Titans

AN 4.91 · Asurasutta

Moonlight reflected in a still pool beside a flowering forest grove.

“Mendicants, these four individuals are found in the world. What four?

A titan surrounded by titans,
a titan surrounded by gods,
a god surrounded by titans, and
a god surrounded by gods.

And how is an individual a titan surrounded by titans? It’s when an individual is unethical, of bad character, and their followers are the same. That’s how an individual is a titan surrounded by titans.

And how is an individual a titan surrounded by gods? It’s when an individual is unethical, of bad character, but their followers are ethical, of good character. That’s how an individual is a titan surrounded by gods.

And how is an individual a god surrounded by titans? It’s when an individual is ethical, of good character, but their followers are unethical, of bad character. That’s how an individual is a god surrounded by titans.

And how is an individual a god surrounded by gods? It’s when an individual is ethical, of good character, and their followers are the same. That’s how an individual is a god surrounded by gods.

These are the four individuals found in the world.”

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.