1Then the wanderer Vacchagotta approached the Blessed One … and said to him.

"Master Gotama, I have heard: ‘The ascetic Gotama says: "Alms should be given only to me, not to others; alms should be given only to my disciples, not to the disciples of others. Only what is given to me is very fruitful, not what is given to others; only what is given to my disciples is very fruitful, not what is given to the disciples of others."’ Do those who speak thus state what has been said by Master Gotama and not misrepresent him with what is contrary to fact? Do they explain in accordance with the Dhamma so that they would not incur any reasonable criticism or ground for censure? [n.416] Chinese parallels to the present sutta support this interpretation. SĀ 95 (at T II 26a11–14), reads: ("How is it? Gotama, does one who says this speak truthfully? Is it the case that he does not misrepresent Gotama? Does he speak in accordance with what was said, in accordance with the Dharma, in line with the Dharma, so that other people cannot criticize him in terms of that same Dharma?"). Another parallel at T II 493b19–21 is similar, with nothing that corresponds to "consequence of an assertion." For we do not want to misrepresent Master Gotama."

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2"Those, Vaccha, who say: ‘The ascetic Gotama says: "Alms should be given only to me … only what is given to my disciples is very fruitful, not what is given to the disciples of others,"’ do not state what has been said by me but misrepresent me with what is untrue and contrary to fact. One who prevents another from giving alms creates an obstruction and stumbling block for three people. What three? He creates an obstruction to the donor's acquiring merit, to the recipients’ gaining a gift, and already he has maimed and injured himself. One who prevents another from giving alms creates an obstruction and stumbling block for these three people.

3"But, Vaccha, I say that one acquires merit even if one throws away dishwashing water in a refuse dump or cesspit with the thought: ‘May the living beings here sustain themselves with this!’ How much more, then, (does one acquire merit) when one gives to human beings! However, I say that what is given to one of virtuous behavior is more fruitful than (what is given) to an immoral person. And (the most worthy recipient) is one who has abandoned five factors and possesses five factors.

4"What five factors has he abandoned? Sensual desire, ill will, dullness and drowsiness, restlessness and remorse, and doubt. These are the five factors that he has abandoned.

5"And what five factors does he possess? The virtuous behavior, concentration, wisdom, liberation, and knowledge and vision of liberation of one beyond training. These are the five factors that he possesses.

"It is in such a way, I say, that what is given to one who has abandoned five factors and possesses five factors is very fruitful."

6-7Among cattle of any sort,
whether black, white, red, or golden,
mottled, uniform, or pigeon-colored,
the tamed bull is born,
the one that can bear the load,
possessing strength, advancing with good speed.
They yoke the burden just to him;
they are not concerned about his color.

8-11 So too, among human beings
it is in any kind of birth—
among khattiyas, brahmins, vessas,
suddas, caṇḍālas, or scavengers—
among people of any sort
that the tamed person of good manners is born:
one firm in Dhamma, virtuous in conduct,
truthful in speech, endowed with moral shame;
one who has abandoned birth and death,
consummate in the spiritual life,
with the burden dropped, detached,
who has done his task, free of taints;
who has gone beyond all things (of the world)
and by non-clinging has reached nibbāna:
an offering is truly vast
when planted in that spotless field.

12-14Fools devoid of understanding,
dull-witted, unlearned,
do not attend on the holy ones [n.417] Mp says that the "holy ones" (sante) are the supreme persons (uttamapurise): Buddhas, paccekabuddhas, and arahants.
but give their gifts to those outside.
Those, however, who attend on the holy ones,
on the wise ones esteemed as sagely, [n.418] Sappaññe dhīrasammate. Mp glosses this as if it meant "esteemed, honored, by the learned" (paṇḍitehi sammate sambhāvite), but I take dhīrasammate to mean "esteemed, honored, as sagely (or wise)."
and those whose faith in the Fortunate One
is deeply rooted and well established,
go to the world of the devas
or are born here in a good family.
Advancing in successive steps,
those wise ones attain nibbāna.

1Atha kho vacchagotto paribbājako yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavatā saddhiṁ sammodi. Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho vacchagotto paribbājako bhagavantaṁ etadavoca.

"sutaṁ metaṁ, bho gotama, samaṇo gotamo evamāha: ‘mayhameva dānaṁ dātabbaṁ, nāññesaṁ dānaṁ dātabbaṁ; mayhameva sāvakānaṁ dānaṁ dātabbaṁ, nāññesaṁ sāvakānaṁ dānaṁ dātabbaṁ; mayhameva dinnaṁ mahapphalaṁ, nāññesaṁ dinnaṁ mahapphalaṁ; mayhameva sāvakānaṁ dinnaṁ mahapphalaṁ, nāññesaṁ sāvakānaṁ dinnaṁ mahapphalan’ti. Ye te, bho gotama, evamāhaṁsu ‘samaṇo gotamo evamāha: "mayhameva dānaṁ dātabbaṁ, nāññesaṁ dānaṁ dātabbaṁ. Mayhameva sāvakānaṁ dānaṁ dātabbaṁ, nāññesaṁ sāvakānaṁ dānaṁ dātabbaṁ. Mayhameva dinnaṁ mahapphalaṁ, nāññesaṁ dinnaṁ mahapphalaṁ. Mayhameva sāvakānaṁ dinnaṁ mahapphalaṁ, nāññesaṁ sāvakānaṁ dinnaṁ mahapphalan"’ti. Kacci te bhoto gotamassa vuttavādino na ca bhavantaṁ gotamaṁ abhūtena abbhācikkhanti, dhammassa cānudhammaṁ byākaronti, na ca koci sahadhammiko vādānupāto gārayhaṁ ṭhānaṁ āgacchati? Anabbhakkhātukāmā hi mayaṁ bhavantaṁ gotaman"ti.

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2"Ye te, vaccha, evamāhaṁsu: ‘samaṇo gotamo evamāha: "mayhameva dānaṁ dātabbaṁ … pe … nāññesaṁ sāvakānaṁ dinnaṁ mahapphalan"’ti na me te vuttavādino. Abbhācikkhanti ca pana maṁ asatā abhūtena. Yo kho, vaccha, paraṁ dānaṁ dadantaṁ vāreti so tiṇṇaṁ antarāyakaro hoti, tiṇṇaṁ pāripanthiko. Katamesaṁ tiṇṇaṁ? Dāyakassa puññantarāyakaro hoti, paṭiggāhakānaṁ lābhantarāyakaro hoti, pubbeva kho panassa attā khato ca hoti upahato ca. Yo kho, vaccha, paraṁ dānaṁ dadantaṁ vāreti so imesaṁ tiṇṇaṁ antarāyakaro hoti, tiṇṇaṁ pāripanthiko.

3Ahaṁ kho pana, vaccha, evaṁ vadāmi: ‘ye hi te candanikāya vā oligalle vā pāṇā, tatrapi yo thālidhovanaṁ vā sarāvadhovanaṁ vā chaḍḍeti: "ye tattha pāṇā te tena yāpentū"’ti, tato nidānampāhaṁ, vaccha, puññassa āgamaṁ vadāmi. Ko pana vādo manussabhūte. Api cāhaṁ, vaccha, sīlavato dinnaṁ mahapphalaṁ vadāmi, no tathā dussīlassa, so ca hoti pañcaṅgavippahīno pañcaṅgasamannāgato.

4Katamāni pañcaṅgāni pahīnāni honti? Kāmacchando pahīno hoti, byāpādo pahīno hoti, thinamiddhaṁ pahīnaṁ hoti, uddhaccakukkuccaṁ pahīnaṁ hoti, vicikicchā pahīnā hoti. Imāni pañcaṅgāni vippahīnāni honti.

5Katamehi pañcahi aṅgehi samannāgato hoti? Asekkhena sīlakkhandhena samannāgato hoti, asekkhena samādhikkhandhena samannāgato hoti, asekkhena paññākkhandhena samannāgato hoti, asekkhena vimuttikkhandhena samannāgato hoti, asekkhena vimuttiñāṇadassanakkhandhena samannāgato hoti; imehi pañcahi aṅgehi samannāgato hoti.

Iti pañcaṅgavippahīne pañcaṅgasamannāgate dinnaṁ mahapphalanti vadāmīti.

6Iti kaṇhāsu setāsu,
rohiṇīsu harīsu vā;
Kammāsāsu sarūpāsu,
gosu pārevatāsu vā.

7Yāsu kāsuci etāsu,
danto jāyati puṅgavo;
Dhorayho balasampanno,
kalyāṇajavanikkamo;
Tameva bhāre yuñjanti,
nāssa vaṇṇaṁ parikkhare.

8Evamevaṁ manussesu,
yasmiṁ kasmiñci jātiye;
Khattiye brāhmaṇe vesse,
sudde caṇḍālapukkuse.

9Yāsu kāsuci etāsu,
danto jāyati subbato;
Dhammaṭṭho sīlasampanno,
saccavādī hirīmano.

10Pahīnajātimaraṇo,
brahmacariyassa kevalī;
Pannabhāro visaṁyutto,
katakicco anāsavo.

11Pāragū sabbadhammānaṁ,
anupādāya nibbuto;
Tasmiṁyeva viraje khette,
vipulā hoti dakkhiṇā.

12Bālā ca avijānantā,
dummedhā assutāvino;
Bahiddhā denti dānāni,
na hi sante upāsare.

13Ye ca sante upāsanti,
sappaññe dhīrasammate;
Saddhā ca nesaṁ sugate,
mūlajātā patiṭṭhitā.

14Devalokañca te yanti,
kule vā idha jāyare;
Anupubbena nibbānaṁ,
adhigacchanti paṇḍitā"ti.

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Sattamaṁ.