Dhammapada Verse 422
Angulimatthera Vatthu
Usabham pavaram viram
mahesim vijitavinam
anejam nhatakam1 buddham
tamaham brumi brahmanam.
Verse 422: Him I call a brahmana, who is
fearless like a bull, who is noble and diligent, who is a seeker of high moral
virtues and a conqueror (of three Maras), who is free from craving, who has been
cleansed of moral defilements and knows the Four Noble Truths.
1. nhatakam: made clean (of moral defilements);
an allusion to the ceremonial bathing of the brahmin after finishing his course
of studies.
The Story of Angulimala
While residing at the Jetavana
monastery, the Buddha uttered Verse (422) of this book, with reference to Thera
Angulimala.
On one occasion, King Pasenadi
and Queen Mallika made an alms-offering to the Buddha and his bhikkhus numbering
five hundred in all, on a scale which could not be surpassed by anyone else. At
that ceremony, each bhikkhu was to have an elephant holding a white umbrella
over his head as a sunshade. However, they could get only four hundred and
ninety-nine trained elephants and so they had to put in an untrained elephant
and it was allotted to hold the umbrella over Thera Angulimala. Every one was
afraid that the untrained elephant might give trouble, but when brought near
Thera Angulimala it was quite docile.
It was with reference to this
incident that the bhikkhus later asked Angulimala whether he did not get
frightened or not. To this question Angulimala answered that he was not
frightened. The bhikkhus then went to the Buddha and said that Thera Angulimala
claimed to have attained arahatship. To them the Buddha said, "Bhikkhus!
It is quite true that Angulimala was not afraid; those who are like him are also
not afraid."
Then the Buddha spoke in verse as
follows:
| Verse 422: Him I call
a brahmana, who is fearless like a bull, who is noble and diligent,
who is a seeker of high moral virtues and a conqueror (of three Maras),
who is free from craving, who has been cleansed of moral defilements
and knows the Four Noble Truths. |