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← Saṃyutta Nikāya

The Sambari Sorcery

SN 11.23 · Sambarimāyāsutta

A quiet forest path opens beneath dark trees in gentle moonlight.

At Sāvatthī.

The Buddha said this:

“Once upon a time, mendicants, Vepacitti, lord of titans, was sick, suffering, gravely ill. So Sakka went to see him to ask after his illness.

Vepacitti saw Sakka coming off in the distance, and said to him, ‘Heal me, lord of gods!’

‘Teach me, Vepacitti, the Sambari sorcery.’

‘I can’t do that, good fellow, until I have consulted with the titans.’

Then Vepacitti, lord of titans, asked the titans, ‘Good fellows, may I teach the Sambari sorcery to Sakka, lord of gods?’

‘Do not, good fellow, teach the Sambari sorcery to Sakka!’

So Vepacitti addressed Sakka in verse:

‘O Maghavā, O Sakka, king of gods, Sujā’s husband: a sorceror like Sambara falls into the terrible hell for a full century.’”

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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.