The Shorter Elephant’s Footprint Simile · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral
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thusEvaṁ
by meme
heardsutaṁ—
oneekaṁ
timesamayaṁ
the Buddhabhagavā
at Sāvatthīsāvatthiyaṁ
apart·dwellviharati
in Jeta's Grovejetavane
of Anāthapiṇḍikaanāthapiṇḍikassa
monasteryārāme.
at thatTena
indeedkho
thenpana
at the timesamayena
Jānussoṇijāṇussoṇi
the brahminbrāhmaṇo
in an all-whitesabbasetena
chariot drawn by maresvaḷavābhirathena
from Sāvatthīsāvatthiyā
out·driveniyyāti
in the middle of the daydivādivassa.
he sawAddasā
indeedkho
Jānussoṇijāṇussoṇi
the brahminbrāhmaṇo
Pilotikapilotikaṁ
the wandererparibbājakaṁ
far·indeeddūratova
comingāgacchantaṁ.
having seenDisvāna
Pilotikapilotikaṁ
the wandererparibbājakaṁ
he said this to himetadavoca:
so“Handa
where fromkuto
nownu
worthybhavaṁ
Vacchāyanavacchāyano
are you comingāgacchati
in the middle of the daydivādivassā”ti?
from here“Ito
for surehi
indeedkho
Iahaṁ,
worthy sirbho,
I comeāgacchāmi
of the asceticsamaṇassa
Gotamagotamassa
from the presencesantikā”ti.
what“Taṁ
do you thinkkiṁ
judgesmaññati
worthybhavaṁ
Vacchāyanavacchāyano
of the asceticsamaṇassa
Gotamagotamassa
wisdom·luciditypaññāveyyattiyaṁ
astutepaṇḍito
I thinkmaññe”ti.
who“Ko
and Icāhaṁ,
worthy sirbho,
whoko
andca
of the asceticsamaṇassa
Gotamagotamassa
wisdom·luciditypaññāveyyattiyaṁ
will I judgejānissāmi.
he tooSopi
indeed would benūnassa
of such a kind·justtādisova
whoyo
of the asceticsamaṇassa
Gotamagotamassa
wisdom·luciditypaññāveyyattiyaṁ
would judgejāneyyā”ti.
with high“Uḷārāya
indeedkhalu
worthybhavaṁ
Vacchāyanavacchāyano
the asceticsamaṇaṁ
Gotamagotamaṁ
with praisepasaṁsāya
praisespasaṁsatī”ti.
who“Ko
and Icāhaṁ,
worthy sirbho,
whoko
andca
the asceticsamaṇaṁ
Gotamagotamaṁ
will I praisepasaṁsissāmi,
praised·by the praised·indeedpasatthapasatthova
heso
worthybhavaṁ
Gotamagotamo
firstseṭṭho
among gods and humansdevamanussānan”ti.
what“Kaṁ
thenpana
worthybhavaṁ
Vacchāyanavacchāyano
purpose·reasonatthavasaṁ
consideringsampassamāno
in the asceticsamaṇe
Gotamagotame
thusevaṁ
devotedabhippasanno”ti?
just as“Seyyathāpi,
sirbho,
skilledkusalo
elephant·trackernāgavaniko
elephant·woodnāgavanaṁ
would enterpaviseyya.
heSo
would seepasseyya
elephant·woodnāgavane
largemahantaṁ
elephant's footprinthatthipadaṁ,
in lengthdīghato
andca
broadāyataṁ,
cross + andtiriyañca
spreadvitthataṁ.
heSo
conclusionniṭṭhaṁ
would come togaccheyya:
big‘mahā
indeedvata
sirbho
bull elephantnāgo’ti.
in the same wayEvameva
indeedkho
Iahaṁ,
sirbho,
becauseyato
I sawaddasaṁ
of the asceticsamaṇe
Gotamagotame
fourcattāri
footprintspadāni
then + Iathāhaṁ
came to the conclusionniṭṭhamagamaṁ:
fully·awakened‘sammāsambuddho
the Blessed Onebhagavā,
well·explainedsvākkhāto
by the Blessed Onebhagavatā
the teachingdhammo,
well·practicingsuppaṭipanno
of the Blessed Onebhagavato
the Saṅgha of disciplessāvakasaṅgho’ti.
whichKatamāni
four?cattāri?
here IIdhāhaṁ,
worthy sirbho,
I seepassāmi
someekacce
aristocrat·astutekhattiyapaṇḍite
subtlenipuṇe
accomplished·doctrines of otherskataparappavāde
hair-splittersvālavedhirūpe,
theyte
demolishingbhindantā
you'd thinkmaññe
they livecaranti
with their intellectpaññāgatena
convictionsdiṭṭhigatāni.
TheyTe
hearsuṇanti:
ascetic‘samaṇo
sokhalu,
worthy sirbho,
Gotamagotamo
such-and-suchamukaṁ
namednāma
villagegāmaṁ
orvā
townnigamaṁ
orvā
will come downosarissatī’ti.
TheyTe
a questionpañhaṁ
they formulateabhisaṅkharonti:
this‘imaṁ
wemayaṁ
questionpañhaṁ
asceticsamaṇaṁ
Gotamagotamaṁ
up to·approachupasaṅkamitvā
we will askpucchissāma.
thus + ifEvañce
by usno
askedpuṭṭho
thusevaṁ
he will answerbyākarissati,
thus + for himevamassa
wemayaṁ
refutationvādaṁ
we will refuteāropessāma.
thus·if + andEvañcepi
by usno
askedpuṭṭho
thusevaṁ
he will answerbyākarissati,
thus also for himevampissa
wemayaṁ
refutationvādaṁ
we will refuteāropessāmā’ti.
TheyTe
hearsuṇanti:
ascetic‘samaṇo
sokhalu,
worthy sirbho,
Gotamagotamo
such-and-suchamukaṁ
namednāma
villagegāmaṁ
orvā
townnigamaṁ
orvā
has come downosaṭo’ti.
TheyTe
whereyena
asceticsamaṇo
Gotamagotamo
they approach him theretenupasaṅkamanti.
themTe
asceticsamaṇo
Gotamagotamo
with a Dhammadhammiyā
talkkathāya
together·seesandasseti
together·encouragesamādapeti
together·fire upsamuttejeti
inspiressampahaṁseti.
theyTe
by the asceticsamaṇena
Gotamagotamena
with a Dhammadhammiyā
talkkathāya
together·showsandassitā
together·toward·kindlesamādapitā
together·incitesamuttejitā
together·rejoicesampahaṁsitā
notna
indeedceva
the asceticsamaṇaṁ
Gotamagotamaṁ
a questionpañhaṁ
they askpucchanti,
where + thenkutossa
a statementvādaṁ
will they attribute?āropessanti?
invariablyAññadatthu
just of the asceticsamaṇasseva
Gotamagotamassa
disciplessāvakā
they becomesampajjanti.
when IYadāhaṁ,
sirbho,
in the asceticsamaṇe
Gotamagotame
thisimaṁ
firstpaṭhamaṁ
footprintpadaṁ
to·seeaddasaṁ
then Iathāhaṁ
I came to the conclusionniṭṭhamagamaṁ:
a fully awakened Buddha‘sammāsambuddho
the Blessed Onebhagavā,
well explainedsvākkhāto
by the Blessed Onebhagavatā
the teachingdhammo,
well·practicingsuppaṭipanno
of the Blessed Onebhagavato
the Saṅgha of disciplessāvakasaṅgho’ti.
furthermorePuna and moreover Icaparāhaṁ, sirbho, I seepassāmi here someidhekacce brahmin + astutebrāhmaṇapaṇḍite …pe……pe…
householder·astutegahapatipaṇḍite
……
…pe…
ascetic·astutesamaṇapaṇḍite
subtlenipuṇe
done·others' doctrinekataparappavāde
hair·splitting·formvālavedhirūpe
theyte
shatteringbhindantā
I thinkmaññe
walk aboutcaranti
wisdom·gonepaññāgatena
view·gone.diṭṭhigatāni.
theyTe
hear:suṇanti:
'the ascetic‘samaṇo
indeedkhalu
sirbho
Gotamagotamo
such-and-suchamukaṁ
namednāma
villagegāmaṁ
orvā
townnigamaṁ
orvā
will enter.'osarissatī’ti.
theyTe
questionpañhaṁ
prepareabhisaṅkharonti
'this‘imaṁ
wemayaṁ
questionpañhaṁ
asceticsamaṇaṁ
Gotamagotamaṁ
having approachedupasaṅkamitvā
we will ask.pucchissāma.
thus·ifEvañce
by usno
askedpuṭṭho
thusevaṁ
he will answer,byākarissati,
thus + to himevamassa
wemayaṁ
speechvādaṁ
we will refute.āropessāma.
thus·if + butEvañcepi
by usno
askedpuṭṭho
thusevaṁ
he will answer,byākarissati,
thus + to himevampissa
wemayaṁ
speechvādaṁ
we will refute.'āropessāmā’ti.
theyTe
hearsuṇanti
'the ascetic‘samaṇo
indeedkhalu
sirbho
Gotamagotamo
such-and-suchamukaṁ
namednāma
villagegāmaṁ
orvā
townnigamaṁ
orvā
has entered.'osaṭo’ti.
theyTe
whereyena
asceticsamaṇo
Gotamagotamo
there + approach.tenupasaṅkamanti.
theyTe
asceticsamaṇo
Gotamagotamo
with Dhammadhammiyā
talkkathāya
instructssandasseti
urgessamādapeti
rousessamuttejeti
gladdens.sampahaṁseti.
theyTe
by the asceticsamaṇena
Gotamagotamena
with Dhammadhammiyā
talkkathāya
instructedsandassitā
urgedsamādapitā
rousedsamuttejitā
gladdenedsampahaṁsitā
notna
evenceva
the asceticsamaṇaṁ
Gotamagotamaṁ
questionpañhaṁ
they ask,pucchanti,
how + indeedkutossa
speechvādaṁ
will they refute?āropessanti?
invariablyAññadatthu
ascetic + indeedsamaṇaṁyeva
Gotamagotamaṁ
the chanceokāsaṁ
they askyācanti
from the homeagārasmā
to homelessnessanagāriyaṁ
for going forthpabbajjāya.
heTe
the asceticsamaṇo
Gotamagotamo
causes to go forthpabbājeti.
theyTe
theretattha
gone forthpabbajitā
beingsamānā
withdrawnvūpakaṭṭhā
diligentappamattā
keenātāpino
resolutepahitattā
livingviharantā
soon—for whose sakenacirasseva—yassatthāya
clansmenkulaputtā
rightlysammadeva
from homeagārasmā
to homelessnessanagāriyaṁ
they go forthpabbajanti,
the supreme culmination of the spiritual pathtadanuttaraṁ—brahmacariyapariyosānaṁ
seen + indeeddiṭṭheva
in the Dhammadhamme
themselvessayaṁ
with direct knowledgeabhiññā
having realizedsacchikatvā
having attainedupasampajja
they liveviharanti.
theyTe
they said thusevamāhaṁsu:
almost‘manaṁ
indeedvata,
sirsbho,
we were lostanassāma,
almostmanaṁ
indeedvata,
sirsbho,
we perishedpanassāma;
we indeedmayañhi
previouslypubbe
being non-asceticsassamaṇāva
beingsamānā
ascetics + quotesamaṇamhāti
we used to claimpaṭijānimha,
being non-brahminsabrāhmaṇāva
beingsamānā
brahmins + quotebrāhmaṇamhāti
we used to claimpaṭijānimha,
being non-perfected onesanarahantova
beingsamānā
arahants + quotearahantamhāti
we used to claimpaṭijānimha.
nowIdāni
we arekhomha
asceticssamaṇā,
nowidāni
we arekhomha
brahminsbrāhmaṇā,
nowidāni
we arekhomha
arahantsarahanto’ti.
when IYadāhaṁ,
sirsbho,
in the asceticsamaṇe
Gotamagotame
thisimaṁ
fourthcatutthaṁ
footprintpadaṁ
I sawaddasaṁ
then Iathāhaṁ
I came to conclusionniṭṭhamagamaṁ:
fully awakened Buddha‘sammāsambuddho
the Blessed Onebhagavā,
well explainedsvākkhāto
by the Blessed Onebhagavatā
the Dhammadhammo,
practicing wellsuppaṭipanno
of the Blessed Onebhagavato
the Saṅgha of disciplessāvakasaṅgho’ti.
sinceYato
indeedkho
Iahaṁ,
sirsbho,
in the asceticsamaṇe
Gotamagotame
theseimāni
fourcattāri
footprintspadāni
I sawaddasaṁ
then Iathāhaṁ
I came to conclusionniṭṭhamagamaṁ:
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