sutta » an » an3 » Aṅguttara Nikāya 3.28

Gūthabhāṇīsutta

Speech like Dung

“Tayome, bhikkhave, puggalā santo saṁvijjamānā lokasmiṁ.
“These three kinds of people are found in the world.

Katame tayo?
What three?

Gūthabhāṇī, pupphabhāṇī, madhubhāṇī.
One with speech like dung, one with speech like flowers, and one with speech like honey.

Katamo ca, bhikkhave, puggalo gūthabhāṇī?
And who has speech like dung?

Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco puggalo sabhaggato vā parisaggato vā ñātimajjhagato vā pūgamajjhagato vā rājakulamajjhagato vā abhinīto sakkhipuṭṭho: ‘ehambho purisa, yaṁ jānāsi taṁ vadehī’ti. So ajānaṁ vā āha: ‘jānāmī’ti, jānaṁ vā āha: ‘na jānāmī’ti, apassaṁ vā āha: ‘passāmī’ti, passaṁ vā āha: ‘na passāmī’ti; iti attahetu vā parahetu vā āmisakiñcikkhahetu vā sampajānamusā bhāsitā hoti.
It’s someone who is summoned to a council, an assembly, a family meeting, a guild, or to the royal court, and asked to bear witness: ‘Please, mister, say what you know.’ Not knowing, they say ‘I know.’ Knowing, they say ‘I don’t know.’ Not seeing, they say ‘I see.’ And seeing, they say ‘I don’t see.’ So they deliberately lie for the sake of themselves or another, or for some trivial worldly reason.

Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, puggalo gūthabhāṇī.
This is called a person with speech like dung.

Katamo ca, bhikkhave, puggalo pupphabhāṇī?
And who has speech like flowers?

Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco puggalo sabhaggato vā parisaggato vā ñātimajjhagato vā pūgamajjhagato vā rājakulamajjhagato vā abhinīto sakkhipuṭṭho: ‘ehambho purisa, yaṁ pajānāsi taṁ vadehī’ti, so ajānaṁ vā āha: ‘na jānāmī’ti, jānaṁ vā āha: ‘jānāmī’ti, apassaṁ vā āha: ‘na passāmī’ti, passaṁ vā āha: ‘passāmī’ti; iti attahetu vā parahetu vā āmisakiñcikkhahetu vā na sampajānamusā bhāsitā hoti.
It’s someone who is summoned to a council, an assembly, a family meeting, a guild, or to the royal court, and asked to bear witness: ‘Please, mister, say what you know.’ Not knowing, they say ‘I don’t know.’ Knowing, they say ‘I know.’ Not seeing, they say ‘I don’t see.’ And seeing, they say ‘I see.’ So they don’t deliberately lie for the sake of themselves or another, or for some trivial worldly reason.

Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, puggalo pupphabhāṇī.
This is called a person with speech like flowers.

Katamo ca, bhikkhave, puggalo madhubhāṇī?
And who has speech like honey?

Idha, bhikkhave, ekacco puggalo pharusaṁ vācaṁ pahāya pharusāya vācāya paṭivirato hoti;
It’s someone who gives up harsh speech.

yā sā vācā nelā kaṇṇasukhā pemanīyā hadayaṅgamā porī bahujanakantā bahujanamanāpā tathārūpiṁ vācaṁ bhāsitā hoti.
They speak in a way that’s mellow, pleasing to the ear, lovely, going to the heart, polite, likable and agreeable to the people.

Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, puggalo madhubhāṇī.
This is called a person with speech like honey.

Ime kho, bhikkhave, tayo puggalā santo saṁvijjamānā lokasmin”ti.
These are the three people found in the world.”

Aṭṭhamaṁ.