Reading guide
A complete worked example, unlike SN 30.17–46's own
This file gives the entire question, answer, and closing statement for the last dwelling-place (fragrant scents) in full English translation — a genuinely different editorial choice from SN 30.17–46's own bare "tell all in full" stub, matching SN 29.21–50's own more complete approach instead.
Nine dwelling-places, one worked thread standing for all
The opening question chains all nine remaining dwelling-places into a single sentence, then works only the last one (scents) through to its own complete ending — the other eight are left entirely to inference from this one worked example and SN 31.13–22's own explicit ten-item list.
The largest scale multiplication in this project's SN coverage
Ten gift-items times nine remaining dwelling-places yields exactly ninety discourses, the largest such multiplication this project has generated a single page for — surpassing SN 29.21–50's own thirty and SN 24.46–69's own twenty-four, a direct consequence of this saṃyutta's own tenfold taxonomy at SN 31.1.
Vagga and saṃyutta colophons coinciding, a third time
As at SN 29.21–50 and SN 30.17–46, because Gandhabbakāyasaṃyutta consists of exactly one vagga (Gandhabbavagga), the untranslated Pāli line "Gandhabbavaggo paṭhamo" and the saṃyutta's own close both fall in this same file.
An officially translated closing line, and Book III's own close
The file's final line — "the Linked Discourses on the centaur realm are completed" — is genuinely translated by Sujato and quoted here verbatim. With Gandhabbakāyasaṃyutta's own close, SN 22–31 together mark this project's coverage of Book III's Khandhavagga so far, before its next steps move on to the saṃyuttas beyond SN 31.
Key terms
The text
§1At Sāvatthī. Seated to one side, that mendicant said to the Buddha: “Sir, what is the cause, what is the reason why someone, when their body breaks up, after death, is reborn in the company of the gods who live in fragrant heartwood … softwood … bark … sprouts … leaves … flowers … fruit … sap … fragrant scents?”
§2“Mendicant, it’s when someone does good things by way of body, speech, and mind. And they’ve heard: ‘The gods who live in fragrant scents are long-lived, beautiful, and very happy.’ They think: ‘If only, when my body breaks up, after death, I would be reborn in the company of the gods who live in fragrant scents!’ They give food … drink … clothing … a vehicle … a garland … fragrance … makeup … a bed … a house … a lamp. When their body breaks up, after death, they’re reborn in the company of the gods who live in fragrant scents. This is the cause, this is the reason why someone, when their body breaks up, after death, is reborn in the company of the gods who live on fragrant scents.”
§3The Linked Discourses on the centaur realm are completed.
Self-check quiz
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