1.1Evaṁ me sutaṁ—So I have heard.1.2ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme.At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery.1.3Tena kho pana samayena sambahulānaṁ bhikkhūnaṁ pacchābhattaṁ piṇḍapātapaṭikkantānaṁ maṇḍalamāḷe sannisinnānaṁ sannipatitānaṁ ayamantarākathā udapādi:Now at that time, after the meal, on return from almsround, several mendicants sat together in the pavilion and this discussion came up among them:1.4“ko nu kho, āvuso, sippaṁ jānāti?“Who knows a craft?1.5Ko kiṁ sippaṁ sikkhi?Who is studying which craft?1.6Kataraṁ sippaṁ sippānaṁ aggan”ti?Which is the best craft?”

2.1Tatthekacce evamāhaṁsu:In answer, some said that2.2“hatthisippaṁ sippānaṁ aggan”ti.elephant-craft is the best of crafts.2.3Ekacce evamāhaṁsu:Others said that the best craft is2.4“assasippaṁ sippānaṁ aggan”ti.horse-craft,2.5Ekacce evamāhaṁsu:2.6“rathasippaṁ sippānaṁ aggan”ti.or chariot-craft,2.7Ekacce evamāhaṁsu:2.8“dhanusippaṁ sippānaṁ aggan”ti.or archery,2.9Ekacce evamāhaṁsu:2.10“tharusippaṁ sippānaṁ aggan”ti.or swordsmanship,2.11Ekacce evamāhaṁsu:2.12“muddāsippaṁ sippānaṁ aggan”ti.or arithmetic,2.13Ekacce evamāhaṁsu:2.14“gaṇanāsippaṁ sippānaṁ aggan”ti.or accounting,2.15Ekacce evamāhaṁsu:2.16“saṅkhānasippaṁ sippānaṁ aggan”ti.or calculating,2.17Ekacce evamāhaṁsu:2.18“lekhāsippaṁ sippānaṁ aggan”ti.or writing,2.19Ekacce evamāhaṁsu:2.20“kāveyyasippaṁ sippānaṁ aggan”ti.or poetry,2.21Ekacce evamāhaṁsu:2.22“lokāyatasippaṁ sippānaṁ aggan”ti.or cosmology,2.23Ekacce evamāhaṁsu:2.24“khattavijjāsippaṁ sippānaṁ aggan”ti.or geomancy.2.25Ayañcarahi tesaṁ bhikkhūnaṁ antarākathā hoti vippakatā.At that point the conversation among those mendicants was left unfinished.

3.1Atha kho bhagavā sāyanhasamayaṁ paṭisallānā vuṭṭhito yena maṇḍalamāḷo tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā paññatte āsane nisīdi.Then in the late afternoon, the Buddha came out of retreat and went to the assembly hall. He sat down on the seat spread out,3.2Nisajja kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi:and addressed the mendicants:3.3“kāya nuttha, bhikkhave, etarahi kathāya sannisinnā, kā ca pana vo antarākathā vippakatā”ti?“Mendicants, what were you sitting talking about just now? What conversation was left unfinished?”

4.1“Idha, bhante, amhākaṁ pacchābhattaṁ piṇḍapātapaṭikkantānaṁ maṇḍalamāḷe sannisinnānaṁ ayamantarākathā udapādi:So the mendicants told him what they had been talking about when the Buddha arrived. The Buddha said,4.2‘ko nu kho, āvuso, sippaṁ jānāti?4.3Ko kiṁ sippaṁ sikkhi?4.4Kataraṁ sippaṁ sippānaṁ aggan’ti?

5.1Tatthekacce evamāhaṁsu:5.2‘hatthisippaṁ sippānaṁ aggan’ti.5.3Ekacce evamāhaṁsu:5.4‘assasippaṁ sippānaṁ aggan’ti.5.5Ekacce evamāhaṁsu:5.6‘rathasippaṁ sippānaṁ aggan’ti.5.7Ekacce evamāhaṁsu:5.8‘dhanusippaṁ sippānaṁ aggan’ti.5.9Ekacce evamāhaṁsu:5.10‘tharusippaṁ sippānaṁ aggan’ti.5.11Ekacce evamāhaṁsu:5.12‘muddāsippaṁ sippānaṁ aggan’ti.5.13Ekacce evamāhaṁsu:5.14‘gaṇanāsippaṁ sippānaṁ aggan’ti.5.15Ekacce evamāhaṁsu:5.16‘saṅkhānasippaṁ sippānaṁ aggan’ti.5.17Ekacce evamāhaṁsu:5.18‘lekhāsippaṁ sippānaṁ aggan’ti.5.19Ekacce evamāhaṁsu:5.20‘kāveyyasippaṁ sippānaṁ aggan’ti.5.21Ekacce evamāhaṁsu:5.22‘lokāyatasippaṁ sippānaṁ aggan’ti.5.23Ekacce evamāhaṁsu:5.24‘khattavijjāsippaṁ sippānaṁ aggan’ti.5.25Ayaṁ kho no, bhante, antarākathā hoti vippakatā, atha bhagavā anuppatto”ti.

6.1“Na khvetaṁ, bhikkhave, tumhākaṁ patirūpaṁ kulaputtānaṁ saddhā agārasmā anagāriyaṁ pabbajitānaṁ yaṁ tumhe evarūpiṁ kathaṁ katheyyātha.“Mendicants, it is not appropriate for you gentlemen who have gone forth out of faith from the lay life to homelessness to talk about such things.6.2Sannipatitānaṁ vo, bhikkhave, dvayaṁ karaṇīyaṁ—When you’re sitting together you should do one of two things:6.3dhammī vā kathā ariyo vā tuṇhībhāvo”ti.discuss the teachings or keep noble silence.”

7.1Atha kho bhagavā etamatthaṁ viditvā tāyaṁ velāyaṁ imaṁ udānaṁ udānesi:Then, understanding this matter, on that occasion the Buddha expressed this heartfelt sentiment:

8.1“Asippajīvī lahu atthakāmo,∥“Living without a craft, light, wanting what is best,8.2Yatindriyo sabbadhi vippamutto;with senses controlled, everywhere free;8.3Anokasārī amamo nirāso,a migrant with no bastion, unselfish, <j>with no need for hope,8.4Hitvā mānaṁ ekacaro sa bhikkhū”ti.having given up conceit, wandering alone: <j>that is a mendicant.”

8.5Navamaṁ.