Mahākhandhako The Great Chapter - Ancient Buddhist Texts

Atha kho Bhagavato etad-ahosi:
Then this occurred to the Gracious One: 93
I. The First Teachings - 41
[Yassa Desetutīrentaṁ]
[6: Deciding Who to Teach] 92
“Kassa nu kho ahaṁ paṭhamaṁ Dhammaṁ deseyyaṁ
“To whom should I first teach the Dhamma
Ko imaṁ Dhammaṁ khippam-eva ājānissatī” ti
Who will be able to understand the Dhamma quickly ”
Atha kho Bhagavato etad-ahosi:
Then this occurred to the Gracious One:
“Ayaṁ kho Āḷāro Kālāmo paṇḍito byatto medhāvī,
“This Āḷāra Kālāma 94 is wise, learned, intelligent,
dīgharattaṁ apparajakkhajātiko.
for a long time he has been one with little dust on his eyes.
Yan-nūnāhaṁ Āḷārassa Kālāmassa paṭhamaṁ Dhammaṁ deseyyaṁ
Now what if I first teach the Dhamma to Āḷāra Kālāma
So imaṁ Dhammaṁ khippam-eva ājānissatī.” ti
He will be able to understand the Dhamma quickly.” 95
Atha kho antarahitā devatā Bhagavato ārocesi:
Then an invisible god 96 informed the Gracious One:
“Sattāhakālaṅkato Bhante Āḷāro Kālāmo,” ti
“Āḷāra Kālāma died 97 seven days ago, venerable Sir,”
Bhagavato pi kho ñāṇaṁ udapādi: “Sattāhakālaṅkato Āḷāro Kālāmo.” ti
and this knowledge arose in the Gracious One: “Āḷāra Kālāma died seven days
ago.” 98
92 Here and at the end of this bhāṇavāraṁ ChS writes: Pañcavaggiyakathā, but none of the
other editions know of this end-title.
93 Cf. MN 26 and 85, and the version of this story in Mahāvastu, for which see Uruvilvā to
Ṛṣipatana elsewhere on this website.
94 Āḷāra Kālāma was one of the Bodhisatta’s early teachers (see MN 26). Another teacher is
mentioned at the beginning of ThiA., as Bhaggava, whose doctrine (samaya) he learned
before going to Āḷāra Kālāma.
95 In Mahāvastu and Lalitavistara the order in which he thought of these teachers is reversed.
96 Comm to Aṅg. 6.62: Antarahitā ti adassanaṁ gatā; Antarahitā means one who has become
invisible.
97 An idiom, literally: made time.