Thus have I heard. At one time the Blessed One was staying near Raajagaha, in the Bamboo Grove, [1] at the Squirrels' Feeding-Place. Now at that time the Brahman lady Dhanañjaani, wife of a certain Brahman of the Bhaaradvaaja family, was a fervent supporter of the Buddha, the Dhamma and the Sangha. And this lady, while serving the Bhaaradvaaja Brahman with his dinner, came before him and burst out with this triple inspired utterance: "Praise to the Blessed One, the Arahant, the Fully Self-Enlightened One! Praise to the Dhamma! Praise to the Sangha!"

At these words the Brahman said to her "Now then, now then! Every chance she gets this wretched woman has to sing the praises of that shaveling recluse! Now, woman, I'm going to tell that teacher of yours what I think of him!"

"Oh, Brahman, I know of nobody in this world with its gods, Maaras and Brahmaas, with its recluses and brahmans, whether they be divine or human, who could thus rebuke the Blessed One, the Arahant, the Fully Self-Enlightened One. But go on, Brahman, go and you will find out."

Then the Brahman, angry and displeased, went to see the Blessed One. After exchanging greetings and compliments with the Blessed One in a friendly and courteous manner, he sat down to one side. So seated, he addressed the Blessed One thus in verse:

What must we slay to live in happiness? What must we slay if we would weep no more? Is there any single thing of which, You'd approve the killing, Gotama?

[The Blessed One replied:]

By slaying wrath you'll live in happiness Slaying wrath, you'll no more need to weep. Kill the poisoned root of anger, Brahman, Which with sweetness leads to fevered rage. [2] Killing this the Noble Ones commend: Slaying this, you'll no more need to weep.

At these words the Brahman said to the Blessed One: "Excellent, good Gotama, [3] most excellent! It is, good Gotama, as if someone were to set up something that had been knocked down, or to reveal what had been hidden, or to point out the right path to a man who had got lost, or to bring an oil lamp into a dark place so that those with eyes could see what was there — just so has the good Gotama shown me the truth [4] in various ways! I declare [5] that I go to the Lord Gotama for refuge, to the Dhamma and to the Sangha of monks, I wish to embrace the homeless life [6] under the Lord Gotama, I wish to receive ordination." [7]

So the Bhaaradvaaja Brahman was received into the homeless life under the Blessed One, and received ordination. And not so long after his ordination the Venerable Bhaaradvaaja, remaining alone and secluded, heedful, ardent and resolute, quickly attained that for which young men of good birth rightly go forth from home into the homeless life, coming to realize for himself, in this present life, the unsurpassed goal of the holy life, realizing that "birth is destroyed, the holy life has been accomplished, what was to be done is done! There is no further life in this world." [8]

And that Bhaaradvaaja became an Arahant.

Notes

1 .: Ve.luvan.
2 .: Madhur-agga appears to mean "the height ( agga ) of intoxicating sweetness ( madhura )."
3 .: He still, to begin with, uses the patronizing address bho Gotama.
4 .: Dhamma.
5 .: Esaaham: "I" (emphatic)
6 .: Pabbajjaa : now the term for the lower ordination as a saama.nera (novice).
7 .: Upasampadaa: now the term for the higher ordination as a bhikkhu.
8 .: Itthataaya: see Vol. II, n. 51 .