The Banner's Crest (Dhajagga Sutta)

Sāvatthiyaṁ.
Tatra kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi:
“bhikkhavo”ti.
“Bhadante”ti te bhikkhū bhagavato paccassosuṁ.
Bhagavā etadavoca:

Meaning

At Sāvatthī. There the Blessed One addressed the monks: “Monks!” “Venerable sir,” the monks replied. The Blessed One said this:

“Bhūtapubbaṁ, bhikkhave, devāsurasaṅgāmo samupabyūḷho ahosi.
Atha kho, bhikkhave, sakko devānamindo deve tāvatiṁse āmantesi:

Meaning

“Monks, once long ago the gods and the asuras were drawn up for battle. Then Sakka, lord of the gods, addressed the gods of the Thirty-Three:

‘Sace, mārisā, devānaṁ saṅgāmagatānaṁ uppajjeyya bhayaṁ vā chambhitattaṁ vā lomahaṁso vā, mameva tasmiṁ samaye dhajaggaṁ ullokeyyātha.
Mamañhi vo dhajaggaṁ ullokayataṁ yaṁ bhavissati bhayaṁ vā chambhitattaṁ vā lomahaṁso vā, so pahīyissati.

Meaning

‘Good sirs, if fear, trembling or hair standing on end should arise in the gods when they have gone into battle, then at that time look up at the top of my banner. For as you look up at the top of my banner, whatever fear, trembling or hair standing on end there may be will fade away.

No ce me dhajaggaṁ ullokeyyātha, atha pajāpatissa devarājassa dhajaggaṁ ullokeyyātha.
Pajāpatissa hi vo devarājassa dhajaggaṁ ullokayataṁ yaṁ bhavissati bhayaṁ vā chambhitattaṁ vā lomahaṁso vā, so pahīyissati.

Meaning

If you do not look up at the top of my banner, then look up at the top of the banner of Pajāpati, king of the gods. For as you look up at the top of the banner of Pajāpati, king of the gods, whatever fear, trembling or hair standing on end there may be will fade away.

No ce pajāpatissa devarājassa dhajaggaṁ ullokeyyātha, atha varuṇassa devarājassa dhajaggaṁ ullokeyyātha.
Varuṇassa hi vo devarājassa dhajaggaṁ ullokayataṁ yaṁ bhavissati bhayaṁ vā chambhitattaṁ vā lomahaṁso vā, so pahīyissati.

Meaning

If you do not look up at the top of the banner of Pajāpati, king of the gods, then look up at the top of the banner of Varuṇa, king of the gods. For as you look up at the top of the banner of Varuṇa, king of the gods, whatever fear, trembling or hair standing on end there may be will fade away.

No ce varuṇassa devarājassa dhajaggaṁ ullokeyyātha, atha īsānassa devarājassa dhajaggaṁ ullokeyyātha.
Īsānassa hi vo devarājassa dhajaggaṁ ullokayataṁ yaṁ bhavissati bhayaṁ vā chambhitattaṁ vā lomahaṁso vā, so pahīyissatī’ti.

Meaning

If you do not look up at the top of the banner of Varuṇa, king of the gods, then look up at the top of the banner of Īsāna, king of the gods. For as you look up at the top of the banner of Īsāna, king of the gods, whatever fear, trembling or hair standing on end there may be will fade away.’

Taṁ kho pana, bhikkhave, sakkassa vā devānamindassa dhajaggaṁ ullokayataṁ, pajāpatissa vā devarājassa dhajaggaṁ ullokayataṁ, varuṇassa vā devarājassa dhajaggaṁ ullokayataṁ, īsānassa vā devarājassa dhajaggaṁ ullokayataṁ yaṁ bhavissati bhayaṁ vā chambhitattaṁ vā lomahaṁso vā, so pahīyethāpi nopi pahīyetha.

Meaning

But, monks, for those who look up at the top of the banner of Sakka, lord of the gods, or of Pajāpati, king of the gods, or of Varuṇa, king of the gods, or of Īsāna, king of the gods, whatever fear, trembling or hair standing on end there may be may fade away, or it may not.

Taṁ kissa hetu?
Sakko hi, bhikkhave, devānamindo avītarāgo avītadoso avītamoho bhīru chambhī utrāsī palāyīti.

Meaning

Why is that? Because, monks, Sakka, lord of the gods, is not free of passion, not free of hatred, not free of delusion; he is timid, given to trembling, easily frightened, quick to run away.

Ahañca kho, bhikkhave, evaṁ vadāmi:
‘sace tumhākaṁ, bhikkhave, araññagatānaṁ vā rukkhamūlagatānaṁ vā suññāgāragatānaṁ vā uppajjeyya bhayaṁ vā chambhitattaṁ vā lomahaṁso vā, mameva tasmiṁ samaye anussareyyātha:
“itipi so bhagavā arahaṁ sammāsambuddho vijjācaraṇasampanno sugato lokavidū anuttaro purisadammasārathi satthā devamanussānaṁ buddho bhagavā”ti.
Mamañhi vo, bhikkhave, anussarataṁ yaṁ bhavissati bhayaṁ vā chambhitattaṁ vā lomahaṁso vā, so pahīyissati.

Meaning

But I say this, monks: ‘If, monks, fear, trembling or hair standing on end should arise in you when you have gone into the wilderness, to the foot of a tree or to an empty hut, then at that time recollect me: “That Blessed One is an arahant, rightly self-awakened, complete in true knowledge and conduct, well-gone, one who knows the worlds, unsurpassed charioteer of people ready to be tamed, teacher of gods and humans, awakened, blessed.” For as you recollect me, monks, whatever fear, trembling or hair standing on end there may be will fade away.

No ce maṁ anussareyyātha, atha dhammaṁ anussareyyātha:
“svākkhāto bhagavatā dhammo sandiṭṭhiko akāliko ehipassiko opaneyyiko paccattaṁ veditabbo viññūhī”ti.
Dhammañhi vo, bhikkhave, anussarataṁ yaṁ bhavissati bhayaṁ vā chambhitattaṁ vā lomahaṁso vā, so pahīyissati.

Meaning

If you do not recollect me, then recollect the Dhamma: “The Dhamma has been well taught by the Blessed One; it can be seen for oneself, it is not bound to time, it invites one to come and look, it is worth bringing into oneself, and the wise can know it each within themselves.” For as you recollect the Dhamma, monks, whatever fear, trembling or hair standing on end there may be will fade away.

No ce dhammaṁ anussareyyātha, atha saṅghaṁ anussareyyātha:
“suppaṭipanno bhagavato sāvakasaṅgho ujuppaṭipanno bhagavato sāvakasaṅgho ñāyappaṭipanno bhagavato sāvakasaṅgho sāmīcippaṭipanno bhagavato sāvakasaṅgho, yadidaṁ cattāri purisayugāni aṭṭha purisapuggalā esa bhagavato sāvakasaṅgho, āhuneyyo pāhuneyyo dakkhiṇeyyo añjalikaraṇīyo anuttaraṁ puññakkhettaṁ lokassā”ti.
Saṅghañhi vo, bhikkhave, anussarataṁ yaṁ bhavissati bhayaṁ vā chambhitattaṁ vā lomahaṁso vā, so pahīyissati.

Meaning

If you do not recollect the Dhamma, then recollect the Saṅgha: “The Saṅgha of the Blessed One’s disciples practises well, the Saṅgha of the Blessed One’s disciples practises uprightly, the Saṅgha of the Blessed One’s disciples practises the true way, the Saṅgha of the Blessed One’s disciples practises fittingly; that is, the four pairs of people, the eight kinds of individuals. This Saṅgha of the Blessed One’s disciples is worthy of offerings, worthy of hospitality, worthy of gifts, worthy of greeting with joined palms, the unsurpassed field of merit for the world.” For as you recollect the Saṅgha, monks, whatever fear, trembling or hair standing on end there may be will fade away.

Taṁ kissa hetu?
Tathāgato hi, bhikkhave, arahaṁ sammāsambuddho vītarāgo vītadoso vītamoho abhīru acchambhī anutrāsī apalāyī’”ti.
Idamavoca bhagavā.
Idaṁ vatvāna sugato athāparaṁ etadavoca satthā:

Meaning

Why is that? Because, monks, the Tathāgata, the arahant, the rightly self-awakened one, is free of passion, free of hatred, free of delusion; he is not timid, does not tremble, is not frightened, does not run away.’” That is what the Blessed One said. And when the Sugata had said this, the Teacher went on to say:

“Araññe rukkhamūle vā,
suññāgāreva bhikkhavo;
Anussaretha sambuddhaṁ,
bhayaṁ tumhāka no siyā.

Meaning

“In the wilderness, at the foot of a tree, or in an empty hut, monks, recollect the Fully Awakened One, and no fear will come to you.

No ce buddhaṁ sareyyātha,
lokajeṭṭhaṁ narāsabhaṁ;
Atha dhammaṁ sareyyātha,
niyyānikaṁ sudesitaṁ.

Meaning

If you do not call to mind the Buddha, the world’s foremost, the bull among men, then call to mind the Dhamma, which leads to freedom and is well taught.

No ce dhammaṁ sareyyātha,
niyyānikaṁ sudesitaṁ;
Atha saṅghaṁ sareyyātha,
puññakkhettaṁ anuttaraṁ.

Meaning

If you do not call to mind the Dhamma, which leads to freedom and is well taught, then call to mind the Saṅgha, the unsurpassed field of merit.

Evaṁ buddhaṁ sarantānaṁ,
Dhammaṁ saṅghañca bhikkhavo;
Bhayaṁ vā chambhitattaṁ vā,
Lomahaṁso na hessatī”ti.

Meaning

When you call to mind the Buddha, the Dhamma and the Saṅgha in this way, monks, no fear, trembling or hair standing on end will come to you.”