[II. Progress of the Sāsana]

Catuggihisahāyakapabbajjā
15. The Going-Forth of (Yasa’s) Four Householder Friends

Assosuṁ kho āyasmato Yasassa cattāro gihisahāyakā,
^o Four of the venerable Yasa’s householder friends,

Bārāṇasiyaṁ seṭṭhānuseṭṭhīnaṁ kulānaṁ puttā,
sons of good families of greater and lesser merchants in Bārāṇasī,

Vimalo Subāhu Puṇṇaji Gavampati:
(named) Vimala, Subāhu, Puṇṇaji and Gavampati Apart from Gavampati, for whom see Th. 38, this is the only mention of these monks in the Canon. heard:

“Yaso kira kulaputto kesamassuṁ ohāretvā,
“The young man Yasa, it seems, after shaving off his hair and beard,

kāsāyāni vatthāni acchādetvā, agārasmā anagāriyaṁ pabbajito.” ti
and donning brown garments, It is not clear what colour kāsāya really was, as the dictionaries mention red, ochre, yellow and brown. According to CPD (s.v. kasāya) it was made from the juice of myrobalan. It is interesting that the word used in these stock phrases is vattha, garments or clothes, rather than cīvara, robes. has gone forth from the home to the homeless life.”

Sutvāna nesaṁ etad-ahosi:
After hearing (it), this occurred to them:

“Na hi nūna so orako Dhammavinayo, na sā orakā pabbajjā
“This is not an inferior Dhamma and Discipline, not an inferior going-forth

yattha Yaso kulaputto kesamassuṁ ohāretvā,
in which the young man Yasa, after shaving off his hair and beard,

kāsāyāni vatthāni acchādetvā, agārasmā anagāriyaṁ pabbajito.” ti
and donning brown garments, has gone forth from the home to the homeless life.”

Te yenāyasmā Yaso tenupasaṅkamiṁsu,
They approached the venerable Yasa,

upasaṅkamitvā āyasmantaṁ Yasaṁ abhivādetvā, ekam-antaṁ aṭṭhaṁsu.
and after approaching and worshipping the venerable Yasa, they stood on one side.

Atha kho āyasmā Yaso te cattāro gihisahāyake ādāya
Then the venerable Yasa took those four householder friends

yena Bhagavā tenupasaṅkami,
and approached the Fortunate One,

upasaṅkamitvā Bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā, ekam-antaṁ nisīdi.
and after approaching and worshipping the Fortunate One, he sat down on one side.

Ekam-antaṁ nisinno kho āyasmā Yaso Bhagavantaṁ etad-avoca:
While sitting on one side the venerable Yasa said this to the Fortunate One:

“Ime me Bhante cattāro gihisahāyakā
“These, venerable Sir, are four of my householder friends

Bārāṇasiyaṁ seṭṭhānuseṭṭhīnaṁ kulānaṁ puttā,
sons of good families of greater and lesser merchants in Bārāṇasī,

Vimalo Subāhu Puṇṇaji Gavampati,
(named) Vimala, Subāhu, Puṇṇaji and Gavampati,

ime Bhagavā ovadatu anusāsatū.” ti
please advise them, Fortunate One, please instruct them.”

Tesaṁ Bhagavā anupubbikathaṁ kathesi,
The Fortunate One spoke about the gradual teaching to them,

seyyathīdaṁ: dānakathaṁ sīlakathaṁ saggakathaṁ,
that is to say: talk about giving, talk about virtue, talk about heaven,

kāmānaṁ ādīnavaṁ okāraṁ saṅkilesaṁ,
the danger, degradation, and defilement of sensual desires,

nekkhamme ānisaṁsaṁ pakāsesi.
and the advantages of renunciation, (these) he explained.

Yadā te Bhagavā aññāsi kallacitte muducitte,
When the Fortunate One knew that they had ready minds, pliable minds,

vinīvaraṇacitte udaggacitte pasannacitte,
open minds, uplifted minds, confident minds,

atha yā Buddhānaṁ sāmukkaṁsikā Dhammadesanā taṁ pakāsesi:
he explained to them the Dhamma teaching the Awakened Ones have discovered themselves:

Dukkhaṁ Samudayaṁ Nirodhaṁ Maggaṁ.
Suffering, Origination, Cessation, Path.

Seyyathā pi nāma suddhaṁ vatthaṁ apagatakāḷakaṁ
Just as it is known that a clean cloth without a stain

sammad-eva rajanaṁ paṭiggaṇheyya,
will take the dye well,

evam-eva tesaṁ tasmiṁ yeva āsane,
just so to them on that very seat,

virajaṁ vītamalaṁ Dhammacakkhuṁ udapādi:
the dust-free, stainless Vision-of-the-Dhamma arose:

Te diṭṭhadhammā pattadhammā,
They, having seen the Dhamma, attained the Dhamma,

viditadhammā pariyogāḷhadhammā tiṇṇavicikicchā vigatakathaṁkathā,
understood the Dhamma, penetrated the Dhamma, crossed over uncertainty, being without doubts,

vesārajjappattā aparappaccayā Satthusāsane Bhagavantaṁ etad-avocuṁ:
having attained full confidence, having become independent of others in the Teacher’s teaching, said this to the Fortunate One:

“Labheyyāma mayaṁ Bhante Bhagavato santike pabbajjaṁ,
“May we receive the going-forth, venerable Sir, in the presence of the Fortunate One,

labheyyāma upasampadan.”-ti
may we receive the full ordination.”

“Etha bhikkhavo” ti Bhagavā avoca “svākkhāto Dhammo,
“Come, monks,” said the Fortunate One, “the Dhamma has been well-proclaimed,

caratha brahmacariyaṁ sammā dukkhassa antakiriyāyā.” ti
live the spiritual life for the complete ending of suffering.”

Sā va tesaṁ āyasmantānaṁ upasampadā ahosi.
That was these venerable ones’ full ordination.

Atha kho Bhagavā te bhikkhū Dhammiyā kathāya ovadi anusāsi.
Then the Fortunate One gave advice and instruction with a Dhamma talk to those monks.

Tesaṁ Bhagavatā Dhammiyā kathāya ovadiyamānānaṁ anusāsiyamānānaṁ
As the Fortunate One gave advice and instruction with a Dhamma talk

anupādāya āsavehi cittāni vimucciṁsu,
their minds were liberated from the pollutants, without attachment,

tena kho pana samayena ekādasa loke arahanto honti.
and at that time there were eleven Worthy Ones in the world.

Catuggihisahāyakappabbajjā Niṭṭhitā.
The Going Forth of the Four Householder Friends is Finished

last updated: June 2010