Chapter XXVI, Section 1a

p. 89 CHAPTER XXVI. THE BRÂHMA N A (ARHAT). 383. Stop the stream valiantly, drive away the desires, O Brâhma n a! When you have understood the destruction of all that was made, you will understand that which was not made. 384. If the Brâhma n a has reached the other shore in both laws (in restraint and contemplation), all bonds vanish from him who has obtained knowledge. 385. He for whom there is neither this nor that shore, nor both, him, the fearless and unshackled, I call indeed a Brâhma n a. 386. He who is thoughtful, blameless, settled, dutiful, without passions, and who has attained the highest end, him I call indeed a Brâhma n a. 387. The sun is bright by day, the moon shines by night, the warrior is bright in his armour, the Brâhma n a is bright in his meditation; but Buddha, the Awakened, is bright with splendour day and night. 388. Because a man is rid of evil, therefore he is called Brâhma n a; because he walks quietly, therefore he is called Sama n a; because he has sent away his own impurities, therefore he is called Pravra g ita (Pabba g ita, a pilgrim). [385. The exact meaning of the two shores is not quite clear, and the commentator who takes them in the sense of internal and external organs of sense can hardly be right. See verse 86 . 388. These would-be etytmologies are again interesting as showing the decline of the etymlological life of the spoken language of India at the time when such etymologies became possible. In order to derive Brâhma n a from vâh, it must have been pronounced bâhma n o; vâh, 'to remove,' occurs frequently in the Buddhistical Sanskrit. Cf. Lal. Vist. p. 551, l. 1; 553, l. 7. See note to verse 265 .] p. 90 389. No one should attack a Brâhma n a, but no Brâhma n a (if attacked) should let himself fly at his aggressor! Woe to him who strikes a Brâhma n a, more woe to him who flies at his aggressor! 390. It advantages a Brâhma n a not a little if he holds his mind back from the pleasures of life; when all wish to injure has vanished, pain will cease. 391. Him I call indeed a Brâhma n a who does not offend by body, word, or thought, and is controlled on these three points. 392. After a man has once understood the law as taught by the Well-awakened (Buddha), let him worship it carefully, as the Brâhma n a worships the sacrificial fire. 393. A man does not become a Brâhma n a by his platted hair, by his family, or by birth; in whom there is truth and righteousness, he is blessed, he is a Brâhma n a. 394. What is the use of platted hair, O fool! what of the raiment of goat-skins? Within thee there is ravening, but the outside thou makest clean. 395. The man who wears dirty raiments, who is [390. I am afraid I have taken too much liberty with this verse. Dr. Fausböll translates, 'Non Brâhma n ae hoc paulo melius, quando retentio fit mentis a jucundis.' 393. Fausböll proposes to read g a kk â ( g âtyâ).