The Four Great Kings (1st)Catumahārājasutta

“On the eighth day of the fortnight, mendicants, the ministers and councillors of the four great kings wander about the world, thinking:“Aṭṭhamiyaṁ, bhikkhave, pakkhassa catunnaṁ mahārājānaṁ amaccā pārisajjā imaṁ lokaṁ anuvicaranti: ‘Hopefully most humans are paying due respect to their parents, ascetics and brahmins, honoring the elders in their families, observing and keeping vigil on the sabbath, and making merit.’‘kacci bahū manussā manussesu matteyyā petteyyā sāmaññā brahmaññā kule jeṭṭhāpacāyino uposathaṁ upavasanti paṭijāgaronti puññāni karontī’ti.

And on the fourteenth day of the fortnight, the sons of the four great kings wander about the world, thinking:Cātuddasiṁ, bhikkhave, pakkhassa catunnaṁ mahārājānaṁ puttā imaṁ lokaṁ anuvicaranti: ‘Hopefully most humans are paying due respect to their parents … and making merit.’‘kacci bahū manussā manussesu matteyyā petteyyā sāmaññā brahmaññā kule jeṭṭhāpacāyino uposathaṁ upavasanti paṭijāgaronti puññāni karontī’ti.

And on the fifteenth day sabbath, the four great kings themselves wander about the world, thinking:Tadahu, bhikkhave, uposathe pannarase cattāro mahārājāno sāmaññeva imaṁ lokaṁ anuvicaranti: ‘Hopefully most humans are paying due respect to their parents … and making merit.’‘kacci bahū manussā manussesu matteyyā petteyyā sāmaññā brahmaññā kule jeṭṭhāpacāyino uposathaṁ upavasanti paṭijāgaronti puññāni karontī’ti.

If only a few humans are paying due respect to their parents … and making merit,Sace, bhikkhave, appakā honti manussā manussesu matteyyā petteyyā sāmaññā brahmaññā kule jeṭṭhāpacāyino uposathaṁ upavasanti paṭijāgaronti puññāni karonti. the four great kings address the gods of the thirty-three, seated together in the Hall of Clear Right:Tamenaṁ, bhikkhave, cattāro mahārājāno devānaṁ tāvatiṁsānaṁ sudhammāya sabhāya sannisinnānaṁ sannipatitānaṁ ārocenti: ‘Only a few humans are paying due respect to their parents … and making merit.’‘appakā kho, mārisā, manussā manussesu matteyyā petteyyā sāmaññā brahmaññā kule jeṭṭhāpacāyino uposathaṁ upavasanti paṭijāgaronti puññāni karontī’ti. Then the gods of the thirty-three are disappointed, thinking,Tena kho, bhikkhave, devā tāvatiṁsā anattamanā honti: ‘The heavenly hosts will dwindle, while the titan hosts will swell!’‘dibbā vata, bho, kāyā parihāyissanti, paripūrissanti asurakāyā’ti.

But if many humans are paying due respect to their parents … and making merit,Sace pana, bhikkhave, bahū honti manussā manussesu matteyyā petteyyā sāmaññā brahmaññā kule jeṭṭhāpacāyino uposathaṁ upavasanti paṭijāgaronti puññāni karonti. the four great kings address the gods of the thirty-three, seated together in the Hall of Clear Right:Tamenaṁ, bhikkhave, cattāro mahārājāno devānaṁ tāvatiṁsānaṁ sudhammāya sabhāya sannisinnānaṁ sannipatitānaṁ ārocenti: ‘Many humans are paying due respect to their parents … and making merit.’‘bahū kho, mārisā, manussā manussesu matteyyā petteyyā sāmaññā brahmaññā kule jeṭṭhāpacāyino uposathaṁ upavasanti paṭijāgaronti puññāni karontī’ti. Then the gods of the thirty-three are pleased, thinking,Tena, bhikkhave, devā tāvatiṁsā attamanā honti: ‘The heavenly hosts will swell, while the titan hosts will dwindle!’‘dibbā vata bho kāyā paripūrissanti, parihāyissanti asurakāyā’ti.

Once upon a time, Sakka, lord of gods, guiding the gods of the thirty-three, spoke this verse:Bhūtapubbaṁ, bhikkhave, sakko devānamindo deve tāvatiṁse anunayamāno tāyaṁ velāyaṁ imaṁ gāthaṁ abhāsi:

‘Whoever wants to be like me‘Cātuddasiṁ pañcadasiṁ, would observe the sabbathyā ca pakkhassa aṭṭhamī; complete in all eight factors,Pāṭihāriyapakkhañca, on the fourteenth and the fifteenth days,aṭṭhaṅgasusamāgataṁ; and the eighth day of the fortnight,Uposathaṁ upavaseyya, as well as on the fortnightly special displays.’yopissa mādiso naro’ti.

But that verse was poorly sung by Sakka, lord of gods, not well sung; poorly spoken, not well spoken.Sā kho panesā, bhikkhave, sakkena devānamindena gāthā duggītā na sugītā dubbhāsitā na subhāsitā. Why is that?Taṁ kissa hetu? Because Sakka, lord of gods, is not free of greed, hate, and delusion.Sakko hi, bhikkhave, devānamindo avītarāgo avītadoso avītamoho.

But for a mendicant who is perfected—with defilements ended, who has completed the spiritual journey, done what had to be done, laid down the burden, achieved their heart’s goal, utterly ended the fetter of continued existence, and is rightly freed through enlightenment—it is appropriate to say:Yo ca kho so, bhikkhave, bhikkhu arahaṁ khīṇāsavo vusitavā brahmacariyo katakaraṇīyo ohitabhāro anuppattasadattho parikkhīṇabhavasaṁyojano sammadaññāvimutto, tassa kho etaṁ, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno kallaṁ vacanāya:

‘Whoever wants to be like me‘Cātuddasiṁ pañcadasiṁ, would observe the sabbath,yā ca pakkhassa aṭṭhamī; complete in all eight factors,Pāṭihāriyapakkhañca, on the fourteenth and the fifteenth days,aṭṭhaṅgasusamāgataṁ; and the eighth day of the fortnight,Uposathaṁ upavaseyya, as well as on the fortnightly special displays.’yopissa mādiso naro’ti.

Why is that?Taṁ kissa hetu? Because that mendicant is free of greed, hate, and delusion.”So hi, bhikkhave, bhikkhu vītarāgo vītadoso vītamoho”ti.