Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā rājagahe viharati veḷuvane kalandakanivāpe.
At one time, the Blessed One was dwelling at Rājagaha, in the Bamboo grove, the Squirrel Sanctuary.
Assosi kho akkosakabhāradvājo brāhmaṇo: “bhāradvājagotto kira brāhmaṇo samaṇassa gotamassa santike agārasmā anagāriyaṁ pabbajito”ti kupito anattamano yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ asabbhāhi pharusāhi vācāhi akkosati paribhāsati. Evaṁ vutte, bhagavā akkosakabhāradvājaṁ brāhmaṇaṁ etadavoca:
The brahmin Akkosaka Bhāradvāja heard: “It is said that a brahmin of the Bhāradvāja clan has gone forth from the household life to the homeless life in the presence of the ascetic Gotama.” Angry and irritated, he approached the Blessed One; having approached, he abused and insulted the Blessed One with |impolite::coarse, rude [asabbha]| and |harsh::rough, unkind [pharusa]| words. When this was said, the Blessed One addressed the brahmin Akkosaka Bhāradvāja:
“Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, brāhmaṇa, api nu kho te āgacchanti mittāmaccā ñātisālohitā atithiyo”ti?
“What do you think, brahmin, do friends, companions, |relatives::kinsman [ñātī]|, and |family members::blood relatives [sālohitā]| come to you?”
“Appekadā me, bho gotama, āgacchanti mittāmaccā ñātisālohitā atithiyo”ti.
“On some occasions, sir Gotama, friends, companions, relatives, and family members come to me.”
“Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, brāhmaṇa, api nu tesaṁ anuppadesi khādanīyaṁ vā bhojanīyaṁ vā sāyanīyaṁ vā”ti?
“What do you think, brahmin, do you offer them food, meals, or delicacies?”
“Appekadā nesāhaṁ, bho gotama, anuppademi khādanīyaṁ vā bhojanīyaṁ vā sāyanīyaṁ vā”ti.
“On some occasions, sir Gotama, I offer them food, meals, or delicacies.”
“Sace kho pana te, brāhmaṇa, nappaṭiggaṇhanti, kassa taṁ hotī”ti?
“But if they do not accept it, Brahmin, to whom does it belong?”
“Sace te, bho gotama, nappaṭiggaṇhanti, amhākameva taṁ hotī”ti.
“If they do not accept it, sir Gotama, it belongs to us only.”
“Evameva kho, brāhmaṇa, yaṁ tvaṁ amhe anakkosante akkosasi, arosente rosesi, abhaṇḍante bhaṇḍasi, taṁ te mayaṁ nappaṭiggaṇhāma. Tavevetaṁ, brāhmaṇa, hoti; tavevetaṁ, brāhmaṇa, hoti.
“Even so, Brahmin, what you have insulted us with, who do not insult, who are not angry, who do not quarrel, we do not accept it. It belongs to you, Brahmin, it is yours alone.
Yo kho, brāhmaṇa, akkosantaṁ paccakkosati, rosentaṁ paṭiroseti, bhaṇḍantaṁ paṭibhaṇḍati, ayaṁ vuccati, brāhmaṇa, sambhuñjati vītiharatīti. Te mayaṁ tayā neva sambhuñjāma na vītiharāma. Tavevetaṁ, brāhmaṇa, hoti; tavevetaṁ, brāhmaṇa, hotī”ti.
Whoever insults back an insulting person, gets angry at an angry person, quarrels with a quarreling person, is said, Brahmin, to partake and carry on the quarrel. But we neither partake nor carry it on with you. It belongs to you, Brahmin, it is yours alone.”
“Bhavantaṁ kho gotamaṁ sarājikā parisā evaṁ jānāti: ‘arahaṁ samaṇo gotamo’ti. Atha ca pana bhavaṁ gotamo kujjhatī”ti.
“Indeed, the assembly including the king knows Gotama as the worthy ascetic. Yet however, the Blessed One Gotama is angry.”
“Akkodhassa kuto kodho,
dantassa samajīvino;
Sammadaññā vimuttassa,
upasantassa tādino.
“How can there be anger in one without anger,
in one who is disciplined and lives in harmony;
In one with true knowledge, liberated,
calm, and steadfast.
Tasseva tena pāpiyo,
yo kuddhaṁ paṭikujjhati;
Kuddhaṁ appaṭikujjhanto,
saṅgāmaṁ jeti dujjayaṁ.
Worse off is the one,
who retaliates against an angry person;
Not retaliating against anger,
one wins a battle hard to win.
Ubhinnamatthaṁ carati,
attano ca parassa ca;
Paraṁ saṅkupitaṁ ñatvā,
yo sato upasammati.
They act for the benefit of both,
their own and the other’s—
who, knowing the other is enraged,
calm themselves with mindfulness.
Ubhinnaṁ tikicchantānaṁ,
attano ca parassa ca;
Janā maññanti bāloti,
ye dhammassa akovidā”ti.
Those who heal both,
themselves and the other—
are thought to be fools,
by those unskilled in the |Dhamma::teachings of the Buddha that point to the nature of reality, the ultimate truth [dhamma]|.”
Evaṁ vutte, akkosakabhāradvājo brāhmaṇo bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “abhikkantaṁ, bho gotama, abhikkantaṁ, bho gotama. Seyyathāpi, bho gotama, nikkujjitaṁ vā ukkujjeyya, paṭicchannaṁ vā vivareyya, mūḷhassa vā maggaṁ ācikkheyya, andhakāre vā telapajjotaṁ dhāreyya: ‘cakkhumanto rūpāni dakkhantī’ti; evamevaṁ bhotā gotamena anekapariyāyena dhammo pakāsito. Esāhaṁ, bhavantaṁ gotamaṁ saraṇaṁ gacchāmi dhammañca bhikkhusaṅghañca. Labheyyāhaṁ, bhante, bhoto gotamassa santike pabbajjaṁ, labheyyaṁ upasampadan”ti.
When this was said, the brahmin Akkosaka Bhāradvāja said to the Blessed One: “Excellent, venerable Gotama! Excellent, venerable Gotama! Just as if one might set upright what had been overturned, |reveal::uncover [vivarati]| what had been concealed, point out the way to one who was lost, or hold up a lamp in the dark so that those with eyes could see forms, in the same way, venerable Gotama, the Dhamma has been |explained::illustrated [pakāsita]| by you in many ways. I go for refuge to the Blessed One Gotama, to the Dhamma, and to the |Saṅgha::The community of monks and nuns practicing in line with the Buddha’s teachings. In the broader sense, this is the community of disciples who have realized the noble path and fruition through the Buddha’s teachings [saṅgha]| of bhikkhus. May I receive the going forth in the presence of the Blessed One Gotama, may I receive the full ordination.”
Alattha kho akkosakabhāradvājo brāhmaṇo bhagavato santike pabbajjaṁ, alattha upasampadaṁ. Acirūpasampanno kho panāyasmā akkosakabhāradvājo eko vūpakaṭṭho appamatto ātāpī pahitatto viharanto nacirasseva—yassatthāya kulaputtā sammadeva agārasmā anagāriyaṁ pabbajanti tadanuttaraṁ—brahmacariyapariyosānaṁ diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja vihāsi.
The brahmin Akkosaka Bhāradvāja received the going forth in the presence of the Blessed One, he received the full ordination. Having recently received full ordination, the venerable Akkosaka Bhāradvāja, dwelling alone, secluded, diligent, resolute, and with continuous effort, soon realized with direct knowledge, in this very life, the unsurpassed culmination of the spiritual life, for the purpose of which sons of good families rightly go forth from the household life to the homeless life, and having personally attained it, he dwelled in it.
“Khīṇā jāti, vusitaṁ brahmacariyaṁ, kataṁ karaṇīyaṁ nāparaṁ itthattāyā”ti abbhaññāsi. Aññataro ca panāyasmā bhāradvājo arahataṁ ahosīti.
He understood: “Birth is ended, the spiritual life has been lived, what had to be done has been done, there is no more coming to any state of existence.” And the venerable Bhāradvāja became one among the |arahants::fully awakened ones, free from all mental defilements; worthy of offerings and veneration; also an epithet of the Buddha [arahant]|.