English
" Thus, the young man Ambaṭṭha cast down this third accusation of rudeness against the Sakyas. The Accusation of Being a Slave's Son 267. Then it occurred to the Blessed One: "This young man Ambaṭṭha is too strongly insulting the Sakyas with this accusation of rudeness. What if I were to ask about his lineage?" Then the Blessed One said to the young man Ambaṭṭha: "What is your lineage, Ambaṭṭha?" "I am of the Kaṇhāyana lineage, good Gotama." "When you recall your ancient maternal and paternal name and lineage, Ambaṭṭha, the Sakyas are your grandfathers; you are a slave's son of the Sakyas. For the Sakyas, Ambaṭṭha, consider King Okkāka to be their ancestor. "Once upon a time, Ambaṭṭha, King Okkāka, desiring to bestow the kingdom upon the son of his chief queen, who was dear and beloved, banished his eldest princes from the realm – Okkāmukha, Karakaṇḍa, Hatthinika, Sinisūra. Banished from the realm, they settled on the bank of a lotus pond in the Himalayas, in a great sal forest. Fearing the mixing of castes, they cohabited with their own sisters. "Then, Ambaṭṭha, King Okkāka summoned his ministers and counselors..." He asked – ‘Where, sirs, do the princes now gather?’ ‘There is, lord, near the Himalayas, by the bank of a lotus pond, a great grove of sāk trees. There the princes now gather. Fearing the mixing of their lineage, they live together with their own sisters.’ Then, Ambaṭṭha, King Okkāka uttered an exclamation – ‘Capable indeed, sirs, are these princes! Supremely capable indeed, sirs, are these princes!’ From that time on, Ambaṭṭha, they became known as Sakyas; and he was their ancestor. ‘Now, Ambaṭṭha, King Okkāka had a slave woman named Disā. She gave birth to one named Kaṇha. Born, Kaṇha cried out – ‘Wash me, mother, bathe me, mother, free me from this impurity, I shall be of use to you.’ Just as, Ambaṭṭha, people nowadays, seeing demons, recognize them as ‘demons’; even so, Ambaṭṭha, at that time, people recognized demons as ‘Kaṇhas’. They said thus – ‘This one, born, cried out, a Kaṇha is born, a demon is born!’ From that time on, Ambaṭṭha, they became known as Kaṇhāyanas; and he was the ancestor of the Kaṇhāyanas. Thus, Ambaṭṭha, remembering their ancient maternal and paternal name and lineage, those lords are Sakyas, but you are a slave’s son of the Sakyas.’ 268. When this was said, those young brahmins said to the Blessed One – ‘Let not Master Gotama too harshly disparage Ambaṭṭha the young brahmin with the term “slave’s son”. Well-born, Master Gotama, is Ambaṭṭha the young brahmin, of good family is Ambaṭṭha the young brahmin, learned is Ambaṭṭha the young brahmin, eloquent is Ambaṭṭha the young brahmin, wise is Ambaṭṭha the young brahmin, and Ambaṭṭha the young brahmin is able to debate with Master Gotama on this matter.’ 269. Then the Blessed One said to those young brahmins – ‘If indeed, young brahmins, it is thus for you – “Ill-born is Ambaṭṭha the young brahmin, of ignoble family is Ambaṭṭha the young brahmin, unlearned is Ambaṭṭha the young brahmin, and the student Ambaṭṭha speaks ill, and the student Ambaṭṭha is foolish, and the student Ambaṭṭha is unable to debate with the ascetic Gotama on this matter,' 'Let the student Ambaṭṭha stand aside, you all should debate with me on this matter. But if it occurs to you students thus – 'The student Ambaṭṭha is well-born, and the student Ambaṭṭha is of good family, and the student Ambaṭṭha is learned, and the student Ambaṭṭha speaks well, and the student Ambaṭṭha is wise, and the student Ambaṭṭha is able to debate with the ascetic Gotama on this matter,' then you all stand aside; let the student Ambaṭṭha debate with me.'" "Indeed, Master Gotama, the student Ambaṭṭha is well-born, and the student Ambaṭṭha is of good family, and the student Ambaṭṭha is learned, and the student Ambaṭṭha speaks well, and the student Ambaṭṭha is wise, and the student Ambaṭṭha is able to debate with Master Gotama on this matter, we will be silent, let the student Ambaṭṭha debate with Master Gotama on this matter." Then the Blessed One said to the student Ambaṭṭha: "Indeed, Ambaṭṭha, this is a question of the Dhamma that comes to you, it must be answered, whether you like it or not. If you do not answer, or answer one thing with another, or remain silent, or go away, right here your head will split into seven pieces. What do you think, Ambaṭṭha, what have you heard the Brahmins, old and venerable, your teachers and teachers' teachers, saying: from where did the 'Kaṇhāyanas' originate, and who was the first ancestor of the Kaṇhāyanas?" When this was said, the student Ambaṭṭha remained silent. A second time the Blessed One said to the student Ambaṭṭha – "What do you think, Ambaṭṭha, what have you heard the Brahmins, old and venerable, your teachers and teachers' teachers, saying: from where did the 'Kaṇhāyanas' originate, and who was the first ancestor of the Kaṇhāyanas?" A second time, indeed, Ambaṭṭha the student was silent. Then indeed the Blessed One said to Ambaṭṭha the student: "Answer now, Ambaṭṭha, now is not the time for your silence. Whoever, Ambaṭṭha, being asked a question pertaining to the Dhamma by the Tathāgata for a third time, does not answer, right there his head will split into seven pieces." 271. Now at that time, Vajirapāṇī the yakkha, taking a great iron club, ablaze, flaming, glowing, was standing in the air above Ambaṭṭha the student, thinking: "If this Ambaṭṭha the student, being asked a question pertaining to the Dhamma by the Blessed One for a third time, does not answer, right there I will split his head into seven pieces." Indeed, both the Blessed One and Ambaṭṭha the student saw that yakkha Vajirapāṇī. 272. Then indeed Ambaṭṭha the student, frightened, agitated, with hair standing on end, sought the Blessed One as his protector, sought the Blessed One as his shelter, sought the Blessed One as his refuge – and approaching, said to the Blessed One: "What is this, Master Gotama, that you have said? Please, Master Gotama, say it again." "What do you think, Ambaṭṭha? How have you heard it from the brahmins, the old, the venerable, the teachers and their teachers, as they spoke, from where did the Kaṇhāyanas originate, and who was the first man of the Kaṇhāyanas?" "Just as Master Gotama says, so have I heard it, good Gotama. From there originated the Kaṇhāyanas; and he was the first man of the Kaṇhāyanas." The Story of Ambaṭṭha's Lineage 273. When this was said, those students became noisy, with loud and great clamor – "Indeed, good sirs, Ambaṭṭha the student is ill-born! Indeed, good sirs, Ambaṭṭha the student is not of noble birth! Indeed, good sirs, Ambaṭṭha the student is a slave's son of the Sakyas. Indeed, good sirs, the Sakyas are the masters' sons of Ambaṭṭha the student. Indeed, we thought that the ascetic Gotama, who speaks the Dhamma, should be disparaged!" 274. Then k Then it occurred to the Blessed One: “These young men are excessively insulting Ambaṭṭha the young man with the epithet ‘son of a slave woman.’ What if I were to free him?” Then the Blessed One said to those young men: “Do not, young men, excessively insult Ambaṭṭha the young man with the epithet ‘son of a slave woman.’ That Black Seer was a great one. He went to the southern country, and having learned the Brahma-mantras, he approached King Okkāka and asked for Maddarūpī, his daughter. To him King Okkāka, ‘Who is this, this son of a slave woman of mine, who asks for Maddarūpī, my daughter?’ Angered and displeased, he drew a javelin. He could neither release nor withdraw that javelin. “Then, young men, the ministers and courtiers approached the Black Seer and said: ‘May there be well-being, venerable sir, for the king; may there be well-being, venerable sir, for the king.’ ‘There will be well-being for the king, but if the king releases the javelin downwards, as far as the king’s dominion extends, so far will the earth be submerged.’ ‘May there be well-being, venerable sir, for the king; may there be well-being for the country.’ ‘There will be well-being for the king, well-being for the country, but if the king releases the javelin upwards, as far as the king’s dominion extends, so far for seven years will the sky not rain.’ ‘May there be well-being, venerable sir, for the king; well-being for the country, and may the sky rain.’ ‘There will be well-being for the king, well-being for the country, and the sky will rain, but let the king place the javelin on the eldest prince. The prince will be safe and sound.’ Then, young men, the ministers informed Okkāka: ‘Let Okkāka place the javelin on the eldest prince. The prince will be safe and sound.’ Then King Okkāka placed the javelin on the eldest prince, and the prince became safe and sound. Then King Okkāka, frightened, agitated, and with his hair standing on end, b Threatened by the Brahma-punishment, he gave his daughter, Maddarūpī. "Do not, young men, the young man Ambaṭṭha too harshly insult with the term 'son of a slave girl', for he was the noble sage Kaṇha." The Supremacy of the Khattiya 275. Then the Blessed One addressed the young man Ambaṭṭha: "What do you think, Ambaṭṭha? Here, if a Khattiya prince were to cohabit with a Brahmin maiden, and following their cohabitation, a son were born. That son born of the Khattiya prince and the Brahmin maiden, would he obtain a seat or water among Brahmins?" "He would, good Gotama." "Would Brahmins feed him at a funeral rite, or a feast, or a sacrifice, or a reception?" "They would, good Gotama." "Would Brahmins teach him the mantras or not?" "They would, good Gotama." "Would his access to women be restricted or unrestricted?" "It would be unrestricted, good Gotama." "Would Khattiyas anoint him with the Khattiya anointment?" "No, good Gotama." "For what reason?" "Because, good Gotama, he is not of proper descent from the mother's side." "What do you think, Ambaṭṭha? Here, if a Brahmin prince were to cohabit with a Khattiya maiden,