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Majjhima Nikāya 91

Brahmāyusutta

With Brahmāyu · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral

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thusEvaṁ by meme heardsutaṁ—
oneekaṁ timesamayaṁ the Blessed Onebhagavā among the Videhansvidehesu on walking tourcārikaṁ was wanderingcarati with a largemahatā with a community of mendicantsbhikkhusaṅghena together withsaddhiṁ five hundredpañcamattehi with mendicantsbhikkhusatehi.

So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was wandering in the land of the Videhans together with a large Saṅgha of five hundred mendicants.

at thatTena indeedkho thenpana at the timesamayena Brahmāyubrahmāyu the brahminbrāhmaṇo in Mithilāmithilāyaṁ was residingpaṭivasati oldjiṇṇo elderlyvuḍḍho seniormahallako advanced in yearsaddhagato reached old age,vayoanuppatto, a hundred and twenty years oldvīsavassasatiko by birth,jātiyā, of the threetiṇṇaṁ of the Vedasvedānaṁ masterpāragū with their vocabularies and ritual performancesanighaṇḍukeṭubhānaṁ phonology and word classificationsākkharappabhedānaṁ with the testaments as fifth,itihāsapañcamānaṁ, word-by-word,padako, grammarian,veyyākaraṇo, in cosmology and the marks of a great manlokāyatamahāpurisalakkhaṇesu well versedanavayo.

Now at that time the brahmin Brahmāyu was residing in Mithilā. He was old, elderly, and senior, advanced in years, having reached the final stage of life; he was a hundred and twenty years old. He had mastered the three Vedas, together with their vocabularies and ritual performance, their phonology and word classification, and the testaments as fifth. He knew them word-by-word, and their grammar. He was well versed in cosmology and the marks of a great man.

he heardAssosi indeedkho Brahmāyubrahmāyu brahminbrāhmaṇo:
ascetic“samaṇo it seemskhalu sirbho, Gotamagotamo Sakyan sonsakyaputto from a Sakyan familysakyakulā gone forthpabbajito among the Videhansvidehesu wanderingcārikaṁ wanderscarati largemahatā with a Saṅgha of mendicantsbhikkhusaṅghena together withsaddhiṁ five hundredpañcamattehi mendicantsbhikkhusatehi.
himTaṁ indeedkho andpana the venerablebhavantaṁ Gotamagotamaṁ thusevaṁ goodkalyāṇo reputationkittisaddo spreadabbhuggato:
it is thus‘itipi thatso Blessed Onebhagavā perfectedarahaṁ fully awakened Buddhasammāsambuddho accomplished in knowledge and conductvijjācaraṇasampanno holysugato knower of the worldlokavidū supremeanuttaro guide for those fit for trainingpurisadammasārathi teachersatthā of gods and humansdevamanussānaṁ awakenedbuddho Blessed Onebhagavā’ti.
heSo thisimaṁ worldlokaṁ with its godssadevakaṁ with its Mārassamārakaṁ with its divinitiessabrahmakaṁ with its ascetics and brahminssassamaṇabrāhmaṇiṁ populationpajaṁ gods and humanssadevamanussaṁ with his own insightsayaṁ he has realizedabhiññā having realizedsacchikatvā makes knownpavedeti.
heSo Dhammadhammaṁ teachesdeseti good in the beginningādikalyāṇaṁ good in the middlemajjhekalyāṇaṁ good in the endpariyosānakalyāṇaṁ meaningfulsātthaṁ well-phrasedsabyañjanaṁ, entirely fullkevalaparipuṇṇaṁ pureparisuddhaṁ spiritual practicebrahmacariyaṁ revealspakāseti.
goodSādhu indeedkho andpana suchtathārūpānaṁ perfected onesarahataṁ seeingdassanaṁ ishotī”ti.

He heard: “It seems the ascetic Gotama—a Sakyan, gone forth from a Sakyan family—is wandering in the land of the Videhans, together with a large Saṅgha of five hundred mendicants. He has this good reputation: ‘That Blessed One is perfected, a fully awakened Buddha, accomplished in knowledge and conduct, holy, knower of the world, supreme guide for those fit for training, teacher of gods and humans, awakened, blessed.’ He has realized with his own insight this world—with its gods, Māras, and divinities, this population with its ascetics and brahmins, gods and humans—and he makes it known to others. He teaches Dhamma that’s good in the beginning, good in the middle, and good in the end, meaningful and well-phrased. And he reveals a spiritual practice that’s entirely full and pure. It’s good to see such perfected ones.”

by thatTena indeedkho nowpana at the timesamayena of Brahmāyubrahmāyussa of the brahminbrāhmaṇassa Uttarauttaro namednāma studentmāṇavo pupilantevāsī ishoti of the threetiṇṇaṁ Vedasvedānaṁ one who has reached the far shorepāragū with the glossariessanighaṇḍukeṭubhānaṁ with the phonologysākkharappabhedānaṁ with the epics as fifthitihāsapañcamānaṁ, a reciterpadako, a grammarianveyyākaraṇo, in cosmology and the marks of a great manlokāyatamahāpurisalakkhaṇesu not deficientanavayo.
thenAtha indeedkho the brahmin Brahmāyubrahmāyu brahminbrāhmaṇo Uttarauttaraṁ studentmāṇavaṁ addressedāmantesi:
this“ayaṁ, deartāta Uttarauttara, the asceticsamaṇo Gotamagotamo son of the Sakyanssakyaputto from the Sakyan clansakyakulā gone forthpabbajito among the Videhansvidehesu on tourcārikaṁ walkscarati with a largemahatā community of monksbhikkhusaṅghena together withsaddhiṁ about fivepañcamattehi hundred monksbhikkhusatehi.
of himTaṁ indeedkho nowpana the venerablebhavantaṁ Gotamagotamaṁ thusevaṁ goodkalyāṇo reputationkittisaddo has arisenabbhuggato:
indeed‘itipi thatso Blessed Onebhagavā worthyarahaṁ perfectly awakenedsammāsambuddho …pe……pe…
goodsādhu indeedkho nowpana of suchtathārūpānaṁ worthy onesarahataṁ seeingdassanaṁ ishotī’ti.
comeEhi youtvaṁ, deartāta Uttarauttara, whereyena the asceticsamaṇo Gotamagotamo there approachtenupasaṅkama; having approachedupasaṅkamitvā the asceticsamaṇaṁ Gotamagotamaṁ find outjānāhi, whetheryadi orvā of himtaṁ the venerablebhavantaṁ Gotamagotamaṁ sotathā trulysantaṁyeva reputationsaddo has arisenabbhuggato, whetheryadi orvā notno sotathā;

Now at that time the brahmin Brahmāyu had a pupil named Uttara. He too had mastered the Vedic curriculum. Brahmāyu told Uttara of the Buddha’s presence in the land of the Videhans, and added: “Please, dear Uttara, go to the ascetic Gotama and find out whether or not he lives up to his reputation.

ifyadi orvā heso worthybhavaṁ Gotamagotamo suchtādiso, ifyadi orvā notna suchtādiso.
thusTathā wemayaṁ himtaṁ worthybhavantaṁ Gotamagotamaṁ we shall knowvedissāmā”ti.

Through you I shall learn about the worthy Gotama.”

as“Yathā howkathaṁ but Ipanāhaṁ, sirbho, thattaṁ masterbhavantaṁ Gotamagotamaṁ I shall knowjānissāmi whetheryadi orvā thattaṁ masterbhavantaṁ Gotamagotamaṁ sotathā being indeedsantaṁyeva reportsaddo arisenabbhuggato, whetheryadi orvā notno sotathā;
whetheryadi orvā heso masterbhavaṁ Gotamagotamo suchtādiso, whetheryadi orvā notna suchtādiso”ti.
have come down“Āgatāni indeedkho, deartāta Uttarauttara, ouramhākaṁ in the hymnsmantesu the thirty-two marks of a great mandvattiṁsamahāpurisalakkhaṇāni, with whichyehi endowedsamannāgatassa of a great manmahāpurisassa only twodveyeva destiniesgatiyo there arebhavanti no otheranaññā.
ifSace homeagāraṁ he dwellsajjhāvasati, a kingrājā he ishoti a wheel-turning monarchcakkavattī justdhammiko a principled kingdhammarājā whose dominion extends to all four sidescāturanto victoriousvijitāvī achieving stability in the countryjanapadatthāvariyappatto possessing the seven treasuressattaratanasamannāgato.
these for himTassimāni sevensatta treasuresratanāni there arebhavanti, that isseyyathidaṁ—
the wheel-treasurecakkaratanaṁ, the elephant-treasurehatthiratanaṁ, the horse-treasureassaratanaṁ, the jewel-treasuremaṇiratanaṁ, the woman-treasureitthiratanaṁ, the householder-treasuregahapatiratanaṁ, the commander-treasure as seventhpariṇāyakaratanameva seventhsattamaṁ.
over a thousandParosahassaṁ indeedkho and for himpanassa sonsputtā there arebhavanti valiantsūrā heroic in formvīraṅgarūpā crushing the armies of enemiesparasenappamaddanā.
heSo thisimaṁ earthpathaviṁ girt by seasāgarapariyantaṁ without rodadaṇḍena without swordasatthena by principledhammena having conqueredabhivijiya he dwellsajjhāvasati.
ifSace indeedkho thenpana from homeagārasmā to homelessnessanagāriyaṁ he goes forthpabbajati, a perfected onearahaṁ he ishoti a fully awakened Buddhasammāsambuddho in the worldloke who has cast off the world’s veilvivaṭṭacchado.

“But sir, how shall I find out whether or not the ascetic Gotama lives up to his reputation?” “Dear Uttara, the thirty-two marks of a great man have been handed down in our hymns. A great man who possesses these has only two possible destinies, no other. If he stays at home he becomes a king, a wheel-turning monarch, a just and principled king. His dominion extends to all four sides, he achieves stability in the country, and he possesses the seven treasures. He has the following seven treasures: the wheel, the elephant, the horse, the jewel, the woman, the householder, and the commander as the seventh treasure. He has over a thousand sons who are valiant and heroic, crushing the armies of his enemies. After conquering this land girt by sea, he reigns by principle, without rod or sword. But if he goes forth from the lay life to homelessness, he becomes a perfected one, a fully awakened Buddha, who has cast off the world’s veil.

IAhaṁ indeedkho butpana, deartāta Uttarauttara, of the hymnsmantānaṁ the giverdātā;
youtvaṁ of the hymnsmantānaṁ the receiverpaṭiggahetā”ti.

But, dear Uttara, I am the one who gives the hymns, and you are the one who receives them.”

“yes,“Evaṁ, worthy sir,”bho”ti indeedkho Uttarauttaro studentmāṇavo of Brahmāyubrahmāyussa of the brahminbrāhmaṇassa having promisedpaṭissutvā having risen from his seatuṭṭhāyāsanā Brahmāyubrahmāyuṁ brahminbrāhmaṇaṁ having bowedabhivādetvā respectfully circlingpadakkhiṇaṁ having donekatvā among the Videhansvidehesu whereyena the Buddhabhagavā theretena wanderingcārikaṁ he set out.pakkāmi.
stage by stageAnupubbena wanderingcārikaṁ travelingcaramāno whereyena the Buddhabhagavā he came to him;tenupasaṅkami; having approachedupasaṅkamitvā with the Buddhabhagavatā togethersaddhiṁ he exchanged greetings.sammodi.
greetingSammodanīyaṁ conversationkathaṁ politesāraṇīyaṁ having exchangedvītisāretvā to one sideekamantaṁ he sat down.nisīdi.
to one sideEkamantaṁ seatednisinno indeedkho Uttarauttaro studentmāṇavo of the Buddhabhagavato on the bodykāye the thirty-two marks of a great mandvattiṁsamahāpurisalakkhaṇāni he scrutinized.samannesi.
he sawAddasā indeedkho Uttarauttaro studentmāṇavo of the Buddhabhagavato on the bodykāye the thirty-two marks of a great man,dvattiṁsamahāpurisalakkhaṇāni, mostlyyebhuyyena exceptthapetvā two.dve.
about twoDvīsu marks of a great manmahāpurisalakkhaṇesu he doubtskaṅkhati he is uncertainvicikicchati he is not convincednādhimuccati notna he is not confident—sampasīdati—
sheathedkosohite andca private partsvatthaguyhe largeness of the tonguepahūtajivhatāya and.ca.
thenAtha indeedkho to the Buddhabhagavato this occurred:etadahosi:
“sees“passati indeedkho myme thisayaṁ Uttarauttaro studentmāṇavo the thirty-two marks of a great man,dvattiṁsamahāpurisalakkhaṇāni, mostlyyebhuyyena exceptthapetvā two.dve.
about twoDvīsu marks of a great manmahāpurisalakkhaṇesu he doubtskaṅkhati he is uncertainvicikicchati he is not convincednādhimuccati notna he is not confident—sampasīdati—
sheathedkosohite andca private partsvatthaguyhe largeness of the tonguepahūtajivhatāya and.”cā”ti.

“Yes, worthy sir,” replied Uttara. He got up from his seat, bowed, and respectfully circled Brahmāyu, keeping him on his right, before setting out for the land of the Videhans where the Buddha was wandering. Traveling stage by stage, he came to the Buddha and exchanged greetings with him. When the greetings and polite conversation were over, he sat down to one side, and scrutinized his body for the thirty-two marks of a great man. He saw all of them except two, which he had doubts about: whether the private parts are sheathed in a foreskin, and the largeness of the tongue. Then it occurred to the Buddha, “This student Uttara sees all the marks except two, which he has doubts about: whether the private parts are sheathed in a foreskin, and the largeness of the tongue.”

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