Mahavagga - Fifth Khandhaka: Chapter 9

1. Now when the Blessed One had remained at Bhaddiya as long as he thought fit,
he set out on a journey towards Sâvatthi. And walking from place to place he
arrived at Sâvatthi. There the Blessed One dwelt at Sâvatthi at the Getavana,
Anâtha-pindika's Grove.
2. Now at that time the Khabbaggiya Bhikkhus used to catch hold of the heifers
crossing on the Akiravatî River by their horns, or ears, or dewlaps, or tails 4,
or spring up upon their backs, or touch with lustful
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thoughts their privy parts: and they used to duck the young calves and so kill
them. People were annoyed, murmured, and became angry, saying, 'How can the
Sakyaputtiya Samanas [act thus]? it is like men still enjoying the pleasures of
the world.'
And Bhikkhus heard them murmuring in annoyance and indignation: and those
Bhikkhus told this thing to the Blessed One.
'Is it true' (&c., see chap. 4. 2)?
'It is true, Lord.'
He rebuked them, and having delivered a religious discourse, he addressed the
Bhikkhus, and said:
'Heifers are not to be caught hold of, O Bhikkhus, by their horns, or their
ears, or their dewlaps, or their tails. You are not to get up on their backs.
Whosoever gets up on their backs, is guilty of a dukkata offence. And their
privy parts, O Bhikkhus, are not to be touched with lustful thoughts. Whosoever
does so, is guilty of a thullakkaya offence. And calves ought not to be killed.
Whosoever kills them, let him be dealt with according to law 1.'
3. Now at that time the Khabbaggiya Bhikkhus used to have themselves carried in
vehicles to which cows were yoked with a bull between them, or bulls were yoked
with a cow between them 2. People were annoyed, murmured, and became angry,
saying, 'That is as is done at the Feast of the Gaṅgâ and the Mahî 3.'
p. 26
They told this thing to the Blessed One.
'Do not have yourselves carried in vehicles, O Bhikkhus. Whosoever does so, is
guilty of a dukkata offence.'



Footnotes
24:4 On kheppâ, compare Sutta-vibhaṅga I, 6; and Böhtlingk-Roth under sepa and
parukkhepa.
25:1 See the 61st Pâkittiya Rule.
25:2 Buddhaghosa explains this passage in a different way: Itthi-yuttenâ ’ti
dhenu-yuttena. Purisantarenâ ’ti purisa-sârathinâ. Purisa-yuttenâ ’ti
gona-yuttena. Itthantarenâ ’ti itthi-sârathinâ.
25:3 Gaṅgâ-mahiyâyâ ’ti Gaṅgâ-mahî-kilikâya (B.). It is possible That Mahî may
here mean the Earth; but it is probably the p. 26 well-known affluent of the
Ganges, which is one of the Mahânadîs. Compare Kullavagga IX, 1, 3, Spence
Hardy's 'Manual,' p. 17, and the Dhaniya Sutta in the Sutta Nipâta.