Saɱyutta Nikāya
5. Mahā-Vagga
55. Sot'Āpatti Saɱyutta
3. Saraṇāni (or Sarakāni) Vagga
The Book of the Kindred Sayings
5. The Great Chapter
55. Kindred Sayings on Streamwinning
3. Sarakāni
Sutta 23
Godhā or Tatiya Mahānāma Suttaɱ
Godhā or Mahānāma (c)
Translated by F. L. Woodward
Edited by Mrs. Rhys Davids
Copyright The Pali Text Society
Commercial Rights Reserved
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[1] Thus have I heard:
On a certain occasion the Exalted One was staying among the Sakyans near Kapilavatthu,
in the Banyan Park.
Now Mahānāma the Sakyan
came to see Godha[1] the Sakyan,
and on coming to him said this:
"Godha, so far as you know,
blessed with how many things
is a stream-winner (declared)
one not doomed to the Downfall,
assured,
bound for enlightenment?"
"I know, Mahānāma,
that he is blessed with three things.
What are they?
Herein, Mahānāma, the Ariyan disciple has unwavering loyalty to the Buddha,
thus:
'He it is the Exalted One,
Arahant,
a fully Enlightened One,
perfect in knowledge and practice,
a Happy One,
world-knower,
unsurpassed charioteer
of men to be tamed,
teacher of devas and mankind,
a Buddha,
an Exalted One.'
He has unwavering loyalty to the Norm,
thus:
'Well proclaimed by the Exalted One
is the Norm,
seen in this very life,
a thing not involving time,
inviting one to come and see,
leading onward,
to be known for themselves
by the wise.'
He has unwavering loyalty to the Order,
thus:
'Walking righteously is the Exalted One's Order,
walking uprightly,
walking in the right way,
walking dutifully
is the Exalted One's Order of Disciples:
namely,
the four pairs of men,
the eight sorts of men.
That is the Exalted One's Order of Disciples.
Worthy of honour are they,
worthy of reverence,
worthy of offerings,
worthy of salutations with clasped hands, -
a field of merit unsurpassed for the world.'
Blessed with these three things, Mahānāma,
the stream-winner is (declared)
one not doomed to the Downfall,
assured,
bound for enlightenment.
But as far as you know, Mahānāma,
blessed with how many things
is a stream-winner (declared)
one not doomed to the Downfall,
assured,
bound for enlightenment?"
§
"For my part, Godha, I know[2]
that he is blessed with four things.
What are they?
Herein, Mahānāma, the Ariyan disciple has unwavering loyalty to the Buddha,
thus:
'He it is the Exalted One,
Arahant,
a fully Enlightened One,
perfect in knowledge and practice,
a Happy One,
world-knower,
unsurpassed charioteer
of men to be tamed,
teacher of devas and mankind,
a Buddha,
an Exalted One.'
He has unwavering loyalty to the Norm,
thus:
'Well proclaimed by the Exalted One
is the Norm,
seen in this very life,
a thing not involving time,
inviting one to come and see,
leading onward,
to be known for themselves
by the wise.'
He has unwavering loyalty to the Order,
thus:
'Walking righteously is the Exalted One's Order,
walking uprightly,
walking in the right way,
walking dutifully
is the Exalted One's Order of Disciples:
namely,
the four pairs of men,
the eight sorts of men.
That is the Exalted One's Order of Disciples.
Worthy of honour are they,
worthy of reverence,
worthy of offerings,
worthy of salutations with clasped hands, -
a field of merit unsurpassed for the world.'
And he is blessed
with the virtues dear to the Ariyans,
virtues unbroken,
whole,
unspotted,
untarnished,
giving freedom,
praised by the wise:
virtues untainted (by craving or delusion),
which lead to concentration of the mind.
These are the four things, Godha,
blessed with which
I know a stream-winner is
one not doomed to the Downfall,
assured,
bound for enlightenment."|| ||
§
"Wait a bit, Mahānāma!
Wait a bit, Mahānāma!
The Exalted One will know about this,
whether one is blessed with these four things or not.
Let us go to see the Exalted One
and ask him about it."
So Mahānāma and Godha the Sakyans
went to see the Exalted One
on coming to him greeted him courteously,
and after the exchange of greetings and compliments
sat down at one side.
Seated at one side then
Mahānāma the Sakyan
said this to the Exalted One:
"Just now, lord,[ed1] I came to see Godha the Sakyan,
and on coming to him said this:
'Godha, so far as you know,
blessed with how many things
is a stream-winner (declared)
one not doomed to the Downfall,
assured,
bound for enlightenment?
"I know, Mahānāma,
that he is blessed with three things.
What are they?
Herein, Mahānāma, the Ariyan disciple has unwavering loyalty to the Buddha,
thus:
'He it is the Exalted One,
Arahant,
a fully Enlightened One,
perfect in knowledge and practice,
a Happy One,
world-knower,
unsurpassed charioteer
of men to be tamed,
teacher of devas and mankind,
a Buddha,
an Exalted One.'
He has unwavering loyalty to the Norm,
thus:
'Well proclaimed by the Exalted One
is the Norm,
seen in this very life,
a thing not involving time,
inviting one to come and see,
leading onward,
to be known for themselves
by the wise.'
He has unwavering loyalty to the Order,
thus:
'Walking righteously is the Exalted One's Order,
walking uprightly,
walking in the right way,
walking dutifully
is the Exalted One's Order of Disciples:
namely,
the four pairs of men,
the eight sorts of men.
That is the Exalted One's Order of Disciples.
Worthy of honour are they,
worthy of reverence,
worthy of offerings,
worthy of salutations with clasped hands, -
a field of merit unsurpassed for the world.'
Blessed with these three things, Mahānāma,
the stream-winner is (declared)
one not doomed to the Downfall,
assured,
bound for enlightenment.
But as far as you know, Mahānāma,
blessed with how many things
is a stream-winner (declared)
one not doomed to the Downfall,
assured,
bound for enlightenment?"
■
[Then I said:]
'For my part, Godha, I know
that he is blessed with four things.
What are they?
Herein, Mahānāma, the Ariyan disciple has unwavering loyalty to the Buddha,
thus:
"He it is the Exalted One,
Arahant,
a fully Enlightened One,
perfect in knowledge and practice,
a Happy One,
world-knower,
unsurpassed charioteer
of men to be tamed,
teacher of devas and mankind,
a Buddha,
an Exalted One."
He has unwavering loyalty to the Norm,
thus:
"Well proclaimed by the Exalted One
is the Norm,
seen in this very life,
a thing not involving time,
inviting one to come and see,
leading onward,
to be known for themselves
by the wise."
He has unwavering loyalty to the Order,
thus:
"Walking righteously is the Exalted One's Order,
walking uprightly,
walking in the right way,
walking dutifully
is the Exalted One's Order of Disciples:
namely,
the four pairs of men,
the eight sorts of men.
That is the Exalted One's Order of Disciples.
Worthy of honour are they,
worthy of reverence,
worthy of offerings,
worthy of salutations with clasped hands, -
a field of merit unsurpassed for the world."
And he is blessed
with the virtues dear to the Ariyans,
virtues unbroken,
whole,
unspotted,
untarnished,
giving freedom,
praised by the wise:
virtues untainted (by craving or delusion),
which lead to concentration of the mind.
These are the four things, Godha,
blessed with which
I know a stream-winner is
one not doomed to the Downfall,
assured,
bound for enlightenment.'|| ||
■
[Then Godha said:]
'Wait a bit, Mahānāma!
Wait a bit, Mahānāma!
The Exalted One will know about this,
whether one is blessed with these four things or not.
Let us go to see the Exalted One
and ask him about it.'
[So Godha and I
came to see the Exalted One.]
[323] Now suppose, lord, some question of doctrine arises,[3]
and on one side is the Exalted One
and on the other side is the Order of monks,
I myself should be on the side of the Exalted One.
Let my lord the Exalted One accept this
(as proof of) my loyalty to him.[4]
Again suppose, lord, some question of doctrine arises,
and on one side is the Exalted One,
and on the other side is the Order of monks,
together with the Order of nuns, -
I myself should be on the Exalted One's side.
So again, lord, if on the one side were the Exalted one,
on the other side the Order,
both of monks and nuns,
together with the male lay-followers, -
I myself should side with the Exalted One
or if again on the other side were the Order,
both of monks and nuns,
and the lay-followers,
both male and female
if added to these were the whole world,
with its Devas,
its Maras and its Brahmas,
its host of recluses and brahmins,
both of devas and mankind,-
still, lord, I should side with the Exalted One.
Let my lord the Exalted One accept this
(as proof of) my loyalty to him."
(Then, said the Exalted One, turning to Godha):
What say you, Godha,
in reply to Mahānāma
who holds such a view?"
"Lord, of Mahānāma,
who holds such a view,[5]
have naught to say
save what is lovely and good."[6]
[1] The Godhan is not met with elsewhere, but a woman of this family (Sākiyāṇī-G.) appears at text, 396. Cf. Brethren, 315 n.
[2] Mahānāma, as stated at text, 327,
[3] Dhamma-samuppādo.
[4] Pasannaṅ.
[5] Text should read evamvadim ahaṅ.
[6] Aññatra kalyāṇā, aññatra kusalā. The phrase occurs at S. ii, 118. Comy. 'Ignorance is just a bad thing. It is not-relieved by what is lovely and good. But all the same he is not to blame.'
[ed1] Woodward abridges the repetition.
