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Saį¹yutta NikÄya 11.9 Linked Discourses 11.9
1. Paį¹hamavagga Chapter One
AraƱƱÄyatanaisisutta Seers in the Wilderness Seers in a Forest
SÄvatthiyaį¹. At SÄvatthÄ«. At Savatthi.
āBhÅ«tapubbaį¹, bhikkhave, sambahulÄ isayo sÄ«lavanto kalyÄį¹adhammÄ araƱƱÄyatane paį¹į¹akuį¹Ä«su sammanti. āOnce upon a time, mendicants, several seers who were ethical, of good character, settled in leaf huts in a wilderness region. āSeerā is isi (Sanskrit į¹į¹£i), for which the Proto-Dravidian root icai (āsingā) has been proposed. It was taken to mean that they had āseenā the Vedas (mantradraį¹£į¹a) or directly āheardā them from BrahmÄ through divine inspiration, rather than ācomposingā them like ordinary authors. Here, however, the Buddha says they were āauthorsā (kattÄro). The Buddha adopted isi in the sense āenlightened sageā. | A comparable encounter with seers is depicted at MN 93:18.2; see also the description of ancient brahmins at DN 27:22.6.āBhikkhus, once in the past a number of seers who were virtuous and of good character had settled down in leaf huts in a tract of forest.
Atha kho, bhikkhave, sakko ca devÄnamindo vepacitti ca asurindo yena te isayo sÄ«lavanto kalyÄį¹adhammÄ tenupasaį¹
kamiį¹su. Then Sakka, lord of gods, and Vepacitti, lord of titans, went to those seers. Then Sakka, lord of the devas, and Vepacitti, lord of the asuras, approached those seers.
Atha kho, bhikkhave, vepacitti asurindo paį¹aliyo upÄhanÄ ÄrohitvÄ khaggaį¹ olaggetvÄ chattena dhÄriyamÄnena aggadvÄrena assamaį¹ pavisitvÄ te isayo sÄ«lavante kalyÄį¹adhamme apabyÄmato karitvÄ atikkami. Vepacitti put on his lined sandals, strapped on his sword, and, carrying a sunshade, entered the hermitage through the main gate. He walked right past those seers, keeping them at armās length. At Kv 12.8:4.3, it is said that a Buddhist would not treat a pagoda with disrespect by keeping it apabyÄmato. The variant there is asabyÄkato, which is is similar to apasabyato at Ud 5.3:11.5, where it seems to mean āturning off to the leftā. Here, however, I think it relates to the specific situation, corresponding to ādownwindā in the next sentence. Vepacitti keeps the seers āat armās lengthā (apabyÄmato) because they smell.Vepacitti, lord of the asuras, put on his boots, bound his sword on tightly, and, with a parasol borne aloft, entered the hermitage through the main gate; then, having turned his left side towards them, he walked past those seers who were virtuous and of good character.
Atha kho, bhikkhave, sakko devÄnamindo paį¹aliyo upÄhanÄ orohitvÄ khaggaį¹ aƱƱesaį¹ datvÄ chattaį¹ apanÄmetvÄ dvÄreneva assamaį¹ pavisitvÄ te isayo sÄ«lavante kalyÄį¹adhamme anuvÄtaį¹ paƱjaliko namassamÄno aį¹į¹hÄsi. Sakka took off his lined sandals, gave his sword to others, and, putting down his sunshade, entered the hermitage through the same gate. He stood downwind of those seers, revering them with cupped palms. Each of these details corresponds with a training rule for monastics, who should not wear sandals or teach one wearing them; should not carry a sword or teach one carrying a sword; and should not carry a parasol or teach one carrying a parasol. There are exceptions for sandals and parasols for health. See too Thag 7.1 and SN 35.133.But Sakka, lord of the devas, took off his boots, handed over his sword to others, lowered his parasol, and entered the hermitage through an [ordinary] gate; then he stood on the lee side, raising his joined hands in reverential salutation, paying homage to those seers who were virtuous and of good character.
Atha kho, bhikkhave, te isayo sÄ«lavanto kalyÄį¹adhammÄ sakkaį¹ devÄnamindaį¹ gÄthÄya ajjhabhÄsiį¹su: Then those seers addressed Sakka in verse: These verses also at Ja 522:6.1.Then, bhikkhus, those seers addressed Sakka in verse:
āGandho isÄ«naį¹ ciradikkhitÄnaį¹, āWhen seers have been long initiated, āInitiatedā (dikkhita, Sanskrit dÄ«kį¹£ita) is the technical term for a priest who has been consecrated in preparation for a ritual.āThe odour of the seers long bound by their vows,
KÄyÄ cuto gacchati mÄlutena; the odor of their bodies goes with the gale. Emitted from their bodies, goes with the wind.
Ito paį¹ikkamma sahassanetta, Youād better leave, O thousand-eyed! Turn away from here, O thousand-eyed god,
Gandho isÄ«naį¹ asuci devarÄjÄāti. The odor of the seers is unclean, king of gods.ā One might expect the initiated to have a sweet smell (puį¹yagandha; cf. sÄ«lagandha at Dhp 55), and this is indeed the case normally (Gopatha BrÄhmaį¹a 1.2.2, Jaimini Gį¹hyasuĢtra 1.18). Jain ascetics were known for body odors, as they did not bathe, but brahmins were fastidious about cleanliness. Humans generally are thought to be malodorous to the gods (DN 23:9.30), but the text specifies it is the odor of those long initiated.For the seersā odour is foul, O deva-king.ā
āGandho isÄ«naį¹ ciradikkhitÄnaį¹, āWhen seers have been long initiated, āLet the odour of the seers long bound by their vows,
KÄyÄ cuto gacchatu mÄlutena; let the odor of their bodies go with the gale. Emitted from their bodies, go with the wind;
Sucitrapupphaį¹ sirasmiį¹va mÄlaį¹, We yearn for this odor, sirs, We yearn for this odour, O venerable sirs,
Gandhaį¹ etaį¹ paį¹ikaį¹
khÄma bhante; like a colorful crown of flowers. As for a garland of flowers on the head.
Na hettha devÄ paį¹ikÅ«lasaƱƱinoāāti. The gods donāt see it as repulsive.āā The devas do not perceive it as repulsive.'ā