7. PIYAJATIKA SUTTA
Discourse on Love as the Origin of Unhappiness,
Raja Vagga, Majjhima Pannasa Pali
Majjhima Nikaya, Suttanta Pitaka

Source: "Twenty Five Suttas from Majjhimapannasa"
Editorial Committee, Burma (Myanmar) Tipitaka Association, 1990
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Discourse on Love as the Origin of Unhappiness

         353. Thus have I heard:

         Once the Bhagava was staying at the Jetavana monastery of Anathapindika in Savatthi. At that time, the dearly beloved only son of a householder died. Because of his son's death the householder did not even think of work or food. He kept going to the graveyard and kept waiting: "O my only son, where are you? O my only son, where are you?" Then he went to the Bhagava and after paying homage to the Bhagava sat down at a suitable place. The Bhagava said to the householder, "O householder, your looks1 are not those of one with a sound mind. Your looks are peculiar." "Venerable Sir, how could my looks be normal? My dearly beloved only son is dead. His death has left me with no thought at all of work or food. I keep going to the graveyard and keep crying:"O my only son, where are you? O my only son, where are you?"

         "Thus it is, householder! Thus it is, householder! Grief, lamentation, pain, distress and despair spring indeed from love; their source is love." "Venerable Sir, to whom would it ever occur thus: 'Grief, lamentation, pain, distress and despair spring indeed from love; their source is love'? Venerable Sir, pleasure and gladness spring indeed from love; their source is love." Displeased with and disapproving of what the Bhagava said, the householder rose from his seat and went away.

         354. Now at that time a large number of gamblers were playing dice not far from (the monastery of) the Bhagava. Then, the householder went to those gamblers and said to them: "Friends, I have just been to Samana Gotama. After paying homage to Samana Gotama, I took my seat at a suitable place. Friends, Samana Gotama said to me thus: 'Householder, your looks are not those of one with a sound mind. Your looks are peculiar.' Friends, upon this I said to Samana Gotama thus: 'Venerable Sir, how could my looks be normal? My dearly beloved only son is dead. Because of his death I have no thought at all of work or food. I keep going to the graveyard and keep crying: O my only son, where are you? O my only son, where are you?' (Samana Gotama said:) 'O householder, thus it is! O householder, thus it is! Grief, lamentation, pain, distress and despair spring indeed from love; their source is love.' (I said:) 'Venerable Sir, to whom would it ever occur thus: Grief, lamentation, pain, distress and despair spring indeed from love; their source is love? Venerable Sir, pleasure and gladness spring indeed from love; their source is love.' Friends, displeased with and disapproving of what Samana Gotama said, I got up from my seat and came away." Upon this the gamblers remarked "Thus it is, householder! Thus it is, householder! Pleasure and gladness spring indeed from love; their source is love." Then, thinking 'My view is the same as that of the gamblers' the householder departed. The matter of this (controversial) talk eventually found its way to the royal palace.

         355. Then King Pasenadi of Kosala said to Queen Mallika, "Mallika your Samana Gotama is reported to have said this: 'Grief, lamentation, pain, distress and despair spring indeed from love; their source is love'." "O Great King, if that has been said by the Bhagava, then it must be so." "Whatever Samana Gotama says, this Mallika shows great appreciation of it, saying 'O Great King! If that has been said by the Bhagava, then it must be so'. Just like a pupil who shows great appreciation of whatever the teacher says, saying 'it is so, teacher; it is so, teacher,' even so you Mallika show great appreciation of whatever Samana Gotama says, saying 'O Great King, if that has been said by the Bhagava, then it must be so.' Be off Mallika! Away with you!"

         Then Queen Mallika sent for the brahmin Nalijangha and said to him, "Come, brahmin, go to the Bhagava, and pay homage with your head at his feet, carrying my words. Enquire whether the Bhagava is free from illness and affliction, whether he is enjoying bodily vigour, strength, ease and comfort. Say to the Bhagava, 'Venerable Sir, Queen Mallika pays homage with her head at your feet. She enquires by me whether the Bhagava is free from illness and affliction, whether he is enjoying bodily vigour, strength, ease and comfort.' And ask him also, 'Venerable Sir! Have these words been said by the Bhagava: Grief, lamentation, pain, distress and despair spring from love; their source is love?' And carefully noting what the Bhagava says, repeat to me his remarks. The Tathagatas never speak what is untrue."

         The brahmin Nalijangha said "Very well, Your Majesty" in assent to Queen Mallika. And he went to where the Bhagava was. After offering courteous greetings to the Bhagava and having said the amiable and courteous words of felicitation, he sat down at a suitable place, and said to the Bhagava thus:

         "O Gotama, Queen Mallika pays homage with her head at the feet of the honoured Gotama. She enquires whether the Bhagava is free from illness and affliction and is enjoying bodily vigour, strength, ease and comfort. She also wants to know whether the Bhagava has spoken these words: Grief, lamentation, pain, distress and despair spring from love; their source is love."

         356. It is so, brahmin! It is so, Brahmin! Brahmin, grief, lamentation, pain, distress and despair indeed spring from love; their source is love. How grief, lamentation, pain, distress and despair spring from love, and how their source is love can be understood in this manner.

         Brahmin, this was what happened in times past. In this very city of Savatthi, a certain woman's mother died; that woman was distracted by the loss of her mother and went out of her mind. She went from street to street, from crossroads to crossroads, asking, 'Has anyone seen my mother? Has anyone seen my mother?' Brahmin, how grief, lamentation, pain, distress and despair spring from love, and how their source is love should be understood in this way.

         Brahmin, this was what happened in times past. In this very city of Savatthi, a certain woman's father died;... brother died;... sister died; .... son died; daughter died husband died; that woman was distracted by the loss of her husband and went out of her mind. She went from street to street, from crossroads to crossroads, asking, 'Has anyone seen my husband? Has anyone seen my husband?' Brahmin, how grief, lamentation, pain, distress and despair spring from love, and how their source is love can be understood also in this way.

         Brahmin, this was what happened in times past. In this very city of. Savatthi a certain man's mother died; that man was distracted by the loss of his mother and went out of his mind. He went from street to street, from crossroads to crossroads, asking, 'Has anyone seen my mother? Has anyone seen my mother?' In this way also, brahmin, it should be understood that grief, lamentation, pain, distress and despair spring indeed from love and that their source is love.

         Brahmin, this was what happened in times past. In this very city of Savatthi, a certain man's father died; brother die; sister died; .... son died; daughter died; wife died; that man was distracted by the loss of his wife and went out of his mind. He went from street to street, from crossroads to cross roads, asking, 'Has anyone seen my wife? Has anyone seen my wife?' In this way also, brahmin, it should be understood that grief, lamentation, pain, distress and despair spring indeed from love and that their source is love.

         Brahmin, this was what happened in times past. In this very city of Savatthi, a (married) woman paid a visit to the house of her parents. Her parents wanted to separate her from her husband and give her to another man whom she did not want. Then that woman said to her husband, "My worthy one, these parents of mine want to separate me from you and give me to another man whom I do not want." Upon this; that man cut that woman into two and split open his own chest, hoping they would be together in the next existence. In this way also, Brahmin, it should be understood that grief, lamentation, pain, distress and despair spring indeed from love and that their source is love.

         357. Then, the Brahmin Nalijangha, being pleased and delighted with the words of the Bhagava, rose from his seat and went back to Queen Mallika and recounted every word of the conversation he had had with the Bhagava. Thereupon Queen Mallika went to King Pasenadi of Kosala and said: "O Great King2 ,what do you think of this? You love Princess Vajiri , do you not?" "It is so, Mallika, I love Princess Vajiri" "O Great King, what do you think of this? Would separation of Princess Vajiri from you by death or otherwise bring about grief, lamentation, pain, distress and despair?" "Mallika, separation of Princess Vajiri from me by death or otherwise would even affect my life. How then could grief, lamentation, pain, distress and despair not arise in me?" "O Great King, the Bhagava who knows, who sees, who is worthy of special veneration and is perfectly self-enlightened was referring to such a thing when he said: 'Grief, lamentation, pain, distress and despair spring from love; their source is love'."

         "O Great King, what do you think of this? You love Queen Vasabha, do you not?" "It is so, Mallika, I love Queen Vasabha." "O Great King, what do you think of this? Would separation of Queen Vasabha from you by death or otherwise bring about grief, lamentation, pain, distress and despair?" "Mallika, separation of Queen Vasabha from me by death or otherwise would even affect my life. How then could grief, lamentation, pain, distress and despair not arise in me?" "O Great King, the Bhagava who knows, who sees, who is worthy of special veneration and is perfectly self-enlightened was referring to such a thing when he said: 'Grief, lamentation, pain, distress and despair spring from love; their source is love'."

         "O Great King, what do you think of this? You love Vitatubha3 the General, do you not?" "It is so, Mallika, I love Vitatubha the general." "O Great King, what do you think of this? Would separation of Vitatubha the general from you by death or otherwise bring about grief, lamentation, pain, distress and despair?" "Mallika, separation of Vitatubha the General from me by death or otherwise would even affect my life. How then could grief, lamentation, pain, distress and despair not arise in me?" "O Great King, the Bhagava who knows, who sees, who is worthy of special veneration and is perfectly self-enlightened was referring to such a thing when he said: 'Grief, lamentation, pain, distress and despair spring from love; their source is love'."

         "O Great King, what do you think of this? You love me, do you not?" "It is so, Mallika, I love you." "O Great King, what do you think of this? Would separation of me from you by death or otherwise bring about grief, lamentation, pain, distress and despair?" "Mallika, separation of you from me by death or otherwise would even affect my life. How then could grief lamentation, pain, distress and despair not arise in me?" "O Great King, the Bhagava who knows, who sees, who is worthy of special veneration and is perfectly self-enlightened was referring to such a thing when he said: 'Grief, lamentation, pain, distress and despair spring from love; their source is love'."

         "O Great King, what do you think of this? You love the countries of Kasi and Kosala, do you not?" "It is so, Mallika. I love the countries of Kasi and Kosala. It is due to the resources of the countries of Kasi and Kosala, that we can enjoy Kasi Sandal wood and can use flowers, perfumes and unguents." "O Great King, what do you think of this? Would separation of the countries of Kasi and Kosala from you by abandonment or loss bring about grief, lamentation, pain, distress and despair?" "Mallika, separation of the countries of Kasi and Kosala from me by abandonment or loss would even affect my life. How then could grief, lamentation, pain, distress and despair not arise in me?" "O Great King, the Bhagava who knows, who sees, who is worthy of special veneration and is perfectly self-enlightened was referring to such a thing when he said: 'Grief, lamentation, pain, distress and despair spring from love; their source is love'."

         "How marvellous, Mallika! How wonderful, Mallika! That Bhagava fully comprehends with penetrating wisdom. Come Mallika! Fetch me water4 to rinse my mouth." Then King Pasenadi of Kosala doing from his seat and arranging his upper garment on the left shoulder, raised his hands with palms together in reverence towards the direction where the Bhagava was and made a Joyous utterance three times,

  • Veneration to the Exalted One, the Homage-Worthy, the Perfectly Self-Enlightened.
  • Veneration to the Exalted One, the Homage-Worthy, the Perfectly Self-Enlightened.
  • Veneration to the Exalted One, the Homage-Worthy, the Perfectly Self-Enlightened.

End of the Piyajatika Sutta,
the seventh in this vagga.


         1. Looks lit., faculties such as the eye-faculty.

         2. Princess Vajiri was a daughter of King Pasenadi of Kosala.

         3. Vitatubha the general was a son of King Pasenadi of Kosala, born of Queen Vasabha.

         4. To wash his mind, hands and feet, before he makes the joyous utterance in veneration of the Bhagava.


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