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Mv I 34
PTS: Mv I 47 | CS: vin.mv.01.34
Dāsavatthu
'Line by Line'
The Case of the Slave
by
Ven. Khematto Bhikkhu
Alternate translations/layout: 'read-friendly' layout

34. dāsavatthu (Mv.I.47.1)
The Case of the Slave [BMC]

[109] tena kho pana samayena aññataro dāso palāyitvā bhikkhūsu pabbajito hoti.

Now at that time a certain slave ran away and went forth among the monks.

ayyikā passitvā evamāhaṁsu ayaṁ so amhākaṁ dāso handa naṁ nemāti.

His masters, on seeing him, said, “That’s our slave. Let’s take him away.”

ekacce evamāhaṁsu māyyā evaṁ avacuttha anuññātaṁ raññā māgadhena seniyena bimbisārena ye samaṇesu sakyaputtiyesu pabbajanti na te labbhā kiñci kātuṁ svākkhāto dhammo carantu brahmacariyaṁ sammā dukkhassa antakiriyāyāti.

Some said, “Don’t say that, masters. It has been allowed by King Seniya Bimbisāra of Magadha that for one gone forth among the Sakyan-son contemplatives, nobody can do anything to him, (as he thinks,) ‘The Dhamma is well-expounded. May they live the holy life for the right ending of stress.’”

manussā ujjhāyanti khīyanti vipācenti

People criticized and complained and spread it about,

abhayūvarā ime samaṇā sakyaputtiyā nayime labbhā kiñci kātuṁ

“These Sakyan-son contemplatives are unrestrained by fear1 — nobody can do anything to them.

kathaṁ hi nāma dāsaṁ pabbājessantīti.

“How can they give the Going-forth to a slave?”

bhagavato etamatthaṁ ārocesuṁ.

They reported the matter to the Blessed One.

na bhikkhave dāso pabbājetabbo yo pabbājeyya āpatti dukkaṭassāti.

“Monks, a slave should not be given the Going-forth. Whoever should give it: an offense of wrong doing.”

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