Verses on Dhamma 26.6.p2

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,