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Brāhmaṇadhammikasutta

Brahmanical Traditions

Evaṁ me sutaṁ—
So I have heard.

ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme.
At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery.

Atha kho sambahulā kosalakā brāhmaṇamahāsālā jiṇṇā vuḍḍhā mahallakā addhagatā vayoanuppattā yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkamiṁsu; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavatā saddhiṁ sammodiṁsu.
Then several old and well-to-do brahmins of Kosala—elderly and senior, who were advanced in years and had reached the final stage of life—went up to the Buddha, and exchanged greetings with him.

Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ nisīdiṁsu. Ekamantaṁ nisinnā kho te brāhmaṇamahāsālā bhagavantaṁ etadavocuṁ:
When the greetings and polite conversation were over, they sat down to one side and said to the Buddha:

“sandissanti nu kho, bho gotama, etarahi brāhmaṇā porāṇānaṁ brāhmaṇānaṁ brāhmaṇadhamme”ti?
“Mister Gotama, are the ancient traditions of the brahmins exhibited these days among brahmins?”

“Na kho, brāhmaṇā, sandissanti etarahi brāhmaṇā porāṇānaṁ brāhmaṇānaṁ brāhmaṇadhamme”ti.
“No, brahmins, they are not.”

“Sādhu no bhavaṁ gotamo porāṇānaṁ brāhmaṇānaṁ brāhmaṇadhammaṁ bhāsatu, sace bhoto gotamassa agarū”ti.
“If you wouldn’t mind, Mister Gotama, please teach us the ancient traditions of the brahmins.”

“Tena hi, brāhmaṇā, suṇātha, sādhukaṁ manasi karotha, bhāsissāmī”ti.
“Well then, brahmins, listen and apply your mind well, I will speak.”

“Evaṁ, bho”ti kho te brāhmaṇamahāsālā bhagavato paccassosuṁ.
“Yes, sir,” they replied.

Bhagavā etadavoca:
The Buddha said this:

“Isayo pubbakā āsuṁ,
“The ancient seers used to be

saññatattā tapassino;
restrained and austere.

Pañca kāmaguṇe hitvā,
Having given up the five sensual titillations,

attadatthamacārisuṁ.
they lived for their own true good.

Na pasū brāhmaṇānāsuṁ,
Brahmins used to own no cattle,

na hiraññaṁ na dhāniyaṁ;
nor gold coin or grain.

Sajjhāyadhanadhaññāsuṁ,
Chanting was their money and grain,

brahmaṁ nidhimapālayuṁ.
which they guarded as a gift from god.

Yaṁ nesaṁ pakataṁ āsi,
Food was prepared for them

dvārabhattaṁ upaṭṭhitaṁ;
and left beside their doors.

Saddhāpakatamesānaṁ,
People believed that food prepared in faith

dātave tadamaññisuṁ.
should be given to them.

Nānārattehi vatthehi,
With colorful clothes,

sayanehāvasathehi ca;
lodgings and houses,

Phītā janapadā raṭṭhā,
prosperous nations and countries

te namassiṁsu brāhmaṇe.
honored those brahmins.

Avajjhā brāhmaṇā āsuṁ,
Brahmins used to be inviolable and

ajeyyā dhammarakkhitā;
invincible, protected by principle.

Na ne koci nivāresi,
No-one ever turned them away

kuladvāresu sabbaso.
from the doors of families.

Aṭṭhacattālīsaṁ vassāni,
For forty-eight years

(komāra) Brahmacariyaṁ cariṁsu te;
they led the spiritual life.

Vijjācaraṇapariyeṭṭhiṁ,
The brahmins of old pursued

Acaruṁ brāhmaṇā pure.
their quest for knowledge and conduct.

Na brāhmaṇā aññamagamuṁ,
Brahmins never transgressed with another,

napi bhariyaṁ kiṇiṁsu te;
nor did they purchase a wife.

Sampiyeneva saṁvāsaṁ,
They lived together in love,

saṅgantvā samarocayuṁ.
joining together by mutual consent.

Aññatra tamhā samayā,
Brahmins never approached their wives for sex

utuveramaṇiṁ pati;
during the time outside

Antarā methunaṁ dhammaṁ,
the fertile phase of the menstrual cycle

nāssu gacchanti brāhmaṇā.
after menstruation.

Brahmacariyañca sīlañca,
They praised celibacy and morality,

ajjavaṁ maddavaṁ tapaṁ;
integrity, gentleness, and fervor,

Soraccaṁ avihiṁsañca,
sweetness and harmlessness,

khantiñcāpi avaṇṇayuṁ.
and also patience.

Yo nesaṁ paramo āsi,
He who was supreme among them,

Brahmā daḷhaparakkamo;
godlike, staunchly vigorous,

Sa vāpi methunaṁ dhammaṁ,
did not engage in sex

Supinantepi nāgamā.
even in a dream.

Tassa vattamanusikkhantā,
Training in line with their duties,

Idheke viññujātikā;
many smart people here

Brahmacariyañca sīlañca,
praised celibacy and morality,

Khantiñcāpi avaṇṇayuṁ.
and also patience.

Taṇḍulaṁ sayanaṁ vatthaṁ,
They begged for rice,

Sappitelañca yāciya;
bedding, clothes, ghee, and oil.

Dhammena samodhānetvā,
Having collected them legitimately,

Tato yaññamakappayuṁ.
they arranged a sacrifice.

Upaṭṭhitasmiṁ yaññasmiṁ,
But they slew no cows

Nāssu gāvo haniṁsu te;
while serving at the sacrifice.

Yathā mātā pitā bhātā,
Like a mother, father, or brother,

Aññe vāpi ca ñātakā;
or some other relative,

Gāvo no paramā mittā,
cows are our best friends,

Yāsu jāyanti osadhā.
the fonts of medicine.

Annadā baladā cetā,
They give food and health,

Vaṇṇadā sukhadā tathā;
and beauty and happiness.

Etamatthavasaṁ ñatvā,
Knowing these benefits,

Nāssu gāvo haniṁsu te.
they slew no cows.

Sukhumālā mahākāyā,
The brahmins were delicate and tall,

Vaṇṇavanto yasassino;
beautiful and glorious.

Brāhmaṇā sehi dhammehi,
They were keen on all the duties

Kiccākiccesu ussukā;
required by their own traditions.

Yāva loke avattiṁsu,
So long as they continued in the world,

Sukhamedhitthayaṁ pajā.
people flourished happily.

Tesaṁ āsi vipallāso,
But perversion crept into them

Disvāna aṇuto aṇuṁ;
little by little when they saw

Rājino ca viyākāraṁ,
the splendor of the king

Nāriyo samalaṅkatā.
and the ladies in all their finery.

Rathe cājaññasaṁyutte,
Their chariots were harnessed with thoroughbreds,

Sukate cittasibbane;
well-made with bright canopies,

Nivesane nivese ca,
and their homes and houses were

Vibhatte bhāgaso mite.
neatly laid out in measured rows.

Gomaṇḍalaparibyūḷhaṁ,
They were lavished with herds of cattle,

Nārīvaragaṇāyutaṁ;
and furnished with bevies of lovely ladies.

Uḷāraṁ mānusaṁ bhogaṁ,
This extravagant human wealth

Abhijjhāyiṁsu brāhmaṇā.
was coveted by the brahmins.

Te tattha mante ganthetvā,
They compiled hymns to that end,

Okkākaṁ tadupāgamuṁ;
approached King Okkāka and said,

Pahūtadhanadhaññosi,
‘You have plenty of money and grain.

Yajassu bahu te vittaṁ;
Sacrifice! For you have much treasure.

Yajassu bahu te dhanaṁ.
Sacrifice! For you have much money.’

Tato ca rājā saññatto,
Persuaded by the brahmins,

Brāhmaṇehi rathesabho;
the king, chief of charioteers, performed

Assamedhaṁ purisamedhaṁ,
horse sacrifice, human sacrifice,

Sammāpāsaṁ vājapeyyaṁ niraggaḷaṁ;
the sacrifices of the ‘casting of the yoke-pin’, the ‘royal soma drinking’, and the ‘unimpeded’.

Ete yāge yajitvāna,
When he had carried out these sacrifices,

Brāhmaṇānamadā dhanaṁ.
he gave riches to the brahmins.

Gāvo sayanañca vatthañca,
There were cattle, bedding, and clothes,

Nāriyo samalaṅkatā;
and ladies in all their finery;

Rathe cājaññasaṁyutte,
chariots harnessed with thoroughbreds,

Sukate cittasibbane.
well-made with bright canopies;

Nivesanāni rammāni,
and lovely homes, all

Suvibhattāni bhāgaso;
neatly laid out in measured rows.

Nānādhaññassa pūretvā,
Having furnished them with different grains,

Brāhmaṇānamadā dhanaṁ.
he gave riches to the brahmins.

Te ca tattha dhanaṁ laddhā,
When they got hold of that wealth,

Sannidhiṁ samarocayuṁ;
they arranged to store it up.

Tesaṁ icchāvatiṇṇānaṁ,
Falling under the sway of desire,

Bhiyyo taṇhā pavaḍḍhatha;
their craving grew and grew.

Te tattha mante ganthetvā,
They compiled hymns to that end,

Okkākaṁ puna mupāgamuṁ.
approached King Okkāka once more and said,

Yathā āpo ca pathavī ca,
‘Like water and earth,

Hiraññaṁ dhanadhāniyaṁ;
gold coin, riches, and grain,

Evaṁ gāvo manussānaṁ,
are cows for humankind,

Parikkhāro so hi pāṇinaṁ;
as they are essential for creatures.

Yajassu bahu te vittaṁ,
Sacrifice! For you have much treasure.

Yajassu bahu te dhanaṁ.
Sacrifice! For you have much money.’

Tato ca rājā saññatto,
Persuaded by the brahmins,

Brāhmaṇehi rathesabho;
the king, chief of charioteers,

Nekā satasahassiyo,
had many hundred thousand cows

Gāvo yaññe aghātayi.
slain at the sacrifice.

Na pādā na visāṇena,
Neither with feet nor with horns

Nāssu hiṁsanti kenaci;
do cows harm anyone at all.

Gāvo eḷakasamānā,
Cows meek as lambs,

Soratā kumbhadūhanā;
supply buckets of milk.

Tā visāṇe gahetvāna,
But taking them by the horns,

Rājā satthena ghātayi.
the king slew them with a sword.

Tato devā pitaro ca,
At that the gods and the ancestors,

Indo asurarakkhasā;
with Indra, the titans and monsters,

Adhammo iti pakkanduṁ,
roared out: ‘This is a crime against nature!’

Yaṁ satthaṁ nipatī gave.
as the sword fell on the cows.

Tayo rogā pure āsuṁ,
There used to be three kinds of illness:

Icchā anasanaṁ jarā;
greed, starvation, and old age.

Pasūnañca samārambhā,
But due to the slaughter of cows,

Aṭṭhānavutimāgamuṁ.
this grew to be ninety-eight.

Eso adhammo daṇḍānaṁ,
This unnatural violence

Okkanto purāṇo ahu;
has been passed down as an ancient custom.

Adūsikāyo haññanti,
Killing innocent creatures,

Dhammā dhaṁsanti yājakā.
the sacrificers forsake righteousness.

Evameso aṇudhammo,
And that is how this mean old practice

Porāṇo viññugarahito;
was criticized by sensible people.

Yattha edisakaṁ passati,
Wherever they see such a thing,

Yājakaṁ garahatī jano.
folk criticize the sacrificer.

Evaṁ dhamme viyāpanne,
With righteousness gone,

Vibhinnā suddavessikā;
peasants and menials were split,

Puthū vibhinnā khattiyā,
as were many aristocrats,

Patiṁ bhariyāvamaññatha.
and wives looked down on their husbands.

Khattiyā brahmabandhū ca,
Aristocrats and Divinity’s kinsmen

Ye caññe gottarakkhitā;
and others protected by their clan,

Jātivādaṁ nirākatvā,
neglecting their genealogy,

Kāmānaṁ vasamanvagun”ti.
fell under the sway of sensual pleasures.”

Evaṁ vutte, te brāhmaṇamahāsālā bhagavantaṁ etadavocuṁ:
When he had spoken, those well-to-do brahmins said to the Buddha,

“abhikkantaṁ, bho gotama …pe…
“Excellent, Mister Gotama! Excellent! …

upāsake no bhavaṁ gotamo dhāretu ajjatagge pāṇupete saraṇaṁ gate”ti.
From this day forth, may Mister Gotama remember us as lay followers who have gone for refuge for life.”

Brāhmaṇadhammikasuttaṁ sattamaṁ.