1 Burnouf, in a long note at 'Lotus/ &c, p. 491, already attempted to show that the river Akir avati is the same as the modern Rapti, which he supposed to be a corruption of the latter part of the longer name. Hiouen Thsang mentions a river A-chi- lo-fa-ti, which is doubtless the same. It is evidently the river on which stood the town of S&vatthi, and near to which lay the Geta- vana monastery (see ' Buddhist Birth Stories,' p. 331); and it must therefore, in accordance with Burnouf s conjecture, be the Rapti, which is the Sanskrit Iravati. The Phayre Burmese MS. has almost always A^iravati.
2 Buddhaghosa says that
^Tahki lived at Opasdda, Tarukkha lived at Ii^agala,
3. Now a conversation sprung up between
se//yfca and Bh&radv&^a, when they were taking
exercise (after their bath) and walking up and down
in thoughtful mood, as to which was the true path,
and which the false \
4. The young Br&hman V&se/Ma spake thus :
' This is the straight path, this the direct way
which leads him, who acts according to it, into a
state of union with Brahmi 2 — I mean that which
has been announced by the Br&hman Pokkarasdti.'
5. The young Brihman Bh&radvS^a spake thus :
Pokkharasadi (sic MS.) lived at Ukka//£a,
G&nussoni lived at Sdvatthi, and
Todeyya lived at Tudigdma. There is some difference in the MSS. as to the spelling of these names : T. reads ATanki ; P. T. and D. Pokkharasdti (Sanskrit Paushkarasadi) ; P. Ganuyoni, T. G&nusoni, D. G&nusoni ; P. To- reyya, and Burnouf Nodeyya (which is possibly merely a misread- ing). Ganusoni was converted by the Bhaya-bherava Sutta ; and I think it very probable that the other names are also those of subsequent converts.
Buddhaghosa adds that because Manasdka/a was a pleasant place the Brahmans had built huts there on the bank of the river and fenced them in, and used to go and stay there from time to time to repeat their mantras.
1 £rahgh£vihara#; anu^ahkamantanaw anuvi^arantanaw. On the first word see Gataka II, 272 (and comp. II, 240). ^Tan- kamati is to walk up and down thinking. I have added ' after their bath ' from Buddhaghosa, who says that this must be understood to have taken place when, after learning by heart and repeating all day, they went down in the evening to the river-side to bathe, and then walked up and down on the sand.
2 Brahma-sahavyatdya. The first part of the compound is masculine (see below, § 12), but the Buddhists probably included under the name, when put into the mouth of Brsmmans, all that the Brahmans included under both Brahmd and Brahman. The Buddhist archangel or god Brahmi is different from both, being part of an entirely different system of thought.
'This is the straight path, this the direct way
which leads him, who acts according to it, into a
state of union with Brahmi — I mean that which has
been announced by the Br&hman T&rukkha/
6. But neither was the young Brihman V£se#/fca
able to convince the young Br&hman Bhllradv&^a,
nor was the young Br&hman Bh&radv&^a able to
convince the young Br&hman V&se#/£a.
7. Then the young Br4hman V&se#^a said to the young Brihman BhAradvS^a :
* That Samara Gotama, Bhiradv^a, of the Sakya
clan, who left the Sakya tribe to adopt the religious
life, is now staying at Manas&ka/a, in the mango
grove, on the bank of the river A/§iravati, to the
south of Manas&ka/a. Now regarding that vener-
able Gotama, such is the high reputation that has
been noised abroad, that he is said to be " a fully
enlightened one, blessed and worthy, abounding in
wisdom and goodness, happy, with knowledge of
the world, unsurpassed as a guide to erring mortals,
a teacher of gods and men, a blessed Buddha 1 ."
Come, then, Bhdradvfi^a, let us go to the place
where the Samara Gotama is ; and when we have
come there, let us ask the Samara Gotama touch-
ing this matter. What the Samara Gotama shall
declare unto us, that let us bear in mind/
* Very well, my friend ! ' said the young Br&hman
Bh&radv&^a, in assent, to the young Br&hman
Vdse#/*a.
8. Then the young Br&hman Vdse/Ma and the
young Br&hman BhcLradv&^a went on to the place
where the Blessed One was.
1 See below, § 46.
170 on Knowledge of the Vedas. Ch-
And when they had come there, they exchanged
with the Blessed One the greetings and compli-
ments of friendship and civility, and sat down
beside him.
And while they were thus seated the young Br&hman V&seM6a said to the Blessed One :
'As we, Gotama, were taking exercise and
walking up and down, there sprung up a con-
versation between us on which was the true path
and which the false. I said thus :
* " This is the straight path, this the direct way
which leads him, who acts according to it, into a
state of union with BrahmS — I mean that which has
been announced by the Brahman Pokkaras&ti."
' Bhiradva^a said thus :
' " This is the straight path, this the direct way
which leads him, who acts according to it, into a
state of union with Brahmi — I mean that which has
been announced by the Brahman T&rukkha."
* Regarding this matter, Gotama, there is a strife, a dispute, a difference of opinion between us/
9. * So you say, Vise/Ma, that you said thus :
' " This is the straight path, this the direct way
which leads him, who acts according to it, into a
state of union with BrahmA — I mean that which has
been announced by the Brihrnan PokkarasAti."
* While Bh&radv&^a said thus :
* " This is the straight path, this the direct way
which leads him, who acts according to it, into a
state of union with Brahmfi — I mean that which has
been announced by the Br&hman T&rukkha."
' Wherein, then, O Vise/Ma, is there a strife, a dispute, a difference of opinion between you 1 ?'
10. 'Concerning the true path and the false, Go-
tama. Various Brahmans, Gotama, teach various
paths — the Addhariya Brahmans, the Tittiriya
Br&hmans, the A^andoka Brihmans, the A^andava
Br&hmans, the Brahma^ariya Brahmans 2 . Are all
those saving paths ? Are they all paths which will
lead him, who acts according to them, into a state
of union with Brahmd ?
'Just, Gotama, as near a village or a town there
are many and various paths 3 , yet they all meet
together in the village — just in that way are all
the various paths taught by various Br&hmans — the
Addhariya Brdhmans, the Tittiriya Br&hmans, the
Af^andoka Br&hmans, the A^andava Br&hmans, the
Brahmaiariya Br&hmans. Are all these saving
paths ? Are they all paths which will lead him,
who acts according to them, into a state of union
with Brahm& ?'
11. ' Do you say that they all lead aright, Vise/Ma ?' ' I say so, Gotama/
' Do you really say that they all lead aright, V&se///fca ? '
' So I say, Gotama/
1 This is either mildly sarcastic — as much as to say, ' that is six to one, and half a dozen to the other ' — or is intended to lead on Vase/Ma to confess still more directly the fact that the different theologians held inconsistent opinions.
2 P. here Atthariyd, but below Addhariyd (Sans. Adhvaryu); D. Titittiriyd, T. Tattiriy&, P. apparently Titthiriyd (Sans. Taitti- riya) ; D. ^anddva, T. P. omit (? Sans. -Oandasa) ; all three MSS. Af^andoka (Sans, .Oandoga) ; P. Bavhadi^d here and below ^av- hadi^d for Brahma^ariyi (? Sans. BrahmaHri). See ' Lotus/ p. 493-
s Maggani, which is noteworthy as a curious change of gender.
12. 'But then, V&se#Aa, is there a single one of
the Br&hmans versed in the Three Vedas who has
ever seen BrahmS, face to face ? '
* No, indeed, Gotama ! '
' But is there then, V&se/A4a, a single one of the
teachers of the Br&hmans versed in the Three Vedas
who has seen Brahmd face to face ?'
' No, indeed, Gotama ! '
* But is there then, Vise/Z^a, a single one of the
pupils of the teachers of the Br&hmans versed in the
Three Vedas who has seen Brahm& face to face ?'
' No, indeed, Gotama ! '
' But is there then, V&se/Ma, a single one of the
Br&hmans up to the seventh generation who has
seen Brahm& face to face ?'
'No, indeed, Gotama V
13. 'Well then, V£se//^a, those ancient Tfoshis
of the Br&hmans versed in the Three Vedas, the
authors of the verses, the utterers of the verses,
whose ancient form of words so chaunted, uttered,
or composed, the Br&hmans of to-day chaunt over
again or repeat ; intoning or reciting exactly as has
been intoned or recited — to wit, A/Maka, V&maka,
Vimadeva, Vess&mitta, Yamataggi, Angirasa, Bhfi-
radvi^a, V&se/Ma, Kassapa, and Bhagu 1 — did even
they speak thus, saying : " We know it, we have
seen it, where Brahmfi is, whence BrahmA is, whither
Brahma is?"'
' Not so, Gotama!'
14. 4 Then you say, V&se/Ma [that not one of the
Brihmans, or of their teachers, or of their pupils,
even up to the seventh generation, has ever seen
Brahmcl face to face. And that even the Tfoshis of
1 See Mah£ Vagga VI, 35, 2.
old, the authors and utterers of the verses, of the
ancient form of words which the Br&hmans of
to-day so carefully intone and recite precisely as
they have been handed down — even they did not
pretend to know or to have seen where or whence
or whither BrahmS. is] 1 . So that the Br&hmans
versed in the Three Vedas have forsooth said thus :
" What we know not, what we have not seen, to a
state of union with that we can show the way,
and can say : ' This is the straight path, this is the
direct way which leads him, who acts according to
it, into a state of union with Brahm& ! ' "
* Now what think you, Vfise/Afca ? Does it not follow,
this being so, that the talk of the Br&hmans, versed
though they be in the Three Vedas, is foolish talk ? '
* In sooth, Gotama, that being so, it follows that
the talk of the Br&hmans versed in the Three Vedas
is foolish talk ! '
15. 'Verily, Vfise#/fca, that Br&hmans versed in
the Three Vedas should be abje to show the way
to a state of union with that which they do not
know, neither have seen — such a condition of things
has no existence !
' Just, Vase/Ma, as when a string of blind men are clinging one to the other 2 , neither can the foremost
1 In the text §§ 12, 13 are repeated word for word.
2 Andhavefli paramparazB sawsattl The Phayre MS. has replaced ve«i by pavewi, after the constant custom of the Bur- mese MSS. to improve away unusual or difficult expressions. Buddhaghosa explains andhavewi by andhapavewi, and tells a tale of a wicked wight, who meeting a company of blind men, told them of a certain village wherein plenty of good food was to be had. When they besought him for hire to lead them there, he took the money, made one blind man catch hold of his stick, the next of that one, and so on, and then led them on till they came to a wilderness. There he deserted them, and they all — still
OX KNOWLEDGE OF THE VEDAS.
see, nor can the middle one see, nor can the hindmost
see — just even so, methinks, Vfise//^a, is the talk of
the Brihmans versed in the Three Vedas but blind
talk: the first sees not, the middle one sees not,
nor can the latest see. The talk then of these
Brihmans versed in the Three Vedas turns out to
be ridiculous, mere words, a vain and empty thing ! '
1 6. 'Now what think you, Vdse/Ma? CantheBr&h-
mans versed in the Three Vedas — like other, ordinary,
folk — see the sun and the moon as they pray to,
and praise, and worship them, turning round with
clasped hands towards the place whence they rise
and where they set ? '
' Certainly, Gotama, they [can] V
1 7. ' Now what think you, Vksetifa. ? The Br&h-
mans versed in the Three Vedas, who can very
well — like other, ordinary, folk — see the sun and
the moon as they pray to, and praise, and worship
them, turning round with clasped hands to the place
whence they rise and where they set — are those
Brihmans, versed in the Three Vedas, able to point
out the way to a state of union with the sun or the
moon, saying : " This is the straight path, this the
direct way which leads him, who acts according to it,
to a state of union with the sun or the moon ? " '