Dighanikaya 3.255

3.255

Tena kho pana samayenāti yena samayena bhagavā tattha viharati, tena samayena, tasmiṃ samayeti ayamattho. Brahmaṃ aṇatīti brāhmaṇo, mante sajjhāyatīti attho. Idameva hi jātibrāhmaṇānaṃ niruttivacanaṃ. Ariyā pana bāhitapāpattā brāhmaṇāti vuccanti. Pokkharasātīti idaṃ tassa nāmaṃ. Kasmā pokkharasātīti vuccati. Tassa kira kāyo setapokkharasadiso, devanagare ussāpitarajatatoraṇaṃ viya sobhati. Sīsaṃ panassa kāḷavaṇṇaṃ indanīlamaṇimayaṃ viya. Massupi candamaṇḍale kāḷamegharāji viya khāyati. Akkhīni nīluppalasadisāni. Nāsā rajatapanāḷikā viya suvaṭṭitā suparisuddhā. Hatthapādatalāni ceva mukhadvārañca katalākhārasaparikammaṃ viya sobhati, ativiya sobhaggappatto brāhmaṇassa attabhāvo. Arājake ṭhāne rājānaṃ kātuṃ yuttamimaṃ brāhmaṇaṃ. Evamesa sassiriko. Iti naṃ pokkharasadisattā pokkharasātīti sañjānanti.

“Now at that time” means at the time when the Blessed One was dwelling there; at that time, on that occasion—this is the meaning. He utters the sacred word, hence a “brahmin” (brāhmaṇa); the meaning is that he recites the mantras. For this is the etymological derivation for brahmins by birth. But the noble ones are called brahmins because they have barred evil. “Pokkharasāti” was his name. Why is he called Pokkharasāti? His body, it is said, was like a white lotus, radiant like a silver archway raised in the city of the devas. His head was dark in color, as if made of sapphire. His beard appeared like a dark bank of clouds across the lunar disc. His eyes were like blue water lilies. His nose was well rounded and completely pure, like a silver spout. The soles of his hands and feet and the opening of his mouth shone as if treated with lac-dye; exceedingly supreme in beauty was the brahmin’s physical frame. This brahmin was fit to be made king in a realm without a king. Such was his splendor. Thus they recognized him as “Pokkharasāti” on account of his resemblance to a lotus (pokkhara).