At one time the Buddha was staying near Kosambī in Ghosita’s monastery. Now at that time Venerable Anuruddha had gone into retreat for the day’s meditation. Then several deities of the Agreeable Host went up to Venerable Anuruddha, bowed, stood to one side, and said to him:
“Honorable Anuruddha, we are the deities called ‘Agreeable’. We wield authority and control over three things. We can turn any color we want on the spot. We can get any voice that we want on the spot. We can get any pleasure that we want on the spot.
We are the deities called ‘Agreeable’. We wield authority and control over these three things.” Then Venerable Anuruddha thought, “If only these deities would all turn blue, of blue color, clad in blue, adorned with blue!” Then those deities, knowing Anuruddha’s thought, all turned blue.
Then Venerable Anuruddha thought, “If only these deities would all turn yellow …” “If only these gods would all turn red …” “If only these gods would all turn white …”
Then those deities, knowing Anuruddha’s thought, all turned white. Then one of those deities sang, one danced, and one snapped her fingers. Suppose there was a quintet made up of skilled musicians who had practiced well and kept excellent rhythm. They’d sound graceful, tantalizing, sensuous, endearing, and intoxicating.
PL
Atha kho tā devatā āyasmato anuruddhassa cittamaññāya sabbāva odātā ahesuṁ odātavaṇṇā odātavatthā odātālaṅkārā. Atha kho tā devatā ekā ca gāyi ekā ca nacci ekā ca accharaṁ vādesi. Seyyathāpi nāma pañcaṅgikassa tūriyassa suvinītassa suppaṭipatāḷitassa kusalehi susamannāhatassa saddo hoti vaggu ca rajanīyo ca kamanīyo ca pemanīyo ca madanīyo ca;
EN
In the same way the performance by those deities sounded graceful, tantalizing, sensuous, endearing, and intoxicating. But Venerable Anuruddha averted his senses. Then those deities, thinking “Master Anuruddha isn’t enjoying this,” vanished right there. Then in the late afternoon, Anuruddha came out of retreat and went to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and told him what had happened, adding:
PL
evamevaṁ tāsaṁ devatānaṁ alaṅkārānaṁ saddo hoti vaggu ca rajanīyo ca kamanīyo ca pemanīyo ca madanīyo ca. Atha kho āyasmā anuruddho indriyāni okkhipi. Atha kho tā devatā “na khvayyo anuruddho sādiyatī”ti tatthevantaradhāyiṁsu. Atha kho āyasmā anuruddho sāyanhasamayaṁ paṭisallānā vuṭṭhito yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho āyasmā anuruddho bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:
Atha kho, bhante, tā devatā ekā ca gāyi ekā ca nacci ekā ca accharaṁ vādesi. Seyyathāpi nāma pañcaṅgikassa tūriyassa suvinītassa suppaṭipatāḷitassa kusalehi susamannāhatassa saddo hoti vaggu ca rajanīyo ca kamanīyo ca pemanīyo ca madanīyo ca; evamevaṁ tāsaṁ devatānaṁ alaṅkārānaṁ saddo hoti vaggu ca rajanīyo ca kamanīyo ca pemanīyo ca madanīyo ca.
EN
“How many qualities do ladies have so that—when their body breaks up, after death—they are reborn in company with the Gods of the Agreeable Host?” “Anuruddha, when they have eight qualities ladies—when their body breaks up, after death—are reborn in company with the Gods of the Agreeable Host.
What eight? Take the case of a lady whose mother and father give her to a husband wanting what’s best for her, out of kindness and sympathy. She would get up before him and go to bed after him, and be obliging, behaving nicely and speaking politely. She honors, respects, esteems, and venerates those her husband respects, such as mother and father, and ascetics and brahmins.
And when they arrive she serves them with a seat and water. She’s deft and tireless in her husband’s household duties, such as knitting and sewing. She understands how to go about things in order to complete and organize the work. She knows what work her husband’s domestic bondservants, servants, and workers have completed, and what they’ve left incomplete.
PL
te sakkaroti, garuṁ karoti, māneti, pūjeti, abbhāgate ca āsanodakena paṭipūjeti. Ye te bhattu abbhantarā kammantā—uṇṇāti vā kappāsāti vā—tattha dakkhā hoti analasā tatrupāyāya vīmaṁsāya samannāgatā alaṁ kātuṁ alaṁ saṁvidhātuṁ. Yo so bhattu abbhantaro antojano—dāsāti vā pessāti vā kammakarāti vā—
EN
She knows who is sick, and who is fit or unwell. She distributes to each a fair portion of fresh and cooked foods. 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. She’s a lay follower who has gone for refuge to the Buddha, his teaching, and the Saṅgha.
She’s ethical. She doesn’t kill living creatures, steal, commit sexual misconduct, lie, or consume intoxicants of beer, wine, and liquor. She’s generous. 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.
When they possess these eight qualities ladies—when their body breaks up, after death—are reborn in company with the Gods of the Agreeable Host. She’d never look down on her husband, who’s always eager to work hard, always looking after her,
At one time the Buddha was staying near Kosambī in Ghosita’s monastery. Now at that time Venerable Anuruddha had gone into retreat for the day’s meditation. Then several deities of the Agreeable Host went up to Venerable Anuruddha, bowed, stood to one side, and said to him:
“Honorable Anuruddha, we are the deities called ‘Agreeable’. We wield authority and control over three things. We can turn any color we want on the spot. We can get any voice that we want on the spot. We can get any pleasure that we want on the spot.
We are the deities called ‘Agreeable’. We wield authority and control over these three things.” Then Venerable Anuruddha thought, “If only these deities would all turn blue, of blue color, clad in blue, adorned with blue!” Then those deities, knowing Anuruddha’s thought, all turned blue.
Then Venerable Anuruddha thought, “If only these deities would all turn yellow …” “If only these gods would all turn red …” “If only these gods would all turn white …”
Then those deities, knowing Anuruddha’s thought, all turned white. Then one of those deities sang, one danced, and one snapped her fingers. Suppose there was a quintet made up of skilled musicians who had practiced well and kept excellent rhythm. They’d sound graceful, tantalizing, sensuous, endearing, and intoxicating.
PL
Atha kho tā devatā āyasmato anuruddhassa cittamaññāya sabbāva odātā ahesuṁ odātavaṇṇā odātavatthā odātālaṅkārā. Atha kho tā devatā ekā ca gāyi ekā ca nacci ekā ca accharaṁ vādesi. Seyyathāpi nāma pañcaṅgikassa tūriyassa suvinītassa suppaṭipatāḷitassa kusalehi susamannāhatassa saddo hoti vaggu ca rajanīyo ca kamanīyo ca pemanīyo ca madanīyo ca;
EN
In the same way the performance by those deities sounded graceful, tantalizing, sensuous, endearing, and intoxicating. But Venerable Anuruddha averted his senses. Then those deities, thinking “Master Anuruddha isn’t enjoying this,” vanished right there. Then in the late afternoon, Anuruddha came out of retreat and went to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and told him what had happened, adding:
PL
evamevaṁ tāsaṁ devatānaṁ alaṅkārānaṁ saddo hoti vaggu ca rajanīyo ca kamanīyo ca pemanīyo ca madanīyo ca. Atha kho āyasmā anuruddho indriyāni okkhipi. Atha kho tā devatā “na khvayyo anuruddho sādiyatī”ti tatthevantaradhāyiṁsu. Atha kho āyasmā anuruddho sāyanhasamayaṁ paṭisallānā vuṭṭhito yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho āyasmā anuruddho bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:
Atha kho, bhante, tā devatā ekā ca gāyi ekā ca nacci ekā ca accharaṁ vādesi. Seyyathāpi nāma pañcaṅgikassa tūriyassa suvinītassa suppaṭipatāḷitassa kusalehi susamannāhatassa saddo hoti vaggu ca rajanīyo ca kamanīyo ca pemanīyo ca madanīyo ca; evamevaṁ tāsaṁ devatānaṁ alaṅkārānaṁ saddo hoti vaggu ca rajanīyo ca kamanīyo ca pemanīyo ca madanīyo ca.
EN
“How many qualities do ladies have so that—when their body breaks up, after death—they are reborn in company with the Gods of the Agreeable Host?” “Anuruddha, when they have eight qualities ladies—when their body breaks up, after death—are reborn in company with the Gods of the Agreeable Host.
What eight? Take the case of a lady whose mother and father give her to a husband wanting what’s best for her, out of kindness and sympathy. She would get up before him and go to bed after him, and be obliging, behaving nicely and speaking politely. She honors, respects, esteems, and venerates those her husband respects, such as mother and father, and ascetics and brahmins.
And when they arrive she serves them with a seat and water. She’s deft and tireless in her husband’s household duties, such as knitting and sewing. She understands how to go about things in order to complete and organize the work. She knows what work her husband’s domestic bondservants, servants, and workers have completed, and what they’ve left incomplete.
PL
te sakkaroti, garuṁ karoti, māneti, pūjeti, abbhāgate ca āsanodakena paṭipūjeti. Ye te bhattu abbhantarā kammantā—uṇṇāti vā kappāsāti vā—tattha dakkhā hoti analasā tatrupāyāya vīmaṁsāya samannāgatā alaṁ kātuṁ alaṁ saṁvidhātuṁ. Yo so bhattu abbhantaro antojano—dāsāti vā pessāti vā kammakarāti vā—
EN
She knows who is sick, and who is fit or unwell. She distributes to each a fair portion of fresh and cooked foods. 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. She’s a lay follower who has gone for refuge to the Buddha, his teaching, and the Saṅgha.
She’s ethical. She doesn’t kill living creatures, steal, commit sexual misconduct, lie, or consume intoxicants of beer, wine, and liquor. She’s generous. 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.
When they possess these eight qualities ladies—when their body breaks up, after death—are reborn in company with the Gods of the Agreeable Host. She’d never look down on her husband, who’s always eager to work hard, always looking after her,
Sutraya