Verses on Dhamma 26.7.p3

26.7.p3

Manussā kujjhitvā ‘‘iminā amhākaṃ niraparādho ayyo pahaṭo, daṇḍenapissa mokkho natthi, ettheva naṃ māressāmā’’ti leḍḍudaṇḍādihatthā brāhmaṇassa gehadvāre aṭṭhaṃsu. Thero uṭṭhāya gacchanto brāhmaṇassa hatthe pattaṃ adāsi. Manussā taṃ therena saddhiṃ gacchantaṃ disvā, ‘‘bhante, tumhākaṃ pattaṃ gahetvā brāhmaṇaṃ nivattethā’’ti āhaṃsu. Kiṃ etaṃ upāsakāti? Brāhmaṇena tumhe pahaṭā, mayamassa kattabbaṃ jānissāmāti. Kiṃ pana tumhe iminā pahaṭā, udāhu ahanti? Tumhe, bhanteti. ‘‘Maṃ esa paharitvā khamāpesi, gacchatha tumhe’’ti manusse uyyojetvā brāhmaṇaṃ nivattāpetvā thero vihārameva gato. Bhikkhū ujjhāyiṃsu ‘‘kiṃ nāmetaṃ sāriputtatthero yena brāhmaṇena pahaṭo, tasseva gehe nisīditvā bhikkhaṃ gahetvā āgato. Therassa pahaṭakālato paṭṭhāya idāni so kassa lajjissati, avasese pothento vicarissatī’’ti. Satthā āgantvā ‘‘kāya nuttha, bhikkhave, etarahi kathāya sannisinnā’’ti pucchitvā ‘‘imāya nāmā’’ti vutte, ‘‘bhikkhave, brāhmaṇo brāhmaṇaṃ paharanto nāma natthi, gihibrāhmaṇena pana samaṇabrāhmaṇo pahaṭo bhavissati, kodho nāmesa anāgāmimaggena samugghātaṃ gacchatī’’ti vatvā dhammaṃ desento imā gāthā abhāsi –

The bystanders were filled with anger. “This fellow,” said they, “struck with his staff our noble Elder, who is free from all offense; he must not be allowed to get away; we will kill him right here and now.” And taking clods of earth and sticks and stones into their hands, they stood waiting at the door of the Brahman’s house. As the Elder rose from his seat to go, he placed his bowl in the hand of the Brahman. When the bystanders saw the Brahman going out with the Elder, they said, “Reverend Sir, order this Brahman who has taken your bowl to turn back.” “What do you mean, lay disciples?” “That Brahman struck you and we are going to do for him after his deserts.” “What do you mean? Did he strike you or me?” “You, Reverend Sir.” “If he struck me, he begged my pardon; go your way.” So saying, he dismissed the bystanders, and permitting the Brahman to turn back, the Elder went back again to the monastery.

The monks were highly offended. “What sort of thing is this!” they exclaimed; “a Brahman struck the Elder Sāriputta a blow, and the Elder straightway went back to the house of the very Brahman who struck him and accepted food at his hands! From the moment he struck the Elder, for whom will he any longer have any respect? He will go about pounding everybody right and left.” At that moment the Teacher drew near. “Monks,” said he, “what is the subject that engages your attention now as you sit here all gathered together?” “This was the subject we were discussing.” Said the Teacher, “Monks, no Brahman ever strikes another Brahman; it must have been a householder-Brahman who struck a monk-Brahman; for when a man attains the Fruit of the Third Path, all anger is utterly destroyed in him.” So saying, he expounded the Law, pronouncing the following Stanzas, 389. No one should strike at a Brahman, nor should a Brahman let fly at his assailant. Woe be to him that strikes a Brahman! Woe be to that Brahman who lets fly at his assailant!