Caṅkīsutta

Majjhima Nikāya 95

With Caṅkī · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral

Parallels & more translations on SuttaCentral

Glosses: Fluent · Literal · Off
Translation: Hide · Show

Tap any word for its dictionary entry.

aparimāṇavaṇṇo hi so bhavaṁ gotamo.
Ekamekenapi tena aṅgena samannāgato na arahati, so bhavaṁ gotamo amhākaṁ dassanāya upasaṅkamituṁ;
atha kho mayameva arahāma taṁ bhavantaṁ gotamaṁ dassanāya upasaṅkamitunti.
Tena hi, bho, sabbeva mayaṁ samaṇaṁ gotamaṁ dassanāya upasaṅkamissāmā”ti.

for the praise of the worthy Gotama is limitless. The possession of even a single one of these factors makes it inappropriate for Worthy Gotama to come to see me; rather, it’s appropriate for me to go to see him. Well then, gentlemen, let’s all go to see the ascetic Gotama.”

Atha kho caṅkī brāhmaṇo mahatā brāhmaṇagaṇena saddhiṁ yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavatā saddhiṁ sammodi.
Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi.

Then Caṅkī 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.

Tena kho pana samayena bhagavā vuddhehi vuddhehi brāhmaṇehi saddhiṁ kiñci kiñci kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā nisinno hoti.
Tena kho pana samayena kāpaṭiko nāma māṇavo daharo vuttasiro soḷasavassuddesiko jātiyā, tiṇṇaṁ vedānaṁ pāragū sanighaṇḍukeṭubhānaṁ sākkharappabhedānaṁ itihāsapañcamānaṁ, padako, veyyākaraṇo, lokāyatamahāpurisalakkhaṇesu anavayo tassaṁ parisāyaṁ nisinno hoti.
So vuddhānaṁ vuddhānaṁ brāhmaṇānaṁ bhagavatā saddhiṁ mantayamānānaṁ antarantarā kathaṁ opāteti.
Atha kho bhagavā kāpaṭikaṁ māṇavaṁ apasādeti:
“māyasmā bhāradvājo vuddhānaṁ vuddhānaṁ brāhmaṇānaṁ mantayamānānaṁ antarantarā kathaṁ opātetu.
Kathāpariyosānaṁ āyasmā bhāradvājo āgametū”ti.
Evaṁ vutte, caṅkī brāhmaṇo bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:
“mā bhavaṁ gotamo kāpaṭikaṁ māṇavaṁ apasādesi.

Now at that time the Buddha was sitting engaged in some polite conversation together with some very senior brahmins. And the student Kāpaṭika was sitting in that assembly. 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. While the senior brahmins were conversing together with the Buddha, he interrupted. Then the Buddha rebuked Kāpaṭika, “Venerable Bhāradvāja, don’t interrupt the senior brahmins. Wait until they’ve finished speaking.” When he had spoken, Caṅkī said to the Buddha, “Worthy Gotama, don’t rebuke the student Kāpaṭika.

kulaputto ca kāpaṭiko māṇavo, bahussuto ca kāpaṭiko māṇavo, paṇḍito ca kāpaṭiko māṇavo, kalyāṇavākkaraṇo ca kāpaṭiko māṇavo, pahoti ca kāpaṭiko māṇavo bhotā gotamena saddhiṁ asmiṁ vacane paṭimantetun”ti.

He’s a gentleman, learned and astute, who enunciates well. He is capable of debating with the worthy Gotama about this.”

Atha kho bhagavato etadahosi:
“addhā kho kāpaṭikassa māṇavassa tevijjake pāvacane kathā bhavissati.
Tathā hi naṁ brāhmaṇā sampurekkharontī”ti.
Atha kho kāpaṭikassa māṇavassa etadahosi:
“yadā me samaṇo gotamo cakkhuṁ upasaṁharissati, athāhaṁ samaṇaṁ gotamaṁ pañhaṁ pucchissāmī”ti.
Atha kho bhagavā kāpaṭikassa māṇavassa cetasā cetoparivitakkamaññāya yena kāpaṭiko māṇavo tena cakkhūni upasaṁhāsi.
Atha kho kāpaṭikassa māṇavassa etadahosi:
“samannāharati kho maṁ samaṇo gotamo.
Yannūnāhaṁ samaṇaṁ gotamaṁ pañhaṁ puccheyyan”ti.
Atha kho kāpaṭiko māṇavo bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:
“yadidaṁ, bho gotama, brāhmaṇānaṁ porāṇaṁ mantapadaṁ itihitihaparamparāya piṭakasampadāya, tattha ca brāhmaṇā ekaṁsena niṭṭhaṁ gacchanti:
‘idameva saccaṁ, moghamaññan’ti.
Idha bhavaṁ gotamo kimāhā”ti?

Then it occurred to the Buddha, “Clearly the student Kāpaṭika will talk about the scriptural heritage of the three Vedas. That’s why the brahmins put him at the front.” Then Kāpaṭika thought, “When the ascetic Gotama looks at me, I’ll ask him a question.” Then the Buddha, knowing Kāpaṭika’s train of thought, looked at him. Then Kāpaṭika thought, “The ascetic Gotama is engaging with me. Why don’t I ask him a question?” Then he said, “Worthy Gotama, regarding that which by the lineage of testament and by canonical authority is the ancient hymnal of the brahmins, the brahmins come to the categorical conclusion: ‘This is the only truth, anything else is futile.’ What do you say about this?”

“Kiṁ pana, bhāradvāja, atthi koci brāhmaṇānaṁ ekabrāhmaṇopi yo evamāha:
‘ahametaṁ jānāmi, ahametaṁ passāmi.
Idameva saccaṁ, moghamaññan’”ti?
“No hidaṁ, bho gotama”.
“Kiṁ pana, bhāradvāja, atthi koci brāhmaṇānaṁ ekācariyopi, ekācariyapācariyopi, yāva sattamā ācariyamahayugāpi, yo evamāha:
‘ahametaṁ jānāmi, ahametaṁ passāmi.
Idameva saccaṁ, moghamaññan’”ti?
“No hidaṁ, bho gotama”.
“Kiṁ pana, bhāradvāja, yepi te brāhmaṇānaṁ pubbakā isayo mantānaṁ kattāro mantānaṁ pavattāro yesamidaṁ etarahi brāhmaṇā porāṇaṁ mantapadaṁ gītaṁ pavuttaṁ samihitaṁ tadanugāyanti tadanubhāsanti bhāsitamanubhāsanti vācitamanuvācenti seyyathidaṁ—aṭṭhako vāmako vāmadevo vessāmitto yamataggi aṅgīraso bhāradvājo vāseṭṭho kassapo bhagu,
tepi evamāhaṁsu:
‘mayametaṁ jānāma, mayametaṁ passāma.
Idameva saccaṁ, moghamaññan’”ti?
“No hidaṁ, bho gotama”.
“Iti kira, bhāradvāja, natthi koci brāhmaṇānaṁ ekabrāhmaṇopi yo evamāha:

“Well, Bhāradvāja, is there even a single one of the brahmins who says this: ‘I know this, I see this: this is the only truth, anything else is futile’?” “No, worthy Gotama.” “Well, is there even a single tutor of the brahmins, or a tutors’ tutor, or anyone back to the seventh generation of tutors, who says this: ‘I know this, I see this: this is the only truth, anything else is futile’?” “No, worthy Gotama.” “Well, what of the ancient seers of the brahmins, namely Aṭṭhaka, Vāmaka, Vāmadeva, Vessāmitta, Yamadaggi, Aṅgīrasa, Bhāradvāja, Vāseṭṭha, Kassapa, and Bhagu? They were the authors and propagators of the hymns. Their hymnal was sung and propagated and compiled in ancient times; and these days, brahmins continue to sing and chant it, chanting what was chanted and teaching what was taught. Did even they say: ‘We know this, we see this: this is the only truth, anything else is futile’?” “No, worthy Gotama.” “So, Bhāradvāja, it seems that there is not a single one of the brahmins,

‘ahametaṁ jānāmi, ahametaṁ passāmi.
Idameva saccaṁ, moghamaññan’ti;
natthi koci brāhmaṇānaṁ ekācariyopi ekācariyapācariyopi, yāva sattamā ācariyamahayugāpi, yo evamāha:
‘ahametaṁ jānāmi, ahametaṁ passāmi.
Idameva saccaṁ, moghamaññan’ti;
yepi te brāhmaṇānaṁ pubbakā isayo mantānaṁ kattāro mantānaṁ pavattāro yesamidaṁ etarahi brāhmaṇā porāṇaṁ mantapadaṁ gītaṁ pavuttaṁ samihitaṁ tadanugāyanti tadanubhāsanti bhāsitamanubhāsanti vācitamanuvācenti seyyathidaṁ—aṭṭhako vāmako vāmadevo vessāmitto yamataggi aṅgīraso bhāradvājo vāseṭṭho kassapo bhagu, tepi na evamāhaṁsu:
‘mayametaṁ jānāma, mayametaṁ passāma.
Idameva saccaṁ, moghamaññan’ti.
Seyyathāpi, bhāradvāja, andhaveṇi paramparāsaṁsattā purimopi na passati majjhimopi na passati pacchimopi na passati;
evameva kho, bhāradvāja, andhaveṇūpamaṁ maññe brāhmaṇānaṁ bhāsitaṁ sampajjati—purimopi na passati majjhimopi na passati pacchimopi na passati.
Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, bhāradvāja,

not even anyone back to the seventh generation of tutors, nor even the ancient seers of the brahmins who say: ‘We know this, we see this: this is the only truth, anything else is futile.’ Suppose there was a queue of blind men, each holding the one in front: the first one does not see, the middle one does not see, and the last one does not see. In the same way, it seems to me that the brahmins’ statement turns out to be like a queue of blind men: the first one does not see, the middle one does not see, and the last one does not see. What do you think, Bhāradvāja?

Lite mode — plain HTML for e-readers and old browsers. Full version