Dhammapada 21.4: 4. Lakuṇḍakabhaddiyattheravatthu

21.4.p1

Mātaranti imaṃ dhammadesanaṃ satthā jetavane viharanto lakuṇḍakabhaddiyattheraṃ ārabbha kathesi.

*After killing a mother.* This religious instruction was given by the Teacher while he was in residence at Jetavana with reference to Elder Lakuṇṭaka Bhaddiya.

21.4.p2

Ekadivasañhi sambahulā āgantukā bhikkhū satthāraṃ divāṭṭhāne nisinnaṃ upasaṅkamitvā vanditvā ekamantaṃ nisīdiṃsu. Tasmiṃ khaṇe lakuṇḍakabhaddiyatthero bhagavato avidūre atikkamati. Satthā tesaṃ bhikkhūnaṃ cittācāraṃ ñatvā oloketvā ‘‘passatha, bhikkhave, ayaṃ bhikkhu mātāpitaro hantvā niddukkho hutvā yātī’’ti vatvā tehi bhikkhūhi ‘‘kiṃ nu kho satthā vadatī’’ti aññamaññaṃ mukhāni oloketvā saṃsayapakkhandehi, ‘‘bhante, kiṃ nāmetaṃ vadethā’’ti vutte tesaṃ dhammaṃ desento imaṃ gāthamāha –

For once upon a day several visiting monks drew near to the Teacher as he sat in his day-quarters, saluted him, and sat down respectfully on one side. At that moment Elder Lakuṇṭaka Bhaddiya passed by not far from the Exalted One. The Teacher, knowing the disposition of mind of those monks, looked at the Elder and said to the monks, "Look, monks! There is a monk who has killed mother and father and free from pain he goes!" "What is this the Teacher says?" exclaimed those monks, looking each other in the face, while doubt sprang up within them. And they said to the Teacher, "Reverend Sir, what say you?" Then the Teacher preached the Law to them by pronouncing the following Stanza,

21.4.294

‘‘Mātaraṃ pitaraṃ hantvā, rājāno dve ca khattiye;
Raṭṭhaṃ sānucaraṃ hantvā, anīgho yāti brāhmaṇo’’ti.

294. After killing a mother and a father, and two kings of the Warrior caste,
After destroying a kingdom with its inhabitants, scatheless goes the Brahman.

21.4.294_2

Tattha sānucaranti āyasādhakena āyuttakena sahitaṃ. Ettha hi ‘‘taṇhā janeti purisa’’nti (saṃ. ni. 1.55-57) vacanato tīsu bhavesu sattānaṃ jananato taṇhā mātā nāma. ‘‘Ahaṃ asukassa nāma rañño vā rājamahāmattassa vā putto’’ti pitaraṃ nissāya asmimānassa uppajjanato asmimāno pitā nāma. Loko viya rājānaṃ yasmā sabbadiṭṭhigatāni dve sassatucchedadiṭṭhiyo bhajanti, tasmā dve sassatucchedadiṭṭhiyo dve khattiyarājāno nāma. Dvādasāyatanāni vitthataṭṭhena raṭṭhadisattā raṭṭhaṃ nāma. Āyasādhako āyuttakapuriso viya tannissito nandirāgo anucaro nāma. Anīghoti niddukkho. Brāhmaṇoti khīṇāsavo. Etesaṃ taṇhādīnaṃ arahattamaggañāṇāsinā hatattā khīṇāsavo niddukkho hutvā yātīti ayametthattho.

21.4.294_3

Desanāvasāne te bhikkhū arahatte patiṭṭhahiṃsu.

At the conclusion of the lesson those monks were established in Arahatship.

21.4.294_4

Dutiyagāthāyapi vatthu purimasadisameva. Tadā hi satthā lakuṇḍakabhaddiyattherameva ārabbha kathesi. Tesaṃ dhammaṃ desento imaṃ gāthamāha –

(The story relating to the second stanza is like the preceding. At that time also the Teacher spoke with reference to Elder Lakuṇṭaka. Preaching the Law to those monks, the Teacher pronounced the following Stanza:)

21.4.295

‘‘Mātaraṃ pitaraṃ hantvā, rājāno dve ca sotthiye;
Veyagghapañcamaṃ hantvā, anīgho yāti brāhmaṇo’’ti.

295. After killing a mother and a father, two Brahman kings,
And an eminent man besides, scatheless goes the Brahman.

21.4.295_2

Tattha dve ca sotthiyeti dve ca brāhmaṇe. Imissā gāthāya satthā attano dhammissaratāya ca desanāvidhikusalatāya ca sassatucchedadiṭṭhiyo dve brāhmaṇarājāno ca katvā kathesi. Veyagghapañcamanti ettha byagghānucarito sappaṭibhayo duppaṭipanno maggo veyaggho nāma, vicikicchānīvaraṇampi tena sadisatāya veyagghaṃ nāma, taṃ pañcamaṃ assāti nīvaraṇapañcakaṃ veyagghapañcamaṃ nāma. Idañca veyagghapañcamaṃ arahattamaggañāṇāsinā nissesaṃ hantvā anīghova yāti brāhmaṇoti ayametthattho. Sesaṃ purimasadisamevāti.

21.4.295_3

Lakuṇḍakabhaddiyattheravatthu catutthaṃ.