The Discourse about Those with Knotted Hair

Evaṁ me sutaṁ—

ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā gayāyaṁ viharati gayāsīse.

Tena kho pana samayena sambahulā jaṭilā sītāsu hemantikāsu rattīsu antaraṭṭhake himapātasamaye gayāyaṁ ummujjantipi nimujjantipi, ummujjanimujjampi karonti osiñcantipi, aggimpi juhanti:

“iminā suddhī”ti.

Addasā kho bhagavā te sambahule jaṭile sītāsu hemantikāsu rattīsu antaraṭṭhake himapātasamaye gayāyaṁ ummujjantepi nimujjantepi ummujjanimujjampi karonte osiñcantepi aggimpi juhante:

“iminā suddhī”ti.

Atha kho bhagavā etamatthaṁ viditvā tāyaṁ velāyaṁ imaṁ udānaṁ udānesi:

“Na udakena sucī hoti,

bahvettha nhāyatī jano;

Yamhi saccañca dhammo ca,

so sucī so ca brāhmaṇo”ti.

Navamaṁ.

SC 1Thus I heard: At one time the Gracious One was dwelling near Gayā, on Gayā Peak. Then at that time many knotted-haired ascetics, in the cold Winter nights, in between ‘the eights’, at the time of the snowfall, in the Gayā river, were plunging out, and plunging in, were plunging out and in, were sprinkling water, and were offering the fire sacrifice, thinking: “Through this there is purity.”

SC 2The Gracious One saw that those many knotted-haired ascetics, in the Winter nights, in between ‘the eights’, at the time of the snowfall, in the Gayā river, were plunging out and plunging in, were plunging out and in, were sprinkling water, and were offering the fire sacrifice, thinking: “Through this there is purity.”

SC 3Then the Gracious One, having understood the significance of it, on that occasion uttered this exalted utterance:

SC 4“Not through water is there purity—many people bathe here!
In whom there is truth and Dhamma, he is pure, and he is a brāhmaṇa.”