1.1“Tīhi, bhikkhave, aṅgehi samannāgato mahācoro sandhimpi chindati, nillopampi harati, ekāgārikampi karoti, paripanthepi tiṭṭhati.“Mendicants, a master thief with three factors breaks into houses, plunders wealth, steals from isolated buildings, and commits highway robbery.1.2Katamehi tīhi?What three?

1.3Idha, bhikkhave, mahācoro visamanissito ca hoti, gahananissito ca hoti, balavanissito ca hoti.A master thief relies on uneven ground, on thick cover, and on the powerful.1.4Kathañca, bhikkhave, mahācoro visamanissito hoti?And how does a master thief rely on uneven ground?1.5Idha, bhikkhave, mahācoro nadīviduggaṁ vā nissito hoti pabbatavisamaṁ vā.It’s when a master thief relies on inaccessible riverlands or rugged mountains.1.6Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, mahācoro visamanissito hoti.That’s how a master thief relies on uneven ground.

2.1PTS 1.154Kathañca, bhikkhave, mahācoro gahananissito hoti?And how does a master thief rely on thick cover?2.2Idha, bhikkhave, mahācoro tiṇagahanaṁ vā nissito hoti, rukkhagahanaṁ vā rodhaṁ vā mahāvanasaṇḍaṁ vā.It’s when a master thief relies on thick grass, thick trees, a blind spot, or a large forest grove.2.3Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, mahācoro gahananissito hoti.That’s how a master thief relies on thick cover.

3.1Kathañca, bhikkhave, mahācoro balavanissito hoti?And how does a master thief rely on the powerful?3.2Idha, bhikkhave, mahācoro rājānaṁ vā rājamahāmattānaṁ vā nissito hoti.It’s when a master thief relies on rulers or their chief ministers.3.3Tassa evaṁ hoti:They think:3.4‘sace maṁ koci kiñci vakkhati, ime me rājāno vā rājamahāmattā vā pariyodhāya atthaṁ bhaṇissantī’ti.‘If anyone accuses me of anything, these rulers or their chief ministers will speak in my defense in the case.’3.5Sace naṁ koci kiñci āha, tyāssa rājāno vā rājamahāmattā vā pariyodhāya atthaṁ bhaṇanti.And that’s exactly what happens.3.6Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, mahācoro balavanissito hoti.That’s how a master thief relies on the powerful.

3.7Ime kho, bhikkhave, tīhi aṅgehi samannāgato mahācoro sandhimpi chindati, nillopampi harati, ekāgārikampi karoti, paripanthepi tiṭṭhati.A master thief with these three factors breaks into houses, plunders wealth, steals from isolated buildings, and commits highway robbery.

4.1Evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, tīhi aṅgehi samannāgato pāpabhikkhu khataṁ upahataṁ attānaṁ pariharati, sāvajjo ca hoti sānuvajjo ca viññūnaṁ, bahuñca apuññaṁ pasavati.In the same way, when a bad mendicant has three factors, they keep themselves broken and damaged. They deserve to be blamed and criticized by sensible people, and they brim with much wickedness.4.2Katamehi tīhi?What three?

4.3Idha, bhikkhave, pāpabhikkhu visamanissito ca hoti gahananissito ca balavanissito ca.A bad mendicant relies on uneven ground, on thick cover, and on the powerful.

5.1Kathañca, bhikkhave, pāpabhikkhu visamanissito hoti?And how does a bad mendicant rely on uneven ground?5.2Idha, bhikkhave, pāpabhikkhu visamena kāyakammena samannāgato hoti, visamena vacīkammena samannāgato hoti, visamena manokammena samannāgato hoti.It’s when a bad mendicant has unethical conduct by way of body, speech, and mind.5.3Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, pāpabhikkhu visamanissito hoti.That’s how a bad mendicant relies on uneven ground.

6.1Kathañca, bhikkhave, pāpabhikkhu gahananissito hoti?And how does a bad mendicant rely on thick cover?6.2Idha, bhikkhave, pāpabhikkhu micchādiṭṭhiko hoti, antaggāhikāya diṭṭhiyā samannāgato hoti.It’s when a bad mendicant has wrong view, he’s attached to an extremist view.6.3Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, pāpabhikkhu gahananissito hoti.That’s how a bad mendicant relies on thick cover.

7.1PTS 1.155Kathañca, bhikkhave, pāpabhikkhu balavanissito hoti?And how does a bad mendicant rely on the powerful?7.2Idha, bhikkhave, pāpabhikkhu rājānaṁ vā rājamahāmattānaṁ vā nissito hoti.It’s when a bad mendicant relies on rulers or their chief ministers.7.3Tassa evaṁ hoti:They think:7.4‘sace maṁ koci kiñci vakkhati, ime me rājāno vā rājamahāmattā vā pariyodhāya atthaṁ bhaṇissantī’ti.‘If anyone accuses me of anything, these rulers or their chief ministers will speak in my defense in the case.’7.5Sace naṁ koci kiñci āha, tyāssa rājāno vā rājamahāmattā vā pariyodhāya atthaṁ bhaṇanti.And that’s exactly what happens.7.6Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, pāpabhikkhu balavanissito hoti.That’s how a bad mendicant relies on the powerful.

7.7Imehi kho, bhikkhave, tīhi dhammehi samannāgato pāpabhikkhu khataṁ upahataṁ attānaṁ pariharati, sāvajjo ca hoti sānuvajjo ca viññūnaṁ, bahuñca apuññaṁ pasavatī”ti.When a bad mendicant has these three qualities, they keep themselves broken and damaged. They deserve to be blamed and criticized by sensible people, and they brim with much wickedness.”

7.8Ekādasamaṁ.

7.9Cūḷavaggo pañcamo.

8.0Tassuddānaṁ

8.1Sammukhī ṭhānatthavasaṁ,8.2pavatti paṇḍita sīlavaṁ;8.3Saṅkhataṁ pabbatātappaṁ,8.4mahācorenekādasāti.

8.5Paṭhamo paṇṇāsako samatto.