Evaṃ me sutaṃ—​   ekaṃ samayaṃ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṃ viharati jetavane anātha­piṇḍi­kassa ārāme. Atha kho vekhanaso paribbājako yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavatā saddhiṃ sammodi. Sammodanīyaṃ kathaṃ sāraṇīyaṃ vītisāretvā ekamantaṃ aṭṭhāsi. Ekamantaṃ ṭhito kho vekhanaso paribbājako bhagavato santike udānaṃ udānesi: “ayaṃ paramo vaṇṇo, ayaṃ paramo vaṇṇo”ti.

“Kiṃ pana tvaṃ, kaccāna, evaṃ vadesi: ‘ayaṃ paramo vaṇṇo, ayaṃ paramo vaṇṇo’ti? Katamo, kaccāna, so paramo vaṇṇo”ti?

“Yasmā, bho gotama, vaṇṇā añño vaṇṇo uttaritaro vā paṇītataro vā natthi so paramo vaṇṇo”ti.

“Katamo pana so, kaccāna, vaṇṇo yasmā vaṇṇā añño vaṇṇo uttaritaro vā paṇītataro vā natthī”ti?

“Yasmā, bho gotama, vaṇṇā añño vaṇṇo uttaritaro vā paṇītataro vā natthi so paramo vaṇṇo”ti.

“Dīghāpi kho te esā, kaccāna, phareyya: ‘yasmā, bho gotama, vaṇṇā añño vaṇṇo uttaritaro vā paṇītataro vā natthi so paramo vaṇṇo’ti vadesi, tañca vaṇṇaṃ na paññapesi. Seyyathāpi, kaccāna, puriso evaṃ vadeyya: ‘ahaṃ yā imasmiṃ janapade jana­pada­kal­yāṇī, taṃ icchāmi taṃ kāmemī’ti. Tamenaṃ evaṃ vadeyyuṃ: ‘ambho purisa, yaṃ tvaṃ jana­pada­kal­yāṇiṃ icchasi kāmesi, jānāsi taṃ jana­pada­kal­yāṇiṃ—khattiyī vā brāhmaṇī vā vessī vā suddī vā’ti? Iti puṭṭho ‘no’ti vadeyya. Tamenaṃ evaṃ vadeyyuṃ: ‘ambho purisa, yaṃ tvaṃ jana­pada­kal­yāṇiṃ icchasi kāmesi, jānāsi taṃ jana­pada­kal­yāṇiṃ evaṃnāmā evaṅgottāti vāti … pe … dīghā vā rassā vā majjhimā vā kāḷī vā sāmā vā maṅguracchavī vāti … amukasmiṃ gāme vā nigame vā nagare vā’ti? Iti puṭṭho ‘no’ti vadeyya. Tamenaṃ evaṃ vadeyyuṃ: ‘ambho purisa, yaṃ tvaṃ na jānāsi na passasi, taṃ tvaṃ icchasi kāmesī’ti? Iti puṭṭho ‘āmā’ti vadeyya.

Taṃ kiṃ maññasi, kaccāna, nanu evaṃ sante tassa purisassa appāṭi­hīra­kataṃ bhāsitaṃ sampajjatī”ti? “Addhā kho, bho gotama, evaṃ sante tassa purisassa appāṭi­hīra­kataṃ bhāsitaṃ sampajjatī”ti. “Evameva kho tvaṃ, kaccāna, ‘yasmā, bho gotama, vaṇṇā añño vaṇṇo uttaritaro vā paṇītataro vā natthi so paramo vaṇṇo’ti vadesi; tañca vaṇṇaṃ na paññapesī”ti. “Seyyathāpi, bho gotama, maṇi veḷuriyo subho jātimā aṭṭhaṃso supari­kamma­kato paṇḍukambale nikkhitto bhāsate ca tapate ca virocati ca, evaṃ vaṇṇo attā hoti arogo paraṃ maraṇā”ti.

“Taṃ kiṃ maññasi, kaccāna, yo vā maṇi veḷuriyo subho jātimā aṭṭhaṃso supari­kamma­kato paṇḍukambale nikkhitto bhāsate ca tapate ca virocati ca, yo vā rat­tandha­kā­ra­timisāya kimi khajjopanako imesaṃ ubhinnaṃ vaṇṇānaṃ katamo vaṇṇo abhikkantataro ca paṇītataro cā”ti? “Yvāyaṃ, bho gotama, rat­tandha­kā­ra­timisāya kimi khajjopanako, ayaṃ imesaṃ ubhinnaṃ vaṇṇānaṃ abhikkantataro ca paṇītataro cā”ti.

“Taṃ kiṃ maññasi, kaccāna, yo vā rat­tandha­kā­ra­timisāya kimi khajjopanako, yo vā rat­tandha­kā­ra­timisāya telappadīpo, imesaṃ ubhinnaṃ vaṇṇānaṃ katamo vaṇṇo abhikkantataro ca paṇītataro cā”ti? “Yvāyaṃ, bho gotama, rat­tandha­kā­ra­timisāya telappadīpo, ayaṃ imesaṃ ubhinnaṃ vaṇṇānaṃ abhikkantataro ca paṇītataro cā”ti.

“Taṃ kiṃ maññasi, kaccāna, yo vā rat­tandha­kā­ra­timisāya telappadīpo, yo vā rat­tandha­kā­ra­timisāya mahā­aggik­khan­dho, imesaṃ ubhinnaṃ vaṇṇānaṃ katamo vaṇṇo abhikkantataro ca paṇītataro cā”ti? “Yvāyaṃ, bho gotama, rat­tandha­kā­ra­timisāya mahā­aggik­khan­dho, ayaṃ imesaṃ ubhinnaṃ vaṇṇānaṃ abhikkantataro ca paṇītataro cā”ti.

“Taṃ kiṃ maññasi, kaccāna, yo vā rat­tandha­kā­ra­timisāya mahā­aggik­khan­dho, yā vā rattiyā paccūsasamayaṃ viddhe vigatavalāhake deve osadhitārakā, imesaṃ ubhinnaṃ vaṇṇānaṃ katamo vaṇṇo abhikkantataro ca paṇītataro cā”ti? “Yvāyaṃ, bho gotama, rattiyā paccūsasamayaṃ viddhe vigatavalāhake deve osadhitārakā, ayaṃ imesaṃ ubhinnaṃ vaṇṇānaṃ abhikkantataro ca paṇītataro cā”ti.

“Taṃ kiṃ maññasi, kaccāna, yā vā rattiyā paccūsasamayaṃ viddhe vigatavalāhake deve osadhitārakā, yo vā tadahuposathe pannarase viddhe vigatavalāhake deve abhido aḍḍha­ratta­samayaṃ cando, imesaṃ ubhinnaṃ vaṇṇānaṃ katamo vaṇṇo abhikkantataro ca paṇītataro cā”ti? “Yvāyaṃ, bho gotama, tadahuposathe pannarase viddhe vigatavalāhake deve abhido aḍḍha­ratta­samayaṃ cando, ayaṃ imesaṃ ubhinnaṃ vaṇṇānaṃ abhikkantataro ca paṇītataro cā”ti.

“Taṃ kiṃ maññasi, kaccāna, yo vā tadahuposathe pannarase viddhe vigatavalāhake deve abhido aḍḍha­ratta­samayaṃ cando, yo vā vassānaṃ pacchime māse saradasamaye viddhe vigatavalāhake deve abhido majjhan­hika­samayaṃ sūriyo, imesaṃ ubhinnaṃ vaṇṇānaṃ katamo vaṇṇo abhikkantataro ca paṇītataro cā”ti? “Yvāyaṃ, bho gotama, vassānaṃ pacchime māse saradasamaye viddhe vigatavalāhake deve abhido majjhan­hika­samayaṃ sūriyo—ayaṃ imesaṃ ubhinnaṃ vaṇṇānaṃ abhikkantataro ca paṇītataro cā”ti.

“Ato kho te, kaccāna, bahū hi bahutarā devā ye imesaṃ can­dima­sūriyā­naṃ ābhā nānubhonti, tyāhaṃ pajānāmi. Atha ca panāhaṃ na vadāmi: ‘yasmā vaṇṇā añño vaṇṇo uttaritaro ca paṇītataro ca natthī’ti. Atha ca pana tvaṃ, kaccāna, ‘yvāyaṃ vaṇṇo kiminā khajjopanakena nihīnataro ca patikiṭṭhataro ca so paramo vaṇṇo’ti vadesi; tañca vaṇṇaṃ na paññapesi.

Pañca kho ime, kaccāna, kāmaguṇā. Katame pañca? Cakkhuviññeyyā rūpā iṭṭhā kantā manāpā piyarūpā kāmūpasaṃhitā rajanīyā, sotaviññeyyā saddā … pe … ghānaviññeyyā gandhā … jivhāviññeyyā rasā … kāyaviññeyyā phoṭṭhabbā iṭṭhā kantā manāpā piyarūpā kāmūpasaṃhitā rajanīyā—ime kho, kaccāna, pañca kāmaguṇā. Yaṃ kho, kaccāna, ime pañca kāmaguṇe paṭicca uppajjati sukhaṃ somanassaṃ idaṃ vuccati kāmasukhaṃ. Iti kāmehi kāmasukhaṃ, kāmasukhā kāmaggasukhaṃ tattha aggamakkhāyatī”ti.

Evaṃ vutte, vekhanaso paribbājako bhagavantaṃ etadavoca: “acchariyaṃ, bho gotama, abbhutaṃ, bho gotama. Yāva subhāsi­tañ­cidaṃ bhotā gotamena: ‘kāmehi kāmasukhaṃ, kāmasukhā kāmaggasukhaṃ tattha aggamakkhāyatī’ti. ‘Kāmehi, bho gotama, kāmasukhaṃ, kāmasukhā kāmaggasukhaṃ, tattha aggamakkhāyatī’”ti “dujjānaṃ kho etaṃ, kaccāna, tayā aññadiṭṭhikena aññakhantikena aññarucikena aññatrayogena aññat­rā­cari­ya­kena—kāmā vā kāmasukhaṃ vā kāmaggasukhaṃ vā. Ye kho te, kaccāna, bhikkhū arahanto khīṇāsavā vusitavanto katakaraṇīyā ohitabhārā anup­patta­sadat­thā parik­khī­ṇa­bhavasaṃ­yojanā samma­dañ­ñā­vimuttā te kho etaṃ jāneyyuṃ—kāmā vā kāmasukhaṃ vā kāmaggasukhaṃ vā”ti.

Evaṃ vutte, vekhanaso paribbājako kupito anattamano bhaga­van­taṃyeva khuṃsento bhaga­van­taṃyeva vambhento bhaga­van­taṃyeva vadamāno: “samaṇo gotamo pāpito bhavissatī”ti bhagavantaṃ etadavoca: “evameva panidhekacce samaṇabrāhmaṇā ajānantā pubbantaṃ, apassantā aparantaṃ atha ca pana ‘khīṇā jāti, vusitaṃ brahmacariyaṃ, kataṃ karaṇīyaṃ, nāparaṃ itthattāyāti—pajānāmā’ti—paṭijānanti. Tesamidaṃ bhāsitaṃ hassakaṃyeva sampajjati, nāmakaṃyeva sampajjati, rittakaṃyeva sampajjati, tucchakaṃyeva sampajjatī”ti. “Ye kho te, kaccāna, samaṇabrāhmaṇā ajānantā pubbantaṃ, apassantā aparantaṃ, ‘khīṇā jāti, vusitaṃ brahmacariyaṃ, kataṃ karaṇīyaṃ, nāparaṃ itthattāyāti—pajānāmā’ti—paṭijānanti; tesaṃ soyeva sahadhammiko niggaho hoti. Api ca, kaccāna, tiṭṭhatu pubbanto, tiṭṭhatu aparanto. Etu viññū puriso asaṭho amāyāvī ujujātiko, ahamanusāsāmi ahaṃ dhammaṃ desemi. Yathānusiṭṭhaṃ tathā paṭipajjamāno nacirasseva sāmaññeva ñassati sāmaṃ dakkhiti—evaṃ kira sammā bandhanā vippamokkho hoti, yadidaṃ avijjā bandhanā. Seyyathāpi, kaccāna, daharo kumāro mando uttānaseyyako kaṇṭha­pañca­mehi bandhanehi baddho assa sutta­bandha­nehi; tassa vuddhimanvāya indriyānaṃ pari­pāka­man­vāya tāni bandhanāni mucceyyuṃ; so mokkhomhīti kho jāneyya no ca bandhanaṃ. Evameva kho, kaccāna, etu viññū puriso asaṭho amāyāvī ujujātiko, ahamanusāsāmi, ahaṃ dhammaṃ desemi; yathānusiṭṭhaṃ tathā paṭipajjamāno nacirasseva sāmaññeva ñassati, sāmaṃ dakkhiti: ‘evaṃ kira sammā bandhanā vippamokkho hoti, yadidaṃ avijjā bandhanā’”ti.

Evaṃ vutte, vekhanaso paribbājako bhagavantaṃ etadavoca: “abhikkantaṃ, bho gotama … pe … upāsakaṃ maṃ bhavaṃ gotamo dhāretu ajjatagge pāṇupetaṃ saraṇaṃ gatan”ti.

Vekha­na­sa­suttaṃ niṭṭhitaṃ dasamaṃ.

Parib­bāja­ka­vaggo niṭṭhito tatiyo.

Puṇḍarī aggisaha kathināmo,
Dīghanakho puna bhārad­vāja­gotto;
­Sandaka­u­dāyi­muṇḍi­ka­putto,
Maṇiko tathākaccāno varavaggo.