, and preserves his earnings.

Kathañca, visākhe, mātugāmo susaṁvihitakammanto hoti?

And how is a lady well-organized at work?

Idha, visākhe, mātugāmo ye te bhattu abbhantarā kammantā—uṇṇāti vā kappāsāti vā—tattha dakkhā hoti analasā tatrupāyāya vīmaṁsāya samannāgatā alaṁ kātuṁ alaṁ saṁvidhātuṁ.

It’s when she’s deft and tireless in doing domestic duties for her husband, such as knitting and sewing. She understands how to go about things in order to complete and organize the work.

Evaṁ kho, visākhe, mātugāmo susaṁvihitakammanto hoti.

That’s how a lady is well-organized at work.

Kathañca, visākhe, mātugāmo saṅgahitaparijano hoti?

And how does a lady manage the domestic help?

Idha, visākhe, mātugāmo yo so bhattu abbhantaro antojano—dāsāti vā pessāti vā kammakarāti vā—

It’s when she knows what work her husband’s domestic bondservants, servants, and workers have completed, and what they’ve left incomplete.

tesaṁ katañca katato jānāti akatañca akatato jānāti, gilānakānañca balābalaṁ jānāti khādanīyaṁ bhojanīyañcassa paccaṁsena saṁvibhajati.

She knows who is sick, and who is fit or unwell. She distributes to each a fair portion of fresh and cooked foods.

Evaṁ kho, visākhe, mātugāmo saṅgahitaparijano hoti.

That’s how a lady manages the domestic help.

Kathañca, visākhe, mātugāmo bhattu manāpaṁ carati?

And how does a lady act lovingly toward her husband?

Idha, visākhe, mātugāmo yaṁ bhattu amanāpasaṅkhātaṁ taṁ jīvitahetupi na ajjhācarati.

It’s when a lady would not transgress in any way that her husband would not consider agreeable, even for the sake of her own life.

Evaṁ kho, visākhe, mātugāmo bhattu manāpaṁ carati.

That’s how a lady acts lovingly toward her husband.

Kathañca, visākhe, mātugāmo sambhataṁ anurakkhati?

And how does a lady preserve his earnings?

Idha, visākhe, mātugāmo yaṁ bhattā āharati dhanaṁ vā dhaññaṁ vā rajataṁ vā jātarūpaṁ vā taṁ ārakkhena guttiyā sampādeti, tattha ca hoti adhuttī athenī asoṇḍī avināsikā.

It’s when she ensures that any income her husband earns is guarded and protected, whether money, grain, silver, or gold. She doesn’t overspend, steal, waste, or lose it.

Evaṁ kho, visākhe, mātugāmo sambhataṁ anurakkhati.

That’s how a lady preserves his earnings.

Imehi kho, visākhe, catūhi dhammehi samannāgato mātugāmo idhalokavijayāya paṭipanno hoti, ayaṁsa loko āraddho hoti.

A lady who possesses these four qualities is practicing to win in this life, and she succeeds at it.

Catūhi kho, visākhe, dhammehi samannāgato mātugāmo paralokavijayāya paṭipanno hoti, paraloko āraddho hoti.

A lady who has four qualities is practicing to win in the next life, and she succeeds at it.

Katamehi catūhi?

What four?

Idha, visākhe, mātugāmo saddhāsampanno hoti, sīlasampanno hoti, cāgasampanno hoti, paññāsampanno hoti.

It’s when a lady is accomplished in faith, ethics, generosity, and wisdom.

Kathañca, visākhe, mātugāmo saddhāsampanno hoti?

And how is a lady accomplished in faith?

Idha, visākhe, mātugāmo saddho hoti, saddahati tathāgatassa bodhiṁ:

It’s when a lady has faith in the Realized One’s awakening:

‘itipi so bhagavā arahaṁ sammāsambuddho vijjācaraṇasampanno sugato lokavidū anuttaro purisadammasārathi satthā devamanussānaṁ buddho bhagavā’ti.

‘That Blessed One is perfected, a fully awakened Buddha, accomplished in knowledge and conduct, holy, knower of the world, supreme guide for those fit for training, teacher of gods and humans, awakened, blessed.’

Evaṁ kho, visākhe, mātugāmo saddhāsampanno hoti.

That’s how a lady is accomplished in faith.

Kathañca, visākhe, mātugāmo sīlasampanno hoti?

And how is a lady accomplished in ethics?

Idha, visākhe, mātugāmo pāṇātipātā paṭivirato hoti …pe… surāmerayamajjapamādaṭṭhānā paṭivirato hoti.

It’s when a lady doesn’t kill living creatures, steal, commit sexual misconduct, lie, or consume intoxicants of beer, wine, and liquor.

Evaṁ kho, visākhe, mātugāmo sīlasampanno hoti.

That’s how a lady is accomplished in ethics.

Kathañca, visākhe, mātugāmo cāgasampanno hoti?

And how is a lady accomplished in generosity?

Idha, visākhe, mātugāmo vigatamalamaccherena cetasā agāraṁ ajjhāvasati muttacāgā payatapāṇinī vossaggaratā yācayogā dānasaṁvibhāgaratā.

It’s when she lives at home with heart rid of the stain of stinginess, freely generous, open-handed, loving to let go, committed to charity, loving to give and to share.

Evaṁ kho, visākhe, mātugāmo cāgasampanno hoti.

That’s how a lady is accomplished in generosity.

Kathañca, visākhe, mātugāmo paññāsampanno hoti?

And how is a lady accomplished in wisdom?

Idha, visākhe, mātugāmo paññavā hoti …pe…

It’s when a lady is wise. She has the wisdom of arising and passing away which is noble, penetrative, and leads to the complete ending of suffering.

evaṁ kho, visākhe, mātugāmo paññāsampanno hoti.

That’s how a lady is accomplished in wisdom.

Imehi kho, visākhe, catūhi dhammehi samannāgato mātugāmo paralokavijayāya paṭipanno hoti, paraloko āraddho hotīti.

A lady who possesses these four qualities is practicing to win in the next life, and she succeeds at it.

Susaṁvihitakammantā,

She’s organized at work,

saṅgahitaparijjanā;

and manages the domestic help.

Bhattu manāpaṁ carati,

She’s agreeable to her husband,

sambhataṁ anurakkhati.

and preserves his wealth.

Saddhā sīlena sampannā,

Faithful, accomplished in ethics,

vadaññū vītamaccharā;

bountiful, rid of stinginess,

Niccaṁ maggaṁ visodheti,

she always purifies the path

sotthānaṁ samparāyikaṁ.

to well-being in lives to come.

Iccete aṭṭha dhammā ca,

And so, a lady in whom

yassā vijjanti nāriyā;

these eight qualities are found

Tampi sīlavatiṁ āhu,

is known as virtuous,

dhammaṭṭhaṁ saccavādiniṁ.

firmly principled, and truthful.

Soḷasākārasampannā,

Accomplished in sixteen respects,

Aṭṭhaṅgasusamāgatā;

complete with the eight factors,

Tādisī sīlavatī upāsikā,

a virtuous laywoman such as she

Upapajjati devalokaṁ manāpan”ti.

is reborn in the realm of the Agreeable Gods.”

Navamaṁ.