Madhurasutta

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Majjhima Nikāya 84

At Madhurā · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral

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Evaṁ me sutaṁ—
ekaṁ samayaṁ āyasmā mahākaccāno madhurāyaṁ viharati gundāvane.

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

Assosi kho rājā mādhuro avantiputto:
“samaṇo khalu, bho, kaccāno madhurāyaṁ viharati gundāvane.
Taṁ kho pana bhavantaṁ kaccānaṁ evaṁ kalyāṇo kittisaddo abbhuggato:
‘paṇḍito viyatto medhāvī bahussuto cittakathī kalyāṇapaṭibhāno vuddho ceva arahā ca’.
Sādhu kho pana tathārūpānaṁ arahataṁ dassanaṁ hotī”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.”

Atha kho rājā mādhuro avantiputto bhadrāni bhadrāni yānāni yojāpetvā bhadraṁ yānaṁ abhiruhitvā bhadrehi bhadrehi yānehi madhurāya niyyāsi mahaccarājānubhāvena āyasmantaṁ mahākaccānaṁ dassanāya.
Yāvatikā yānassa bhūmi yānena gantvā yānā paccorohitvā pattikova yenāyasmā mahākaccāno tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmatā mahākaccānena saddhiṁ sammodi. Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho rājā mādhuro avantiputto āyasmantaṁ mahākaccānaṁ etadavoca:

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:

“brāhmaṇā, bho kaccāna, evamāhaṁsu:
‘brāhmaṇova seṭṭho vaṇṇo, hīno añño vaṇṇo;
brāhmaṇova sukko vaṇṇo, kaṇho añño vaṇṇo;
brāhmaṇāva sujjhanti, no abrāhmaṇā;
brāhmaṇāva brahmuno puttā orasā mukhato jātā brahmajā brahmanimmitā brahmadāyādā’ti.
Idha bhavaṁ kaccāno kimakkhāyī”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?”

“Ghosoyeva kho eso, mahārāja, lokasmiṁ:
‘brāhmaṇova seṭṭho vaṇṇo, hīno añño vaṇṇo;
brāhmaṇova sukko vaṇṇo, kaṇho añño vaṇṇo;
brāhmaṇāva sujjhanti, no abrāhmaṇā;
brāhmaṇāva brahmuno puttā orasā mukhato jātā brahmajā brahmanimmitā brahmadāyādā’ti.
Tadamināpetaṁ, mahārāja, pariyāyena veditabbaṁ yathā ghosoyeveso lokasmiṁ:
‘brāhmaṇova seṭṭho vaṇṇo, hīno añño vaṇṇo …pe…
brahmadāyādā’ti.
Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, mahārāja,
khattiyassa cepi ijjheyya dhanena vā dhaññena vā rajatena vā jātarūpena vā khattiyopissāssa pubbuṭṭhāyī pacchānipātī kiṅkārapaṭissāvī manāpacārī piyavādī …
brāhmaṇopissāssa …
vessopissāssa …
suddopissāssa pubbuṭṭhāyī pacchānipātī kiṅkārapaṭissāvī manāpacārī piyavādī”ti?
“Khattiyassa cepi, bho kaccāna, ijjheyya dhanena vā dhaññena vā rajatena vā jātarūpena vā khattiyopissāssa pubbuṭṭhāyī pacchānipātī kiṅkārapaṭissāvī manāpacārī piyavādī …
brāhmaṇopissāssa …

“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.”

vessopissāssa …
suddopissāssa pubbuṭṭhāyī pacchānipātī kiṅkārapaṭissāvī manāpacārī piyavādī”ti.
“Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, mahārāja,
brāhmaṇassa cepi ijjheyya dhanena vā dhaññena vā rajatena vā jātarūpena vā brāhmaṇopissāssa pubbuṭṭhāyī pacchānipātī kiṅkārapaṭissāvī manāpacārī piyavādī …
vessopissāssa …
suddopissāssa …
khattiyopissāssa pubbuṭṭhāyī pacchānipātī kiṅkārapaṭissāvī manāpacārī piyavādī”ti?
“Brāhmaṇassa cepi, bho kaccāna, ijjheyya dhanena vā dhaññena vā rajatena vā jātarūpena vā brāhmaṇopissāssa pubbuṭṭhāyī pacchānipātī kiṅkārapaṭissāvī manāpacārī piyavādī …
vessopissāssa …
suddopissāssa …
khattiyopissāssa pubbuṭṭhāyī pacchānipātī kiṅkārapaṭissāvī manāpacārī piyavādī”ti.
“Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, mahārāja, vessassa cepi ijjheyya dhanena vā dhaññena vā rajatena vā jātarūpena vā vessopissāssa pubbuṭṭhāyī pacchānipātī kiṅkārapaṭissāvī manāpacārī piyavādī …
suddopissāssa …
khattiyopissāssa …

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

brāhmaṇopissāssa pubbuṭṭhāyī pacchānipātī kiṅkārapaṭissāvī manāpacārī piyavādī”ti?
“Vessassa cepi, bho kaccāna, ijjheyya dhanena vā dhaññena vā rajatena vā jātarūpena vā vessopissāssa pubbuṭṭhāyī pacchānipātī kiṅkārapaṭissāvī manāpacārī piyavādī …
suddopissāssa …
khattiyopissāssa …
brāhmaṇopissāssa pubbuṭṭhāyī pacchānipātī kiṅkārapaṭissāvī manāpacārī piyavādī”ti.
“Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, mahārāja, suddassa cepi ijjheyya dhanena vā dhaññena vā rajatena vā jātarūpena vā suddopissāssa pubbuṭṭhāyī pacchānipātī kiṅkārapaṭissāvī manāpacārī piyavādī …
khattiyopissāssa …
brāhmaṇopissāssa …
vessopissāssa pubbuṭṭhāyī pacchānipātī kiṅkārapaṭissāvī manāpacārī piyavādī”ti?
“Suddassa cepi, bho kaccāna, ijjheyya dhanena vā dhaññena vā rajatena vā jātarūpena vā suddopissāssa pubbuṭṭhāyī pacchānipātī kiṅkārapaṭissāvī manāpacārī piyavādīti …
khattiyopissāssa …
brāhmaṇopissāssa …
vessopissāssa pubbuṭṭhāyī pacchānipātī kiṅkārapaṭissāvī manāpacārī piyavādī”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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