Tevijjasutta 18.1-13

18.1

“Iti kira, vāseṭṭha, yaṃ passanti tevijjā brāhmaṇā candimasūriye, aññe cāpi bahujanā, yato ca candimasūriyā uggacchanti, yattha ca ogacchanti, āyācanti thomayanti pañjalikā namassamānā anuparivattanti, tesampi nappahonti candimasūriyānaṃ sahabyatāya maggaṃ desetuṃ:

“So it seems that even though the brahmins proficient in the three Vedas see the sun and moon, they are not able to teach the path to the company of the sun and moon.

18.2

‘ayameva ujumaggo, ayamañjasāyano niyyāniko, niyyāti takkarassa candimasūriyānaṃ sahabyatāyā’ti.

18.3

Iti pana na kira tevijjehi brāhmaṇehi brahmā sakkhidiṭṭho.

But it seems that even though they have not seen the Divinity with their own eyes,

18.4

Napi kira tevijjānaṃ brāhmaṇānaṃ ācariyehi brahmā sakkhidiṭṭho.

18.5

Napi kira tevijjānaṃ brāhmaṇānaṃ ācariyapācariyehi brahmā sakkhidiṭṭho.

18.6

Napi kira tevijjānaṃ brāhmaṇānaṃ yāva sattamā ācariyāmahayugehi brahmā sakkhidiṭṭho.

18.7

Yepi kira tevijjānaṃ brāhmaṇānaṃ pubbakā isayo mantānaṃ kattāro mantānaṃ pavattāro, yesamidaṃ etarahi tevijjā brāhmaṇā porāṇaṃ mantapadaṃ gītaṃ pavuttaṃ samihitaṃ, tadanugāyanti, tadanubhāsanti, bhāsitamanubhāsanti, vācitamanuvācenti, seyyathidaṃ—aṭṭhako vāmako vāmadevo vessāmitto yamataggi aṅgīraso bhāradvājo vāseṭṭho kassapo bhagu, tepi na evamāhaṃsu:

18.8

‘mayametaṃ jānāma, mayametaṃ passāma, yattha vā brahmā, yena vā brahmā, yahiṃ vā brahmā’ti.

18.9

Teva tevijjā brāhmaṇā evamāhaṃsu:

they still claim

18.10

‘yaṃ na jānāma, yaṃ na passāma, tassa sahabyatāya maggaṃ desema—ayameva ujumaggo ayamañjasāyano niyyāniko niyyāti takkarassa brahmasahabyatāyā’ti.

to teach the path to the company of that which they neither know nor see.

18.11

Taṃ kiṃ maññasi, vāseṭṭha,

What do you think, Vāseṭṭha?

18.12

nanu evaṃ sante tevijjānaṃ brāhmaṇānaṃ appāṭihīrakataṃ bhāsitaṃ sampajjatī”ti?

This being so, doesn’t their statement turn out to have no demonstrable basis?”

18.13

“Addhā kho, bho gotama, evaṃ sante tevijjānaṃ brāhmaṇānaṃ appāṭihīrakataṃ bhāsitaṃ sampajjatī”ti.

“Clearly that’s the case, worthy Gotama.”