Dhammapada Verse 106 - Sariputtattherassa Matula Brahmana Vatthu

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Source: Adapted from the original translation by Daw Mya Tin, M.A.

Dhammapada Verse 106 - Sariputtattherassa Matula Brahmana Vatthu
Mase mase sahassena(1)

yo vajetha satam samam

ekanca bhivatattanam

muhuttamapi pujaye

sa yeva pujana seyyo

yance vassasatam hutam.

Verse 106: Month after month for a hundred years, one may make offerings (to ordinary people) to the value of a thousand Kahapanas(coins); yet if, only for a moment one pays homage to a bhikkhu who has practised Insight Development, this homage is, indeed, better than a hundred years of making offerings (to ordinary people).

1. sahassa: one thousand; in this context, one thousand kahapanas(coins). A kahapana coin can be in copper, silver or gold.

The Story of Thera Sariputta's Uncle

While residing at the Veluvana monastery, the Buddha uttered Verse (106) of this book, with reference to a brahmin, who was the maternal uncle of Thera Sariputta.

On one occasion, Thera Sariputta asked his uncle the brahmin whether he was doing any meritorious deeds. The brahmin answered that he was making offerings to the value of one thousand Kahapanas(coins) every month to the Nigantha ascetics, hoping to get to the Brahma(Archangel) world in his next existence. Thera Sariputta then explained to him that his teachers had given him false hopes and that they themselves did not know the way to the Brahma(Archangel) world. So saying, he took his uncle the brahmin to the Buddha, and requested the Buddha to expound the Dhamma, which would surely take one to the Brahma(Archangel) world.

The Buddha said to the brahmin, "Brahmin, an offering of a spoonful of alms-food to a bhikkhu would be much better than your present offering of one thousand Kahapanas(coins) to your teachers."

Then the Buddha spoke in verse as follows:

Verse 106: Month after month for a hundred years, one may make offerings (to ordinary people) to the value of a thousand Kahapanas(coins); yet if, only for a moment one pays homage to a bhikkhu who has practised Insight Development, this homage is, indeed, better than a hundred years of making offerings (to ordinary people).

At the end of the discourse, the brahmin, who was the maternal uncle of Thera Sariputta, attained Sotapatti Fruition.

Credits
Translated by Daw Mya Tin, M.A.

Edited by Editorial Committee, Burma Tipitaka Association Rangoon, Burma, 1986

Courtesy of Nibbana.com

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