Dighanikaya 21.344

21.344

Evaṃ me sutanti sakkapañhasuttaṃ. Tatrāyamanuttānapadavaṇṇanā – ambasaṇḍā nāma brāhmaṇagāmoti so kira gāmo ambasaṇḍānaṃ avidūre niviṭṭho, tasmā ‘‘ambasaṇḍā’’ tveva vuccati. Vediyake pabbateti so kira pabbato pabbatapāde jātena maṇivedikāsadisena nīlavanasaṇḍena samantā parikkhitto, tasmā ‘vediyakapabbato’ tveva saṅkhyaṃ gato. Indasālaguhāyanti pubbepi sā dvinnaṃ pabbatānaṃ antare guhā, indasālarukkho cassā dvāre, tasmā ‘indasālaguhā’ti saṅkhyaṃ gatā. Atha naṃ kuṭṭehi parikkhipitvā dvāravātapānāni yojetvā supariniṭṭhitasudhākammamālākammalatākammavicittaṃ leṇaṃ katvā bhagavato adaṃsu. Purimavohāravasena pana ‘‘indasālaguhā’’ tveva naṃ sañjānanti. Taṃ sandhāya vuttaṃ ‘indasālaguhāya’nti.

“Thus have I heard” introduces the Sakkapañha Sutta. Here is the commentary on the unfamiliar words: In “the brāhmaṇa village named Ambasaṇḍā”, that village, it is said, was situated not far from the mango groves, hence it is called simply “Ambasaṇḍā”. In “on Mount Vediyaka”, that mountain, it is said, was encircled all around by a dark-green forest grove resembling a jeweled railing grown at the foot of the mountain; therefore it came to be designated as “Mount Vediyaka”. In “in the Indasāla Cave”, in the past there was a cave between two mountains, and an indasāla tree was at its door, hence it came to be designated as the “Indasāla Cave”. Then, having enclosed it with walls, fitted doors and windows, and made it a cave-dwelling adorned with well-finished whitewashing, floral designs, and creeper motifs, they gave it to the Blessed One. But by way of former usage, people still recognized it simply as the “Indasāla Cave”. It is with reference to that that it is said “in the Indasāla Cave”.