Evaṁ me sutaṁ—ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme.
Thus have I heard—At one time, the Blessed One was dwelling at Sāvatthi, in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s park.
Atha kho rājā pasenadi kosalo yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavatā saddhiṁ sammodi. Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho rājā pasenadi kosalo bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “bhavampi no gotamo anuttaraṁ sammāsambodhiṁ abhisambuddhoti paṭijānātī”ti?
Then, King Pasenadi of Kosala approached the Blessed One, and having approached, exchanged greetings with him. After the exchange of courteous and polite conversation, he sat down to one side and said to the Blessed One: “Does sir Gotama also claim to have awakened to the unsurpassed |perfect awakening::full enlightenment [sammāsambodhi]|?”
“Yañhi taṁ, mahārāja, sammā vadamāno vadeyya ‘anuttaraṁ sammāsambodhiṁ abhisambuddho’ti, mameva taṁ sammā vadamāno vadeyya. Ahañhi, mahārāja, anuttaraṁ sammāsambodhiṁ abhisambuddho”ti.
“If, great king, one speaking rightly could say of anyone, ‘He has awakened to the unsurpassed perfect awakening,’ it is of me that one might rightly say this. For I, great king, have awakened to the unsurpassed perfect awakening.”
“Yepi te, bho gotama, samaṇabrāhmaṇā saṅghino gaṇino gaṇācariyā ñātā yasassino titthakarā sādhusammatā bahujanassa, seyyathidaṁ—pūraṇo kassapo, makkhali gosālo, nigaṇṭho nāṭaputto, sañcayo belaṭṭhaputto, pakudho kaccāyano, ajito kesakambalo; tepi mayā ‘anuttaraṁ sammāsambodhiṁ abhisambuddhoti paṭijānāthā’ti puṭṭhā samānā anuttaraṁ sammāsambodhiṁ abhisambuddhoti na paṭijānanti. Kiṁ pana bhavaṁ gotamo daharo ceva jātiyā navo ca pabbajjāyā”ti?
“Venerable Gotama, even those ascetics and brahmins who are leaders of communities, heads of groups, renowned, famous, founders of sects, honored by the multitudes—namely Purāṇa Kassapa, Makkhali Gosāla, Nigaṇṭha Nātaputta, Sañcaya Belaṭṭhaputta, Pakudha Kaccāyana, and Ajita Kesakambala—when I questioned them, ‘Do you claim to have awakened to the unsurpassed perfect awakening?’ they did not claim such a thing. How can then sir Gotama, who is young in years and recently gone forth make such a claim?”
“Cattāro kho me, mahārāja, daharāti na uññātabbā, daharāti na paribhotabbā. Katame cattāro? Khattiyo kho, mahārāja, daharoti na uññātabbo, daharoti na paribhotabbo. Urago kho, mahārāja, daharoti na uññātabbo, daharoti na paribhotabbo. Aggi kho, mahārāja, daharoti na uññātabbo, daharoti na paribhotabbo. Bhikkhu, kho, mahārāja, daharoti na uññātabbo, daharoti na paribhotabbo. Ime kho, mahārāja, cattāro daharāti na uññātabbā, daharāti na paribhotabbā”ti.
“There are four things, great king, that should not be looked down on and disrespected because of youth. What four? 1.) A |prince::a king’s son, of ruling caste [khattiya]|, great king, should not be looked down on and disrespected because of his youth. 2.) A serpent, great king, should not be looked down on and disrespected because of his youth. 3.) A fire, great king, should not be looked down on and disrespected because of its youth. 4.) A bhikkhu, great king, should not be looked down on and disrespected because of his youth. These are the four things that should not be looked down on and disrespected because of youth.”
Idamavoca bhagavā. Idaṁ vatvāna sugato athāparaṁ etadavoca satthā:
The Blessed One said this. Having spoken thus, the Accomplished One further said this:
“Khattiyaṁ jātisampannaṁ,
abhijātaṁ yasassinaṁ;
Daharoti nāvajāneyya,
na naṁ paribhave naro.
“A prince of noble birth,
of noble descent, renowned;
He should not be looked down on for his youth,
nor should one |show him disdain::disparage him, insult him, slight him [paribhava]|.
Ṭhānañhi so manujindo,
rajjaṁ laddhāna khattiyo;
So kuddho rājadaṇḍena,
tasmiṁ pakkamate bhusaṁ;
Tasmā taṁ parivajjeyya,
rakkhaṁ jīvitamattano.
For it may well happen that this prince,
the lord of men, obtains |kingship::dominion, power [rajja]|;
And in his anger deals out harsh punishment,
as royal retribution;
Therefore, one should keep away from him,
looking after one’s own life.
Gāme vā yadi vā raññe,
yattha passe bhujaṅgamaṁ;
Daharoti nāvajāneyya,
na naṁ paribhave naro.
In the village or the wild,
wherever a serpent is seen;
He should not be looked down on for his youth,
nor should one show him disdain.
Uccāvacehi vaṇṇehi,
urago carati tejasī;
So āsajja ḍaṁse bālaṁ,
naraṁ nāriñca ekadā;
Tasmā taṁ parivajjeyya,
rakkhaṁ jīvitamattano.
For as that fierce snake glides along,
manifesting in diverse shapes;
He may attack and bite the fool,
whether a man or a woman;
Therefore one should keep away from him,
looking after one’s own life.
Pahūtabhakkhaṁ jālinaṁ,
pāvakaṁ kaṇhavattaniṁ;
Daharoti nāvajāneyya,
na naṁ paribhave naro.
A blazing fire that feeds on everything,
a fierce flame that leaves a blackened trail;
It should not be looked down on for its youth,
nor should one show it disdain.
Laddhā hi so upādānaṁ,
mahā hutvāna pāvako;
So āsajja ḍahe bālaṁ,
naraṁ nāriñca ekadā;
Tasmā taṁ parivajjeyya,
rakkhaṁ jīvitamattano.
For once it has found its fuel,
the fire grows vast and fierce;
And striking, it may burn the fool,
whether a man or a woman;
Therefore one should keep away from it,
looking after one’s own life.
Vanaṁ yadaggi ḍahati,
pāvako kaṇhavattanī;
Jāyanti tattha pārohā,
ahorattānamaccaye.
When fire consumes a forest,
a conflagration with a blackened trail;
Yet there, new shoots spring forth again,
as the days and nights pass by.
Yañca kho sīlasampanno,
bhikkhu ḍahati tejasā;
Na tassa puttā pasavo,
dāyādā vindare dhanaṁ;
Anapaccā adāyādā,
tālāvatthū bhavanti te.
But if a bhikkhu |accomplished in virtue::of excellent morality; accomplished in virtue [sīlasampanna]|,
|burns one with [his virtue’s] fire::Bhikkhu Bodhi’s commentary on this notes that the grim consequences of despising and disparaging a virtuous bhikkhu do not come to pass because he harbours vindictive intentions, but as natural fruits of the offensive deeds. Spk explains that a bhikkhu who retaliates when provoked is incapable of harming anyone with “(his virtue’s) fire” (tejasā); the transgressor is burned only when the bhikkhu bears up patiently. In this respect the bhikkhu contrasts with the archetypal Indian figure of the maligned holy man who deliberately inflicts a curse on his enemies. [ḍahati + tejasā]|;
One does not gain sons and offspring,
nor do one’s heirs acquire wealth;
Childless and without heirs,
one becomes like an uprooted palm stump.
Tasmā hi paṇḍito poso,
sampassaṁ atthamattano;
Bhujaṅgamaṁ pāvakañca,
khattiyañca yasassinaṁ;
Bhikkhuñca sīlasampannaṁ,
sammadeva samācare”ti.
Therefore, a person who is |wise::astute, intelligent, learned, skilled [paṇḍita]|,
considering one’s own good;
Should treat these properly:
A serpent, a fire,
a renowned prince,
and a bhikkhu accomplished in virtue.”
Evaṁ vutte, rājā pasenadi kosalo bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “abhikkantaṁ, bhante, abhikkantaṁ, bhante. Seyyathāpi, bhante, nikkujjitaṁ vā ukkujjeyya, paṭicchannaṁ vā vivareyya, mūḷhassa vā maggaṁ ācikkheyya, andhakāre vā telapajjotaṁ dhāreyya: ‘cakkhumanto rūpāni dakkhantī’ti; evamevaṁ bhagavatā anekapariyāyena dhammo pakāsito. Esāhaṁ, bhante, bhagavantaṁ saraṇaṁ gacchāmi dhammañca bhikkhusaṅghañca. Upāsakaṁ maṁ, bhante, bhagavā dhāretu ajjatagge pāṇupetaṁ saraṇaṁ gatan”ti.
When this was said, the king Pasenadi of Kosala said to the Blessed One: “Excellent, venerable sir! Excellent, venerable sir! Just as if one were to set upright what had been overturned, |reveal::uncover [vivarati]| what had been concealed, point out the way to one who was lost, or hold up a lamp in the dark so that those with eyes could see forms — even so, venerable sir, the |Dhamma::teachings of the Buddha that point to the nature of reality, the ultimate truth [dhamma]| has been |explained::illustrated [pakāsita]| by the Blessed One in many ways. I go for refuge to the Blessed One, to the Dhamma, and to the |Saṅgha::The community of monks and nuns practicing in line with the Buddha’s teachings. In the broader sense, this is the community of disciples who have realized the noble path and fruition through the Buddha’s teachings [saṅgha]| of bhikkhus. May the Blessed One remember me as a lay follower who, from this day forward, has gone to refuge for life.”