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Homage to the Blessed One, the Arahant, the Perfectly Self-Enlightened One. Minor Collection Cūḷaniddesa Pāḷi Pārāyana Section Story Verses 1. From the delightful city of Kosala, he went to the Southern Path; Desiring nothingness, a brahmin, master of mantras. 2. He lived in the district of Assaka, near Maḷaka; On the bank of the Godhāvarī, by gleaning and by fruit. 3. Near him, a large village arose; From the income thus generated, he performed a great sacrifice. 4. Having performed the great sacrifice, he re-entered his hermitage; While he was re-entered, another brahmin arrived. 5. With swollen feet, thirsty, muddy teeth, dusty head; He approached him, and asked for five hundred. 6. Bāvarī, seeing him, invited him with a seat; He asked about his well-being and welfare, and spoke these words. 7. “Whatever gifts I had, all have been given away by me; Please excuse me, brahmin, I do not have five hundred.” 8. “If, when I ask, you do not give; On the seventh day, your head will split into seven.” 9. The deceiver, having prepared, uttered that dreadful curse; Bāvarī, hearing his words, became distressed. 10. He wasted away, without food, pierced by the dart of sorrow; Even with such a mind, his mind found no delight in meditation. 11. A deity, desiring his welfare, seeing him frightened and distressed; Approached Bāvarī, and spoke these words. 12. “He does not know the head, he is a deceiver, desirous of wealth; Knowledge of the head or the splitting of the head, does not exist for him.” 13. “Then, lady, you know, tell me, when asked; The head and the splitting of the head, we will hear your words.” 14. I do not know this, Knowledge is not in me here; In the head and the head-fall, The vision of the Victors is there. 15. Then who indeed knows, In this sphere of earth; The head and the head-fall? Tell me that, O deity. 16. From Kapilavatthu, The world-leader set forth; A descendant of King Okkāka, The Sakya son, the light-bringer. 17. He, O brahmin, is the Fully Awakened One, Gone to the far shore of all phenomena; Attained to the power of all supernormal knowledge, Having vision in all phenomena; Attained to the destruction of all kamma, Liberated in the destruction of all attachments. 18. That Blessed One is the Buddha in the world, The one with vision teaches the Dhamma; Go and ask him, He will explain it to you. 19. Having heard the word "Fully Awakened One", Bāvarī became elated; His sorrow became slight, And he gained abundant joy. 20. That Bāvarī, delighted and elated, Asked that deity, filled with emotion; "In which village or town, Or in which country is the world-leader? Where can we go and see, The Fully Awakened One, the best of bipeds?" 21. The Victor is in Sāvatthī, in the Kosala realm, Abundant in wisdom, of excellent vast intellect; That Sakya son, free from defilements, taintless, The bull among men, knows the head-fall. 22. Then he addressed his disciples, Brahmins skilled in mantras; "Come, young men, I will tell you, Listen to my words. 23. Whose appearance is rare in the world, Whose manifestation is constant; He has appeared in the world today, Renowned as the Fully Awakened One; Quickly go to Sāvatthī, And see the best of bipeds." 24. "How then shall we know, When we see him, that he is the Buddha, O brahmin? Tell us who do not know, How we may know him." 25. Indeed, in the mantras, The marks of a Great Man; Thirty-two are explained, Completely, in due order. 26. In whom these are found on the body, The marks of a Great Man; Only two (fates await him)... his destinies, indeed, a third is not found. 27. If he dwells in a house, he would conquer this earth; Without rod, without weapon, he would rule by Dhamma. 28. And if he goes forth, from home to homelessness; The Awakened One, with the veil removed, becomes an Arahant, unsurpassed. 29. Birth and clan and marks, spells and other disciples, The head and the falling of the head— just ask in mind. 30. Seeing without obstruction, if he is a Buddha, The questions asked in mind, he will answer with speech. 31. Having heard Bāvari's words, the sixteen Brahmin disciples: Ajita, Tissa Metteyya, Puṇṇaka, then Mettagū. 32. Dhotaka and Upasīva, Nanda and then Hemaka, Todeyya and Kappa, both, and Jatukaṇṇī, the wise. 33. Bhadrāvudha and Udaya, and Posāla, the brahmin, And Mogharāja, the intelligent, and Piṅgiya, the great sage. 34. All of them, each a leader of a group, renowned throughout the world, Meditators, delighting in meditation, wise, imbued with former dispositions. 35. Having saluted Bāvari, and having circumambulated him, All wearing matted hair and deerskins, they departed, facing north. 36. Maḷaka's dwelling place, the city of Māhissati then, And Ujjenī, and Gonaddha, Vedisa, and Vanasavhaya. 37. And Kosambī, and Sāketa, and Sāvatthī, the chief city, Setabyā, Kapilavatthu, and Kusinārā, the abode. 38. And Pāvā, the city of Bhoga, Vesālī, and the city of Magadha, And the Pāsāṇaka shrine, delightful, charming to the mind. 39. Like one thirsty for cool water, or a merchant for great gain, Or one oppressed by heat for shade, they hastened to ascend the mountain. 40. The Blessed One at that time, surrounded by the assembly of monks, Was teaching the Dhamma to the monks, like a lion roaring in the forest. 41. Ajita saw the Buddha, like the sun with radiant rays, Like the moon on the fifteenth day, full has come to fullness. 42. Then seeing his body, and the full marks; Standing aside, delighted, he asked questions in his mind. 43. "Tell his birth, tell his clan with its marks; Tell his perfection in the mantras, how many does the brahmin teach?" 44. "His age is one hundred and twenty years, and he is Bāvarī by clan; Three marks are on his body, he is a master of the three Vedas. 45. "In marks and history, with glossaries and phonetics; He teaches five hundred, he has reached perfection in the good Dhamma." 46. "The analysis of the marks, of Bāvarī, O best of men; Explain, O Cutter of Craving, let there be no doubt for us." 47. "He covers his mouth with his tongue, the hair-tuft is between his eyebrows; His private parts are sheathed like a scabbard, thus know, O young man." 48. Not hearing any question, but hearing the questions answered; All the people pondered, filled with wonder, with clasped hands. 49. "Who is this, a god or Brahmā, or even Indra, lord of the Sūjā? To questions asked in the mind, to whom does this respond?" 50. "The head and the falling of the head, Bāvarī asks about; Explain that, O Blessed One, remove our doubt, O Seer." 51. "Know that ignorance is the head, knowledge is the falling of the head; With faith, mindfulness, and concentration, conjoined with desire and effort." 52. Then with great wonder, the young man, having steadied himself; Making his deer-skin cloak over one shoulder, fell at his feet with his head. 53. "Bāvarī the brahmin, O venerable one, with his disciples, O worthy one; With uplifted heart, delighted, worships the feet of the Seer." 54. "May Bāvarī be happy, the brahmin with his disciples; And may you also be happy, live long, O young man. 55. "For Bāvarī or for you, for all, all doubts; Having been given the opportunity, ask, whatever you wish in your mind." 56. Given the opportunity by the Fully Awakened One, having sat down with clasped hands; Ajita the first question, there asked the Tathāgata. The Story Verses are finished. 1. Ajita's Questions 7. “By what is the world enveloped, By what does it not shine forth? What do you say is its anointing, And what is its great fear?” 58. “By ignorance is the world enveloped, By craving and heedlessness it does not shine forth. I say desire is its anointing, Suffering is its great fear.” 59. “Streams flow everywhere, What is the dam for the streams? Tell me the restraint of the streams, By what are the streams shut off?” 60. “Whatever streams there are in the world, Mindfulness is their dam. I tell you the restraint of the streams, By wisdom are they shut off.” 61. “Wisdom and mindfulness, And name-and-form, dear sir; Answer me this question, Where does this cease?” 62. “This question you have asked, Ajita, I will tell you: Where name and form, Completely cease; With the cessation of consciousness, there it ceases.” 63. “Those who are fully accomplished, And those who are learners, many here; Tell me their conduct, When asked, dear sir.” 64. “He should not crave for sensual pleasures, He should be undisturbed in mind; Skilled in all phenomena, Mindful, a monk should wander.” The first, Ajita’s Questions. 2. Tissa-Metteyya’s Questions 65. “Who is contented in the world, Whose tremors do not exist? Who, having known both ends, Is not stained in the middle by thought? Whom do you call a great man, Who here has overcome the seamstress?” 66. “One who lives the holy life in sensual pleasures, Free from craving, always mindful; A monk who is calmed by understanding, His tremors do not exist. 67. “He, having known both ends, Is not stained in the middle by thought; Him I call a great man, He here has overcome the seamstress.” The second, Tissa-Metteyya’s Questions. 3. Puṇṇaka’s Questions 68. “One who is free from craving, seeing the root [Thus spoke the venerable Puṇṇaka:] "I have come with a question; What do the sages, people, Khattiyas, Brahmins, and deities rely on, When they perform sacrifices throughout this world? I ask you, Blessed One, tell me this." 69. "Whatever sages, people, [Puṇṇaka, said the Blessed One] Khattiyas, Brahmins, and deities, Perform sacrifices throughout this world, Desiring this state of being, Puṇṇaka, Relying on old age, they perform sacrifices." 70. "Whatever sages, people, [Thus spoke the venerable Puṇṇaka:] Khattiyas, Brahmins, and deities, Perform sacrifices throughout this world, Were they, Blessed One, diligent on the path of sacrifice, Did they cross birth and old age, O Master?