With Sanaṅkumāra

SN 6.11 · Sanaṅkumārasutta

Morning light across a quiet woodland clearing.

So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near Rājagaha, on the bank of the Serpentine River.

Then, late at night, the glorious divinity Sanaṅkumāra, lighting up the entire Serpentine riverbank, went up to the Buddha, bowed, stood to one side, and spoke this verse in the Buddha’s presence:

“The aristocrat is best among people who take clan as the standard. But one accomplished in knowledge and conduct is best among gods and humans.”

That is what the divinity Sanaṅkumāra said, and the Teacher concurred. Then the divinity Sanaṅkumāra, knowing that the Teacher concurred, bowed and respectfully circled the Buddha, keeping him on his right, before vanishing right there.

Connections

Collection & context

Saṃyutta 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 Connected Discourses of the Buddha: A Translation of the Saṃyutta 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.