Vol. 11 · pages 516–520

497 HIS ENEMIES VI speculation on the universe’ to be sure of me, Master Gotama, in speaking rightly that thing should be said; for I, Master Gotama, am so born . . . so skilled ...” 6. “Dona, those Brahmin-sages of old, mantramakers, mantra-sayers, whose ancient collection of mantra verses, hymns and sayings, Brahmins know every hymn, every say, every word the word, ever have the sayings said to wit: Atthaka, Vamaka, Vamadeva. Vassamitta, Yamadaggi, Angirasa, Bharadvaja, have declared: the Brahma-like, the deva-like, the bounded, the breaker of bounds, and fifthly, the Brahmin outcast, which of them, Dona, are you?” 7. “We know not of these five Brahmins, Master Gotama ; yet we know that we are Brahmins. It were well for me if Master Gotama would teach me Dhamma so that I may know of them five.” 8. “Then listen, Brahma, give heed and I will speak!” 9. “Yes sir,” replied he; and the Exalted One said: 10. “And how, Dona, becomes a Brahmin Brahmalike ?” 11. “Take the case, Dona, of a Brahmin who is well born on both sides, pure in descent as far back as seven generations, both of mother and father, unchallenged and without reproach in point of birth—he for eight and forty years leads to the Brahma-life of virginity, applying himself to the teacher’s fee for teaching according to Dhamma, not non-Dhamma. 12. “And what there is Dhamma, Dona? Never as ploughman nor trader nor cowherd nor bowman nor rajah’s man nor by any craft (to get his living), but solely by going about for alms, despising not the beggar’s bowl. 13. “And he hands over the teacher’s fee for teaching, has his hair-beard shaved off, dons the yellow robe and goes forth from the home to the homeless life. 14. “And thus gone forth, he abides in mind pervading with amity one world quarter, so a second,

498 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES VI a third, a fourth; then above, below, athwart, everywhere, the whole wide world he pervades with thoughts of amity, far-reaching, expansive, measureless, without hatred or ill-will 15. “He abides in mind pervading with pity . . . sympathy . . . poise, one world quarter, so a second, a third, a fourth; then above, below, athwart, everywhere, the whole wide world he pervades with thoughts of pity, sympathy and poise, far-reaching, expansive, measureless, without hatred or ill-will. 16. “ And having made these four Brahma-abidings become, on the breaking up of the body after death, he arises in the well-faring Brahma world. Thus, Dona, Brahmin becomes Brahma-like. 17. “ And how, Dona, becomes a Brahmin deva-like ? 18. “ Take the case, Dona, of a Brahmin of similar birth and conduct .... He does not get a living by ploughing and so forth, but by going about for alms.... He hands over the teacher’s fee for teaching and seeks a wife according to Dhamma, not non-Dhamma. 19. “ And what then is Dhamma? Not with one bought or sold, but only with a Brahmani on whom water has been poured. And he goes only to a Brahmani, not to the daughter of an outcast, hunter, bamboo-worker, cart-maker, or aboriginal, nor goes to a woman with child, nor to one giving suck, nor to one not in her season. 20. “ And wherefore, Dona, goes not a Brahmin to one with child ? If he go, the boy or girl will surely be foully born, therefore he goes not. And wherefore goes he not to one giving suck ? If he go, the boy or girl will surely be an unclean suckling, therefore he goes not. 21. “And wherefore goes he not to one not in her season? If, Dona, a Brahmin go to one not in her season, never for him does the Brahmani become a means for lust, for sport, for pleasure; the Brahmani is for the Brahmin just as a means to beget offspring.

499 HIS ENEMIES VI 22. “ And when in wedlock he has begotten (a child), he has his hair-beard shaved off. . . and goes forth .... 23. “ And being thus gone forth, aloof from sensuous appetites ... he enters and abides in the first (to the) fourth musing ... he enters and abides in the first (to the) fourth musing. 24. “And having made these four musings become, on the breaking up of the body after death, he arises in the well-faring heaven world. 25. “Thus, Dona, a Brahmin becomes deva-like. 26. “ And how, Dona, becomes a Brahmin Brahmin bounded ? 27. “Take the case, Dona of a Brahmin of similar birth and conduct . . . who weds in like manner. . . . 28. “And when in wedlock he has begotten a child, the fondness for children obsesses him and he settles on the family estate, and does not go forth from the home to the homeless life. 29. “ In the bounds of the Brahmin of old he stays nor transgresses them; and it is said: ‘ Within bounds he keeps and transgresses not.’ And therefore the Brahmin is called bounded. 30. “ Thus, Dona, the Brahmin becomes bounded. 31. “And how, Dona, becomes a Brahmin- a breaker of bounds ? 32. “Take the case, Dona, of a Brahmin of similar birth and conduct. ... He hands over the teacher’s fee and seeks a wife either according to Dhamma or nonDhamma: one bought or sold or Brahmani on whom the water-pouring ceremony has been performed. 33. “He goes to a Brahmani or to the daughter of a noble or a low-caste man or a serf ; to the daughter of an outcast or a hunter or a bamboo-worker or a cart-maker or an aboriginal; he goes to a woman with child, to one giving suck, to one in her season, to one not in her season; and for him the Brahmani

500 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES VI becomes just a means for lust, for sport and for pleasure or to beget offspring. 34. “And he keeps not within the ancient Brahmin bounds, but transgresses them; and it is said: ‘He keeps not within bounds but transgresses,’ and therefore he is called a breaker of bounds. 35. “Thus, Dona, the Brahmin becomes a breaker of bounds. 36. “And how, Dona, becomes a Brahmin a Brahmin outcast? 37. “Take the case, Dona, of a Brahmin of similar birth, he for eight and forty years leads the Brahmalife of virginity, applying himself to the mantras; then, completing that course, he seeks the teaching fee for teaching; (he gets his living according to Dhamma or non-Dhamma) as ploughman, trader, cowherd, bowman, rajah’s man or by some craft or, despising not the beggar’s bowl, just by going about for alms. 38. “On handing back the teacher’s fee, he seeks a wife according to Dhamma or non-Dhamma; one bought or sold, or a Brahmani on whom water has been poured. He goes to a Brahmani or any other woman . . . one with child, giving suck and so forth... and she is for him a means for lust ... or to beget offspring. He leads a life doing all these things. 39. “Then the Brahmans say thus of him: ‘How is it that an honourable Brahmin leads this sort of life?’ 40. “And to this he replies: ‘Just as fire burns clean things or unclean, but not by that is the fire defiled ; even so, good sirs, if a Brahmin lead a life doing all these things, not by that is a Brahmin defiled.’ 41. And it is said: ‘He leads a life doing all these things,’ and therefore he is called a Brahmin outcast. 42. ‘Thus, Dona, a Brahmin becomes a Brahmin outcast. 43. “Verily, Dona, those Brahmin sages of old ,

501 HIS ENEMIES VI mantra-makers, mantra-sayers, whose ancient collection hymn, say, word each rest ... these five Brahmins declared; the Brahma-like, the deva-like, the bounded, the breaker of bounds and, fifthly, the Brahmin outcast. 44. “Which of them Dona, are you ?” 45. “If such there are, Master Gotama, we at least do not fulfil (the ways) of the Brahmin-outcast ? 46. “But it is marvellous what you say, Master Gotama ... let Master Gotama take me as a lay-disciple, gone to his refuge, henceforth as long as life lasts.”