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Majjhima Nikāya 98

Vāseṭṭhasutta

With Vāseṭṭha · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral

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thusEvaṁ by meme heard —sutaṁ—
oneekaṁ timesamayaṁ the Blessed Onebhagavā in Icchānaṅgalaicchānaṅgale was stayingviharati in the Icchānaṅgala forest thicket.icchānaṅgalavanasaṇḍe.

at that timeTena indeedkho nowpana at the timesamayena severalsambahulā very well-knownabhiññātā very well-knownabhiññātā well-to-do brahminsbrāhmaṇamahāsālā in Icchānaṅgalaicchānaṅgale were residingpaṭivasanti, that is to sayseyyathidaṁ—
Caṅkīcaṅkī the brahminbrāhmaṇo, Tārukkhatārukkho the brahminbrāhmaṇo, Pokkharasātipokkharasāti the brahminbrāhmaṇo, Jāṇussoṇijāṇussoṇi the brahminbrāhmaṇo, Todeyyatodeyyo the brahminbrāhmaṇo, othersaññe andca very well-knownabhiññātā very well-knownabhiññātā well-to-do brahminsbrāhmaṇamahāsālā.

thenAtha indeedkho of Vāseṭṭha-and-Bhāradvājavāseṭṭhabhāradvājānaṁ of the studentsmāṇavānaṁ for a walkjaṅghāvihāraṁ of those walking aboutanucaṅkamantānaṁ of those wandering aboutanuvicarantānaṁ this intermediate talkayamantarākathā aroseudapādi:
“how,“kathaṁ, sir,bho, a brahminbrāhmaṇo does one become?”hotī”ti?
BhāradvājaBhāradvājo the studentmāṇavo said this:evamāha:
“when“yato indeed,kho, sir,bho, on both sidesubhato well bornsujāto on the mother’s sidemātito andca on the father’s sidepitito andca stemming from a clean vesselsaṁsuddhagahaṇiko as far asyāva the seventhsattamā generation of paternal ancestorspitāmahayugā irrefutableakkhitto impeccableanupakkuṭṭho with respect to birth—jātivādena—
to that extentettāvatā indeed,kho, sir,bho, a brahminbrāhmaṇo does one become.”hotī”ti.
VāseṭṭhaVāseṭṭho the studentmāṇavo said this:evamāha:
“when“yato indeed,kho, sir,bho, ethicalsīlavā andca one ishoti accomplished in doing one’s dutiesvattasampanno and—ca—
to that extentettāvatā indeed,kho, sir,bho, a brahminbrāhmaṇo does one become.”hotī”ti.

but neitherNeva indeedkho was ableasakkhi Bhāradvājabhāradvājo young brahminmāṇavo Vāseṭṭhavāseṭṭhaṁ young brahminmāṇavaṁ to persuadesaññāpetuṁ, notna butpana was ableasakkhi Vāseṭṭhavāseṭṭho young brahminmāṇavo Bhāradvājabhāradvājaṁ young brahminmāṇavaṁ to persuadesaññāpetuṁ.

thenAtha indeedkho Vāseṭṭhavāseṭṭho young brahminmāṇavo to Bhāradvājabhāradvājaṁ young brahminmāṇavaṁ addressedāmantesi:
this“ayaṁ indeedkho, worthy sirbho Bhāradvājabhāradvāja, asceticsamaṇo Gotamagotamo son of the Sakyanssakyaputto from a Sakyan familysakyakulā gone forthpabbajito in Icchānaṅgalaicchānaṅgale is stayingviharati in the Icchānaṅgala forest groveicchānaṅgalavanasaṇḍe.
himTaṁ indeedkho nowpana the venerablebhavantaṁ Gotamagotamaṁ thusevaṁ goodkalyāṇo reputationkittisaddo spread abroadabbhuggato:
because of this‘itipi heso the 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 blessedbhagavā’ti.
comeĀyāma, worthy sirbho Bhāradvājabhāradvāja, whereyena asceticsamaṇo Gotamagotamo to him we will approachtenupasaṅkamissāma; having approachedupasaṅkamitvā the asceticsamaṇaṁ Gotamagotamaṁ this matteretamatthaṁ we will askpucchissāma.
asYathā to usno asceticsamaṇo Gotamagotamo will answerbyākarissati sotathā itnaṁ we will rememberdhāressāmā”ti.
yes“Evaṁ, worthy sirbho”ti indeedkho Bhāradvājabhāradvājo young brahminmāṇavo to Vāseṭṭhavāseṭṭhassa young brahminmāṇavassa repliedpaccassosi.

thenAtha indeedkho Vāseṭṭha-and-Bhāradvājavāseṭṭhabhāradvājā young brahminsmāṇavā whereyena the Blessed Onebhagavā to him they approachedtenupasaṅkamiṁsu; having approachedupasaṅkamitvā with the Blessed Onebhagavatā withsaddhiṁ they exchanged greetingssammodiṁsu.
of greetingsSammodanīyaṁ conversationkathaṁ politesāraṇīyaṁ having exchangedvītisāretvā to one sideekamantaṁ they sat downnisīdiṁsu.
to one sideEkamantaṁ seatednisinno indeedkho Vāseṭṭhavāseṭṭho young brahminmāṇavo the Blessed Onebhagavantaṁ with versesgāthāhi he addressedajjhabhāsi:

approved and acknowledged“Anuññātapaṭiññātā,
masters of the three Vedastevijjā we are bothmayamasmubho;
IAhaṁ of Pokkharasātipokkharasātissa,
and he is of Tārukkhatārukkhassāyaṁ studentmāṇavo.
of the three-Veda mastersTevijjānaṁ whatever is taughtyadakkhātaṁ,
theretatra we are fully qualifiedkevalinosmase;
as philologistsPadakasmā grammariansveyyākaraṇā,
in recitationjappe matching our tutorsācariyasādisā;
of thoseTesaṁ ourno in the debate on birthjātivādasmiṁ,
disputevivādo there isatthi Gotamagotama.
due to birthJātiyā a brahminbrāhmaṇo ishoti,
Bhāradvājabhāradvājo thusiti speaksbhāsati;
but IAhañca due to deedskammunā I declarebrūmi,
thusevaṁ knowjānāhi clear-eyed onecakkhuma.
weTe notna we are ablesakkoma to convinceñāpetuṁ,
each otheraññamaññaṁ wemayaṁ bothubho;
sirBhavantaṁ we have come to askpuṭṭhumāgamā,
fully awakenedsambuddhaṁ thusiti renownedvissutaṁ.
the moonCandaṁ asyathā passed beyond waningkhayātītaṁ,
afterwardspecca with cupped palmspañjalikā peoplejanā;
bowingVandamānā they honornamassanti,
in the worldlokasmiṁ Gotamagotamaṁ.
the eyeCakkhuṁ in the worldloke arisensamuppannaṁ,
wemayaṁ askpucchāma Gotamagotamaṁ;
due to birthJātiyā a brahminbrāhmaṇo ishoti,
orudāhu does one becomebhavati due to deedskammunā;
to us who do not knowAjānataṁ ourno tellpabrūhi,
so thatyathā we may knowjānemu a brahminbrāhmaṇan”ti.

of those“Tesaṁ to youvo Iahaṁ I shall explainbyakkhissaṁ,
Vāseṭṭha, quotation marker(vāseṭṭhāti the Blessed Onebhagavā)
in sequenceAnupubbaṁ accuratelyyathātathaṁ;
the taxonomyJātivibhaṅgaṁ of living creaturespāṇānaṁ,
for speciesAññamaññāhi are diversejātiyo.
grass and trees, tooTiṇarukkhepi knowjānātha,
notna andcāpi they lack self-awarenesspaṭijānare;
definedLiṅgaṁ by birthjātimayaṁ of themtesaṁ,
for speciesaññamaññā indeedhi are diversejātiyo.
nextTato bugskīṭe that crawlpaṭaṅge andca,
and so onyāva to ants and termiteskunthakipillike;
definedLiṅgaṁ by birthjātimayaṁ of themtesaṁ,
for speciesaññamaññā indeedhi are diversejātiyo.
quadrupeds, tooCatuppadepi knowjānātha,
smallkhuddake andca largemahallake;
definedLiṅgaṁ by birthjātimayaṁ of themtesaṁ,
for speciesaññamaññā indeedhi are diversejātiyo.
crawling on their bellies, tooPādudarepi knowjānātha,
snakesurage long-backeddīghapiṭṭhike;
definedLiṅgaṁ by birthjātimayaṁ of themtesaṁ,
for speciesaññamaññā indeedhi are diversejātiyo.
nextTato fish, toomacchepi knowjānātha,
in the waterudake whose habitat is watervārigocare;
definedLiṅgaṁ by birthjātimayaṁ of themtesaṁ,
for speciesaññamaññā indeedhi are diversejātiyo.
nextTato birds, toopakkhīpi knowjānātha,
winged chariotspattayāne in flightvihaṅgame;
definedLiṅgaṁ by birthjātimayaṁ of themtesaṁ,
for speciesaññamaññā indeedhi are diversejātiyo.

asYathā in theseetāsu among speciesjātīsu,
the distinctionliṅgaṁ born of birthjātimayaṁ diverseputhu;
thusEvaṁ there is notnatthi among humansmanussesu,
a distinctionliṅgaṁ born of birthjātimayaṁ diverseputhu.
notNa by hairkesehi notna by headsīsehi,
notna by earkaṇṇehi notna by eyeakkhīhi;
notNa by mouthmukhena notna by nosenāsāya,
notna by lipsoṭṭhehi by eyebrowsbhamūhi orvā.
notNa by neckgīvāya notna by shouldersaṁsehi,
notna by bellyudarena notna by backpiṭṭhiyā;
notNa by buttockssoṇiyā notna by breasturasā,
notna by groinsambādhe notna by genitalsmethune.
notNa by handshatthehi notna by feetpādehi,
by fingersnaṅgulīhi by nailsnakhehi orvā;
notNa by kneesjaṅghāhi notna by thighsūrūhi,
notna by colorvaṇṇena by voicesarena orvā;
a distinctionLiṅgaṁ born of birthjātimayaṁ indeed notneva,
asyathā in otheraññāsu among speciesjātisu.
and individuallyPaccattañca in bodiessarīresu,
this among humansmanussesvetaṁ notna is foundvijjati;
and the distinctionVokārañca among humansmanussesu,
by conventionsamaññāya is spoken ofpavuccati.

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