SN 7.21

Saṅgāravasutta

Sāvatthinidānaṁ. Tena kho pana samayena saṅgāravo nāma brāhmaṇo sāvatthiyaṁ paṭivasati udakasuddhiko, udakena parisuddhiṁ pacceti, sāyaṁ pātaṁ udakorohanānuyogamanuyutto viharati. Atha kho āyasmā ānando pubbaṇhasamayaṁ nivāsetvā pattacīvaramādāya sāvatthiṁ piṇḍāya pāvisi. Sāvatthiyaṁ piṇḍāya caritvā pacchābhattaṁ piṇḍapātapaṭikkanto yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho āyasmā ānando bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “idha, bhante, saṅgāravo nāma brāhmaṇo sāvatthiyaṁ paṭivasati udakasuddhiko, udakena suddhiṁ pacceti, sāyaṁ pātaṁ udakorohanānuyogamanuyutto viharati. Sādhu, bhante, bhagavā yena saṅgāravassa brāhmaṇassa nivesanaṁ tenupasaṅkamatu anukampaṁ upādāyā”ti. Adhivāsesi bhagavā tuṇhībhāvena.

With Saṅgārava

At Sāvatthī. Now at that time there was a brahmin named Saṅgārava staying in Sāvatthī. He practiced purification by water, believing in purification by water. He lived committed to the practice of immersing himself in water at daybreak and dusk. Then Venerable Ānanda robed up in the morning and, taking his bowl and robe, entered Sāvatthī for alms. He wandered for alms in Sāvatthī. After the meal, on his return from almsround, he went to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and said to him, “Sir, there is a brahmin named Saṅgārava staying in Sāvatthī. He practices purification by water, believing in purification by water. He lives devoted to ritual bathing at daybreak and dusk. Please visit him at his home out of sympathy.” The Buddha consented with silence.

Atha kho bhagavā pubbaṇhasamayaṁ nivāsetvā pattacīvaramādāya yena saṅgāravassa brāhmaṇassa nivesanaṁ tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā paññatte āsane nisīdi. Atha kho saṅgāravo brāhmaṇo yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavatā saddhiṁ sammodi. Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinnaṁ kho saṅgāravaṁ brāhmaṇaṁ bhagavā etadavoca: “saccaṁ kira tvaṁ, brāhmaṇa, udakasuddhiko, udakena suddhiṁ paccesi, sāyaṁ pātaṁ udakorohanānuyogamanuyutto viharasī”ti? “Evaṁ, bho gotama”. “Kiṁ pana tvaṁ, brāhmaṇa, atthavasaṁ sampassamāno udakasuddhiko, udakasuddhiṁ paccesi, sāyaṁ pātaṁ udakorohanānuyogamanuyutto viharasī”ti? “Idha me, bho gotama, yaṁ divā pāpakammaṁ kataṁ hoti, taṁ sāyaṁ nhānena pavāhemi, yaṁ rattiṁ pāpakammaṁ kataṁ hoti taṁ pātaṁ nhānena pavāhemi. Imaṁ khvāhaṁ, bho gotama, atthavasaṁ sampassamāno udakasuddhiko, udakena suddhiṁ paccemi, sāyaṁ pātaṁ udakorohanānuyogamanuyutto viharāmī”ti.

Then the Buddha robed up in the morning and, taking his bowl and robe, went to the home of the brahmin Saṅgārava, and sat down on the seat spread out. Then the brahmin Saṅgārava went up to the Buddha, and exchanged greetings with him. When the greetings and polite conversation were over, he sat down to one side. The Buddha said to him, “Is it really true, brahmin, that you practice purification by water, believing in purification by water; that you live committed to the practice of immersing yourself in water at daybreak and dusk?” “Yes, worthy Gotama.” “But brahmin, for what reason do you practice purification by water?” “It’s because, Worthy Gotama, whatever bad deeds I’ve done during the day I rinse off by bathing at dusk; and whatever bad deeds I’ve done during the night, I rinse off by bathing at dawn. That’s the reason why I practice purification by water.”

“Dhammo rahado brāhmaṇa sīlatittho, Anāvilo sabbhi sataṁ pasattho; Yattha have vedaguno sinātā, Anallagattāva taranti pāran”ti.

“The teaching is a lake, brahmin, into which ethics are the stairs, unclouded, praised by the fine to the good. There the knowledge masters go to bathe, and cross to the far shore with dry limbs.”

Evaṁ vutte, saṅgāravo brāhmaṇo bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “abhikkantaṁ, bho gotama, abhikkantaṁ, bho gotama …pe… upāsakaṁ maṁ bhavaṁ gotamo dhāretu ajjatagge pāṇupetaṁ saraṇaṁ gatan”ti.

When he had spoken, Saṅgārava said to the Buddha, “Excellent, worthy Gotama! Excellent! … From this day forth, may the worthy Gotama remember me as a lay follower who has gone for refuge for life.”