Sutta Nipāta 5-1: Vatthugāthā

1. From the beautiful city of the Kosalas (Sāvatthī) a Brāhmaṇa, well versed in the hymns, went to the South (Dakkhiṇāpatha) wishing for nothingness. (976)

2. In Assaka’s territory, in the neighbourhood of Aḷaka, he dwelt on the banks of the Godhāvarī, (living) on gleanings and fruit. (977)

3. And close by the bank there was a large village, with the income of which he prepared a great sacrifice. (978)

4. Having offered the great sacrifice, he again entered the hermitage. Upon his re-entering, another Brāhmaṇa arrived, (979)

5. With swollen feet, trembling, covered with mud, with dust on his head. And he going up to him (i.e. the first Brāhmaṇa) demanded five hundred (pieces of money). (980)

6. Bāvarī, seeing him, bade him be seated, asked him whether he was happy and well, and spoke as follows: (981)

7. ‘What gifts I had are all given away by me; pardon me, O Brāhmaṇa, I have no five hundred.’ (982)

8. ‘If thou wilt not give to me who asks, may thy head on the seventh clay cleave into seven.’ (983)

9. So after the usual ceremonies this impostor made known his fearful (curse). On hearing these his words Bāvarī became sorrowful. (984)

10. He wasted away taking no food, transfixed by the arrow of grief, but yet his mind delighted in meditation. (985)

11. Seeing Bāvarī struck with horror and sorrowful, the benevolent deity (of that place) approached him and said as follows: (986)

12. ‘He does not know (anything about) the head; he is a hypocrite coveting riches; knowledge of the head and head-splitting is not found in him.’ (987)

13. ‘If the venerable (deity) knows it, then tell me, when asked, all about the head and head-splitting; let us hear thy words.’ (988)

14. ‘I do not know this; knowledge of it is not found in me; as to the head and head-splitting, this is to be seen by Buddhas (only).’ (989)

15. ‘Who then, say, in the circumference of the earth knows the head and head-splitting, tell me that, O deity?’ (990)

16. ‘Formerly went out from Kapilavatthu a ruler of the world, an offspring of the Okkāka king, the Sakya son, the light-giving; (991)

17. ‘He is, O Brāhmaṇa, the perfectly Enlightened (Sambuddha); perfect in all things, he has attained the power of all knowledge, sees clearly in everything; he has arrived at the destruction of all things, and is liberated in the destruction of the upadhis. (992)

18. ‘He is Buddha, he is Bhagavat in the world, he, the clearly-seeing, teaches the Dhamma; go thou to him and ask, he will explain it to thee.’ (993)

19. Having heard the word ‘Sambuddha,’ Bāvarī rejoiced, his grief became little, and he was filled with great delight. (994)

20. Bāvarī glad, rejoicing, and eager asked the deity: ‘In what village or in what town or in what province dwells the chief of the world, that going there we may adore the perfectly Enlightened, the first of men?’ (995)

21. ‘In Sāvatthī, the town of the Kosalas, dwells Jina (the Victorious), of great understanding and excellent wide knowledge, he the Sakya son, unyoked, free from passion, skilled in head-splitting, the bull of men.’ (996)

22. Then (Bāvarī) addressed his disciples, Brāhmaṇas, perfect in the hymns: ‘Come, youths, I will tell (you something), listen to my words: (997)

23. ‘He whose appearance in the world is difficult to be met with often, he is at the present time born in the world and widely renowned as Sambuddha (the perfectly Enlightened); go quickly to Sāvatthī and behold the best of men.’ (998)

24. ‘How then can we know, on seeing him, that he is Buddha, O Brāhmaṇa? Tell us who do not know him, by what may we recognise him? (999)

25. ‘For in the hymns are to be found the marks of a great man, and thirty-two are disclosed altogether, one by one.’ (1000)

26. ‘For him on whose limbs these marks of a great man are to be found, there are two ways left, a third does not exist. (1001)

27. ‘If he abides in a dwelling, he will subdue this earth without rod (or) sword, he will rule with justice. (1002)

28. ‘And if he departs from his dwelling for the wilderness, he becomes the saint, incomparable Sambuddha, who has removed the veil (from the world). (1003)

29. ‘Ask in your mind about my birth and family, my marks, hymns, and my other disciples, the head and head-splitting. (1004)

30. ‘If he is Buddha, the clear-sighted, then he will answer by word of mouth the questions you have asked in your mind.’ (1005)

31, 32, 33. Having heard Bāvarī’s words his disciples, sixteen Brāhmaṇas, Ajita, Tissametteyya, Puṇṇaka, further Mettagū, Dhotaka and Upasīva, and Nanda, further Hemaka, the two Todeyya and Kappa, and the wise Jatukaṇṇī, Bhadrāvudha and Udaya, and also the Brāhmaṇa Posāla, and the wise Mogharājan, and the great Isi Piṅgiya, (1006–1008)

34. All of them, having each their host (of pupils), and being themselves widely renowned throughout the world, thinkers delighting in meditation, wise, scented with the perfume of former (good deeds), (1009)

35. Having saluted Bāvarī and gone round him towards the right, all with matted hair and bearing hides, departed with their faces turned to the north. (1010)

36. To Patiṭṭhāna of Aḷaka first, then to Māhissatī, and also to Ujjenī, Gonaddha, Vedisā, Vanasavhaya, (1011)

37. And also to Kosambī, Sāketa, and Sāvatthī, the most excellent of cities, to Setavya, Kapilavatthu, and the city of Kusināra, (1012)

38. And to Pāva, the city of wealth, to Vesālī, the city of Magadha, to Pāsāṇaka Cetiya (the Rock Temple), the lovely, the charming. (1013)

39. As he who is athirst (longs for) the cold water, as the merchant (longs for) gain, as he who is plagued by heat (longs for) shade, so in haste they ascended the mountain. (1014)

40. And Bhagavat at that time attended by the assembly of the Bhikkhus taught the Dhamma to the Bhikkhus, and roared like a lion in the forest. (1015)

41. Ajita beheld Sambuddha as the shining (sun) without (burning) rays, as the moon on the fifteenth, having reached her plenitude. (1016)

42. Then observing his limbs and all the marks in their fulness, standing apart, rejoiced, he asked the questions of his mind:— (1017)

43. ‘Tell me about (my master’s) birth, tell me about his family together with the marks, tell me about his perfection in the hymns, how many (hymns) does the Brāhmaṇa recite?’ (1018)

44. Bhagavat said: ‘One hundred and twenty years (is his) age, and by family he is a Bāvarī; three are his marks on the limbs, and in the three Vedas he is perfect. (1019)

45. ‘In the marks and in the Itihāsa together with Nighaṇḍu and Keṭubha—he recites five hundred—and in his own Dhamma he has reached perfection.’ (1020)

46. Ajita thought: ‘Explain fully the marks of Bāvarī, O thou best of men, who cuts off desire; let there be no doubt left for us.’ (1021)

47. Bhagavat said: ‘He covers his face with his tongue, he has a circle of hair between the eye-brows, (his) privy member (is) hidden in a sheath, know this, O young man.’ (1022)

48. Not hearing him ask anything, but hearing the questions answered, the multitude reflected overjoyed and with joined hands:— (1023)

49. ‘Who, be he a god, or Brahman, or Inda, the husband of Sujā, asked in his mind those questions, and to whom did that (speech) reply?’ (1024)

50. Ajita said: ‘The head and head-splitting Bāvarī asked about; explain that, O Bhagavat, remove our doubt, O Isi.’ (1025)

51. Bhagavat said: ‘Ignorance is the head, know this; knowledge cleaves the head, together with belief, thoughtfulness, meditation, determination, and strength.’ (1026)

52. Then with great joy having composed himself the young man put his hide on one shoulder, fell at (Bhagavat’s) feet (and saluted him) with his head, (saying): (1027)

53. ‘Bāvarī, the Brāhmaṇa, together with his disciples, O thou venerable man, delighted and glad, does homage to thy feet, O thou clearly-seeing.’ (1028)

54. Bhagavat said: ‘Let Bāvarī, the Brāhmaṇa, be glad together with his disciples! Be thou also glad, live long, O young man! (1029)

55. ‘For Bāvarī and for thee, for all there are all (kinds of) doubt; having got an opportunity, ask ye whatever you wish.’ (1030)

56. After getting permission from Sambuddha, Ajita sitting there with folded hands asked Tathāgata the first question. (1031)

The Vatthugāthās are ended.