Saṅgāravasutta

Majjhima Nikāya 100

With Saṅgārava · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral

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then someApissu memaṁ, Bhāradvājabhāradvāja, deitiesdevatā having seendisvā they said thusevamāhaṁsu:
dead‘kālaṅkato the asceticsamaṇo Gotamagotamo’ti.
someEkaccā deitiesdevatā they said thusevamāhaṁsu:
not‘na time + gonekālaṅkato the asceticsamaṇo Gotamagotamo, butapi andca his timekālaṁ he is makingkarotī’ti.
someEkaccā deitiesdevatā they said thusevamāhaṁsu:
not‘na time + gonekālaṅkato the asceticsamaṇo Gotamagotamo, nornāpi his timekālaṁ he makeskaroti;
a perfected onearahaṁ the asceticsamaṇo Gotamagotamo, a dwellingvihāro that·onlytveva thatso of a perfected onearahato such·formevarūpo it ishotī’ti.

Then some deities saw me and said, ‘The ascetic Gotama is dead.’ Others said, ‘He’s not dead, but he’s dying.’ Others said, ‘He’s not dead or dying. The ascetic Gotama is a perfected one, for that is how the perfected ones live.’

of thatTassa to memayhaṁ, Bhāradvājabhāradvāja, this occurredetadahosi:
why don't I‘yannūnāhaṁ completelysabbaso food·cutting offāhārupacchedāya should practicepaṭipajjeyyan’ti.
thenAtha indeedkho memaṁ, Bhāradvājabhāradvāja, deitiesdevatā near·goupasaṅkamitvā this saidetadavocuṁ:
do not‘mā indeedkho youtvaṁ, good fellowmārisa, completelysabbaso food·cutting offāhārupacchedāya practicepaṭipajji.
ifSace indeedkho youtvaṁ, good fellowmārisa, completelysabbaso food·cutting offāhārupacchedāya you will practicepaṭipajjissasi, thentassa to youte wemayaṁ heavenlydibbaṁ nectarojaṁ hair·poreslomakūpehi we will infuseajjhohāressāma.
on thatTāya youtvaṁ you will liveyāpessasī’ti.
of thatTassa to memayhaṁ, Bhāradvājabhāradvāja, this occurredetadahosi:
if I‘ahañceva indeedkho moreoverpana completelysabbaso not eatingajajjitaṁ I should claimpaṭijāneyyaṁ, theseimā andca to meme deitiesdevatā heavenlydibbaṁ nectarojaṁ hair·poreslomakūpehi they might infuseajjhohāreyyuṁ, on thattāya and Icāhaṁ I might liveyāpeyyaṁ.
thatTaṁ for memamassa a liemusā’ti.
thatSo indeedkho Iahaṁ, Bhāradvājabhāradvāja, thosetā deitiesdevatā I refusepaccācikkhāmi, there is no need‘halan’ti I sayvadāmi.

Then it occurred to me, ‘Why don’t I practice completely cutting off food?’ But deities came to me and said, ‘Good fellow, don’t practice totally cutting off food. If you do, we’ll infuse heavenly nectar into your pores and you will live on that.’ Then it occurred to me, ‘If I claim to be completely fasting while these deities are infusing heavenly nectar in my pores, that would be a lie on my part.’ So I refused those deities, saying, ‘There’s no need.’

Then it occurred to me, ‘Why don’t I just take a little bit of food each time, a handful of broth made from mung beans, horse gram, chickpeas, or green gram?’ So that’s what I did, until my body became severely emaciated. Due to eating so little, my major and minor limbs became like the joints of an eighty-year-old or a dying man, my bottom became like a camel’s hoof, my vertebrae stuck out like beads on a string,

just asSeyyathāpi indeednāma old·barnjarasālāya raftersgopānasiyo broken·downoluggaviluggā arebhavanti; so·justevamevassu myme ribsphāsuḷiyo broken·downoluggaviluggā werebhavanti due to that very eating so littletāyevappāhāratāya.
just asSeyyathāpi indeednāma in a deepgambhīre water·drinking-placeudapāne gleam of waterudakatārakā deep·gonegambhīragatā sunkenokkhāyikā are seendissanti; so·justevamevassu myme eye·socketsakkhikūpesu gleam of the eyesakkhitārakā deep·gonegambhīragatā sunkenokkhāyikā appeareddissanti due to that very eating so littletāyevappāhāratāya.
just asSeyyathāpi indeednāma a bitter-gourdtittakālābu unripe·cutāmakacchinno by wind and sunvātātapena shriveledsamphuṭito ishoti witheredsammilāto; so·justevamevassu myme head·skinsīsacchavi shriveledsamphuṭitā washoti witheredsammilātā due to that very eating so littletāyevappāhāratāya.
thatSo indeedkho Iahaṁ, Bhāradvājabhāradvāja, the skin of the belly‘udaracchaviṁ thinking 'I will rub'parimasissāmī’ti backbone·verypiṭṭhikaṇṭakaṁyeva I graspedpariggaṇhāmi, the backbone‘piṭṭhikaṇṭakaṁ thinking 'I will rub'parimasissāmī’ti belly·skin·veryudaracchaviṁyeva I graspedpariggaṇhāmi; sinceyāvassu myme, Bhāradvājabhāradvāja, belly·skinudaracchavi to the backbonepiṭṭhikaṇṭakaṁ stuckallīnā washoti due to that very eating so littletāyevappāhāratāya.
thatSo indeedkho Iahaṁ, Bhāradvājabhāradvāja, excrement‘vaccaṁ orvā urinemuttaṁ orvā thinking 'I will pass'karissāmī’ti right theretattheva face downavakujjo I fellpapatāmi due to that very eating so littletāyevappāhāratāya.
thatSo indeedkho Iahaṁ, Bhāradvājabhāradvāja, this·veryimameva bodykāyaṁ comfortingassāsento with the handpāṇinā the limbsgattāni I rubbedanumajjāmi. of thatTassa memayhaṁ, Bhāradvājabhāradvāja, with the handpāṇinā the limbsgattāni along·rubanumajjato rotted·rootpūtimūlāni hairslomāni from the bodykāyasmā fell outpapatanti due to that very eating so littletāyevappāhāratāya.

and my ribs were as gaunt as the broken-down rafters on an old barn. Due to eating so little, the gleam of my eyes sank deep in their sockets, like the gleam of water sunk deep down a well. Due to eating so little, my scalp shriveled and withered like a green bitter-gourd in the wind and sun. Due to eating so little, the skin of my belly stuck to my backbone, so that when I tried to rub the skin of my belly I grabbed my backbone, and when I tried to rub my backbone I rubbed the skin of my belly. Due to eating so little, when I tried to urinate or defecate I fell face down right there. Due to eating so little, when I tried to relieve my body by rubbing my limbs with my hands, the hair, rotted at its roots, fell out.

and indeedApissu memaṁ, Bhāradvājabhāradvāja, peoplemanussā having seendisvā thus they saidevamāhaṁsu: black‘kāḷo asceticsamaṇo Gotamagotamo’ti.
someEkacce peoplemanussā thus they saidevamāhaṁsu: not‘na blackkāḷo asceticsamaṇo Gotamagotamo, brownsāmo asceticsamaṇo Gotamagotamo’ti.
someEkacce peoplemanussā thus they saidevamāhaṁsu: not‘na blackkāḷo asceticsamaṇo Gotamagotamo nornapi brownsāmo, dingy-skinnedmaṅguracchavi asceticsamaṇo Gotamagotamo’ti;
that faryāvassu myme, Bhāradvājabhāradvāja, so fartāva pureparisuddho complexion of skinchavivaṇṇo brightpariyodāto ruinedupahato washoti by taking so little foodtāyevappāhāratāya.

Then some people saw me and said: ‘The ascetic Gotama is black.’ Some said: ‘He’s not black, he’s brown.’ Some said: ‘He’s neither black nor brown. The ascetic Gotama has dingy skin.’ That’s how far the pure, bright complexion of my skin had been ruined by taking so little food.

to himTassa to memayhaṁ, Bhāradvājabhāradvāja, this·beetadahosi:
whatever‘ye indeedkho anykeci past·timeatītamaddhānaṁ asceticssamaṇā orvā brahminsbrāhmaṇā orvā due to exertionopakkamikā painfuldukkhā sharptibbā severekharā acutekaṭukā feelingsvedanā experiencedvedayiṁsu, so-far·utmostetāvaparamaṁ, not·than-thisnayito morebhiyyo;
who·alsoyepi indeedhi anykeci future·timeanāgatamaddhānaṁ asceticssamaṇā orvā brahminsbrāhmaṇā orvā due to exertionopakkamikā painfuldukkhā sharptibbā severekharā acutekaṭukā feelingsvedanā will experiencevedayissanti, so-far·utmostetāvaparamaṁ, not·than-thisnayito morebhiyyo;
who·alsoyepi indeedhi anykeci nowetarahi asceticssamaṇā orvā brahminsbrāhmaṇā orvā due to exertionopakkamikā painfuldukkhā sharptibbā severekharā acutekaṭukā feelingsvedanā experiencevedayanti, so-far·utmostetāvaparamaṁ, not·than-thisnayito morebhiyyo.
notNa indeedkho then Ipanāhaṁ by thisimāya severekaṭukāya grueling workdukkarakārikāya I achieveadhigacchāmi beyonduttari human·statemanussadhammā distinction in knowledge and vision worthy of the noble onesalamariyañāṇadassanavisesaṁ.
could there beSiyā thennu indeedkho anotherañño pathmaggo to awakening?bodhāyā’ti?

Then it occurred to me, ‘Whatever ascetics and brahmins have experienced painful, sharp, severe, acute feelings due to exertion—whether in the past, future, or present—this is as far as it goes, no-one has done more than this. But I have not achieved any superhuman distinction in knowledge and vision worthy of the noble ones by this severe, grueling work. Could there be another path to awakening?’

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