“Santi loke munayo,
(iccāyasmā nando)
Janā vadanti tayidaṁ kathaṁsu;
Ñāṇūpapannaṁ no muniṁ vadanti,
Udāhu ve jīvitenūpapannaṁ”.
“There are sages in the world,”
(said the venerable Nanda)
“so people say, but how is this so?
Do they call a sage one endowed with knowledge,
or one following a particular way of life?”
“Na diṭṭhiyā na sutiyā na ñāṇena, (…)
Munīdha nanda kusalā vadanti;
Visenikatvā anīghā nirāsā,
Caranti ye te munayoti brūmi”.
“Not by view, nor by learning, nor by knowledge,
Nanda, do the skilled here call one a sage;
They are sages, I say, who |having disarmed::at peace; (comm) having destroyed the army of defilements [visenikatvā]|,
wander |untroubled::undisturbed, calm, free from affliction [anīgha]| and |without expectation::fulfilled, free from hope, desireless [nirāsāsa]|.”
“Ye kecime samaṇabrāhmaṇāse,
(iccāyasmā nando)
Diṭṭhassutenāpi vadanti suddhiṁ;
Sīlabbatenāpi vadanti suddhiṁ,
Anekarūpena vadanti suddhiṁ.
Kaccissu te bhagavā tattha yatā carantā,
Atāru jātiñca jarañca mārisa;
Pucchāmi taṁ bhagavā brūhi me taṁ”.
“Those ascetics and brahmins,”
(said the Venerable Nanda)
“who claim purification by what is seen and heard;
who declare purification by |rules and observances::precepts and practices, ethics and observances, rites and rituals [sīlabbata]|,
who declare purification in many varied ways.
I wonder, Blessed One, striving in that way,
have they crossed over birth and old age, sir?
I ask you this, Blessed One, please tell me.”
“Ye kecime samaṇabrāhmaṇāse,
(nandāti bhagavā)
Diṭṭhassutenāpi vadanti suddhiṁ;
Sīlabbatenāpi vadanti suddhiṁ,
Anekarūpena vadanti suddhiṁ;
Kiñcāpi te tattha yatā caranti,
Nātariṁsu jātijaranti brūmi”.
“Those ascetics and brahmins,
(Nanda,” said the Blessed One)
“who claim purification by what is seen and heard;
who declare purification by rules and observances,
who declare purification in many varied ways;
Though they strive diligently in that way, I say,
they have not crossed over birth and old age.”
“Ye kecime samaṇabrāhmaṇāse,
(iccāyasmā nando)
Diṭṭhassutenāpi vadanti suddhiṁ;
Sīlabbatenāpi vadanti suddhiṁ,
Anekarūpena vadanti suddhiṁ.
Te ce muni brūsi anoghatiṇṇe,
Atha ko carahi devamanussaloke;
Atāri jātiñca jarañca mārisa,
Pucchāmi taṁ bhagavā brūhi me taṁ”.
“Those ascetics and brahmins,”
(said the venerable Nanda)
“who claim purification by what is seen and heard;
who declare purification by rules and observances,
who declare purification in many varied ways.
If, sage, you say they haven’t crossed over the flood,
then who here in the world of gods and humans;
has crossed over birth and old age, sir?
I ask you this, Blessed One, please tell me.”
“Nāhaṁ sabbe samaṇabrāhmaṇāse,
(nandāti bhagavā)
Jātijarāya nivutāti brūmi;
Ye sīdha diṭṭhaṁ va sutaṁ mutaṁ vā,
Sīlabbataṁ vāpi pahāya sabbaṁ.
Anekarūpampi pahāya sabbaṁ,
Taṇhaṁ pariññāya anāsavāse;
Te ve narā oghatiṇṇāti brūmi”.
“I do not say of all ascetics and brahmins,
(Nanda,” said the Blessed One)
“that they are |enveloped::veiled, wrapped [nivuta]| by birth and old age;
Having abandoned the seen, heard, and |sensed::smelled, tasted, felt, or thought [muta]|,
and all the rules and observances;
Those who have abandoned the many varied ways,
|completely comprehending::fully understanding [pariññāya]| |craving::wanting, yearning, longing, attachment, lit. thirst [taṇha]|, |taint-less::undefiled, free from effluents [anāsava]|;
those persons, I say, have crossed over the flood.”
“Etābhinandāmi vaco mahesino,
Sukittitaṁ gotamanūpadhīkaṁ;
Ye sīdha diṭṭhaṁ va sutaṁ mutaṁ vā,
Sīlabbataṁ vāpi pahāya sabbaṁ.
Anekarūpampi pahāya sabbaṁ,
Taṇhaṁ pariññāya anāsavāse;
Ahampi te oghatiṇṇāti brūmī”ti.
“I delight in this word of the great sage,
well proclaimed, O Gotama, is the state |free from attachment::free from acquisition, free from taking things as mine; lit. not placing near state [anūpadhīka]|;
Having abandoned the seen, heard, and sensed,
and all the rules and observances;
Those who have abandoned the many varied ways,
completely comprehending craving, taint-less;
I too say, they have crossed over the flood.”