Verses on Dhamma 26.6: 6. Aññatarabrāhmaṇapabbajitavatthu

26.6.p1

Bāhitapāpoti imaṃ dhammadesanaṃ satthā jetavane viharanto aññataraṃ brāhmaṇapabbajitaṃ ārabbha kathesi.

Because a man has put away evil. This religious instruction was given by the Teacher while he was in residence at Jetavana with reference to a certain monk.

26.6.p2

Eko kira brāhmaṇo bāhirakapabbajjāya pabbajitvā ‘‘samaṇo gotamo attano sāvake ‘pabbajitā’ti vadati, ahañcamhi pabbajito, mampi kho evaṃ vattuṃ vaṭṭatī’’ti cintetvā satthāraṃ upasaṅkamitvā etamatthaṃ pucchi. Satthā ‘‘nāhaṃ ettakena ‘pabbajito’ti vadāmi, kilesamalānaṃ pana pabbājitattā pabbajito nāma hotī’’ti vatvā imaṃ gāthamāha –

The story is told of a certain Brahman that he retired from the world under a teacher other than the Buddha, and having so done, thought to himself, "The monk Gotama calls his own disciples 'monks;' I too am a monk, and he ought to apply that title to me too." So he approached the Teacher and asked him about the matter. Said the Teacher, "It is not alone for the reason which you have given me that I call a man a monk. But it is because the evil passions and the impurities have gone forth from him that a man is called *one who has gone forth, a monk.*" So saying, he pronounced the following Stanza,

26.6.388

‘‘Bāhitapāpoti brāhmaṇo, samacariyā samaṇoti vuccati;
Pabbājayamattano malaṃ, tasmā pabbajitoti vuccatī’’ti.

388. Because a man has put away evil, therefore is he called a Brahman;
Because he walks in righteousness, therefore is he called a monk;
Because he has banished his own impurities, therefore is he called a monk.

26.6.388_2

Tattha samacariyāti sabbākusalāni sametvā caraṇena. Tasmāti yasmā bāhitapāpatāya brāhmaṇo, akusalāni sametvā caraṇena samaṇoti vuccati, tasmā yo attano rāgādimalaṃ pabbājayanto vinodento carati, sopi tena pabbājanena pabbajitoti vuccatīti attho.

26.6.388_3

Desanāvasāne so brāhmaṇapabbajito sotāpattiphale patiṭṭhahi, sampattānampi sātthikā dhammadesanā ahosīti.

26.6.388_4

Aññatarabrāhmaṇapabbajitavatthu chaṭṭhaṃ.