Selasutta

Sutta Nipāta 3.7

With Sela · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral

Parallels & more translations on SuttaCentral

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

Tap any word for its dictionary entry.

Atha kho selassa brāhmaṇassa etadahosi:
“ghosopi kho eso dullabho lokasmiṁ, yadidaṁ buddhoti.
Āgatāni kho panamhākaṁ mantesu dvattiṁsamahāpurisalakkhaṇāni, yehi samannāgatassa mahāpurisassa dveva gatiyo bhavanti anaññā.
Sace agāraṁ ajjhāvasati rājā hoti cakkavattī dhammiko dhammarājā cāturanto vijitāvī janapadatthāvariyappatto sattaratanasamannāgato.
Tassimāni satta ratanāni bhavanti, seyyathidaṁ—
cakkaratanaṁ, hatthiratanaṁ, assaratanaṁ, maṇiratanaṁ, itthiratanaṁ, gahapatiratanaṁ, pariṇāyakaratanameva sattamaṁ.
Parosahassaṁ kho panassa puttā bhavanti sūrā vīraṅgarūpā parasenappamaddanā.
So imaṁ pathaviṁ sāgarapariyantaṁ adaṇḍena asatthena dhammena abhivijiya ajjhāvasati.
Sace kho pana agārasmā anagāriyaṁ pabbajati, arahaṁ hoti sammāsambuddho loke vivaṭṭacchado.
Kahaṁ pana, bho keṇiya, etarahi so bhavaṁ gotamo viharati arahaṁ sammāsambuddho”ti?

Then Sela thought: “It’s hard to even find the word ‘awakened one’ in the world. 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.” He said, “But Keṇiya, where is the Blessed One at present, the perfected one, the fully awakened Buddha?”

Evaṁ vutte, keṇiyo jaṭilo dakkhiṇaṁ bāhuṁ paggahetvā selaṁ brāhmaṇaṁ etadavoca:
“yenesā, bho sela, nīlavanarājī”ti.
Atha kho selo brāhmaṇo tīhi māṇavakasatehi saddhiṁ yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami.
Atha kho selo brāhmaṇo te māṇavake āmantesi:
“appasaddā bhonto āgacchantu, pade padaṁ nikkhipantā.
Durāsadā hi te bhagavanto sīhāva ekacarā.
Yadā cāhaṁ, bho, samaṇena gotamena saddhiṁ manteyyaṁ, mā me bhonto antarantarā kathaṁ opātetha;
kathāpariyosānaṁ me bhavanto āgamentū”ti.

When he said this, Keṇiya pointed with his right arm and said, “There, worthy Sela, at that line of blue forest.” Then Sela, together with his young students, approached the Buddha. He said to his young students, “Come quietly, gentlemen, tread gently. For the Buddhas are intimidating, like a lion living alone. When I’m consulting with the ascetic Gotama, don’t interrupt. Wait until I’ve finished speaking.”

Atha kho selo brāhmaṇo yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavatā saddhiṁ sammodi.
Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi.
Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho selo brāhmaṇo bhagavato kāye dvattiṁsamahāpurisalakkhaṇāni samannesi.
Addasā kho selo brāhmaṇo bhagavato kāye dvattiṁsamahāpurisalakkhaṇāni yebhuyyena ṭhapetvā dve.
Dvīsu mahāpurisalakkhaṇesu kaṅkhati vicikicchati nādhimuccati na sampasīdati—
kosohite ca vatthaguyhe pahūtajivhatāya cāti.

Then Sela 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 scrutinized the Buddha’s 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 were sheathed in a foreskin, and the largeness of the tongue.

Atha kho bhagavato etadahosi:
“passati kho me ayaṁ selo brāhmaṇo dvattiṁsamahāpurisalakkhaṇāni yebhuyyena ṭhapetvā dve.
Dvīsu mahāpurisalakkhaṇesu kaṅkhati vicikicchati nādhimuccati na sampasīdati—
kosohite ca vatthaguyhe pahūtajivhatāya cā”ti.
Atha kho bhagavā tathārūpaṁ iddhābhisaṅkhāraṁ abhisaṅkhāsi, yathā addasa selo brāhmaṇo bhagavato kosohitaṁ vatthaguyhaṁ.
Atha kho bhagavā jivhaṁ ninnāmetvā ubhopi kaṇṇasotāni anumasi paṭimasi, ubhopi nāsikasotāni anumasi paṭimasi, kevalampi nalāṭamaṇḍalaṁ jivhāya chādesi.

Then it occurred to the Buddha, “Sela 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.” The Buddha used his psychic power to will that Sela would see his private parts sheathed in a foreskin. And he stuck out his tongue and stroked back and forth on his ear holes and nostrils, and covered his entire forehead with his tongue.

Atha kho selassa brāhmaṇassa etadahosi:
“samannāgato kho samaṇo gotamo dvattiṁsamahāpurisalakkhaṇehi paripuṇṇehi, no aparipuṇṇehi.
No ca kho naṁ jānāmi buddho vā no vā.
Sutaṁ kho pana metaṁ brāhmaṇānaṁ vuḍḍhānaṁ mahallakānaṁ ācariyapācariyānaṁ bhāsamānānaṁ:
‘ye te bhavanti arahanto sammāsambuddhā, te sake vaṇṇe bhaññamāne attānaṁ pātukarontī’ti.
Yannūnāhaṁ samaṇaṁ gotamaṁ sammukhā sāruppāhi gāthāhi abhitthaveyyan”ti.
Atha kho selo brāhmaṇo bhagavantaṁ sammukhā sāruppāhi gāthāhi abhitthavi:

Then Sela thought, “The ascetic Gotama possesses the thirty-two marks completely, lacking none. But I don’t know whether or not he is an awakened one. I have heard that brahmins of the past who were elderly and senior, the tutors of tutors, said, ‘Those who are perfected ones, fully awakened Buddhas reveal themselves when praised.’ Why don’t I extoll him in his presence with fitting verses?” Then Sela extolled the Buddha in his presence with fitting verses:

“Paripuṇṇakāyo suruci,
Sujāto cārudassano;
Suvaṇṇavaṇṇosi bhagavā,
Susukkadāṭhosi vīriyavā.

“O Blessed One, your body’s perfect, you’re radiant, handsome, lovely to behold; golden colored, with teeth so white; you’re strong.

Narassa hi sujātassa,
ye bhavanti viyañjanā;
Sabbe te tava kāyasmiṁ,
mahāpurisalakkhaṇā.

The characteristics of a handsome man, the marks of a great man, are all found on your body.

Pasannanetto sumukho,
brahā uju patāpavā;
Majjhe samaṇasaṅghassa,
ādiccova virocasi.

Your eyes are clear, your face is fair, you’re formidable, upright, majestic. In the midst of the Saṅgha of ascetics, you dazzle like the sun.

Kalyāṇadassano bhikkhu,
kañcanasannibhattaco;
Kiṁ te samaṇabhāvena,
evaṁ uttamavaṇṇino.

You’re a mendicant fine to see, with skin that shines like lustrous gold. But with such excellent appearance, what do you want with the ascetic life?

Rājā arahasi bhavituṁ,
cakkavattī rathesabho;
Cāturanto vijitāvī,
jambusaṇḍassa issaro.

You’re fit to be a king, a wheel-turning monarch, chief of charioteers, victorious in the four quarters, lord of the Black Plum Tree Land.

Khattiyā bhogirājāno,
anuyantā bhavantu te;
Rājābhirājā manujindo,
rajjaṁ kārehi gotama”.

Aristocrats, nobles, and kings ought follow your rule. Gotama, may you reign as king of kings, lord of mankind!”

“Rājāhamasmi selāti,
(bhagavā)
Dhammarājā anuttaro;
Dhammena cakkaṁ vattemi,
Cakkaṁ appaṭivattiyaṁ”.

“I am a king, Sela”, said the Buddha, “the supreme king of the teaching. By the teaching I roll forth the wheel which cannot be rolled back.”

“Sambuddho paṭijānāsi,
(iti selo brāhmaṇo)
Dhammarājā anuttaro;
‘Dhammena cakkaṁ vattemi’,
Iti bhāsasi gotama.

“You claim to be awakened,” said Sela the brahmin, “the supreme king of the teaching. ‘I roll forth the teaching’: so you say, Gotama.

Ko nu senāpati bhoto,
Sāvako satthuranvayo;
Ko te tamanuvatteti,
Dhammacakkaṁ pavattitaṁ”.

Then who is your general, the disciple who follows the Teacher’s way? Who keeps rolling the wheel of the teaching you rolled forth?”

“Mayā pavattitaṁ cakkaṁ,
(selāti bhagavā)
Dhammacakkaṁ anuttaraṁ;
Sāriputto anuvatteti,
Anujāto tathāgataṁ.

“By me the wheel was rolled forth,” said the Buddha, “the supreme wheel of the teaching. Sāriputta, taking after the Realized One, keeps it rolling on.

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