Mahaparinibbanasuttam (DN 16) - Ancient Buddhist Texts

The Third Chapter for Recitation - 101
[19: Aṭṭha Bhūmicālahetū] 131
[Eight Reasons for Earthquakes]
Atha kho āyasmato Ānandassa etad-ahosi:
Then it occured to venerable Ānanda:
“Acchariyaṁ vata bho abbhutaṁ vata bho mahā vatāyaṁ bhūmicālo,
“Surely it is wonderful, surely it is marvellous, this great earthquake,
sumahā vatāyaṁ bhūmicālo bhiṁsanako lomahaṁso Devadundubhiyo ca phaliṁsu.
this very great earthquake, and (this) awful, hair-raising, crash of the Divinities’
(thunder) drum.
Ko nu kho hetu ko paccayo mahato bhūmicālassa pātubhāvāyā?” ti
What was the reason, what was the cause, for the occurrence of this great earthquake?”
Atha kho āyasmā Ānando yena Bhagavā tenupasaṅkami,
Then venerable Ānanda approached the Gracious One,
upasaṅkamitvā Bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā, ekam-antaṁ nisīdi.
and after approaching and worshipping the Gracious One, he sat down at one side.
Ekam-antaṁ nisinno kho āyasmā Ānando Bhagavantaṁ etad-avoca:
Sitting on one side venerable Ānanda said this to the Gracious One:
“Acchariyaṁ Bhante abbhutaṁ Bhante mahā vatāyaṁ Bhante bhūmicālo,
“Surely it is wonderful, reverend Sir, surely it is marvellous, reverend Sir, this great
earthquake,
sumahā vatāyaṁ Bhante bhūmicālo,
this very great earthquake,
bhiṁsanako lomahaṁso Devadundubhiyo ca phaliṁsu.
and (this) awful, hair-raising, crash of the Divinities’ (thunder) drum.
Ko nu kho Bhante hetu ko paccayo mahato bhūmicālassa pātubhāvāyā?” ti.
What was the reason, reverend Sir, what was the cause, for the occurrence of this great
earthquake?”
“Aṭṭha kho ime Ānanda hetū aṭṭha paccayā mahato bhūmicālassa pātubhāvāya.
“There are these eight reasons, eight causes, Ānanda, for the occurrence of a great
earthquake.
131 cf. Bhūmicālasuttaṁ (Part Two) (AN Bk. 8:70). Rhys-Davids in his translation suggests that
the narrative is interrupted by what follows, but it seems to me that this section about the
earthquakes follows quite naturally in the course of the narrative. The sections that follow this
however appear to be foreign to the text, perhaps inserted through association with this section.
See the Introduction.