Kulāvakasutta

Sāvatthiyaṁ. “Bhūtapubbaṁ, bhikkhave, devāsurasaṅgāmo samupabyūḷho ahosi. Tasmiṁ kho pana, bhikkhave, saṅgāme asurā jiniṁsu, devā parājiniṁsu. Parājitā ca kho, bhikkhave, devā apāyaṁsveva uttarenamukhā, abhiyaṁsveva ne asurā. Atha kho, bhikkhave, sakko devānamindo mātali saṅgāhakaṁ gāthāya ajjhabhāsi:

At Sāvatthī. “Once upon a time, mendicants, a battle was fought between the gods and the titans. In that battle the titans won and the gods lost. Defeated, the gods fled north with the titans in pursuit. Then Sakka, lord of gods, addressed his chariot handler Mātali in verse:

‘Kulāvakā mātali simbalismiṁ, Īsāmukhena parivajjayassu; Kāmaṁ cajāma asuresu pāṇaṁ, Māyime dijā vikulāvakā ahesun’ti.

‘Mātali, don’t ram the bird nests in the Red Silk-Cotton Woods with your draft-pole. I’d rather give up our lives to the titans than deprive these birds of their nests.’

‘Evaṁ, bhaddantavā’ti kho, bhikkhave, mātali saṅgāhako sakkassa devānamindassa paṭissutvā sahassayuttaṁ ājaññarathaṁ paccudāvattesi. Atha kho, bhikkhave, asurānaṁ etadahosi: ‘paccudāvatto kho dāni sakkassa devānamindassa sahassayutto ājaññaratho. Dutiyampi kho devā asurehi saṅgāmessantī’ti bhītā asurapurameva pāvisiṁsu. Iti kho, bhikkhave, sakkassa devānamindassa dhammena jayo ahosī”ti.

‘Yes, lord,’ replied Mātali. And he turned the chariot back around, with its team of a thousand thoroughbreds. Then the titans thought, ‘Now Sakka’s chariot has turned back. The titans will have to fight the gods a second time!’ Terrified, they retreated right away to the citadel of the titans. And that’s how Sakka came to win victory by principle.”