Uttarādhyayana Sūtra 11

The Very Learned

I shall explain, in due order, the right discipline of a houseless monk who has got rid of all worldly ties. Listen to me.

He who is ignorant of the truth, egoistical, greedy, without self-discipline, and who talks loosely, is called ill-behaved and void of learning.

There are five causes which render wholesome discipline impossible: egoism, delusion, carelessness, illness, and idleness:

For eight causes discipline is called virtue, viz.: not to be fond of mirth, to control one's self, not to speak evil of others, not to be without discipline, not to be of wrong discipline, not to be covetous, not to be choleric, to love the truth; for their influence discipline is called virtue. (4, 5) A monk who is liable to the following fourteen charges, is called ill-behaved, and does not reach wrath; if he spurns friendly advice; if he is proud of his learning; if he finds fault with others; if he is angry even with friends; if he speaks evil even of a good friend behind his back; if he is positive in his assertions; if he is malicious, egoistical, greedy, without self-discipline; if he does not share with others; if he is always unkind: then he is called called well-behaved: if he is always humble, steady, free from deceit and curiosity; if he abuses nobody; if he does not persevere in his wrath; if he listens to friendly advice; if he is not proud of his learning; if he does not find fault with others; if he is not angry with friends; if he speaks well even of a bad friend behind his back; if he abstains from quarrels and rows; if he is enlightened, polite, decent, and quiet then he is called well-behaved. (10-13) He who always acknowledges his allegiance to his teacher, who has religious zeal and ardour for study, who is kind in words and actions, deserves to be instructed. (14) As water put into a shell shines with a doubled brilliancy, so do the piety, fame, and knowledge of a very learned monk. (15) As a trained Kambôga-steed, whom no noise frightens, exceeds all other horses in speed, so a very learned monk is superior to all others. (16) As a valiant hero bestriding a trained horse, with heralds singing out to his right and left, (has no equal), neither has a very learned monk. (17) As a strong and irresistible elephant of sixty years, surrounded by his females, (has no equal), neither has a very learned monk. (18) As a sharp-horned, strong-necked bullock, the leader of the herd, is a fine sight, so is a very learned monk. (19) As a proud lion with sharp fangs, who brooks no assault, is superior to all animals, so is a very learned monk (superior to all men). (20) As Vasudeva, the god with the conch, discus, and club, who fights with an irresistible strength, (has no equal), neither has a very learned monk. (21) As a universal monarch with his fourfold army and great power, the possessor of the fourteen attributes of a king, (has no equal), neither has a very learned monk. (22) As Sakra the thousand-eyed, the wielder of the thunderbolt, the fortress-destroyer, the king of gods, (has no equal), neither has a very learned monk. (23) As the rising sun, the dispeller of darkness, who burns as it were with light, (has no equal), neither has a very learned monk. (24) As the moon, the queen of the stars, surrounded by the asterisms, when she is full at full-moon, (has no equal), neither has a very learned monk. (25) As a well-guarded storehouse of merchants, which is filled with grain of many kinds, (has no equal), neither has a very learned monk. (26) As the best of Gambu trees, called Sudarsanâ, which is the abode of the presiding deity, (has no equal), neither has a very learned monk. (27) As the best of rivers, the ocean-flowing stream Sitâ with its dark waters, (has no equal), neither has a very learned monk. (28) As the best of hills, high mount Mandara, on which various plants shed a bright lustre, (has no equal), neither has a very learned monk. (29) As the ocean of inexhaustible water, the delight of Svayambhu, which is full of precious things of many kinds, (has no equal), neither has a very learned monk. (30) Monks who equal the ocean in depth, who are difficult to overcome, are frightened by nobody (or nothing), and are not easily assailed, who are full of extensive learning and take care of themselves, will go to the highest place, after their Karman has been annihilated. (31) Therefore, seeker after the highest truth, study the sacred lore, in order to cause yourself and others to attain perfection. (32) Thus I say. Harikêsa-Bala was born in a family of Svapâkas (Kândâlas); he became a monk and a sage, possessed of the highest virtues, who had subdued his senses. (1) He observed the rules with regard to walking, begging, speaking, easing nature, and receiving and keeping (of things necessary for a monk), controlled himself, and was always attentive (to his duty). (2) He protected from sin his thoughts, speech, and body, and subdued his senses. Once on his begging tour, he approached the enclosure of a Brahmanical sacrifice. (3) When (the priests) saw him coming up, emaciated by austerities, in a miserable condition, and with the poorest outfit, they laughed at him, the rufanimals, who did not subdue their senses, the unchaste sinners, made the following speech:

'Who is that dandy coming there? he is swarthy, dreadful, with a turned-up nose, miserably clad, a very devil' of a dirty man, with a filthy cloth put on his neck?

'Who are you, you monster? or for what purpose have you come here? you miserably clad devil of a dirty man! go, get away! why stand you Tinduka-tree, had compassion on the great sage, and making his own body invisible spoke the following words:

"I am a chaste Sramana, controlling myself; I have no property, nothing belonging to me, and do not cook my food; I have come for food which is dressed for somebody else at the time when I call.

"You give away, eat, and consume plenty of food; know that I subsist by begging; let the mendicant get what is left of the rest.”

'The dinner has been prepared for Brâhmanas, it has been got ready especially for ourselves and for us exclusively; we shall not give you such food and drink; why stand you there?'

"The husbandmen throw the corn on high ground and on low ground', hoping (for a return). For the like motive give unto me; I may be the field which may produce merit (as the return for your benevolence)."

'All the world knows that we are (as it were) the field on which gifts sown grow up as merit; Brahmanas of pure birth and knowledge are the blessed fields.'

"Those who are full of anger and pride, who kill, lie, steal, and own property, are Brahmanas without pure birth and knowledge; they are very bad you do not understand their meaning, though you have learned the Vêdas. The saints call at high and lowly (houses); they are the blessed fields."

'Detractor of the learned speak thus in our presence! should rather rot, than we Nirgrantha.'

doctors, how dare you This food and drink should give it you, "If you do not give me what I ask for, I who observe the Samitis, who am protected by the Guptis, who subdue my senses, what benefit, then, will you gain by your sacrifices?"

'Are here no Kshattriyas, no priests who tend the fire, no teachers with their disciples, who will beat him with a stick, or pelt him with a nut, take him by the neck, and drive him off?'

On these words of the teachers, many young fellows rushed forward, and they all beat the sage with sticks, canes, and whips.

At that turn king Kausalika's daughter, Bhadrâ, of faultless body, saw that the monk was beaten, and appeased the angry youngsters.

'He is the very man to whom the king, impelled by the devil (who possessed me), had given me, but who would not think of me; he is the sage whom princes and gods adore, who has refused me.

'He is that austere ascetic, of noble nature, who subdues his senses and controls himself; the chaste man, who would not accept me when my own father, king Kausalika, gave me to him.

'He is the man of great fame and might, of awful piety and power; do not injure him who cannot be injured, lest he consume you all by the fire (of his virtue).'

When the Yakshas heard these well-spoken words of (the Purôhita's) wife Bhadrâ, they came to the assistance of the sage, and kept the young men Asuras beat the people. When Bhadrâ saw them with rent bodies spitting blood, she spoke again eat iron with your teeth, or kick fire with your feet, as treat contemptuously a monk.

'Like a poisonous snake is a great sage of severe austerities, of tremendous piety and power; like a swarm of moths you will rush into a fire, if you beat a monk on his begging tour.

'Prostrate yourself before him for protection, you together with all of them, if you want to save your life and your property; for in his wrath he might reduce the world to ashes.'

When the Brahmana saw the disciples bowing their back and head, and holding out their hands, not minding their occupation; with streaming eyes, spitting blood, looking upwards, their eyes and tongues protruding, like as many logs of wood, he became heartbroken and dejected, and together with his wife he appeased the sage: 'Forgive us our injury and abuse, sir! (29, 30) 'Forgive, sir, these ignorant, stupid boys, that they injured you; sages are exceedingly gracious, nor are the saints inclined to wrath.'

There is not the least hatred in me, neither now, nor before, nor in future. The Yakshas attend upon me, therefore they have beaten the boys.

'You know the truth and the Law; you are not angry, compassionate sage; we take refuge at your feet, we together with all of them.

'We worship you, mighty sir; there is nothing in you that we do not worship; eat this dish of boiled rice seasoned with many condiments.

'I have got plenty of food; eat it to do us a favour!' The noble (monk) said 'yes,' and took food and drink after having fasted a whole month.

At that moment the gods caused a rain of perfumed water and flowers, and showered down heavenly treasures; they struck the drums, and in the air they praised the gift.

'The value of penance has become visible, birth appears of no value! Look at the holy Harikêsa, the son of a Svapâka, whose power is so great.'

"O Brâhmanas, why do you tend the fire, and seek external purity by water? The clever ones say that external purity which you seek for, is not the right thing.

"You (use) Kusa-grass, sacrificial poles, straw and wood, you touch water in the evening and in the morning; thereby you injure living beings, and in your ignorance you commit sins again and avoid sinful actions? Tell us, ascetic, whom the Yakshas hold in honour, what do the clever ones declare to be the right method of sacrificing?'

"Doing no injury to living beings of the six orders, abstaining from lying and from taking what is not freely given, renouncing property, women, pride, and deceit, men should live under selfand is not attached to this life, who abandons his body, who is pure and does not care for his body, wins the great victory, the best of offerings."

'Where is your fire, your fireplace, your sacrificial ladle? where the dried cowdung (used as fuel)? Without these things, what kind of priests can the monks be? What oblations do you offer to the fire?'

"Penance is my fire; life my fireplace; right exertion is my sacrificial ladle; the body the dried cowdung; Karman is my fuel; self-control, right exertion, and tranquillity are the oblations, praised by the sages, which I offer."

'Where is your pond, and where the holy bathingplace? how do you make your ablutions or get rid of impurity? Tell us, O restrained monk whom the Yakshas hold in honour; we desire to learn it from place, which is not turbid, and throughout clear for the soul; there I make ablutions; pure, clean, and thoroughly cooled I get rid of hatred (or it is the great bath praised by the seers, in which the great seers bathe, and, pure and clean, they obtain the highest place. Thus I say. Being contemptuously treated for the sake of his birth (as a Kandala) Sambhuta took, in Hastinapura, the sinful resolution (to become a universal monarch in some later birth); descending from the heavenly region Padmagulma, he was born of Kulani in Kâmpilya as Brahmadatta; Kitra, however, was born in the town Purimatâla in the great family of a merchant; when he had heard the Law, he entered the order. (1, 2) In the town Kâmpilya, both Sambhûta and Kitra (as they were called in a former birth) met again and told each other the reward they had realised for their good and bad actions. (3) The universal monarch Brahmadatta, the powerful and glorious king, respectfully addressed the following words to him (who had been) his brother (in a former birth): (4) 'We were brothers once, kind to each other, loving each other, wishing well to each other. (5) 'We were slaves in the country of the Dasârnas, then antelopes on mount Kâlañgara, then geese on the shore of Mritagangâ, and Svapâkas in the land of Kâsi. (6) And we were gods having great power, in the regions of the gods. This is our sixth birth, in which we are separated from each other.' (7) Karman is produced by sinful thoughts, and you have entertained them, O king; it is by the influence of this Karman that we were separated. (8) 'I had done actions derived from truth and purity, and now I enjoy their effect; is this also true in your case, Kitra?' (9) Every good deed will bear its fruit to men; there is no escape from the effect of one's actions. Through riches and the highest pleasures my soul has got the reward for its virtues. (10) "Know, Sambhûta, that you have got the reward of your virtues in the shape of great wealth and prosperity; but know, O king, that is just so with Kitra; he also obtained prosperity and splendour. (11) "A song of deep meaning condensed in words has been repeated in the midst of a crowd of men, (having heard) which monks of piety and virtues exert themselves in this (religion): I have become a Sramana." (12) 'Renowned are my beautiful palaces Ukka, Udaya, Madhu, Karka, and Brahman: this house, full of treasures and containing the finest products of the Pañkâlas, O Kitra, regard it as your own! (13) Surround yourself with women who dance, and sing, and make music; enjoy these pleasures, O monk; I deem renunciation a hard thing.' (14) As the virtuous Kitra, for old friendship's sake, loved the king who was attached to sensual pleasures, and as he had at heart his welfare, he spoke to him the following words: (15) All singing is but prattle, all dancing is but mocking, all ornaments are but a burden, all pleasures produce but pains. (16) "O king, pleasures which the ignorant like, but which produce pains, do not delight pious monks who care not for pleasure, but are intent on the virtues of right conduct. (17) 'Excellent king, the lowest caste of men is that of the Svapâkas, to which we twice belonged; as such we were loathed by all people, and we lived in the hamlets of Svapâkas. (18) 'In that miserable birth we lived in the hamlets of Svapâkas, detested by all people; then we acquired the Karman (the fruit of which we now perity, enjoying the reward of your good actions; put from you the transitory pleasures, and enter the order for the sake of the highest good! (20) 'He who in this life has done no good actions and has not practised the Law, repents of it in the next world when he has become a prey to Death. (21) "As a lion takes hold of an antelope, so Death leads off a man in his last hour; neither mother, nor father, nor brother will, at that time, save a particle (of his life). (22) Neither his kinsmen, nor his friends, nor his sons, nor his relations will share his suffering, he alone has to bear it; for the Karman follows the fields, his house, his wealth, his corn, and everything; Âdâna, explained karitradharma. against his will, and accompanied only by his Karman, he enters a new existence, either a good or a bad one. (24) "When they have burned with fire on the funeral pile his forlorn, helpless corpse, his wife and sons and kinsfolk will choose another man to provide for old age carries off the vigour of man. King of the Pañkâlas, mark my words: do no fearful actions." (26) ‘I, too, know just as well as you, O saint, what you have told me in your speech: pleasures will get a hold on men and are not easily abandoned by such as we are, sir. (27) 'O Kitra, in Hastinapura 3 I saw the powerful king (Sanatkumâra), and I took that sinful resolution in my desire for sensual pleasures. (28) And since I did not repent of it, this has come of it, that I still long for sensual pleasures, though I know the Law. (29) 'As an elephant, sinking down in a quagmire, sees the raised ground but does not get to the shore, so do we who long for sensual pleasures, not follow the path of monks. (30) 'Time elapses and quickly pass the days; the pleasures of men are not permanent; they come to a man and leave him just as a bird leaves a tree void of fruit.' (31) "If you are unable to abandon pleasure, then do noble actions, O king; following the Law, have compassion on all creatures: then you will become a god on entering a new existence. (32) "If you have no intention of abandoning pleasure, and still long for undertakings and property, my long talk has been to no purpose. I go, king, farewell." (33) And Brahmadatta, king of the Pañkâlas, did not act on the counsel of the saint; he enjoyed the highest pleasure, and (afterwards) sank into the deepest hell. (34) But Kitra the great sage, of excellent conduct and penance, was indifferent to pleasure; after he had practised the highest self-control, he reached the highest place of perfection. (35) Thus I say.