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Saṃyutta Nikāya · Discourse 3.14

Battle (1st)

Paṭhamasaṅgāmasutta

Setting
At Sāvatthī; the battle itself is fought at Kāsi
Speakers
Several mendicants, reporting the battle's outcome, and the Buddha
Form
A report of an actual historical conflict, followed by the Buddha's brief comment and a closing verse
Length
~1.5 minutes to read
Northern parallel
A rough counterpart may exist in the Chinese Saṃyukta-āgama (T99), though this reading guide does not assert a specific matching sutra number
Difficulty
★★★☆☆ — grounded in real regional politics of the Buddha's own era

Why this discourse

This discourse reports an actual war: King Ajātasattu of Magadha mobilizes his army and marches on Kāsi, territory claimed by King Pasenadi of Kosala; the two kings meet in battle, and Ajātasattu wins, forcing Pasenadi to withdraw defeated to his own capital. When mendicants report this to the Buddha, his comment is unexpected: despite Ajātasattu having bad companions and Pasenadi good ones, it is Pasenadi who will sleep badly tonight, as the defeated always do — a verse follows naming victory itself, not merely defeat, as a source of enmity.

Reading guide

A real historical conflict, not a parable

Unlike most of this book's narrative discourses, this one reports an actual documented conflict between two named, historically attested kings over a real territorial dispute — Kāsi, a region both Magadha and Kosala claimed — grounding this saṃyutta's teachings in verifiable regional politics of the Buddha's own time.

Good companions, and still defeated

The Buddha's comment does not follow the expected moral logic that good companions guarantee good outcomes: he states plainly that Ajātasattu has bad friends and Pasenadi good ones, and immediately follows this with the unflinching observation that Pasenadi, despite this moral advantage, will still have a bad night's sleep as the defeated party.

Ethical quality and worldly outcome kept separate

This discourse resists collapsing moral worth into military success or personal comfort: having good companions is affirmed as valuable in itself, without being presented as insurance against the immediate suffering of defeat in this particular battle.

Victory named as a source of enmity, not just defeat

The closing verse's first line is easy to read past: ‘victory breeds enmity’ names the winner's outcome, not the loser's, as generative of future conflict — defeat causes bad sleep now, but victory itself plants the seed of the next war.

Peace found only by leaving both behind

The verse's resolution does not favor the winner's side over the loser's; it locates ease of sleep specifically in ‘the peaceful’, who have ‘left victory and defeat behind’ — a third position outside the entire framework of winning and losing, anticipated and resolved further at SN 3.15.

Key terms

Ajātasattu — “Ajātasattu” — the king of Magadha, son of the princess of Videha, who defeats Pasenadi in this battle.
Kāsi — “Kāsi” — the contested territory both kingdoms claim, and the site of the battle.
pāpamitta kalyāṇamitta — “bad friends” and “good friends” — the moral contrast the Buddha draws between the two kings, without linking it to the battle's outcome.
jayaṁ verapasavati — “victory breeds enmity” — the closing verse's opening line, naming the winner's outcome as generative of future conflict.
hitvā jayaparājayaṁ — “having left victory and defeat behind” — the condition under which the verse says one sleeps at ease.

The text

The discourse in full, with the mendicants' report elided as blank in the source. Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0, SuttaCentral).

§1At Sāvatthī. Then King Ajātasattu of Magadha, son of the princess of Videha, mobilized an army of four divisions and marched to Kāsi to attack King Pasenadi of Kosala. When King Pasenadi heard of this, he mobilized an army of four divisions and marched to Kāsi to defend it against Ajātasattu. Then the two kings met in battle. And in that battle Ajātasattu defeated Pasenadi, who withdrew to his own capital at Sāvatthī.

§2Then several mendicants robed up in the morning and, taking their bowls and robes, entered Sāvatthī for alms. Then, after the meal, when they returned from almsround, they went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and told him what had happened. Then the Buddha said:

§3“Mendicants, King Ajātasattu has bad friends, companions, and associates. But King Pasenadi has good friends, companions, and associates. Yet on this day King Pasenadi will have a bad night’s sleep as one defeated.” That is what the Buddha said. …

§4“Victory breeds enmity; the defeated sleep badly. The peaceful sleep at ease, having left victory and defeat behind.”

· · ·

Self-check quiz

Ten questions. Click an answer to see immediate feedback. No score is recorded — this is for your own checking.

Question 1 of 10
What event does this discourse report?
Correct: A. Grounded in real documented conflict between two historically attested rulers.
Question 2 of 10
Who wins this first battle?
Correct: A. Setting up the parallel rematch discourse at SN 3.15.
Question 3 of 10
What does the Buddha say about the two kings' companions?
Correct: A. A moral contrast that does not, however, predict the battle's outcome.
Question 4 of 10
Despite having good companions, what does the Buddha say Pasenadi will experience?
Correct: A. Ethical quality and immediate worldly outcome kept explicitly separate.
Question 5 of 10
What does the closing verse's first line name as breeding enmity?
Correct: A. An easy line to read past: the winner's outcome, not the loser's, plants future conflict.
Question 6 of 10
According to the verse, who sleeps at ease?
Correct: A. A third position outside the entire framework of winning and losing.
Question 7 of 10
What territory do both kingdoms claim in this conflict?
Correct: A. The contested region and site of the battle.
Question 8 of 10
How is Ajātasattu identified in relation to Pasenadi in later discourses of this vagga?
Correct: A. A family relationship that becomes significant in the rematch discourse.
Question 9 of 10
Where does the Buddha speak this teaching, relative to the battle itself?
Correct: A. A secondhand report structures this discourse, as at SN 3.9 and SN 3.10.
Question 10 of 10
What does this discourse resist doing, according to the reading guide?
Correct: A. Good companions are affirmed as valuable without being treated as insurance against defeat.
Answered 0 of 10 · Correct 0

Further reading

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