Eighth Khandhaka. Chapter 12
12.
1. Now when the Blessed One had remained at R"g"agaha as long as he thought fit, he set forth on his journey towards Dakkhi"n"-giri (the Southern Hills 2). And the Blessed One beheld how the Magadha rice fields were divided into short pieces 3,
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and in rows 1, and by outside boundaries 2 (or ridges), and by cross boundaries 3.
On seeing this the Blessed One spake thus to the venerable nanda: 'Dost thou perceive, nanda, how the Magadha rice fields are divided into short pieces, and in rows, and by outside boundaries, and by cross boundaries?'
'Even so, Lord.'
'Could you, nanda, provide 4 robes of a like kind for the Bhikkhus?'
'I could, Lord.'
Now when the Blessed One had remained in the Southern Hills as long as he thought fit, he returned again to R"g"agaha.
Then nanda provided robes of a like kind for many Bhikkhus; and going up to the place where the Blessed One was, he spake thus to the Blessed One: 'May the Blessed One be pleased to look at the robes which I have provided.'
2. Then the Blessed One on that occasion addressed the Bhikkhus and said: 'An able man, O Bhikkhus, is nanda; of great understanding, O Bhikkhus, is nanda, inasmuch as what has been spoken by me in short that can he understand in full, and can make the cross seams 5, and the
p. 209
intermediate cross seams 1, and the greater circles 2, and the lesser circles 3, and the turning in 4, and the lining of the turning in 5, and the collar piece 6, and the knee piece 7, and the elbow piece 8. And it shall be of torn pieces 9, roughly sewn together 10, suitable for a Sama"n"a, a thing which his enemies cannot covet 11. I enjoin upon you, O Bhikkhus, the use of an under robe of torn pieces, and of an upper robe of torn pieces, and of a waist cloth of torn pieces 12.'
Footnotes
207:2 These are always mentioned in connection with R"g"agaha (Mahvagga I, 53 "K"ullavagga Xi, 1-10), and are probably the name of the mountainous district immediately south of R"g"agaha.
207:3 A\"k"k"ibaddhan (sic) ti "k"aturassakedrakabaddha"m" (B.). I have never seen a field divided 'ray-fashion,' which would apparently be the literal translation of the term, and it is difficult to see how the necessary water could be conducted from strip to strip of a field so divided. Buddhaghosa also, though his explanation is insufficient, evidently does not take a"k"k"i in the ordinary sense (Rh. D.).
208:1 Pa"li"baddhan (sic) ti ymato "k"a vitthrato "k"a dighamariydabaddha"m" (b.).
208:2 Mariydabaddhan (sic) ti antarantarya mariydya mariydabaddha"m" (b.).
208:3 Sigh"t"akabaddhan (sic) ti mariydy (sic) mariyda"m" vinivi"g"gh"itv gata"t"th"ne sigh"t"akabaddha"m". "K"atukkasa"n"th"nan ti attho (b.).
208:4 Sa"m"vidahitun ti ktu"m" (b.).
208:5 Kusi"m" pi 'ti ymato "k"a vitthrato "k"a anuvtdna"m" dghapa"t"t"na"m" eta"m" adhiva"k"ana"m" (b.).
209:1 A\"d"dh"akus ti antarantar rassa-pa"t"t"na"m" nma"m" (b.).
209:2 Ma"n"d"alan ti pa"k"a-khan"d"ika-"k"varassa ekekasmi"m" kha"n"d"e mah-ma"n"d"alam (b.).
209:3 A\"d"dh"ama"n"d"alan ti khuddaka-ma"n"d"ala"m" (b.).
209:4 Viva"t"t"an ti ma"n"d"ala k"a a"d"dh"a-ma"n"d"ala k"a ekato katv sibbita"m" ma"g"gh"ima-kha"n"d"a"m" (b.).
209:5 Anuviva"t"t"an ti tassa ubhosu passesu dve kha"n"d"ni. Athav viva"t"t"assa ekekapassato dvinnam pi "k"atunnam pi kha"n"d"nam eta"m" nma"m" (b.).
209:6 Gveyyakan ti gva-"t"th"ne da"lh"i-karan-attha"m" a"a"m" sutta"m" sibbita"m" gantuka-pa"t"t"a"m" (b.).
209:7 \"G"agheyyakan ti "g"algha-ppuna-"t"th"ne tatth' eva sa"m"sibbita-pa"t"t"a"m". Gva-"t"th"ne "k"a "g"agha-"t"th"ne "k"a pa"t"t"na"m" ev' eta"m" nman ti pi vadanti (b.).
209:8 Bhantan ti anuviva"t"t"na"m" bahi ekekakha"n"d"a"m". Athav suppam"n"a"m k"vara"m" prupentena sa"m"harit bhya upari "th"apit ubho anto-bahi-mukh ti"t"th"anti. Tesa"m" eta"m" nma"m". Ayam eva hi nayo Mah-atthakathya"m" vutto ti (B.). This latter explanation from bh seems evidently more correct than the other one from bahi; and we accordingly follow it.
209:9 See the end of the last chapter.
209:10 Satta-lkha; in which compound the signification of satta is by no means clear. Buddhaghosa has no note upon it. Now it is curious that in chapter 21, below, it is laid down that the robe is to be sutta-lkha, the meaning of which would fit this passage excellently. We have accordingly adopted that reading here.
209:11 Compare the similar expressions at "G"taka I, 8 and 9.
209:12 The general sense of this chapter is clear enough. As an Indian field, the common property of the village community, was p. 210 divided, for the purposes of cultivation, across and across, so must also the Bhikkhu's robe be divided. That some, both of the agricultural and of the tailoring terms, should now be unintelligible to us is not surprising. Buddhaghosa himself, as the extracts from his commentary show, was not certain of the meaning of them all.
1. Now when the Blessed One had remained at R"g"agaha as long as he thought fit, he set forth on his journey towards Dakkhi"n"-giri (the Southern Hills 2). And the Blessed One beheld how the Magadha rice fields were divided into short pieces 3,
p. 208
and in rows 1, and by outside boundaries 2 (or ridges), and by cross boundaries 3.
On seeing this the Blessed One spake thus to the venerable nanda: 'Dost thou perceive, nanda, how the Magadha rice fields are divided into short pieces, and in rows, and by outside boundaries, and by cross boundaries?'
'Even so, Lord.'
'Could you, nanda, provide 4 robes of a like kind for the Bhikkhus?'
'I could, Lord.'
Now when the Blessed One had remained in the Southern Hills as long as he thought fit, he returned again to R"g"agaha.
Then nanda provided robes of a like kind for many Bhikkhus; and going up to the place where the Blessed One was, he spake thus to the Blessed One: 'May the Blessed One be pleased to look at the robes which I have provided.'
2. Then the Blessed One on that occasion addressed the Bhikkhus and said: 'An able man, O Bhikkhus, is nanda; of great understanding, O Bhikkhus, is nanda, inasmuch as what has been spoken by me in short that can he understand in full, and can make the cross seams 5, and the
p. 209
intermediate cross seams 1, and the greater circles 2, and the lesser circles 3, and the turning in 4, and the lining of the turning in 5, and the collar piece 6, and the knee piece 7, and the elbow piece 8. And it shall be of torn pieces 9, roughly sewn together 10, suitable for a Sama"n"a, a thing which his enemies cannot covet 11. I enjoin upon you, O Bhikkhus, the use of an under robe of torn pieces, and of an upper robe of torn pieces, and of a waist cloth of torn pieces 12.'
Footnotes
207:2 These are always mentioned in connection with R"g"agaha (Mahvagga I, 53 "K"ullavagga Xi, 1-10), and are probably the name of the mountainous district immediately south of R"g"agaha.
207:3 A\"k"k"ibaddhan (sic) ti "k"aturassakedrakabaddha"m" (B.). I have never seen a field divided 'ray-fashion,' which would apparently be the literal translation of the term, and it is difficult to see how the necessary water could be conducted from strip to strip of a field so divided. Buddhaghosa also, though his explanation is insufficient, evidently does not take a"k"k"i in the ordinary sense (Rh. D.).
208:1 Pa"li"baddhan (sic) ti ymato "k"a vitthrato "k"a dighamariydabaddha"m" (b.).
208:2 Mariydabaddhan (sic) ti antarantarya mariydya mariydabaddha"m" (b.).
208:3 Sigh"t"akabaddhan (sic) ti mariydy (sic) mariyda"m" vinivi"g"gh"itv gata"t"th"ne sigh"t"akabaddha"m". "K"atukkasa"n"th"nan ti attho (b.).
208:4 Sa"m"vidahitun ti ktu"m" (b.).
208:5 Kusi"m" pi 'ti ymato "k"a vitthrato "k"a anuvtdna"m" dghapa"t"t"na"m" eta"m" adhiva"k"ana"m" (b.).
209:1 A\"d"dh"akus ti antarantar rassa-pa"t"t"na"m" nma"m" (b.).
209:2 Ma"n"d"alan ti pa"k"a-khan"d"ika-"k"varassa ekekasmi"m" kha"n"d"e mah-ma"n"d"alam (b.).
209:3 A\"d"dh"ama"n"d"alan ti khuddaka-ma"n"d"ala"m" (b.).
209:4 Viva"t"t"an ti ma"n"d"ala k"a a"d"dh"a-ma"n"d"ala k"a ekato katv sibbita"m" ma"g"gh"ima-kha"n"d"a"m" (b.).
209:5 Anuviva"t"t"an ti tassa ubhosu passesu dve kha"n"d"ni. Athav viva"t"t"assa ekekapassato dvinnam pi "k"atunnam pi kha"n"d"nam eta"m" nma"m" (b.).
209:6 Gveyyakan ti gva-"t"th"ne da"lh"i-karan-attha"m" a"a"m" sutta"m" sibbita"m" gantuka-pa"t"t"a"m" (b.).
209:7 \"G"agheyyakan ti "g"algha-ppuna-"t"th"ne tatth' eva sa"m"sibbita-pa"t"t"a"m". Gva-"t"th"ne "k"a "g"agha-"t"th"ne "k"a pa"t"t"na"m" ev' eta"m" nman ti pi vadanti (b.).
209:8 Bhantan ti anuviva"t"t"na"m" bahi ekekakha"n"d"a"m". Athav suppam"n"a"m k"vara"m" prupentena sa"m"harit bhya upari "th"apit ubho anto-bahi-mukh ti"t"th"anti. Tesa"m" eta"m" nma"m". Ayam eva hi nayo Mah-atthakathya"m" vutto ti (B.). This latter explanation from bh seems evidently more correct than the other one from bahi; and we accordingly follow it.
209:9 See the end of the last chapter.
209:10 Satta-lkha; in which compound the signification of satta is by no means clear. Buddhaghosa has no note upon it. Now it is curious that in chapter 21, below, it is laid down that the robe is to be sutta-lkha, the meaning of which would fit this passage excellently. We have accordingly adopted that reading here.
209:11 Compare the similar expressions at "G"taka I, 8 and 9.
209:12 The general sense of this chapter is clear enough. As an Indian field, the common property of the village community, was p. 210 divided, for the purposes of cultivation, across and across, so must also the Bhikkhu's robe be divided. That some, both of the agricultural and of the tailoring terms, should now be unintelligible to us is not surprising. Buddhaghosa himself, as the extracts from his commentary show, was not certain of the meaning of them all.
