Viyahapannatti 2.1.112

2.1.112

At that time and in that period, the Blessed Mahāvīra departed from the city of Rājagṛha, from the Guṇaśīla caitya, and having departed, was wandering abroad through the country. At that time and in that period, there was a city named Kāyaṅgalā—[to be described as in the canonical descriptions]. Outside that city of Kāyaṅgalā, in the northeastern direction, there was a caitya named Chattapalāsaya—[to be described as before]. Then the Śramaṇa, the Blessed Mahāvīra, who possessed arisen knowledge and vision, an Arhat, a Jina, a Kevalin, approached where the city of Kāyaṅgalā was and where the Chattapalāsaya caitya was. Having arrived, he took up a suitable lodging, and having taken it up, he stayed there cultivating his self with self-restraint and austerity until an assembly convened, and the crowd went forth [to see him]. Not far from that city of Kāyaṅgalā, there was a city named Śrāvastī—[described as before]. In that city of Śrāvastī lived a wandering mendicant (parivrājaka) named Khaṃdaka of the Kātyāyana lineage, a disciple of Gaddabhāli, who was fully versed in, a memorizer of, and accomplished in the four Vedas—the Ṛgveda, the Yajurveda, the Sāmaveda, the Atharvaveda, with the Itihāsa as the fifth and the Nighaṇṭu as the sixth—along with their limbs, secondary limbs, and esoteric meanings; master of the six Aṅgas; proficient in the Ṣaṣṭhitantra; and thoroughly grounded in astronomy/calculation, phonetics (śikṣā), ritual (kalpa), grammar, meter, etymology (nirukta), astrology, and many other brāhmaṇical and wandering mendicants' doctrines and traditions. In that city of Śrāvastī there also lived a Nirgrantha layman from Vaiśālī named Piṅgalaka. Then, on a certain occasion, that Nirgrantha Piṅgalaka, the layman from Vaiśālī, approached where Khaṃdaka of the Kātyāyana lineage was, and having approached, challenged Khaṃdaka of the Kātyāyana lineage with these questions: “O resident of Magadha! 1. Is the world finite or infinite? 2. Is the soul finite or infinite? 3. Is liberation (siddhi) finite or infinite? 4. Is the liberated soul finite or infinite? 5. And dying by which manner of death does the soul increase or decrease [its transmigration]? Answer these questions precisely as stated!” Then Khaṃdaka of the Kātyāyana lineage, being challenged with these questions by Piṅgalaka, the Nirgrantha layman from Vaiśālī, became doubtful, perplexed, indecisive, split in mind, and troubled; unable to provide any satisfactory answer to Piṅgalaka, the Nirgrantha layman from Vaiśālī, he remained silent. Then that Nirgrantha Piṅgalaka, the layman from Vaiśālī, questioned Khaṃdaka of the Kātyāyana lineage a second and a third time with this challenge: “O resident of Magadha! 1. Is the world finite or infinite? 2. Is the soul finite or infinite? 3. Is liberation finite or infinite? 4. Is the liberated soul finite or infinite? 5. And dying by which manner of death does the soul increase or decrease [its transmigration]? Answer these questions precisely as stated!” Then Khaṃdaka of the Kātyāyana lineage, being questioned a second and a third time with this challenge by the layman from Vaiśālī, became doubtful, perplexed, indecisive, split in mind, and troubled; unable to provide any satisfactory answer to the Nirgrantha Piṅgalaka, the layman from Vaiśālī, he remained silent. Then, at the junctions of three roads, four roads, squares, crossroads, royal highways, and pathways in the city of Śrāvastī, with a great throng of people, a crowd of people, a clamor of people, a din of people, a surging wave of people, a rising swell of people, and an assembly of people, the populace was declaring, speaking, explaining, and expounding to one another: “Indeed, O beloved of the gods! The Śramaṇa, the Blessed Mahāvīra, the founder of the path […] wishing to attain the realm known as the state of liberation, wandering in gradual succession, journeying from village to village, has arrived here, reached here, convened here outside this very city of Kāyaṅgalā at the Chattapalāsaya caitya, and taking up a suitable lodging, is staying there cultivating his self through self-restraint and austerity. Great indeed is the fruit, O beloved of the gods, of even hearing the name and lineage of such venerable Arhats, let alone approaching, venerating, paying homage, inquiring of, and serving them! Great indeed is the fruit of even hearing a single noble, religious good word, let alone grasping extensive meaning! Therefore, let us go, O beloved of the gods! Let us venerate, pay homage to, respect, honor, and attend upon the Śramaṇa, the Blessed Mahāvīra, who is auspicious, beneficial, a divinity, and worthy of honor! This will lead to our welfare, happiness, patience, supreme beatitude, and future benefit both in this life and the life beyond!” Saying thus, many Ugras, Ugra-sons, Bhogas, Bhoga-sons, and so forth in proper order—crowned kings, kṣatriyas, brāhmaṇas, warriors, fighters, commanders, Mallakis, Licchavis, Licchavi-sons, and many other kings, governors, district chiefs, householders, wealthy men, guild leaders, generals, caravan leaders, and others, causing as it were the roar of a churning ocean with their great triumphant lion-roars, clamor, and tumultuous noises, went forth through the midst of the city of Śrāvastī. Then, upon hearing and comprehending this matter from the great multitude of people, this inward, reflective, wished-for mental resolve arose in Khaṃdaka of the Kātyāyana lineage: “Indeed, the Śramaṇa, the Blessed Mahāvīra, is staying outside the city of Kāyaṅgalā at the Chattapalāsaya caitya, cultivating his self with self-restraint and austerity. Therefore, I will go to venerate and pay homage to the Śramaṇa, the Blessed Mahāvīra. It is surely better for me to venerate, pay homage to, respect, honor, and attend upon the Śramaṇa, the Blessed Mahāvīra, who is auspicious, beneficial, a divinity, and worthy of honor, and ask about these kinds of meanings, reasons, questions, causes, and expositions.” Thinking thus, he went to the lodging of the wandering mendicants, and having gone, he took up the triple staff, the water-pot, the rosary, the earthen bowl, the cleaning cloth, the sieve-cloth, the hook, the purifier, the counting stick, the umbrella, the shoes, the wooden sandals, and the ochre garments. Having taken them up, he left the wandering mendicants' lodging; carrying the triple staff, water-pot, rosary, earthen bowl, cushion, cleaning cloth, sieve-cloth, hook, purifier, and counting stick in his hands, equipped with an umbrella and shoes, and dressed in ochre garments, he walked through the middle of the city of Śrāvastī and set out on the road toward the city of Kāyaṅgalā, toward the Chattapalāsaya caitya, toward the Śramaṇa, the Blessed Mahāvīra. “O Gautama!” the Śramaṇa, the Blessed Mahāvīra, addressed the venerable Gautama thus: “Gautama, you will see a companion from a former life.” “Whom, Venerable Sir?” “One named Khaṃdaka.” “When, how, and in how long, Venerable Sir?” “Indeed, Gautama, at that time and in that period, there was a city named Śrāvastī—[described as before]. In that city of Śrāvastī lived a wandering mendicant named Khaṃdaka of the Kātyāyana lineage, a disciple of Gaddabhāli […] up to […] he has set out to come into my presence. He has come nearby, traversed most of the journey, entered upon the road, and is now halfway along the path. You will see him this very day, Gautama!” “Yes, Venerable Sir!” The venerable Gautama venerated and paid homage to the Śramaṇa, the Blessed Mahāvīra, and having venerated and paid homage, said thus: “Is Khaṃdaka of the Kātyāyana lineage capable, Venerable Sir, of being tonsured in the presence of the beloved of the gods and renouncing the household life for homelessness?” “Yes, he is capable.” And as long as the Śramaṇa, the Blessed Mahāvīra, was narrating this matter to the venerable Gautama, in that time Khaṃdaka of the Kātyāyana lineage quickly arrived at that place. Then the venerable Gautama, knowing that Khaṃdaka of the Kātyāyana lineage had arrived nearby, immediately stood up, and having stood up, quickly went out to meet him. He approached where Khaṃdaka of the Kātyāyana lineage was, and having approached, said to Khaṃdaka of the Kātyāyana lineage: “Hail, Khaṃdaka! Welcome, Khaṃdaka! Warmly welcome, Khaṃdaka! Well met, Khaṃdaka! Welcome and well met, Khaṃdaka! Surely, Khaṃdaka, in the city of Śrāvastī, the Nirgrantha layman from Vaiśālī named Piṅgalaka challenged you with this question: ‘O resident of Magadha! Is the world finite or infinite?’ and so forth, up to—you quickly came here to this place. Is this matter true, Khaṃdaka?” “Yes, it is so.” Then Khaṃdaka of the Kātyāyana lineage said thus to the venerable Gautama: “O Gautama, who is that kind of possessor of knowledge or ascetic by whom this confidential matter of mine was disclosed to you, from which you know it?” Then the venerable Gautama said thus to Khaṃdaka of the Kātyāyana lineage: “Indeed, Khaṃdaka, my spiritual teacher (dharmācārya) and instructor in the Dharma, the Śramaṇa, the Blessed Mahāvīra, who possesses arisen knowledge and vision, an Arhat, a Jina, a Kevalin, knower of past, present, and future, omniscient, all-seeing, is the one by whom this confidential matter of yours was disclosed to me, from which I know it, Khaṃdaka!” Then Khaṃdaka of the Kātyāyana lineage said thus to the venerable Gautama: “Let us go, O Gautama! Let us venerate, pay homage to, respect, honor, and attend upon your spiritual teacher and instructor in the Dharma, the Śramaṇa, the Blessed Mahāvīra, who is auspicious, beneficial, a divinity, and worthy of honor.” “As it pleases you, beloved of the gods, do not delay!” Then the venerable Gautama, together with Khaṃdaka of the Kātyāyana lineage, set out on the way to the Śramaṇa, the Blessed Mahāvīra. At that time and in that period, the Śramaṇa, the Blessed Mahāvīra, was one who took food daily. The body of the Śramaṇa, the Blessed Mahāvīra, who took food daily, was magnificent, charming, auspicious, benevolent, blessed, fortunate, unadorned yet adorned, endowed with marks, secondary signs, and virtues, and shone exceedingly with splendour. Then Khaṃdaka of the Kātyāyana lineage saw the body of the Śramaṇa, the Blessed Mahāvīra, who took food daily—magnificent, charming, auspicious, benevolent, blessed, fortunate, unadorned yet adorned, endowed with marks, secondary signs, and virtues, and shining exceedingly with splendour. Having seen it, delighted, pleased, cheerful, joyous, glad in mind, exceedingly serene, his heart expanding with joy, he went to where the Śramaṇa, the Blessed Mahāvīra was. Having approached, he circumambulated the Śramaṇa, the Blessed Mahāvīra, three times from left to right, and having done so, venerated and paid homage; having venerated and paid homage, neither too close nor too far, wanting to listen, paying homage, facing him, he attended upon him with folded hands in reverence. “O Khaṃdaka!” the Śramaṇa, the Blessed Mahāvīra, addressed Khaṃdaka of the Kātyāyana lineage thus: “Surely, Khaṃdaka, in the city of Śrāvastī, Piṅgalaka, the Nirgrantha layman from Vaiśālī, challenged you with this question: ‘O resident of Magadha! 1. Is the world finite or infinite? 2. Is the soul finite or infinite? 3. Is liberation finite or infinite? 4. Is the liberated soul finite or infinite? 5. And dying by which manner of death does the soul increase or decrease [its transmigration]?’ and so forth, up to—you quickly came into my presence. Is this matter true, Khaṃdaka?” “Yes, it is so.” “And this inward, reflective, wished-for mental resolve also arose in you, Khaṃdaka: ‘Is the world finite or infinite?’ Regarding this, this is the meaning: Indeed, Khaṃdaka, the world has been expounded by me in four ways, namely: in terms of substance (dravya), in terms of space (kṣetra), in terms of time (kāla), and in terms of state/modes (bhāva). In terms of substance, the world is one, and finite. In terms of space, the world is taught to be innumerable crores of crores of yojanas in length and breadth, and innumerable crores of crores of yojanas in circumference, yet it has an end [i.e., it is finite]. In terms of time, the world was never non-existent, is never non-existent, and will never be non-existent—it was, it is, and it will be—constant, fixed, eternal, imperishable, undecaying, unchanging, permanent; and it has no end [i.e., it is infinite]. In terms of state/modes, the world possesses infinite color-modes, infinite smell-modes, infinite taste-modes, infinite touch-modes, infinite shape-modes, infinite heavy-and-light modes, and infinite neither-heavy-nor-light modes, and it has no end. Thus, Khaṃdaka: in terms of substance the world is finite, in terms of space the world is finite, in terms of time the world is infinite, and in terms of modes the world is infinite. And this inward, reflective, wished-for mental resolve also arose in you, Khaṃdaka: ‘Is the soul finite or infinite?’ Regarding this, this is the meaning: Indeed, Khaṃdaka, the soul has been expounded by me in four ways, namely: in terms of substance, in terms of space, in terms of time, and in terms of state/modes. In terms of substance, an individual soul is one, and finite. In terms of space, a soul consists of innumerable space-points (pradeśas) and occupies innumerable space-points, yet it has an end [i.e., it is finite]. In terms of time, the soul was never non-existent, is never non-existent, and will never be non-existent—it was, it is, and it will be—constant, fixed, eternal, imperishable, undecaying, unchanging, permanent; and it has no end [i.e., it is infinite]. In terms of state/modes, the soul possesses infinite knowledge-modes, infinite vision-modes, infinite conduct-modes, infinite heavy-and-light modes, and infinite neither-heavy-nor-light modes, and it has no end. Thus, Khaṃdaka: in terms of substance the soul is finite, in terms of space the soul is finite, in terms of time the soul is infinite, and in terms of modes the soul is infinite. And this inward, reflective, wished-for mental resolve also arose in you, Khaṃdaka: ‘Is liberation finite or infinite?’ Regarding this, this is the meaning: Indeed, Khaṃdaka, liberation has been expounded by me in four ways, namely: in terms of substance, in terms of space, in terms of time, and in terms of state/modes. In terms of substance, liberation is one, and finite. In terms of space, liberation is expounded as forty-five hundred thousand [i.e., 4,500,000] yojanas in length and breadth, and one crore, forty-two hundred thousand, thirty thousand, two hundred and forty-nine [i.e., 14,230,249] yojanas and slightly more in circumference, yet it has an end [i.e., it is finite]. In terms of time, liberation was never non-existent, is never non-existent, and will never be non-existent—it was, it is, and it will be—constant, fixed, eternal, imperishable, undecaying, unchanging, permanent; and it has no end [i.e., it is infinite]. In terms of state/modes, liberation possesses infinite color-modes, infinite smell-modes, infinite taste-modes, infinite touch-modes, infinite shape-modes, infinite heavy-and-light modes, and infinite neither-heavy-nor-light modes, and it has no end. Thus, Khaṃdaka: in terms of substance liberation is finite, in terms of space liberation is finite, in terms of time liberation is infinite, and in terms of modes liberation is infinite. And this inward, reflective, wished-for mental resolve also arose in you, Khaṃdaka: ‘Is the liberated soul finite or infinite?’ Regarding this, this is the meaning: Indeed, Khaṃdaka, the liberated soul has been expounded by me in four ways, namely: in terms of substance, in terms of space, in terms of time, and in terms of state/modes. In terms of substance, an individual liberated soul is one, and finite. In terms of space, the liberated soul consists of innumerable space-points and occupies innumerable space-points, yet it has an end [i.e., it is finite]. In terms of time, the liberated soul has a beginning, but no end; and it has no end [i.e., it is infinite]. In terms of state/modes, the liberated soul possesses infinite knowledge-modes, infinite vision-modes, and infinite neither-heavy-nor-light modes, and it has no end. Thus, Khaṃdaka: in terms of substance the liberated soul is finite, in terms of space the liberated soul is finite, in terms of time the liberated soul is infinite, and in terms of modes the liberated soul is infinite. And this inward, reflective, wished-for mental resolve also arose in you, Khaṃdaka: ‘Dying by which manner of death does the soul increase or decrease [its transmigration]?’ Regarding this, this is the meaning: Indeed, Khaṃdaka, death has been expounded by me as two-fold, namely: the death of the fool (bālamaraṇa) and the death of the wise (paṇḍitamaraṇa). What is the death of the fool? The death of the fool is expounded as twelve-fold, namely: 1. Death by strangulation/suffocation (valayamaraṇa), 2. Death in agony/helplessness (vaśārtamaraṇa), 3. Death with an inner thorn/concealed sin (antaḥśalyamaraṇa), 4. Death desiring rebirth in the same condition (tadbhāvamaraṇa), 5. Death by falling from a mountain (giripatana), 6. Death by falling from a tree (tarupatana), 7. Entering into water (jalapraveśa), 8. Entering into fire (jvalanapraveśa), 9. Swallowing poison (viṣabhakṣaṇa), 10. Piercing with a weapon (śastropapātana), 11. Hanging oneself (vaihāyasa), 12. Offering one's body to vultures (gṛdhrapṛṣṭha). Khaṃdaka, dying by these twelve kinds of the death of the fool, the soul binds itself to infinite rebirths as an inhabitant of hell, binds itself to infinite rebirths as an animal, binds itself to infinite rebirths as a human, binds itself to infinite rebirths as a celestial being, and wanders through the beginningless, endless, four-realm wilderness of transmigration (saṃsāra). Thus, dying [in this manner], it increases [its transmigration]. That is the death of the fool. What is the death of the wise? The death of the wise is expounded as two-fold, namely: death by total motionless fasting like a felled tree (pādopagamana), and death by renouncing food (bhaktapratyākhyāna). What is death by total motionless fasting like a felled tree? Death by total motionless fasting is expounded as two-fold, namely: that which requires removal of the body (nairhārika), and that which does not require removal of the body (anairhārika); invariably without nursing/care (apratikarma). That is death by total motionless fasting like a felled tree. What is death by renouncing food? Death by renouncing food is expounded as two-fold, namely: that which requires removal of the body, and that which does not require removal of the body; invariably with nursing/care (sapratikarma). That is death by renouncing food. Khaṃdaka, dying by these two kinds of the death of the wise, the soul frees itself from infinite rebirths as an inhabitant of hell, frees itself from infinite rebirths as an animal, frees itself from infinite rebirths as a human, frees itself from infinite rebirths as a celestial being, and crosses over the beginningless, endless, four-realm wilderness of transmigration. Thus, dying [in this manner], it decreases [its transmigration]. That is the death of the wise. Thus, Khaṃdaka, dying by these two kinds of death, the soul increases or decreases [its transmigration].”