Pre-eminent

Thus have I heard:

The Exalted One was once staying near Sāvatthī
at the Jeta Grove in Anāthapiṇḍika's Park.

And there the Exalted One addressed the brethren, saying:

"Brethren!"

"Master!" responded those brethren.

The Exalted One said:

"There are these four sorts of birth, brethren,
as nāgas.

What four?

The egg-born,
the womb-born
the sweat-born,
those born without parents.

Herein, brethren, the womb-born,
the sweat-born
and those born without parents
are better than¹ the egg-born.

The sweat-born^ed1
and those born without parents
are better than the womb-born
and the egg-born.

Those born without parents,
are better than the sweat-born
the womb-born,
and the egg-born.

Such, brethren, are the four sorts of births as nāgas.'

These, brethren, are the four sorts of birth as nāgas.

¹ Paṇītatara

^ed1 Woodward abridges as follows:

Herein, brethren, the womb-born,
the sweat-born
and those born without parents
are better than the egg-born.

The two latter sorts
are better than the two former,
and the last three
are better than the egg-born.

which would repeat the first sequence for the last sequence.