The Questions of the Young Brahmin Puṇṇaka

Sutta Nipāta 5.4 Puṇṇakamāṇavapucchā “Anejaṁ mūladassāviṁ, (iccāyasmā puṇṇako) Atthi pañhena āgamaṁ; Kiṁ nissitā isayo manujā, Khattiyā brāhmaṇā devatānaṁ; Yaññamakappayiṁsu puthūdha loke, Pucchāmi taṁ bhagavā brūhi me taṁ”.

To the unstirred one who sees the root,

(said the venerable Puṇṇaka),

I have come with a question.

Relying on what did seers, humans, nobles, and brahmins

offer numerous sacrifices to the deities here in the world?

I ask you, Fortunate One, tell me this.

“Ye kecime isayo manujā, (puṇṇakāti bhagavā) Khattiyā brāhmaṇā devatānaṁ; Yaññamakappayiṁsu puthūdha loke, Āsīsamānā puṇṇaka itthattaṁ; Jaraṁ sitā yaññamakappayiṁsu”.

Whatever seers, humans, nobles, and brahmins,

(said the Fortunate One),

offered numerous sacrifices to the deities here in the world, Puṇṇaka,

they offered those sacrifices hoping for continued existence here,

tied to old age.

“Ye kecime isayo manujā, (iccāyasmā puṇṇako) Khattiyā brāhmaṇā devatānaṁ; Yaññamakappayiṁsu puthūdha loke, Kaccissu te bhagavā yaññapathe appamattā; Atāruṁ jātiñca jarañca mārisa, Pucchāmi taṁ bhagavā brūhi me taṁ”.

Whatever seers, humans, nobles, and brahmins,

(said the venerable Puṇṇaka),

offered numerous sacrifices to the deities here in the world:

did they, Fortunate One, being diligent in the path of sacrifice,

cross over birth and old age, dear sir?

I ask you, Fortunate One, tell me this.

“Āsīsanti thomayanti abhijappanti juhanti, (puṇṇakāti bhagavā) Kāmābhijappanti paṭicca lābhaṁ; Te yājayogā bhavarāgarattā, Nātariṁsu jātijaranti brūmi”.

They hope, they praise, they yearn, they sacrifice,

(said the Fortunate One),

Puṇṇaka, they yearn for sensual pleasures, conditioned by gain.

Those devoted to sacrifice, impassioned with greed for becoming,

“Te ce nātariṁsu yājayogā, (iccāyasmā puṇṇako) Yaññehi jātiñca jarañca mārisa; Atha ko carahi devamanussaloke, Atāri jātiñca jarañca mārisa; Pucchāmi taṁ bhagavā brūhi me taṁ”.

did not cross over birth and old age, I say.

If those devoted to sacrifice did not cross over,

(said the venerable Puṇṇaka),

birth and old age by means of sacrifices, dear sir,

then who in the world of gods and humans

has crossed over birth and old age, dear sir?

I ask you, Fortunate One, tell me this.

“Saṅkhāya lokasmi paroparāni, (puṇṇakāti bhagavā) Yassiñjitaṁ natthi kuhiñci loke; Santo vidhūmo anīgho nirāso, Atāri so jātijaranti brūmī”ti.

Having known the high and low in the world,

(said the Fortunate One),

Puṇṇaka, one who has no perturbation anywhere in the world:

peaceful, smokeless, untroubled, desireless:

Puṇṇakamāṇavapucchā tatiyā.

he has crossed over birth and old age, I say.

The Questions of the Young Brahmin Puṇṇaka, the third.