The Discourse about the Well

ekaṁ samayaṁ Bhagavā Mallesu cārikaṁ caramāno
at one time the Gracious One was walking on walking tour amongst the Mallas

yena Thūnaṁ nāma Mallānaṁ brāhmaṇagāmo tad-avasari.
and arrived at the brāhmaṇa village of the Mallas called Thūna.

Assosuṁ kho Thūneyyakā brāhmaṇagahapatikā: The Commentary explains brāhmaṇagahapatikā as a dvanda compound brāhmaṇā ca gahapatikā ca, and goes on to state that the gahapatikā were of the vessā class, but this goes very much against the clear reference in the discourse to it being a brāhmaṇa village. It seems better therefore to take the compound as a kammadhāraya, as in the translation here.

Almost certainly the reason for trying to prevent the monks using the well is that they were vivaṇṇā, classless, and therefore considered polluting to the class-conscious brāhmaṇas.⁰¹
The brāhmaṇa householders of Thūna heard:

“Samaṇo khalu bho Gotamo Sakyaputto
“The ascetic Gotama, the son of the Sakyans

Sakyakulā pabbajito, Mallesu cārikaṁ caramāno
who has gone forth from the Sakyan clan, is walking on walking tour amongst the Mallas

mahatā Bhikkhusaṅghena saddhiṁ Thūnaṁ anuppatto” ti,
with a great Community of monks and has arrived at Thūna”,

udapānaṁ tiṇassa ca bhusassa The genitive is being used in the sense of the instrumental here.⁰² ca yāva mukhato pūresuṁ:
and they completely filled the well to the top with grass and chaff, (thinking):

“Mā te muṇḍakā samaṇakā pānīyaṁ apaṁsū” ti.
“May these shaveling ascetics not drink (our) drinking water.”

Atha kho Bhagavā maggā okkamma
Then the Gracious One, having gone down from the road,

yena aññataraṁ rukkhamūlaṁ tenupasaṅkami,
went to the root of a certain tree,

upasaṅkamitvā, paññatte āsane nisīdi.
and after going, he sat down on the prepared seat.

Nisajja kho Bhagavā āyasmantaṁ Ānandaṁ āmantesi:
While sat the Gracious One addressed venerable Ānanda, (saying):

“Iṅgha me tvaṁ Ānanda etamhā udapānā pānīyaṁ āharā” ti.
“Come now, Ānanda, bring drinking water from that well.”

Evaṁ vutte, āyasmā Ānando Bhagavantaṁ etad-avoca:
After that was said, venerable Ānanda said this to the Gracious One:

“Idāni so bhante udapāno Thūneyyakehi brāhmaṇagahapatikehi
^o “Now the well, reverend Sir, has been filled to the top with grass and chaff

tiṇassa ca bhusassa ca yāva mukhato purito:
by the brāhmaṇa householders of Thūna, (thinking):

‘Mā te muṇḍakā samaṇakā pānīyaṁ apaṁsū’ ” ti.
‘May these shaveling ascetics not drink (our) drinking water.’ ”

Dutiyam-pi kho Bhagavā āyasmantaṁ Ānandaṁ āmantesi:
For a second time the Gracious One addressed venerable Ānanda, (saying):

“Iṅgha me tvaṁ Ānanda etamhā udapānā pānīyaṁ āharā” ti.
“Come now, Ānanda, bring drinking water from that well.”

Evaṁ vutte, āyasmā Ānando Bhagavantaṁ etad-avoca:
After that was said, venerable Ānanda said this to the Gracious One:

“Idāni so bhante udapāno Thūneyyakehi brāhmaṇagahapatikehi
^o “Now the well, reverend Sir, has been filled to the top with grass and chaff

>tiṇassa ca bhusassa ca yāva mukhato purito:
by the brāhmaṇa householders of Thūna, (thinking):

‘Mā te muṇḍakā samaṇakā pānīyaṁ apaṁsū’ ” ti.
‘May these shaveling ascetics not drink (our) drinking water.’ ”

Tatiyam-pi kho Bhagavā āyasmantaṁ Ānandaṁ āmantesi:
For a third time the Gracious One addressed venerable Ānanda, (saying):

“Iṅgha me tvaṁ Ānanda etamhā udapānā pānīyaṁ āharā” ti.
“Come now, Ānanda, bring drinking water from that well.”

“Evaṁ bhante,” ti kho āyasmā Ānando Bhagavato paṭissutvā,
“Yes, reverend Sir”, said venerable Ānanda, and after replying to the Gracious One,

pattaṁ gahetvā, yena so udapāno tenupasaṅkami.
and taking the bowl, he went to the well.

Atha kho so udapāno āyasmante Ānande upasaṅkamante,
Then as venerable Ānanda was going to that well,

sabbaṁ taṁ tiṇañ-ca bhusañ-ca mukhato ovamitvā,
all the grass and chaff was thrown away from the top (of the well),

acchassa udakassa anāvilassa vippasannassa,
^o and it stood full of transparent, undisturbed, clear water,

yāva mukhato pūruto vissandento maññe aṭṭhāsi.
to the top so that one might think it was overflowing.

Atha kho āyasmato Ānandassa etad-ahosi:
Then it occurred to venerable Ānanda:

“Acchariyaṁ vata bho, abbhutaṁ vata bho,
“Surely it is wonderful, surely it is marvellous,

Tathāgatassa mahiddhikatā mahānubhāvatā,
the Realised One's great power and great majesty,

ayaṁ hi so udapāno mayi upasaṅkamante,
in that as I was going to that well,

sabbaṁ taṁ tiṇañ-ca bhusañ-ca mukhato ovamitvā,
all the grass and chaff was thrown away from the top (of the well),

acchassa udakassa anāvilassa vippasannassa,
^o and it stood full of transparent, undisturbed, clear water,

yāva mukhato pūruto vissandento maññe aṭṭhāsī” ti.
to the top so that one might think it was overflowing.”

Pattena pānīyaṁ ādāya yena Bhagavā tenupasaṅkami,
After taking drinking water with a bowl he went to the Gracious One,

upasaṅkamitvā, Bhagavantaṁ etad-avoca:
and after going, he said this to the Gracious One:

“Acchariyaṁ bhante, abbhutaṁ bhante,
“It is wonderful, reverend Sir, it is marvellous, reverend Sir,

Tathāgatassa mahiddhikatā mahānubhāvatā,
the Realised One's great power and great majesty,

ayaṁ hi so udapāno mayi upasaṅkamante,
in that as I was going to that well,

sabbaṁ taṁ tiṇañ-ca bhusañ-ca mukhato ovamitvā,
all the grass and chaff was thrown away from the top (of the well),

acchassa udakassa anāvilassa vippasannassa,
^o and it stood full of transparent, undisturbed, clear water,

yāva mukhato pūruto vissandento maññe aṭṭhāsī.
to the top so that one might think it was overflowing.

Pivatu Bhagavā pānīyaṁ! Pivatu Sugato pānīyan!”-ti.
Please drink the drinking water, Gracious One! Please drink the drinking water, Fortunate One!”

Atha kho Bhagavā, etam-atthaṁ viditvā,
Then the Gracious One, having understood the significance of it,

tāyaṁ velāyaṁ imaṁ udānaṁ udānesi:
on that occasion uttered this exalted utterance:

“Kiṁ kayirā udapānena, ~ āpā ce sabbadā siyuṁ?
“What will he do with a well, ~ if there will be water at all times?

Taṇhāya mūlato This is the ablative at point which, which is parallel to the locative, mūle chetvā which would have exactly the same meaning.⁰³ chetvā, ~ kissa pariyesanaṁ care” ti.
Having cut off craving at the root, ~ who will go about seeking?”