Bodhivaggo
1-6: Kassapasuttaü (6)
The Discourse about Kassapa
Evaü me sutaü:
Thus I heard:
ekaü samayaü Bhagavà Ràjagahe viharati,
at one time the Gracious One was dwelling near Ràjagaha,
Veëuvane Kalandakanivàpe. Dr. Mark Allon points out in Style and Function that the openings of the discourses often have a rhythmic structure (which he calls "loose veóha" (e.g. pg. 246), but which I think would be better termed prose gaõa). If we read mÕ (which for syntactic reasons is preferable to Allon's reading sutam), the opening in this discourse can be scanned as follows:
ÜÜÐÛÛÜÐÜÜÐÛÛÜÐÛÛÜÐÜÛÛÐÜÛÛÐÛÛ
Evaü mÕ sutaü: ekaü samayaü Bhagavà Ràjagahe viharati
ÜÐÛÛÜÐÛÜÛÐÛÛÜÐÜ
Veëuvane Kalandakanivàpe.
It should be noted, however, that not all the openings scan as well as this.01
in Bamboo Wood, at the Squirrels' Feeding Place.
Tena kho pana samayena àyasmà Mahàkassapo
Then at that time venerable Mahàkassapa
Pipphaliguhàyaü viharati, àbàdhiko dukkhito bàëhagilàno.
was dwelling in the Pepper Cave, and was afflicted, suffering, and very sick.
Atha kho àyasmà Mahàkassapo aparena samayena
Then venerable Mahàkassapa at another time
tamhà àbàdhà vuññhàsi.
arose from that affliction.
Atha kho àyasmato Mahàkassapassa
o Then this occured to venerable Mahàkassapa
tamhà àbàdhà vuññhitassa etad-ahosi: etad-ahosi, this occured, is an idiom, more literally: this was to venerable Mahàkassapa.02
when he arose from that affliction:
ßYannånàhaü Ràjagahaü piõóàya paviseyyanû-ti.
ßWell now, I should enter Ràjagaha for alms.û
Tena kho pana samayena
Then at that time
paÿcamattàni devatàsatàni The splitting of the numerals as here ...paÿca... ...satàni... is a characteristic of these constructions, perhaps used for emphasis.03 ussukkaü àpannàni honti
five hundred devatàs were ready and eager
àyasmato Mahàkassapassa piõóapàtapañilàbhàya. This is a dative of purpose used in the sense of the infinitive, which occurs quite frequently in the texts; it normally has the dative ending in - àya.04
to offer almsfood to venerable Mahàkassapa.
Atha kho àyasmà Mahàkassapo
But venerable Mahàkassapa,
tàni paÿcamattàni devatàsatàni pañikkhipitvà,
after refusing those five hundred devatàs,
pubbanhasamayaü The accusative here overlaps with the locative in meaning. Similarly with Ràjagahaü below, where we may translate: entered into Ràjagaha for alms.
Note also that piõóàya is an infinitive-like dative of purpose, Commentary: piõóàya pàvisã ti piõóapàtatthàya pàvisi.05 nivàsetvà, pattacãvaram-àdàya,
having dressed in the morning time, after picking up his bowl and robe,
Ràjagahaü piõóàya pàvisi,
entered Ràjagaha for alms,
yena daëiddavisikhà kapaõavisikhà pesakàravisikhà.
(going) to the poor streets, to the wretched streets, to the weaver's streets.
Addasà kho Bhagavà àyasmantaü Mahàkassapaü
The Gracious One saw venerable Mahàkassapa
Ràjagahe piõóàya carantaü,
walking for alms in Ràjagaha,
yena daëiddavisikhà kapaõavisikhà pesakàravisikhà.
(going) to the poor streets, to the wretched streets, to the weaver's streets.
Atha kho Bhagavà, etam-atthaü viditvà,
Then the Gracious One, having understood the significance of it,
tàyaü velàyaü imaü udànaü udànesi:
on that occasion uttered this exalted utterance:
ßAnaÿÿaposiü aÿÿàtaü, The Commentary states that anaÿÿaposiü here can also mean "not nourished by another", though it is hard to see how such an epithet can apply to an almsman!
The Commentary defines aÿÿàta as meaning either well-known, or its opposite, unknown ! Udànavarga (33-23) reads: Ananyapoùã hy àjÿàtà, which suggests that the Sanskrit redactor(s) understood that the first meaning was the original.06 ~ dantaü sàre patiññhitaü,
ßNot nourishing another, well-known, ~ controlled, established in the essential,
Khãõàsavaü âsava is literally an outflow or overflow; pollutant, which is the translation adopted here, is semantically identical in meaning, from Latin polluere, to wash over, to defile.07 vantadosaü: ~ tam-ahaü bråmi bràhmaõanû-ti.
With pollutants destroyed, rid of faults: ~ him I call a bràhmaõa.û