Uttarajjhayana 25

25.1

māhaṇakulasaṃbhūo āsi vippo mahāyaso |
jāyāī jamajaṇṇaṃmi jayaghose tti nāmao ||

Born in a brāhmaṇa family, there was a renowned priest, / Jayaghosa by name, born in the sacrifice of Yama.

25.2

iṃdiyaggāmaniggāhī maggagāmī mahāmunī |
gāmānugāmaṃ rīyaṃte patte vāṇārasi puriṃ ||

Restraining the company of his sense organs, walking the path, that great sage, / wandering from village to village, reached the city of Vārāṇasī.

25.3

vāṇārasīe bahiyā ujjānaṃmi manorame |
phāsue sejjasaṃthāre tattha vāsamuvāgae ||

Outside Vārāṇasī, in a delightful garden, / on a pure bed of straw, he took up residence there.

25.4

aha teneva kāleṇaṃ purīe tattha māhaṇe |
vijayaghose tti nāmeṇa jaṇṇaṃ jayai veyavī ||

Now at that very time, in that city, a brāhmaṇa / named Vijayaghosa, learned in the Vedas, was performing a sacrifice.

25.5

aha se tattha anagāre māsakkhamaṇapāraṇe |
vijayaghosassa jaṇṇaṃmi bhikkhamaṭṭhā uvaṭṭhie ||

Then that homeless mendicant there, breaking a month-long fast, / arrived at Vijayaghosa's sacrifice to seek alms.

25.6

samuvaṭṭhiyaṃ tahiṃ saṃtaṃ jāyago paḍisehae |
na hu dāhāmi te bhikkhaṃ bhikkhū! jāyāhi annao ||

When he was standing there, the sacrificer turned him away: / "I certainly will not give you alms, monk! Go beg elsewhere!

25.7

je ya veyaviū vippā jaṇṇaṭṭhā ya je diyā |
joisaṃgaviū je ya je ya dhammāṇa pāragā ||

"Those priests who are learned in the Vedas, and those twice-born who attend to sacrifices, / and those who know the limbs of astronomy, and those who have mastered the Dharmas,

25.8

je samatthā samuddhattuṃ paraṃ appāṇameva ya |
tesiṃ annamiṇaṃ deyaṃ bho bhikkhū! savvakāmiyaṃ ||

"and who are capable of saving both others and themselves— / to them this food should be given, O monk, satisfying all desires!"

25.9

so evaṃ tattha paḍisiddho jāyageṇa mahāmunī |
na vi ruṭṭho na vi tuṭṭho uttamaṭṭhagavesao ||

That great sage, thus turned away there by the sacrificer, / was neither angered nor pleased, being a seeker of the highest goal.

25.10

nannaṭṭhaṃ pāṇaheuṃ vā na vi nivvāhaṇāya vā |
tesiṃ vimokkhaṇaṭṭhāe imaṃ vayaṇamabbavī ||

Not for the sake of food, nor for the sake of life, nor for his sustenance, / but for the sake of their liberation, he spoke this word:

25.11

navi jāṇasi veyamuhaṃ navi jaṇṇāṇa jaṃ muhaṃ |
nakkhattāṇa muhaṃ jaṃ ca jaṃ ca dhammāṇa vā muhaṃ ||

"You do not know the mouth of the Veda, nor what is the mouth of sacrifices, / nor what is the mouth of the constellations, nor what is the mouth of the Dharmas,

25.12

je samatthā samuddhattuṃ paraṃ appāṇameva ya |
na me tumaṃ viyāṇāsi aha jāṇāsi to bhaṇa ||

"nor who are capable of saving both others and themselves. / You do not know me; but if you know, then speak!"

"Nor do you know those who are able to save themselves and others; but if you do, then speak out!"

25.13

tassakkhevapamokkhaṃ ca acayaṃto tahiṃ dio |
sapariso paṃjalī houṃ pucchaī taṃ mahāmuniṃ ||

Unable to refute or dismiss his objection there, the twice-born, / with his assembly, joined his palms and asked that great sage:

25.14

veyāṇaṃ ca muhaṃ būhi būhi jaṇṇāṇa jaṃ muhaṃ |
nakkhattāṇa muhaṃ būhi būhi dhammāṇa vā muhaṃ ||

"Tell me the mouth of the Vedas, tell me what is the mouth of sacrifices! / Tell me the mouth of the constellations, tell me what is the mouth of the Dharmas!

25.15

je samatthā samuddhattuṃ paraṃ appāṇameva ya |
eyaṃ me saṃsayaṃ savvaṃ sāhū kahaya pucchio ||

"And who are capable of saving both others and themselves? / Resolve this entire doubt of mine, O virtuous mendicant, when asked!"

25.16

aggihottamuhā veyā jaṇṇaṭṭhī veyasā muhaṃ |
nakkhattāṇa muhaṃ caṃdo dhammāṇaṃ kāsavo muhaṃ ||

"The fire-sacrifice is the mouth of the Vedas; the sacrificer is the mouth of the sacrifice; / the moon is the mouth of the constellations; Kāśyapa is the mouth of the Dharmas.

25.17

jahā caṃda gahāīyā ciṭṭhaṃtī paṃjalīuḍā |
vaṃdamāṇā namaṃsaṃtā uttamaṃ manahāriṇo ||

"Just as the planets and other stars stand with cupped hands before the moon, / praising and paying homage to that highest, captivating one,

25.18

ajāṇagā jaṇṇavāī vijjāmāhaṇasaṃpayā |
gūḍhā sajjhāyatavasā bhāsacchannā ivaggiṇo ||

"so do the ignorant, boasting of sacrifice, with their learning and brāhmaṇical wealth; / but [the true sages], hidden by study and austerity, are like fires concealed by ashes.

25.19

jo loe baṃbhaṇo vutto aggī vā mahio jahā |
sayā kusalasaṃdiṭṭhaṃ taṃ vayaṃ būma māhaṇaṃ ||

"He who is called a brāhmaṇa in the world, honored like fire, / always seen by the skillful—him we call a brāhmaṇa.

25.20

jo na sajjai āgaṃtuṃ pavvayato na soyaī |
ramae ajjavayaṇaṃmi taṃ vayaṃ būma māhaṇaṃ ||

"He who is not attached to what comes, does not grieve when departing, / and delights in the words of the noble—him we call a brāhmaṇa.

25.21

jāyarūvaṃ jahāmaṭṭhaṃ niddhaṃtamalapāvagaṃ |
rāgaddosabhayāīyaṃ taṃ vayaṃ būma māhaṇaṃ ||

"Just like refined gold, cleared of dross and fire, / free from attachment, aversion, and fear—him we call a brāhmaṇa.

"He who is exempt from love, hatred, and fear, (and who shines forth) like burnished gold, purified in fire, him we call a Brâhmana.

25.22

tavassiyaṃ kisaṃ daṃtaṃ avaciyamaṃsasoṇiyaṃ |
suvvayaṃ pattanivvāṇaṃ taṃ vaya būma māhaṇaṃ ||

"Austere, emaciated, restrained, with diminished flesh and blood, / keeping good vows, having attained nirvāṇa—him we call a brāhmaṇa.

25.23

tasapāṇe viyāṇettā saṃgaheṇa ya thāvare |
jo na hiṃsai tiviheṇaṃ taṃ vayaṃ būma māhaṇaṃ ||

"Recognizing mobile living beings and comprehensively the immobile ones, / he who does not harm them in the three ways—him we call a brāhmaṇa.

25.24

kohā vā jai vā hāsā lohā vā jai vā bhayā |
musaṃ na vayaī jo u taṃ vayaṃ būma māhaṇaṃ ||

"He who, whether from anger or merriment, or greed or fear, / does not speak falsehood—him we call a brāhmaṇa.

25.25

cittamaṃtamacittaṃ vā appaṃ vā jai vā bahuṃ |
na geṇhai adattaṃ jo taṃ vayaṃ būma māhaṇaṃ ||

"Living or non-living, whether small or great, / he who does not take what is not given—him we call a brāhmaṇa.

25.26

divvamānusatericchaṃ jo na sevai mehuṇaṃ |
manasā kāyavakkeṇaṃ taṃ vayaṃ būma māhaṇaṃ ||

"He who does not engage in sexual intercourse—divine, human, or animal— / in mind, body, or speech—him we call a brāhmaṇa.

25.27

jahā pomaṃ jale jāyaṃ novalippai vāriṇā |
evaṃ alitto kāmehiṃ taṃ vayaṃ būma māhaṇaṃ ||

"Just as a lotus born in water is not smeared by the water, / so unstained by desires—him we call a brāhmaṇa.

25.28

aloluyaṃ muhājīvī anagāraṃ akiṃcanaṃ |
asaṃsattaṃ gihatthesu taṃ vayaṃ būma māhaṇaṃ ||

"Free from greed, living on alms, a homeless mendicant, possessing nothing, / unattached to householders—him we call a brāhmaṇa.

25.29

pasubaṃdhā savvaveyā jaṭṭhaṃ ca pāvakammuṇā |
na taṃ tāyaṃti dussīlaṃ kammāṇi balavaṃti ha ||

"All the Vedas with their animal sacrifices, and whatever is offered through evil actions— / these do not protect the immoral person; deeds are indeed powerful!

25.30

na vi muṃḍieṇa samaṇo na oṃkāreṇa baṃbhaṇo |
na munī raṇṇavāseṇaṃ kusacīreṇa na tāvaso ||

"One is not a śramaṇa by shaving the head, nor a brāhmaṇa by [chanting] Om, / nor a sage by living in the forest, nor an ascetic by wearing kuśa grass and bark.

25.31

samayāe samaṇo hoi baṃbhacereṇa baṃbhaṇo |
nāṇeṇa ya munī hoi taveṇaṃ hoi tāvaso ||

"By equanimity one becomes a śramaṇa; by celibacy a brāhmaṇa; / by knowledge one becomes a sage; by austerity one becomes an ascetic.

25.32

kammuṇā baṃbhaṇo hoi kammuṇā hoi khattio |
vaisso kammuṇā hoi suddo havai kammuṇā ||

"By action one becomes a brāhmaṇa; by action one becomes a kṣatriya; / by action one becomes a vaiśya; by action one becomes a śūdra.

25.33

ee pāukare buddhe jehiṃ hoi siṇāyao |
savvakammavinimmukkaṃ taṃ vayaṃ būma māhaṇaṃ ||

"These [virtues] the enlightened one proclaimed, by which one becomes bathed; / him who is completely released from all karma we call a brāhmaṇa.

25.34

evaṃ guṇasamāuttā je bhavaṃti diuttamā |
te samatthā u uddhattuṃ paraṃ appāṇameva ya ||

"Those who are the best of the twice-born, endowed with such qualities— / they indeed are capable of saving both others and themselves."

25.35

evaṃ tu saṃsae chinne vijayaghose ya māhaṇe |
samudāya tayaṃ taṃ tu jayaghosaṃ mahāmuniṃ ||

"When his doubt was thus dispelled, the brāhmaṇa Vijayaghosa / paid homage to that great sage Jayaghosa.

25.36

tuṭṭhe ya vijayaghose iṇamudāhu kayaṃjalī |
māhaṇattaṃ jahābhūyaṃ suṭṭhu me uvadaṃsiyaṃ ||

And delighted, Vijayaghosa said this with cupped hands: / "The nature of a true brāhmaṇa has been excellently shown to me!

25.37

tubbhe jaiyā jaṇṇāṇaṃ tubbhe veyaviū viū |
joisaṃgaviū tubbhe tubbhe dhammāṇa pāragā ||

"You are the celebrators of sacrifices; you are the knowers of the Vedas, the wise ones; / you know the limbs of astronomy; you have mastered the Dharmas;

25.38

tubbhe samatthā uddhattuṃ paraṃ appāṇameva ya |
tamanuggahaṃ karehamhaṃ bhikkheṇaṃ bhikkhauttamā ||

"You are capable of saving both others and yourselves! / Bestow that favor upon us by [accepting] alms, O best of monks!"

25.39

na kajjaṃ majjha bhikkheṇa khippaṃ nikkhamasū diyā! |
mā bhamihisi bhayāvaṭṭe ghore saṃsārasāgare ||

"I have no need of alms; go forth quickly, O twice-born! / Do not wander in the dreadful ocean of the cycle of rebirth, a whirlpool of fear!

25.40

uvalevo hoi bhogesu abhogī novalippaī |
bhogī bhamai saṃsāre abhogī vippamuccaī ||

"There is defilement in pleasures; the one free from pleasures is not defiled. / The one pursuing pleasures wanders in the cycle of rebirth; the one free from pleasures is liberated.

"There is glue (as it were) in pleasure: those who are not given to pleasure, are not soiled by it; those who love pleasures, must wander about in the Samsâra; those who do not, will be liberated.

25.41

ullo sukko ya do chūḍhā golayā maṭṭiyāmayā |
do vi āvaḍiyā kuḍḍe jo ullo sotattha laggaī ||

"Two balls made of clay are thrown, one wet and one dry; / both strike against a wall: the one that is wet sticks there.

25.42

evaṃ laggaṃti dummehā je narā kāmalālasā |
virattā u na laggaṃti jahā sukko u golao ||

"So foolish men stick, who are lustful for desires; / but the detached do not stick, just like the dry ball."

25.43

evaṃ se vijayaghose jayaghosassa aṃtie |
anagārassa nikkhaṃto dhammaṃ soccā anuttaraṃ ||

Thus Vijayaghosa, in the presence of Jayaghosa, / having heard the supreme Dharma from the homeless mendicant, went forth from home.

25.44

khavittā puvvakammāiṃ saṃjameṇa taveṇa ya |
jayaghosavijayaghosā siddhiṃ pattā anuttaraṃ || –tti bemi ||

Having destroyed their past karmas through self-restraint and austerity, / Jayaghosa and Vijayaghosa attained supreme perfection. — Thus I say.