With Nāgadatta

SN 9.7 · Nāgadattasutta

Amber autumn leaves against a shaded woodland.

At one time Venerable Nāgadatta was staying in the land of the Kosalans in a certain forest grove.

Now at that time Venerable Nāgadatta had been entering the village too early and returning late in the day. Then the deity haunting that forest had sympathy for Nāgadatta, wanting what’s best for him. So they approached him wanting to stir him up, and recited these verses:

“Entering the village too early, and returning too late in the day, Nāgadatta mixes with lay people, sharing their joys and sorrows.
I’m afraid for Nāgadatta; he’s reckless, shackled to families. May he not come under the King of Death’s power, under the sway of the terminator!”

Impelled by that deity, Venerable Nāgadatta was struck with a sense of urgency.

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.