Esukārīsutta

Majjhima Nikāya 96

With Esukārī · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral

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thusEvaṁ by meme heardsutaṁ—
oneekaṁ timesamayaṁ the Blessed Onebhagavā near Sāvatthīsāvatthiyaṁ apart·dwellviharati in Jeta's Grovejetavane of Anāthapiṇḍikaanāthapiṇḍikassa monasteryārāme.

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

thenAtha indeedkho Esukārīesukārī brahminbrāhmaṇo whereyena the Blessed Onebhagavā him·went uptenupasaṅkami; having approachedupasaṅkamitvā with the Blessed Onebhagavatā togethersaddhiṁ exchanged greetingssammodi.
greetingSammodanīyaṁ conversationkathaṁ politesāraṇīyaṁ having exchangedvītisāretvā to one sideekamantaṁ sat downnisīdi. to one sideEkamantaṁ seatednisinno indeedkho Esukārīesukārī brahminbrāhmaṇo to the Blessed Onebhagavantaṁ this·saidetadavoca:

Then Esukārī the brahmin went up 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:

brahmins“brāhmaṇā, worthybho Gotamagotama, fourcatasso servicespāricariyā prescribepaññapenti—
for a brahminbrāhmaṇassa servicepāricariyaṁ prescribepaññapenti, for an aristocratkhattiyassa servicepāricariyaṁ prescribepaññapenti, for a peasantvessassa servicepāricariyaṁ prescribepaññapenti, for a menialsuddassa servicepāricariyaṁ prescribepaññapenti.
there + thisTatridaṁ, worthybho Gotamagotama, brahminsbrāhmaṇā for a brahminbrāhmaṇassa servicepāricariyaṁ prescribepaññapenti:
a brahmin‘brāhmaṇo orvā a brahminbrāhmaṇaṁ around·moveparicareyya, an aristocratkhattiyo orvā a brahminbrāhmaṇaṁ around·moveparicareyya, a peasantvesso orvā a brahminbrāhmaṇaṁ around·moveparicareyya, a menialsuddo orvā a brahminbrāhmaṇaṁ around·move·quoteparicareyyā’ti.
thisIdaṁ indeedkho, worthybho Gotamagotama, brahminsbrāhmaṇā for a brahminbrāhmaṇassa servicepāricariyaṁ prescribepaññapenti.
there + thisTatridaṁ, worthybho Gotamagotama, brahminsbrāhmaṇā for an aristocratkhattiyassa servicepāricariyaṁ prescribepaññapenti:
an aristocrat‘khattiyo orvā an aristocratkhattiyaṁ around·moveparicareyya, a peasantvesso orvā an aristocratkhattiyaṁ around·moveparicareyya, a menialsuddo orvā an aristocratkhattiyaṁ around·move·quoteparicareyyā’ti.
thisIdaṁ indeedkho, worthybho Gotamagotama, brahminsbrāhmaṇā for an aristocratkhattiyassa servicepāricariyaṁ prescribepaññapenti.
there + thisTatridaṁ, worthybho Gotamagotama, brahminsbrāhmaṇā for a peasantvessassa servicepāricariyaṁ prescribepaññapenti:
a peasant‘vesso orvā a peasantvessaṁ around·moveparicareyya, a menialsuddo orvā a peasantvessaṁ around·move·quoteparicareyyā’ti.
thisIdaṁ indeedkho, worthybho Gotamagotama, brahminsbrāhmaṇā for a peasantvessassa servicepāricariyaṁ prescribepaññapenti.

“Worthy Gotama, the brahmins prescribe four kinds of service: for a brahmin, an aristocrat, a peasant, and a menial. This is the service they prescribe for a brahmin: ‘A brahmin, an aristocrat, a peasant, and a menial may all serve a brahmin.’ This is the service they prescribe for an aristocrat: ‘An aristocrat, a peasant, and a menial may all serve an aristocrat.’ This is the service they prescribe for a peasant: ‘A peasant or a menial may serve a peasant.’

this·here + thisTatridaṁ, sirbho Gotamagotama, brahminsbrāhmaṇā for a menialsuddassa servicepāricariyaṁ they prescribepaññapenti:
only a menial‘suddova a menialsuddaṁ may serveparicareyya.
whoKo but·otherpanañño a menialsuddaṁ will serveparicarissatī’ti?
thisIdaṁ indeedkho, sirbho Gotamagotama, brahminsbrāhmaṇā for a menialsuddassa servicepāricariyaṁ they prescribepaññapenti.
brahminsBrāhmaṇā, sirbho Gotamagotama, theseimā fourcatasso kinds of servicepāricariyā they prescribepaññapenti.
hereIdha masterbhavaṁ Gotamagotamo what does he saykimāhā”ti?

This is the service they prescribe for a menial: ‘Only a menial may serve a menial. For who else will serve a menial?’ These are the four kinds of service that the brahmins prescribe. What do you say about this?”

what?“Kiṁ thenpana, brahminbrāhmaṇa, allsabbo the worldloko of the brahminsbrāhmaṇānaṁ agreed to thisetadabbhanujānāti: these‘imā fourcatasso servicespāricariyā should prescribepaññapentū’”ti?
no“No indeedhidaṁ, worthybho Gotamagotama”.
just as“Seyyathāpi, brahminbrāhmaṇa, a personpuriso poordaliddo pennilessassako destituteanāḷhiyo. to himTassa unwillingakāmassa a chopbilaṁ they would forceolaggeyyuṁ: this‘idaṁ yourte, heyambho personpurisa, meatmaṁsaṁ is to be eatenkhāditabbaṁ, and the pricemūlañca is to be paidanuppadātabban’ti.
in the same wayEvameva indeedkho, brahminbrāhmaṇa, brahminsbrāhmaṇā without consentappaṭiññāya of thosetesaṁ ascetics and brahminssamaṇabrāhmaṇānaṁ, butatha andca but thesepanimā fourcatasso servicespāricariyā prescribepaññapenti.

“But brahmin, did the whole world authorize the brahmins to prescribe these four kinds of service?” “No, worthy Gotama.” “It’s as if they were to force a chop on a poor, penniless person, telling them, ‘Eat this meat and pay for it!’ In the same way, the brahmins have prescribed these four kinds of service without the consent of those ascetics and brahmins.

I do notNāhaṁ, brahminbrāhmaṇa, everyone‘sabbaṁ should be servedparicaritabban’ti I sayvadāmi; I do notnāhaṁ, brahminbrāhmaṇa, everyone‘sabbaṁ notna should be servedparicaritabban’ti I sayvadāmi.
whomYaṁ for himhissa, brahminbrāhmaṇa, servingparicarato serving·becausepāricariyāhetu worsepāpiyo he would becomeassa notna betterseyyo, I do notnāhaṁ that onetaṁ should be served‘paricaritabban’ti I sayvadāmi;
and whomyañca for himkhvāssa, brahminbrāhmaṇa, servingparicarato serving·becausepāricariyāhetu betterseyyo he would becomeassa notna worsepāpiyo that one Itamahaṁ should be served‘paricaritabban’ti I sayvadāmi.

Brahmin, I don’t say that you should serve everyone, nor do I say that you shouldn’t serve anyone. I say that you shouldn’t serve someone if serving them makes you worse, not better. And I say that you should serve someone if serving them makes you better, not worse.

aristocrat·if·tooKhattiyañcepi, brahminbrāhmaṇa, thusevaṁ they might askpuccheyyuṁ:
whom‘yaṁ orvā youte around·serveparicarato serving·becausepāricariyāhetu worsepāpiyo would beassa notna betterseyyo, whomyaṁ orvā youte around·serveparicarato serving·becausepāricariyāhetu betterseyyo would beassa notna worsepāpiyo;
which + herekamettha you would serveparicareyyāsī’ti, aristocrat·tookhattiyopi indeedhi, brahminbrāhmaṇa, rightlysammā out·answerbyākaramāno thusevaṁ out·answerbyākareyya:
whom indeed‘yañhi for meme around·serveparicarato serving·becausepāricariyāhetu worsepāpiyo would beassa notna betterseyyo, I would notnāhaṁ that onetaṁ I would serveparicareyyaṁ; who·butyañca indeedkho for meme around·serveparicarato serving·becausepāricariyāhetu betterseyyo would beassa notna worsepāpiyo that + Itamahaṁ I would serveparicareyyan’ti.

If they were to ask an aristocrat this, ‘Who should you serve? Someone in whose service you get worse, or someone in whose service you get better?’ Answering rightly, an aristocrat would say, ‘Someone in whose service I get better.’

brahmin + if·tooBrāhmaṇañcepi, brahminbrāhmaṇa pe…pe…
peasant + if·toovessañcepi, brahminbrāhmaṇa pe…pe…
menial + if·toosuddañcepi, brahminbrāhmaṇa, thusevaṁ they might askpuccheyyuṁ:
who‘yaṁ orvā youte around·serveparicarato around·service·sakepāricariyāhetu worsepāpiyo you would beassa notna betterseyyo, whoyaṁ orvā youte around·serveparicarato around·service·sakepāricariyāhetu betterseyyo you would beassa notna worsepāpiyo;
who·herekamettha should you serveparicareyyāsī’ti, a menial toosuddopi indeedhi, brahminbrāhmaṇa, rightlysammā out·answerbyākaramāno thusevaṁ out·answerbyākareyya:
for whom‘yañhi meme around·serveparicarato around·service·sakepāricariyāhetu worsepāpiyo I would beassa notna betterseyyo, I do notnāhaṁ himtaṁ around·serveparicareyyaṁ; who + butyañca indeedkho meme around·serveparicarato around·service·sakepāricariyāhetu betterseyyo I would beassa notna worsepāpiyo him·Itamahaṁ I would serveparicareyyan’ti.
not + INāhaṁ, brahminbrāhmaṇa, eminent family‘uccākulīnatā a better personseyyaṁso’ti I sayvadāmi, notna but I do notpanāhaṁ, brahminbrāhmaṇa, eminent family‘uccākulīnatā a worse personpāpiyaṁso’ti I sayvadāmi;
not + Ināhaṁ, brahminbrāhmaṇa, exceptional beauty‘uḷāravaṇṇatā a better personseyyaṁso’ti I sayvadāmi, notna but I do notpanāhaṁ, brahminbrāhmaṇa, exceptional beauty‘uḷāravaṇṇatā a worse personpāpiyaṁso’ti I sayvadāmi;
not + Ināhaṁ, brahminbrāhmaṇa, exceptional wealth‘uḷārabhogatā a better personseyyaṁso’ti I sayvadāmi, notna but I do notpanāhaṁ, brahminbrāhmaṇa, exceptional wealth‘uḷārabhogatā a worse personpāpiyaṁso’ti I sayvadāmi.

If they were to ask a brahmin … a peasant … or a menial this, ‘Who should you serve? Someone in whose service you get worse, or someone in whose service you get better?’ Answering rightly, a menial would say, ‘Someone in whose service I get better.’ Brahmin, I don’t say that an eminent family makes you a better or worse person. I don’t say that exceptional beauty makes you a better or worse person. I don’t say that exceptional wealth makes you a better or worse person.

For some people from eminent families kill living creatures, steal, and commit sexual misconduct. They use speech that’s false, backbiting, harsh, or nonsensical. And they’re covetous, malicious, with wrong view. That’s why I don’t say that an eminent family makes you a better person. But some people from eminent families also refrain from killing living creatures, stealing, and sexual misconduct. They refrain from using speech that’s false, divisive, harsh, or nonsensical. And they’re content, kind-hearted, with right view. That’s why I don’t say that an eminent family makes you a worse person. And some people who are exceptionally beautiful … And some people who are exceptionally wealthy kill living creatures … and have wrong view. That’s why I don’t say that exceptional wealth makes you a better person. But some people who are exceptionally wealthy also refrain from killing living creatures … and have right view.

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