Udāna 1.4

Translators: sujato

Heartfelt Sayings 1.4

Huṁhuṅkasutta

The Mystic Syllable Huṁ

Evaṁ me sutaṁ—
So I have heard.

ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā uruvelāyaṁ viharati najjā nerañjarāya tīre ajapālanigrodhe paṭhamābhisambuddho.
At one time, when he was first awakened, the Buddha was staying in Uruvelā at the goatherd’s banyan tree on the bank of the Nerañjarā River.

Tena kho pana samayena bhagavā sattāhaṁ ekapallaṅkena nisinno hoti vimuttisukhapaṭisaṁvedī.
There the Buddha sat cross-legged for seven days without moving, experiencing the bliss of freedom.

Atha kho bhagavā tassa sattāhassa accayena tamhā samādhimhā vuṭṭhāsi.
When seven days had passed, the Buddha emerged from that state of immersion.

Atha kho aññataro huṁhuṅkajātiko brāhmaṇo yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavatā saddhiṁ sammodi.
Then a certain brahmin, one of those who murmured the mystic syllable huṁ, huṁ, went up to the Buddha and exchanged greetings with him.

Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ aṭṭhāsi. Ekamantaṁ ṭhito kho so brāhmaṇo bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:
When the greetings and polite conversation were over, he stood to one side and said,

“kittāvatā nu kho, bho gotama, brāhmaṇo hoti, katame ca pana brāhmaṇakaraṇā dhammā”ti?
“Mister Gotama, how do you define a brahmin? And what are the things that make one a brahmin?”

Atha kho bhagavā etamatthaṁ viditvā tāyaṁ velāyaṁ imaṁ udānaṁ udānesi:
Then, understanding this matter, on that occasion the Buddha expressed this heartfelt sentiment:

“Yo brāhmaṇo bāhitapāpadhammo,
“Any brahmin who has banished bad qualities—

Nihuṁhuṅko nikkasāvo yatatto;
not murmuring the mystic syllable huṁ, <j>unstained, self-controlled,

Vedantagū vūsitabrahmacariyo,
a complete knowledge master <j>who has completed the spiritual journey—

Dhammena so brahmavādaṁ vadeyya;
they may legitimately proclaim the divine doctrine;

Yassussadā natthi kuhiñci loke”ti.
who have no pretensions regarding anything in the world.”

Catutthaṁ.