Aṅguttara Nikāya
Pañcaka-Nipāta
XX. Brāhmaṇa Vagga

The Book of the Fives

Chapter XX: The Brāman

Sutta 197

Vassantarāya Suttaṃ

The Rains

[177]

Thus have I heard:

Once the Exalted One dwelt near Sāvatthī;
and there he addressed the monks, saying:

"Monks."

'Yes, lord,' they replied; and the Exalted One said:

"Monks, there are these five stays¹ to rain,
and seers know not the signs thereof,
nor can their eyes penetrate there.

What five?

Monks, when above in the sky
the fiery element rages,
the pent up storm clouds part their ways —
this, monks, is the first stay to rain,
and seers know not the sign thereof,
nor can their eyes penetrate there.

■

Again, when above in the sky
the windy element rages,
[178] the pent up storm clouds part their ways —
this, monks, is the second stay to rain,
and seers know not the sign thereof,
nor can their eyes penetrate there.

■

Again, when Rāhu,² the Asura king,
gathers water with his hand
and spills it into the mighty ocean —
this, monks, is the third stay to rain,
and seers know not the sign thereof,
nor can their eyes penetrate there.

■

Again, when the rain-cloud devas are indolent —
this, monks, is the fourth stay to rain,
and seers know not the sign thereof,
nor can their eyes penetrate there.

■

Again, monks, when men are not Dhamma-doers —
this is the fifth stay to rain,
and seers know not the sign thereof,
nor can their eyes penetrate there.

Verily, monks, these are the five stays to rain,
and seers know not the signs thereof,
nor can their eyes penetrate there.'

¹ Cf. Job xxxviii, 37: 'Who can stay the bottles of heaven?'