Madhurasutta

Majjhima Nikāya 84

At Madhurā · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral

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thusEvaṁ by meme heard—sutaṁ—
oneekaṁ timesamayaṁ Venerableāyasmā Mahākaccānamahākaccāno at Madhurāmadhurāyaṁ was stayingviharati in the Nut Grass Grove.gundāvane.

So I have heard. At one time Venerable Mahākaccāna was staying near Madhurā in the Nut Grass Grove.

heardAssosi indeedkho kingrājā of Madhurāmādhuro Avanti·sonavantiputto:
ascetic“samaṇo it seemskhalu, sirbho, Kaccānakaccāno near Madhurāmadhurāyaṁ dwelling·stayviharati nut grass·grovegundāvane.
thisTaṁ indeedkho furtherpana venerablebhavantaṁ Kaccānakaccānaṁ thusevaṁ goodkalyāṇo fame·soundkittisaddo up·ariseabbhuggato:
astute‘paṇḍito out·ableviyatto wisdom·havingmedhāvī much·studybahussuto brilliant·speakcittakathī good·eloquencekalyāṇapaṭibhāno maturevuddho andceva perfected onearahā andca’.
goodSādhu indeedkho furtherpana such·formtathārūpānaṁ perfected onesarahataṁ seeingdassanaṁ ishotī”ti.

King Avantiputta of Madhurā heard, “It seems the ascetic Kaccāna is staying near Madhurā in the Nut Grass Grove. He has this good reputation: ‘He is astute, competent, intelligent, learned, a brilliant speaker, eloquent, mature, a perfected one.’ It’s good to see such perfected ones.”

thenAtha indeedkho kingrājā of Madhurāmādhuro Avanti·sonavantiputto finebhadrāni finebhadrāni carriagesyānāni harness·causeyojāpetvā finebhadraṁ carriageyānaṁ onto·ascendabhiruhitvā finebhadrehi finebhadrehi with carriagesyānehi from Madhurāmadhurāya set outniyyāsi great·royal·majestymahaccarājānubhāvena venerableāyasmantaṁ great·Kaccānamahākaccānaṁ to seedassanāya.
as far asYāvatikā of the carriageyānassa groundbhūmi by carriageyānena having gonegantvā from the carriageyānā down·descendpaccorohitvā on foot + onlypattikova where venerableyenāyasmā great·Kaccānamahākaccāno there approachedtenupasaṅkami; near·approachupasaṅkamitvā with venerableāyasmatā great·Kaccānamahākaccānena togethersaddhiṁ together·rejoicesammodi. greetingSammodanīyaṁ talkkathaṁ politesāraṇīyaṁ exchange·exchangevītisāretvā to one sideekamantaṁ down·sitnisīdi. to one sideEkamantaṁ seatednisinno indeedkho kingrājā of Madhurāmādhuro Avanti·sonavantiputto venerableāyasmantaṁ great·Kaccānamahākaccānaṁ this·saidetadavoca:

And then King Avantiputta had the finest carriages harnessed. He mounted a fine carriage and, along with other fine carriages, set out in full royal pomp from Madhurā to see Mahākaccāna. He went by carriage as far as the terrain allowed, then descended and approached Mahākaccāna on foot. They exchanged greetings, and when the greetings and polite conversation were over, the king sat down to one side and said to Mahākaccāna:

brahmins“brāhmaṇā, worthybho Kaccānakaccāna, thus·spokeevamāhaṁsu:
only brahmins‘brāhmaṇova bestseṭṭho classvaṇṇo, inferiorhīno otherañño classvaṇṇo;
brahmin·only·onlybrāhmaṇova lightsukko classvaṇṇo, darkkaṇho otherañño classvaṇṇo;
brahmin·onlybrāhmaṇāva are purifiedsujjhanti, notno not·brahminabrāhmaṇā;
brahmin·onlybrāhmaṇāva of the Divinitybrahmuno sonsputtā bosomorasā from mouthmukhato bornjātā Divinity·bornbrahmajā Divinity·createdbrahmanimmitā heirs of the Divinitybrahmadāyādā’ti.
hereIdha the worthybhavaṁ Kaccānakaccāno what·sayskimakkhāyī”ti?

“Worthy Kaccāna, the brahmins say: ‘Only brahmins are the best class; other classes are inferior. Only brahmins are the light class; other classes are dark. Only brahmins are purified, not others. Only brahmins are the the Divinity’s bosom sons, born from his mouth, born of the Divinity, created by the Divinity, heirs of the Divinity.’ What does the worthy Kaccāna have to say about this?”

just hearsay“Ghosoyeva indeedkho thiseso, great·kingmahārāja, in the worldlokasmiṁ:
only a brahmin‘brāhmaṇova the bestseṭṭho classvaṇṇo, inferiorhīno the otherañño classvaṇṇo;
brahmin + onlybrāhmaṇova the fairsukko classvaṇṇo, darkkaṇho the otherañño classvaṇṇo;
brahmin + onlybrāhmaṇāva are purifiedsujjhanti, notno non-brahminsabrāhmaṇā;
brahmin + onlybrāhmaṇāva of Brahmanbrahmuno sonsputtā legitimateorasā from the mouthmukhato bornjātā Brahmā·bornbrahmajā Brahmā·createdbrahmanimmitā heirs of Brahmābrahmadāyādā’ti.
and by this method this tooTadamināpetaṁ, great·kingmahārāja, by a methodpariyāyena to be understoodveditabbaṁ howyathā just hearsay is thisghosoyeveso in the worldlokasmiṁ:
only a brahmin‘brāhmaṇova the bestseṭṭho classvaṇṇo, inferiorhīno the otherañño classvaṇṇo ……pe…
heirs of Brahmābrahmadāyādā’ti.
thatTaṁ whatkiṁ do you thinkmaññasi, great·kingmahārāja,
for an aristocratkhattiyassa even ifcepi would prosperijjheyya with moneydhanena orvā with graindhaññena orvā with silverrajatena orvā born·formjātarūpena orvā an aristocrat would be for himkhattiyopissāssa before·getting uppubbuṭṭhāyī after·lying downpacchānipātī service·acceptingkiṅkārapaṭissāvī pleasing·conductmanāpacārī dear·speakingpiyavādī ……
a brahmin would be for himbrāhmaṇopissāssa ……
a peasant would be for himvessopissāssa ……
a menial would be for himsuddopissāssa before·getting uppubbuṭṭhāyī after·lying downpacchānipātī service·acceptingkiṅkārapaṭissāvī pleasing·conductmanāpacārī speaking politelypiyavādī”ti?
for an aristocrat“Khattiyassa even ifcepi, worthybho Kaccānakaccāna, would prosperijjheyya with moneydhanena orvā with graindhaññena orvā with silverrajatena orvā born·formjātarūpena orvā an aristocrat would be for himkhattiyopissāssa before·getting uppubbuṭṭhāyī after·lying downpacchānipātī service·acceptingkiṅkārapaṭissāvī pleasing·conductmanāpacārī dear·speakingpiyavādī ……
a brahmin would be for himbrāhmaṇopissāssa ……

“Great king, that’s just hearsay in the world. And here’s a way to understand that it’s just hearsay in the world. What do you think, Great King? Suppose an aristocrat prospers in money, grain, silver, or gold. Wouldn’t there be aristocrats, brahmins, peasants, and menials who would get up before him and go to bed after him, and be obliging, behaving nicely and speaking politely?” “There would, worthy Kaccāna.”

a merchant too would be hisvessopissāssa ……
a worker too would be hissuddopissāssa early·riserpubbuṭṭhāyī late·retireepacchānipātī service·willingkiṅkārapaṭissāvī pleasant·conductmanāpacārī endearing·speechpiyavādī”ti.
“That“Taṁ whatkiṁ do you thinkmaññasi, great kingmahārāja,
for a brahminbrāhmaṇassa if·indeedcepi it should succeedijjheyya with wealthdhanena orvā with graindhaññena orvā with silverrajatena orvā with goldjātarūpena orvā brahmin·toobrāhmaṇopissāssa early·riserpubbuṭṭhāyī late·retireepacchānipātī service·willingkiṅkārapaṭissāvī pleasant·conductmanāpacārī endearing·speechpiyavādī ……
a merchant too would be hisvessopissāssa ……
a worker too would be hissuddopissāssa ……
a khattiya too would be hiskhattiyopissāssa early·riserpubbuṭṭhāyī late·retireepacchānipātī service·willingkiṅkārapaṭissāvī pleasant·conductmanāpacārī endearing·speechpiyavādī”ti?
“For a brahmin“Brāhmaṇassa if·indeedcepi, sirbho Kaccānakaccāna, it should succeedijjheyya with wealthdhanena orvā with graindhaññena orvā with silverrajatena orvā with goldjātarūpena orvā brahmin·toobrāhmaṇopissāssa early·riserpubbuṭṭhāyī late·retireepacchānipātī service·willingkiṅkārapaṭissāvī pleasant·conductmanāpacārī endearing·speechpiyavādī ……
a merchant too would be hisvessopissāssa ……
a worker too would be hissuddopissāssa ……
a khattiya too would be hiskhattiyopissāssa early·riserpubbuṭṭhāyī late·retireepacchānipātī service·willingkiṅkārapaṭissāvī pleasant·conductmanāpacārī endearing·speechpiyavādī”ti.
“That“Taṁ whatkiṁ do you thinkmaññasi, great kingmahārāja, for a merchantvessassa if·indeedcepi it should succeedijjheyya with wealthdhanena orvā with graindhaññena orvā with silverrajatena orvā with goldjātarūpena orvā a merchant too would be hisvessopissāssa early·riserpubbuṭṭhāyī late·retireepacchānipātī service·willingkiṅkārapaṭissāvī pleasant·conductmanāpacārī endearing·speechpiyavādī ……
a worker too would be hissuddopissāssa ……
a khattiya too would be hiskhattiyopissāssa ……

“What do you think, Great King? Suppose a brahmin … a peasant …

brahmin·also + he·bebrāhmaṇopissāssa before·riserpubbuṭṭhāyī after·lierpacchānipātī service·respondingkiṅkārapaṭissāvī agreeable·conductingmanāpacārī dear·speaker·quotation markerpiyavādī”ti?
if a peasant prospers“Vessassa if·evencepi, worthybho Kaccāna,kaccāna, would prosperijjheyya with moneydhanena orvā with graindhaññena orvā with silverrajatena orvā with goldjātarūpena orvā peasant·also + he·bevessopissāssa before·riserpubbuṭṭhāyī after·lierpacchānipātī service·respondingkiṅkārapaṭissāvī agreeable·conductingmanāpacārī dear·speakerpiyavādī ……
menial·also + he·besuddopissāssa ……
aristocrat·also + he·bekhattiyopissāssa ……
brahmin·also + he·bebrāhmaṇopissāssa before·riserpubbuṭṭhāyī after·lierpacchānipātī service·respondingkiṅkārapaṭissāvī agreeable·conductingmanāpacārī dear·speaker·quotation markerpiyavādī”ti.
that“Taṁ whatkiṁ do you thinkmaññasi, great·kingmahārāja, if a menialsuddassa if·evencepi would prosperijjheyya with moneydhanena orvā with graindhaññena orvā with silverrajatena orvā with goldjātarūpena orvā menial·also + he·besuddopissāssa before·riserpubbuṭṭhāyī after·lierpacchānipātī service·respondingkiṅkārapaṭissāvī agreeable·conductingmanāpacārī dear·speakerpiyavādī ……
aristocrat·also + he·bekhattiyopissāssa ……
brahmin·also + he·bebrāhmaṇopissāssa ……
peasant·also + he·bevessopissāssa before·riserpubbuṭṭhāyī after·lierpacchānipātī service·respondingkiṅkārapaṭissāvī agreeable·conductingmanāpacārī dear·speaker·quotation markerpiyavādī”ti?
if a menial“Suddassa if·evencepi, worthybho Kaccāna,kaccāna, would prosperijjheyya with moneydhanena orvā with graindhaññena orvā with silverrajatena orvā with goldjātarūpena orvā menial·also + he·besuddopissāssa before·riserpubbuṭṭhāyī after·lierpacchānipātī service·respondingkiṅkārapaṭissāvī agreeable·conductingmanāpacārī dear·speaker·quotation markerpiyavādīti ……
aristocrat·also + he·bekhattiyopissāssa ……
brahmin·also + he·bebrāhmaṇopissāssa ……
peasant·also + he·bevessopissāssa before·riserpubbuṭṭhāyī after·lierpacchānipātī service·respondingkiṅkārapaṭissāvī agreeable·conductingmanāpacārī dear·speaker·quotation markerpiyavādī”ti.

a menial prospers in money, grain, silver, or gold. Wouldn’t there be menials, aristocrats, brahmins, and peasants who would get up before him and go to bed after him, and be obliging, behaving nicely and speaking politely?” “There would, worthy Kaccāna.”

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