The Discourse about Saṅgāmajī (UD1.8)

Thus I heard: At one time the Gracious One was dwelling near Sāvatthī, in Jeta’s Wood, at Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery. Then at that time venerable Saṅgāmajī had arrived at Sāvatthī to see the Gracious One.

Venerable Saṅgāmajī’s former wife heard: “Master Saṅgāmajī it seems has arrived at Sāvatthī”, and taking her little boy she went to Jeta’s Wood.

Then at that time venerable Saṅgāmajī was dwelling for the day sat at the root of a certain tree. Then venerable Saṅgāmajī’s former wife went to venerable Saṅgāmajī, and after going, she said to venerable Saṅgāmajī: “I have a little son, ascetic, you must take care of me.”

After that was said, venerable Saṅgāmajī was silent.

For a second time venerable Saṅgāmajī’s former wife said to venerable Saṅgāmajī: “I have a little son, ascetic, you must take care of me.”

For a second time venerable Saṅgāmajī was silent.

For a third time venerable Saṅgāmajī’s former wife said to venerable Saṅgāmajī: “I have a little son, ascetic, you must take care of me.”

For a third time venerable Saṅgāmajī was silent.

Then venerable Saṅgāmajī’s former wife, having put the boy down in front of venerable Saṅgāmajī, went away, saying: “This is your son, ascetic, you must take care of him.”

But venerable Saṅgāmajī did not look at the boy, nor did he speak to him.

Then venerable Saṅgāmajī’s former wife having gone not far away, looking round saw that venerable Saṅgāmajī was neither looking at the boy, nor was he speaking to him. Having seen that this occured to her: “This ascetic does not even have need of a son.” Therefore, after turning back and taking the boy, she went away.

The Gracious One saw with the divine-eye which is purified, and surpasses that of normal men, that venerable Saṅgāmajī’s former wife had such bad manners. Then the Gracious One, having understood the significance of it, on that occasion uttered this exalted utterance:

“In her coming he does not rejoice, in her leaving he does not grieve,
Saṅgāmajī ‘Victorious in Battle’, free from the shackle: him I call a brāhmaṇa.”

Translated by Bhikkhu Ānandajoti from the Buddha Jayanthi Tripitaka text. Version 2.2, revised February 2008.

The text and translation, together with detailed notes and discussions, may be found in multiple formats on the translator’s website, Ancient Buddhist Texts.

Used by kind permission of Bhikkhu Ānandajoti.

The original translation was released under the following licence: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.

Prepared for SuttaCentral by Bhikkhu Sujato.