Early Monastic Buddhism v1.c6.s1.7

v1.c6.s1.7

were known as *mahāsāla-brāhmaṇas*. They occasionally celebrated sacrifices by spending large sums. The thought that troubled Kūṭadanta, viz., that he is not fully aware of the *tividha yaññasampadaṃ soḷasa-parikkhāraṃ*, leads us to infer that their knowledge relating to sacrifices was only limited. These Brāhmaṇa teachers had all the four qualities mentioned below¹ beside being *brahmavaṇṇi, brahmavaccasī, kalyāṇavāco, kalyāṇavākkaraṇo*, etc.² They taught mantras to 300 to 500 students (*māṇavakas*) who flocked to them from different countries (*nānādisā nānājanapadā māṇavakā āgacchanti*). They are described as proficient in the three Vedas with *nighaṇḍu* and *keṭubha*, in the traditional lore, in worldly sciences and in the science of physiognomy. They commanded respect of the people who thought that it would be beneath the teacher's dignity to approach Gotama (Buddha) for discussion, and suggested that the latter should come to them. The maxim that guests should be honoured led, however, the Brāhmaṇa teachers, in some instances, to approach Gotama