1.5. To the Smith Cunda

“Pucchāmi muniṁ pahūtapaññaṁ,

(iti cundo kammāraputto)

Buddhaṁ dhammassāmiṁ vītataṇhaṁ;

Dvipaduttamaṁ sārathīnaṁ pavaraṁ,

Kati loke samaṇā tadiṅgha brūhi”.

“Caturo samaṇā na pañcamatthi,

(cundāti bhagavā)

Te te āvikaromi sakkhipuṭṭho;

Maggajino maggadesako ca,

Magge jīvati yo ca maggadūsī”.

“Kaṁ maggajinaṁ vadanti buddhā,

(iti cundo kammāraputto)

Maggakkhāyī kathaṁ atulyo hoti;

Magge jīvati me brūhi puṭṭho,

Atha me āvikarohi maggadūsiṁ”.

“Yo tiṇṇakathaṅkatho visallo,

Nibbānābhirato anānugiddho;

Lokassa sadevakassa netā,

Tādiṁ maggajinaṁ vadanti buddhā.

Paramaṁ paramanti yodha ñatvā,

Akkhāti vibhajate idheva dhammaṁ;

Taṁ kaṅkhachidaṁ muniṁ anejaṁ,

Dutiyaṁ bhikkhunamāhu maggadesiṁ.

Yo dhammapade sudesite,

Magge jīvati saññato satīmā;

Anavajjapadāni sevamāno,

Tatiyaṁ bhikkhunamāhu maggajīviṁ.

Chadanaṁ katvāna subbatānaṁ,

Pakkhandī kuladūsako pagabbho;

Māyāvī asaññato palāpo,

Patirūpena caraṁ sa maggadūsī.

Ete ca paṭivijjhi yo gahaṭṭho,

Sutavā ariyasāvako sapañño;

Sabbe netādisāti ñatvā,

Iti disvā na hāpeti tassa saddhā;

Kathaṁ hi duṭṭhena asampaduṭṭhaṁ,

Suddhaṁ asuddhena samaṁ kareyyā”ti.

Cundasuttaṁ pañcamaṁ.

SC 1SC Verse 83Cunda
I ask of the Sage abundantly wise,
Buddha, Lord of Dharma, one who’s craving-free,
Best among men, charioteer beyond compare,
Please do tell me what sorts of samaṇas there are.

SC 2SC Verse 84Buddha
Asked by you personally I shall explain:
Four are the samaṇas, not a fifth is found—
Won to the Path, of the Path the Indicator,
Who lives upon the Path, as well the Path-polluter.

SC 3SC Verse 85Cunda
Who do the Buddhas say is winner of the Path?
How will the Path-teacher be incomparable?
Tell about that one who lives upon the Path,
Also the one who is the Path-polluter?

SC 4SC Verse 86Buddha
Whoso has passed beyond the dart of doubts,
Nirvāṇa-delighted, no greediness at all,
Leader of the world together with the gods,
is Such, the Path-winner, so the Buddhas say.

SC 5SC Verse 87Who knows the Best as what is best indeed,
then teaches Dharma and analyses it,
a sage all doubt severed, one undisturbed,
they call bhikkhu number two, indicator of the Path.

SC 6SC Verse 88Who lives on the Way, the well-taught Dharma Path,
one well-trained and mindful as well,
whatever’s unobstructing, a practitioner of that
they call bhikkhu number three, one who lives the Path.

SC 7SC Verse 89Making a semblance of those with good vows,
deceitful one, worthless and quite unrestrained,
Insolent, braggart and family-defiler,
who goes in disguise is polluter of the Path.

SC 8SC Verse 90A noble disciple who’s recognised each and every one,
and knowing that among them, all are not alike,
this having seen, that person’s faith does not decrease.
For how with the corrupt
can the uncorrupted be compared?
Or those purified with those who are impure?