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Majjhima Nikāya 93

Assalāyanasutta

With Assalāyana · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral

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Evaṁ me sutaṁ—
ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme.

So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery.

Tena kho pana samayena nānāverajjakānaṁ brāhmaṇānaṁ pañcamattāni brāhmaṇasatāni sāvatthiyaṁ paṭivasanti kenacideva karaṇīyena.
Atha kho tesaṁ brāhmaṇānaṁ etadahosi:
“ayaṁ kho samaṇo gotamo cātuvaṇṇiṁ suddhiṁ paññapeti.
Ko nu kho pahoti samaṇena gotamena saddhiṁ asmiṁ vacane paṭimantetun”ti?

Now at that time around five hundred brahmins from abroad were residing in Sāvatthī on some business. Then those brahmins thought, “This ascetic Gotama advocates purification for all four classes. Who is capable of debating with him about this?”

Tena kho pana samayena assalāyano nāma māṇavo sāvatthiyaṁ paṭivasati daharo, vuttasiro, soḷasavassuddesiko jātiyā, tiṇṇaṁ vedānaṁ pāragū sanighaṇḍukeṭubhānaṁ sākkharappabhedānaṁ itihāsapañcamānaṁ, padako, veyyākaraṇo, lokāyatamahāpurisalakkhaṇesu anavayo.
Atha kho tesaṁ brāhmaṇānaṁ etadahosi:
“ayaṁ kho assalāyano māṇavo sāvatthiyaṁ paṭivasati daharo, vuttasiro, soḷasavassuddesiko jātiyā, tiṇṇaṁ vedānaṁ pāragū …pe… anavayo.
So kho pahoti samaṇena gotamena saddhiṁ asmiṁ vacane paṭimantetun”ti.

Now at that time the student Assalāyana was residing in Sāvatthī. He was young, tonsured, and sixteen 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. Then those brahmins thought, “This Assalāyana is capable of debating with the ascetic Gotama about this.”

Atha kho te brāhmaṇā yena assalāyano māṇavo tenupasaṅkamiṁsu; upasaṅkamitvā assalāyanaṁ māṇavaṁ etadavocuṁ:
“ayaṁ, bho assalāyana, samaṇo gotamo cātuvaṇṇiṁ suddhiṁ paññapeti.
Etu bhavaṁ assalāyano samaṇena gotamena saddhiṁ asmiṁ vacane paṭimantetū”ti.
Evaṁ vutte, assalāyano māṇavo te brāhmaṇe etadavoca:
“samaṇo khalu, bho, gotamo dhammavādī;
dhammavādino ca pana duppaṭimantiyā bhavanti.
Nāhaṁ sakkomi samaṇena gotamena saddhiṁ asmiṁ vacane paṭimantetun”ti.
Dutiyampi kho te brāhmaṇā assalāyanaṁ māṇavaṁ etadavocuṁ:
“ayaṁ, bho assalāyana, samaṇo gotamo cātuvaṇṇiṁ suddhiṁ paññapeti.
Etu bhavaṁ assalāyano samaṇena gotamena saddhiṁ asmiṁ vacane paṭimantetu.
Caritaṁ kho pana bhotā assalāyanena paribbājakan”ti.
Dutiyampi kho assalāyano māṇavo te brāhmaṇe etadavoca:
“samaṇo khalu, bho, gotamo dhammavādī;

So they approached Assalāyana and said to him, “This ascetic Gotama advocates purification for all four classes. Please, worthy Assalāyana, debate with the ascetic Gotama about this.” When they said this, Assalāyana said to them, “They say that the ascetic Gotama is a speaker of principle. But speakers of principle are hard to debate. I’m not capable of debating with the ascetic Gotama about this.” For a second time, those brahmins said to him “This ascetic Gotama advocates purification for all four classes. Please, worthy Assalāyana, debate with the ascetic Gotama about this. For you have lived as a wanderer.” And for a second time, Assalāyana refused.

dhammavādino ca pana duppaṭimantiyā bhavanti.
Nāhaṁ sakkomi samaṇena gotamena saddhiṁ asmiṁ vacane paṭimantetun”ti.
Tatiyampi kho te brāhmaṇā assalāyanaṁ māṇavaṁ etadavocuṁ:
“ayaṁ, bho assalāyana, samaṇo gotamo cātuvaṇṇiṁ suddhiṁ paññapeti.
Etu bhavaṁ assalāyano samaṇena gotamena saddhiṁ asmiṁ vacane paṭimantetu.
Caritaṁ kho pana bhotā assalāyanena paribbājakaṁ.
Mā bhavaṁ assalāyano ayuddhaparājitaṁ parājayī”ti.
Evaṁ vutte, assalāyano māṇavo te brāhmaṇe etadavoca:
“addhā kho ahaṁ bhavanto na labhāmi.
Samaṇo khalu, bho, gotamo dhammavādī;
dhammavādino ca pana duppaṭimantiyā bhavanti.
Nāhaṁ sakkomi samaṇena gotamena saddhiṁ asmiṁ vacane paṭimantetunti.
Api cāhaṁ bhavantānaṁ vacanena gamissāmī”ti.

For a third time, those brahmins said to him, “This ascetic Gotama advocates purification for all four classes. Please, worthy Assalāyana, debate with the ascetic Gotama about this. For you have lived as a wanderer. Don’t admit defeat before going into battle!” When they said this, Assalāyana said to them, “Clearly, worthy sirs, I’m not getting through to you when I say: ‘They say that the ascetic Gotama is a speaker of principle. But speakers of principle are hard to debate. I’m not capable of debating with the ascetic Gotama about this.’ Nevertheless, I shall go at your bidding.”

Atha kho assalāyano māṇavo mahatā brāhmaṇagaṇena saddhiṁ yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavatā saddhiṁ sammodi.
Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho assalāyano māṇavo bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:
“brāhmaṇā, bho gotama, evamāhaṁsu:
‘brāhmaṇova seṭṭho vaṇṇo, hīno añño vaṇṇo;
brāhmaṇova sukko vaṇṇo, kaṇho añño vaṇṇo;
brāhmaṇova sujjhanti, no abrāhmaṇā;
brāhmaṇāva brahmuno puttā orasā mukhato jātā brahmajā brahmanimmitā brahmadāyādā’ti.
Idha bhavaṁ gotamo kimāhā”ti?
“Dissanti kho pana, assalāyana, brāhmaṇānaṁ brāhmaṇiyo utuniyopi gabbhiniyopi vijāyamānāpi pāyamānāpi.
Te ca brāhmaṇiyonijāva samānā 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.

Then Assalāyana together with a large group of brahmins went to the Buddha and exchanged greetings with him. When the greetings and polite conversation were over, he sat down to one side and said to the Buddha: “Worthy Gotama, 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 Divinity’s bosom sons, born from his mouth, born of the Divinity, created by the Divinity, heirs of the Divinity.’ What do you say about this?” “But Assalāyana, brahmin women are seen menstruating, being pregnant, giving birth, and breastfeeding. Yet even though they’re born from a brahmin womb they 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 Divinity’s bosom sons, born from his mouth, born of the Divinity, created by the Divinity, heirs of the Divinity.’”

“Kiñcāpi bhavaṁ gotamo evamāha, atha khvettha brāhmaṇā evametaṁ maññanti:
‘brāhmaṇova seṭṭho vaṇṇo, hīno añño vaṇṇo …pe…
brahmadāyādā’”ti.
“Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, assalāyana,
sutaṁ te: ‘yonakambojesu aññesu ca paccantimesu janapadesu dveva vaṇṇā—ayyo ceva dāso ca; ayyo hutvā dāso hoti, dāso hutvā ayyo hotī’”ti?
“Evaṁ, bho, sutaṁ taṁ me: ‘yonakambojesu aññesu ca paccantimesu janapadesu dveva vaṇṇā—ayyo ceva dāso ca; ayyo hutvā dāso hoti, dāso hutvā ayyo hotī’”ti.
“Ettha, assalāyana, brāhmaṇānaṁ kiṁ balaṁ, ko assāso yadettha brāhmaṇā evamāhaṁsu:
‘brāhmaṇova seṭṭho vaṇṇo, hīno añño vaṇṇo …pe…
brahmadāyādā’”ti?

“Even though you say this, still the brahmins maintain their belief.” “What do you think, Assalāyana? Have you heard that in Greece and Persia and other foreign lands there are only two classes, masters and bonded servants; and that masters may become servants, and servants masters?” “Yes, I have heard that.” “Then what is the source of the brahmins’ certainty and forcefulness in this matter that they make this claim?”

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