Aggannasutta

Introduction:
Agganna Sutta is the 27th Sutta of the Digha Nikaya collection (Pali version). The

sutta describes a discourse imparted by the Buddha to two brahmins, Bharadvaja
and Vasettha, who left their family and caste to become monks. The two brahmins
are insulted and accused by their own caste for their intention to become members
of the Sangha [community]. The Buddha explains that caste and lineage cannot be
compared to the achievement of morality practice and the Dhamma, as anyone
from the four castes can become a monk and reach the state of Arahant. Then, he
explains the beginning of the Earth and the birth of social order and its structure,
including the castes. The Buddha emphasizes the message of universality in
the Dhamma and how the Dhamma is the best of all things .
Agganna Sutta as Historical Text:
 Buddhists consider this text to be the actual teaching of the Buddha made in
the sixth or fifth century before Christ and preserved by his disciples in its
present form. Texts such as this one are difficult to date. We know that they
were put down into writing during the first few centuries of the common era.
Still, evidence strongly suggests that these texts were preserved and
transmitted orally for several centuries.
 Aggañña Sutta deals with two main features of the society: rice cultivation
and cattle breeding and the economic condition of the society. It is quite
clear in the story that India was an agricultural society. The main food was
rice. In the first stage, there was self-grown rice. In the second stage, people
started storing up rice.
 It also has an account of the social groups in the society, viz. Family,
Village, and Town.
 The Sutta gives two main accounts related to human society:
 a comprehensive account of economic condition, social functions, men’s
behaviours, social changes, three essential unions in the community: family,
village, and town, a system of the institution (self-ruled institution) and
 The origin of kingship, duties for the kings, the King’s qualification, and a
man-made kingship.
 With the introduction of private property, stealing came to exist because,
until that time, there was no their own property. Nothing belonged to them.
With stealing, law and order were disturbed. So, people thought of
remodeling their society. Then, they decided to change the system and elect
a leader or King. The concept of kingship in Buddhism is clearly stated in
the Aggañña Sutta.
 As per the theory of Kingship elucidated in the text the mentality to hold
private property ultimately led the society to establish the Institution of
Kingship.
Duties of a King
 He should be wrathful when indignation is right.
 He should criticize that which should rightly be censured.
 He should banish him who deserves to be dismissed
Qualification of a King
 Abhiriipatara-the most handsome
 Dassantyatara-the best-favored
 Pasadikatara-the most attractive
 Mahesakkhatara-the most capable.
The Buddha had an entirely different and more realistic concept of kings and
kindship. In the Aggannasutta he posited a social contract theory of monarch. In
the ancient days, he said, people saw the need for some form of government and
so they elected from among themselves a person who they thought would be
best able to rule them. According to Hindu myth, the first king of India was
Mahasammata, a name whose origin the Buddha reinterpreted in support of his
idea to mean ‘elected by many’. Thus, according to Buddhist theory, kings
derived their legitimacy from general consent, i.e., from the people they ruled. It
followed from this that a king retained his right to rule only for so long as his
subjects benefited from it. several stories in the Jataka implicitly suggest that
people had a right to overthrow a king who was cruel, just, or incompetent.
Such ideas were far too ahead of their time and there is little evidence that they
were ever applied. However, the Buddha's teaching of good governance had some
influence in making kings more humane. The best example of this is Asoka who
was probably being completely genuine when he said: `All subjects are my
children. I wish for them what I wish for my own children Ý their welfare and
happiness both in this world and the next.'

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Introduction:

Agganna Sutta is the 27th Sutta of the Digha Nikaya collection (Pali version). The

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