Regarded as Foremost

AN 4.15 · Paññattisutta

A still Tibetan mountain lake beneath snowy peaks.

“Mendicants, these four are regarded as foremost. What four? The foremost in size of incarnation is Rāhu, lord of titans. The foremost pleasure seeker is King Mandhātā. The foremost in sovereignty is Māra the Wicked. In this world—with its gods, Māras, and divinities, this population with its ascetics and brahmins, gods and humans—a Realized One, the perfected one, the fully awakened Buddha is said to be the best. These are the four regarded as foremost.

Rāhu is foremost in size of incarnation, Mandhātā in enjoying sensual pleasures, Māra in sovereignty, shining with power and glory.
Above, below, all round, as far as the planet extends; in all the world with its gods, the Buddha is declared foremost.”

Connections

Collection & context

Aṅguttara NikāyaThe collection containing this text
The Pāli canonCanonical collection in which this edition is preserved
Theravāda traditionsTransmission and study context
The early Buddhist communityHistorical and traditional setting

Books

The Numerical Discourses of the Buddha: A Translation of the Aṅguttara NikāyaBhikkhu Bodhi; Bhikkhu Bodhi (translator) · Complete collection edition

About this edition

Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato · SuttaCentral · CC0

This translation is an expression of an ancient spiritual text that has been passed down by the Buddhist tradition for the benefit of all sentient beings. It is dedicated to the public domain via Creative Commons Zero (CC0). You are encouraged to copy, reproduce, adapt, alter, or otherwise make use of this translation. The translator respectfully requests that any use be in accordance with the values and principles of the Buddhist community. In particular, please do not use this work in AI training datasets, for the development of any AI model or algorithm, or in any AI-derived technologies.

Published source. Translation wording and order are preserved; source headings and notes are retained, with navigation and formatting adapted for this reader.

The opening image is AI-generated nature artwork for Buddhist Atlas, an evocative companion rather than a historical depiction.