Verses on Dhamma 26.10.p2

26.10.p2

So kira ‘‘ahaṃ mātito ca pitito ca sujāto brāhmaṇakule nibbatto. Sace samaṇo gotamo attano sāvake brāhmaṇāti vadati, mampi nu kho tathā vattuṃ vaṭṭatī’’ti satthu santikaṃ gantvā tamatthaṃ pucchi. Atha naṃ satthā ‘‘nāhaṃ, brāhmaṇa, jaṭāmattena, na jātigottamattena brāhmaṇaṃ vadāmi, paṭividdhasaccameva panāhaṃ brāhmaṇoti vadāmī’’ti vatvā dhammaṃ desento imaṃ gāthamāha –

The story goes that this Brahman said one day to himself, "I am well born on my mother's side and on my father's side, for I was

reborn in the family of a Brahman. Now the monk Gotama calls his own disciples ‘Brahmans.’ He ought to apply the same title to me too.” So the Brahman went to the Teacher and asked him about the matter. Said the Teacher to the Brahman, “Brahman, I do not call a man a Brahman merely because he wears matted locks, merely because of his birth and lineage. But he that has penetrated the truth, him alone do I call a ‘Brahman.’” So saying, he pronounced the following Stanza,