Sutta Nipata


The is a Buddhist scripture, a sutta collection in the Khuddaka Nikaya, part of the Pali Canon of Theravada Buddhism. All its suttas, thought to originate from before the Buddha's parinibbana, consist largely of verse, though some also contain some prose.

Sections

The Sutta Nipāta is divided into five sections:
Uraga Vagga
Sutta numberPali titleEnglish title
Sn I.1Uraga Sutta"The Serpent"
Sn I.2Dhaniya Sutta
Sn I.3Khaggavisāṇa Sutta"The Rhinoceros"
Sn I.4Kasibhāradvāja Sutta
Sn I.5Cunda Sutta
Sn I.6Parābhava Sutta"Downfall"
Sn I.7Vasala Sutta"The Outcast"
Sn I.8Metta Sutta"Loving-Kindness"
Sn I.9Hemavata Sutta
Sn I.10Āḷavaka Sutta
Sn I.11Vijaya Sutta"Victory"
Sn I.12Muni Sutta

Cūla Vagga
Sutta numberPali titleEnglish title
Sn II.1Ratana Sutta"Gems"
Sn II.2Āmaghanda Sutta"Carrion"
Sn II.3Hiri Sutta"Moral Shame"
Sn II.4Mahāmaṅgala Sutta"Blessings"
Sn II.5Sūciloma Sutta
Sn II.6Dhammacariya Sutta"Righteous Conduct"
Sn II.7Brāhmaṇadhammika Sutta"The Tradition of the Brahmins"
Sn II.8Nāvā Sutta"The Boat"
Sn II.9Kiṃsīla Sutta"What Good Behavior?"
Sn II.10Uṭṭhāna Sutta"Arouse Yourselves!"
Sn II.11Rāhula Sutta
Sn II.12Vaṅgīsa Sutta
Sn II.13Sammāparibbājanīya Sutta"Proper Wandering"
Sn II.14Dhammika Sutta

Mahā Vagga
Sutta numberPali titleEnglish title
Sn III.1Pabbajjā Sutta"The Going Forth"
Sn III.2Padhāna Sutta"Striving"
Sn III.3Subhāsita Sutta"Well Spoken"
Sn III.4Sundarikabhāradvāja Sutta
Sn III.5Māgha Sutta
Sn III.6Sabhiya Sutta
Sn III.7Sela Sutta
Sn III.8Salla Sutta"The Dart"
Sn III.9Vāseṭṭha Sutta
Sn III.10Kokālika Sutta
Sn III.11Nālaka Sutta
Sn III.12Dvayatānupassanā Sutta"Contemplation of Dyads"

Atthaka Vagga "The Chapter of Octads"
Sutta numberPali titleEnglish title
Sn IV.1Kāma Sutta"Sensual Pleasures"
Sn IV.2Guhaṭṭhaka Sutta"The Octad on the Cave"
Sn IV.3Duṭṭhaṭṭhaka Sutta"The Octad on the Hostile"
Sn IV.4Suddhaṭṭhaka Sutta"The Octad on the Pure"
Sn IV.5Paramaṭṭhaka Sutta"The Octad on the Supreme"
Sn IV.6Jarā Sutta"Old Age"
Sn IV.7Tissametteyya Sutta
Sn IV.8Pasūra Sutta
Sn IV.9Māgandiya Sutta
Sn IV.10Purābheda Sutta"Before the Breakup"
Sn IV.11Kalahavivāda Sutta"Quarrels and Disputes"
Sn IV.12Cūlaviyūha SuttaThe Smaller Discourse on Deployment"
Sn IV.13Mahāviyūha Sutta"The Greater Discourse on Deployment"
Sn IV.14Tuvaṭaka Sutta"Quickly"
Sn IV.15Attadaṇḍa Sutta"One Who Has Taken Up the Rod"
Sn IV.16Sāriputta Sutta


Parayana Vagga
Sutta numberPali titleEnglish title
Introductory verses
Sn V.1Ajitamāṇavapucchā"The Questions of Ajita"
Sn V.2Tissametteyyamāṇavapucchā"The Questions of Tissa Metteyya"
Sn V.3Puṇṇakamāṇavapucchā"The Questions of Puṇṇaka"
Sn V.4Mettagūmāṇavapucchā"The Questions of Mettagū"
Sn V.5Dhotakamāṇavapucchā"The Questions of Dhotaka"
Sn V.6Upasīvamāṇavapucchā"The Questions of Upasīva"
Sn V.7Nandamāṇavapucchā"The Questions of Nanda"
Sn V.8Hemakamāṇavapucchā"The Questions of Hemaka"
Sn V.9Todeyyamāṇavapucchā"The Questions of Todeyya"
Sn V.10Kappamāṇavapucchā"The Questions of Kappa"
Sn V.11Jatukaṇṇīmāṇavapucchā"The Questions of Jatukaṇṇī"
Sn V.12Bhadrāvudhamāṇavapucchā"The Questions of Bhadrāvudha"
Sn V.13Udayamāṇavapucchā"The Questions of Udaya"
Sn V.14Posālamāṇavapucchā"The Questions of Posāla"
Sn V.15Mogharājamāṇavapucchā"The Questions of Magharāja"
Sn V.16Piṅgiyamāṇavapucchā"The Questions of Piṅgiya"
epilogue

Context

Some scholars believe that it describes the oldest of all Buddhist practices. Others such as Bhikkhu Bodhi and K. R. Norman agree that it contains much early material.
In the Chinese Buddhist canon, a version of the Aṭṭhakavagga has survived. Fragmentary materials from a Sanskrit version of the Nipata also survive.
The Niddesa, a commentary in two parts on the contents of the Atthaka Vagga and portions of the Parayana Vagga, is included in the Pali Canon as a book of the Khuddaka Nikāya. This commentary is traditionally attributed to Śāriputra, and its presence in the canon is regarded as evidence of the relatively early composition of the Sutta Nipata.

English Translations