Bodhivaggo

1-9: Jaṭilasuttaṁ (9)
The Discourse about Those with Knotted Hair

Evaṁ me sutaṁ:
Thus I heard:

ekaṁ samayaṁ Bhagavā Gayāyaṁ viharati Gayāsīse.
at one time the Fortunate One was dwelling near Gayā, on Gayā Peak.

Tena kho pana samayena sambahulā jaṭilā,
Then at that time many knotted-haired ascetics,

sītāsu Hemantikāsu rattīsu antaraṭṭhake The eights (aṭṭhakā) refers to the eighth day after 3 of the Full Moons in Hemanta, i.e. at the coldest time of the year, at which times there were festivals when the brāhmaṇas worshipped their ancestors (see SED, aṣṭakā). Antaraṭṭhake therefore means between these times. See BHSD, s.v. aṣṭaka - rātri (on Lalitavistara 251.6) and CPD s.v. atthakā, anatraṭṭhaka.

The Commentary says that aṭṭhakā means the last four days in Māgha and the first four in Phagguṇa, in the season of Sisira, which shows an unexpected ignorance of brāhmaṇical festivals, and is certainly wrong. himapātasamaye,
in the cold Winter nights, in between ‘the eights’, at the time of the snowfall,

Gayāyaṁ ummujjanti pi, nimujjanti pi,
in the Gayā (river), were plunging out, and plunging in,

ummujjanimujjam-pi karonti,
were plunging out and in,

osiñcanti pi, aggim-pi juhanti: “Iminā suddhī” ti.
were sprinkling (water), and were offering the fire sacrifice, (thinking): “Through this there is purity.”

Addasā kho Bhagavā te sambahule jaṭile,
The Fortunate One saw that those many knotted-haired ascetics,

sītāsu Hemantikāsu rattīsu antaraṭṭhake himapātasamaye,
in the Winter nights, in between ‘the eights’, at the time of the snowfall,

Gayāyaṁ ummujjante pi, nimujjante pi,
in the Gayā (river), were plunging out and plunging in,

ummujjanimujjaṁ karonte pi,
were plunging out and in,

osiñcante pi, aggim-pi juhante: “Iminā suddhī” ti.
were sprinkling (water), and were offering the fire sacrifice, (thinking): “Through this there is purity.”

Atha kho Bhagavā, etam-atthaṁ viditvā,
Then the Fortunate One, having understood the significance of it,

tāyaṁ velāyaṁ imaṁ udānaṁ udānesi:
on that occasion uttered this exalted utterance:

last updated: February 2008