5.6. Dhotaka’s Questions

“Pucchāmi taṁ bhagavā brūhi metaṁ,

(iccāyasmā dhotako)

Vācābhikaṅkhāmi mahesi tuyhaṁ;

Tava sutvāna nigghosaṁ,

Sikkhe nibbānamattano”.

“Tenahātappaṁ karohi,

(dhotakāti bhagavā)

Idheva nipako sato;

Ito sutvāna nigghosaṁ,

Sikkhe nibbānamattano”.

“Passāmahaṁ devamanussaloke,

Akiñcanaṁ brāhmaṇamiriyamānaṁ;

Taṁ taṁ namassāmi samantacakkhu,

Pamuñca maṁ sakka kathaṅkathāhi”.

“Nāhaṁ sahissāmi pamocanāya,

Kathaṅkathiṁ dhotaka kañci loke;

Dhammañca seṭṭhaṁ abhijānamāno,

Evaṁ tuvaṁ oghamimaṁ taresi”.

“Anusāsa brahme karuṇāyamāno,

Vivekadhammaṁ yamahaṁ vijaññaṁ;

Yathāhaṁ ākāsova abyāpajjamāno,

Idheva santo asito careyyaṁ”.

“Kittayissāmi te santiṁ,

(dhotakāti bhagavā)

Diṭṭhe dhamme anītihaṁ;

Yaṁ viditvā sato caraṁ,

Tare loke visattikaṁ”.

“Tañcāhaṁ abhinandāmi,

mahesi santimuttamaṁ;

Yaṁ viditvā sato caraṁ,

tare loke visattikaṁ”.

“Yaṁ kiñci sampajānāsi,

(dhotakāti bhagavā)

Uddhaṁ adho tiriyañcāpi majjhe;

Etaṁ viditvā saṅgoti loke,

Bhavābhavāya mākāsi taṇhan”ti.

Dhotakamāṇavapucchā pañcamī.

SC 1SC Verse 1068Dhotaka
O Seeker Great, I long to hear your word,
then having heard your speech,
for Nirvāṇa train myself—
I ask the Lord thus, please tell me of this.

SC 2SC Verse 1069Buddha
Ascetically exert yourself,
just wise and mindful here,
then having heard my words,
for Nirvāṇa train yourself.

SC 3SC Verse 1070Dhotaka
In the world of devas and humanity I see
the with-nothing brahmin who wanders about,
to the All-seeing Seer, to you I bow down:
free me, O Sakya, from consuming doubt.

SC 4SC Verse 1071Buddha
I am not able, O Dhotaka, to liberate you
from consuming doubt of whatever kind in the world,*Sujato: lkm had “To liberate, O Dhotaka, from consuming doubt, I do not go about the world”, which relied on the variant reading gamissāmi. This however appears to be incorrect, and I have adopted the reading sahissāmi as used in the Mahāsaṅgīti text; see Norman’s note on page 410 of the Group of Discourses.
but, having Known this Dharma best
beyond this flood you go across.

SC 5SC Verse 1072Dhotaka
Teach me, O Brahma, out of your compassion,
the State of Seclusion that I may know it well,
so that I may live just like the sky,
kind-minded, peaceful, also clinging-free.

SC 6SC Verse 1073Buddha
This Peace I shall explain to you,
Seen-Now and not traditional lore,
knowing which the mindful fare,
and cross the world’s entanglements.

SC 7SC Verse 1074Dhotaka
I am delighted, Seeker Great
with this Peace that’s ultimate,
knowing which the mindful fare,
and cross the world’s entanglements.

SC 8SC Verse 1075Buddha
Whatever you cognize above,
below, across, and in between;
Here having Known clinging just to this,
form no craving for high or low.