Dighanikaya 4.304_15

4.304_15

Tiroraṭṭhāti pararaṭṭhato. Tirojanapadāti parajanapadato. Pañhaṃ pucchituṃ āgacchantīti khattiyapaṇḍitādayo ceva devabrahmanāgagandhabbādayo ca – ‘‘pañhe abhisaṅkharitvā pucchissāmā’’ti āgacchanti. Tattha keci pucchāya vā dosaṃ vissajjanasampaṭicchane vā asamatthataṃ sallakkhetvā apucchitvāva tuṇhī nisīdanti. Keci pucchanti. Kesañci bhagavā pucchāya ussāhaṃ janetvā vissajjeti. Evaṃ sabbesampi tesaṃ vimatiyo tīraṃ patvā mahāsamuddassa ūmiyo viya bhagavantaṃ patvā bhijjanti.

“From beyond the realm”: from another realm. “From beyond the provinces”: from another province. “They come to ask questions”: wise khattiyas and others, as well as devas, brahmas, nāgas, gandhabbas, and others come, [thinking,] “We will formulate questions and ask them.” Among them, some notice a fault in their question or an incapacity to receive the answer, and sit silently without asking at all. Some ask. To some, the Blessed One, having aroused enthusiasm for the question, gives the answer. In this way, the doubts of all of them, upon reaching the Blessed One, break like the waves of the great ocean upon reaching the shore.