Dighanikaya 26.83

26.83

Atha kho, bhikkhaveti bhikkhave, atha rājā daḷhanemi ‘‘cakkaratanaṃ osakkita’’nti sutvā uppannabalavadomanasso ‘‘na dāni mayā ciraṃ jīvitabbaṃ bhavissati, appāvasesaṃ me āyu, na me dāni kāme paribhuñjanakālo, pabbajjākālo me idānī’’ti roditvā paridevitvā jeṭṭhaputtaṃ kumāraṃ āmantāpetvā etadavoca. Samuddapariyantanti parikkhittaekasamuddapariyantameva. Idaṃ hissa kulasantakaṃ. Cakkavāḷapariyantaṃ pana puññiddhivasena nibbattaṃ, na taṃ sakkā dātuṃ. Kulasantakaṃ pana niyyātento ‘‘samuddapariyanta’’nti āha. Kesamassunti tāpasapabbajjaṃ pabbajantāpi hi paṭhamaṃ kesamassuṃ ohārenti. Tato paṭṭhāya parūḷhakese bandhitvā vicaranti. Tena vuttaṃ – ‘‘kesamassuṃ ohāretvā’’ti.

"Then indeed, monks": monks, then King Daḷhanemi, having heard that "the wheel-jewel has slipped down," with strong grief arisen, thinking: "Now I will not live long, remainder of my life is small, now is not my time for enjoying sensual pleasures, now is my time for going forth," having wept and lamented, had his eldest son, the prince, summoned and said this. "Bounded by the ocean": meaning bounded by just the single surrounding ocean. For this was his family property. But that bounded by the world-sphere arose by the power of merit; it is not possible to give that. However, handing over his family property, he said, "bounded by the ocean." "Hair and beard": for even those who go forth into the ascetic going forth first shave off their hair and beard. From then on, they tie up their overgrown hair and wander about. Therefore it was said: "having shaved off hair and beard."