[453] 14. "Bhikkhus, even that wheel-turning monarch (rājā cakkavattī), a righteous king of Dhamma (dhammiko dhammarājā) — even he does not set rolling the wheel without a king [above him]."
When this was said, a certain bhikkhu said to the Blessed One: "But who, venerable sir, is the king of the wheel-turning monarch, the righteous king of Dhamma?"
"It is the Dhamma, bhikkhu," said the Blessed One. "Here, bhikkhu, a wheel-turning monarch, a righteous king of Dhamma, relying on the Dhamma alone, honoring the Dhamma, respecting the Dhamma, revering the Dhamma, with the Dhamma as his banner, with the Dhamma as his standard, with the Dhamma as his sovereign authority (dhammādhipateyya), provides righteous protection, shelter, and guard for the people of his own household.
"Further, bhikkhu, a wheel-turning monarch, a righteous king of Dhamma, relying on the Dhamma alone, honoring the Dhamma, respecting the Dhamma, revering the Dhamma, with the Dhamma as his banner, with the Dhamma as his standard, with the Dhamma as his sovereign authority, provides righteous protection, shelter, and guard for the khattiyas and his vassals, for the army, for brahmins and householders, for the dwellers of town and countryside, for ascetics and brahmins, for beasts and birds. That wheel-turning monarch, bhikkhu, a righteous king of Dhamma, relying on the Dhamma alone, honoring the Dhamma, respecting the Dhamma, revering the Dhamma, with the Dhamma as his banner, with the Dhamma as his standard, with the Dhamma as his sovereign authority, having provided righteous protection, shelter, and guard for the people of his own household, having provided righteous protection, shelter, and guard for the khattiyas and his vassals, for the army, for brahmins and householders, for the dwellers of town and countryside, for ascetics and brahmins, for beasts and birds, sets rolling the wheel by the Dhamma alone — a wheel that cannot be turned back by any hostile living being in human form.
"Even so, bhikkhu, the Tathāgata, the Arahant, the Fully Enlightened One, righteous, a king of Dhamma, relying on the Dhamma alone, honoring the Dhamma, respecting the Dhamma, revering the Dhamma, with the Dhamma as his banner, with the Dhamma as his standard, with the Dhamma as his sovereign authority, provides righteous protection, shelter, and guard with regard to bodily action (kāyakamma), thus: 'Such bodily action should be cultivated; such bodily action should not be cultivated.'
"Further, bhikkhu, the Tathāgata, the Arahant, the Fully Enlightened One, righteous, a king of Dhamma, relying on the Dhamma alone, honoring the Dhamma, respecting the Dhamma, revering the Dhamma, with the Dhamma as his banner, with the Dhamma as his standard, with the Dhamma as his sovereign authority, provides righteous protection, shelter, and guard with regard to verbal action (vacīkamma), thus: 'Such verbal action should be cultivated; such verbal action should not be cultivated.'
"Further, bhikkhu, the Tathāgata, the Arahant, the Fully Enlightened One, righteous, a king of Dhamma, relying on the Dhamma alone, honoring the Dhamma, respecting the Dhamma, revering the Dhamma, with the Dhamma as his banner, with the Dhamma as his standard, with the Dhamma as his sovereign authority, provides righteous protection, shelter, and guard with regard to mental action (manokamma), thus: 'Such mental action should be cultivated; such mental action should not be cultivated.'
"That Tathāgata, bhikkhu, the Arahant, the Fully Enlightened One, righteous, a king of Dhamma, relying on the Dhamma alone, honoring the Dhamma, respecting the Dhamma, revering the Dhamma, with the Dhamma as his banner, with the Dhamma as his standard, with the Dhamma as his sovereign authority, having provided righteous protection, shelter, and guard with regard to bodily action, having provided righteous protection, shelter, and guard with regard to verbal action, having provided righteous protection, shelter, and guard with regard to mental action, sets rolling the unsurpassed Wheel of Dhamma by the Dhamma alone — a wheel that cannot be turned back by any ascetic or brahmin, by any deva, Māra, or Brahmā, or by anyone in the world."
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.