MĀ 18 siṃhasūtram

[Translated originally from the Sanskrit Sarvāstivāda Madhyamāgama to Classical Chinese by a team led by Sarvāstivāda scholar Gautama Saṃghadeva of Kāśmīra in 398CE.
Translated from the Chinese Taisho Tripiṭaka back to Sanskrit by Ramakrishnan Suryanarayanan in 2024-26.]

madhyamāgame karmasaṃyuktavarge dvitīye siṃhasūtramaṣṭamam.

evaṃ mayā śrutam. ekasminsamaye bhagavānvaiśālyāṃ viharati sma markaṭahradatīre kūṭāgāraśālāyām.

tena khalu samayena saṃbahulā vaiśālakā licchavayaḥ saṃsthāgāre sanniṣaṇṇāḥ sannipatitā anekaparyāyeṇa buddhasya varṇamabhāṣanta, dharmasya varṇamabhāṣanta, bhikṣusaṅghasya varṇamabhāṣanta. tasminsamaye nirgranthaśrāvakaḥ siṃhasenāpatistasyāṃ pariṣadi sanniṣaṇṇo'bhūt.

atha siṃhasya senāpateretadabhavat—gaccheyamahaṃ śramaṇaṃ gautamaṃ darśanāya pūjanāyopāsanāya ca. atha siṃhaḥ senāpatiryena nirgranthāstenopajagāma. upetya nirgranthānetadavocat—gaccheyamahaṃ bhavantaḥ śramaṇaṃ gautamaṃ darśanāyeti.

atha nirgranthāḥ siṃhasenāpatimapasādayan—alaṃ siṃha, mā gāḥ śramaṇaṃ gautamaṃ darśanāya. tatkasya hetoḥ? akriyāvādo hi siṃha śramaṇo gautamo'kriyāyai ca dharmaṃ deśayati. akriyāvādasya siṃha darśanamamaṅgalaṃ, pūjanamupāsanā cāmaṅgalamiti.

dvitīyamapi tṛtīyamapi saṃbahulā vaiśālakā licchavayaḥ saṃsthāgāre sanniṣaṇṇāḥ sannipatitā anekaparyāyeṇa buddhasya varṇamabhāṣanta, dharmasya varṇamabhāṣanta, bhikṣusaṅghasya varṇamabhāṣanta. dvitīyamapi tṛtīyamapi nirgranthaśrāvakaḥ siṃha senāpatirapi tasyāṃ pariṣadi sanniṣaṇṇo'bhūt. atha siṃhasya senāpatestṛtīyamapyetadabhavat—gaccheyamahaṃ śramaṇaṃ gautamaṃ darśanāya vandanāya pūjanāyopāsanāyeti.

atha siṃhaḥ senāpatirnirgranthānanāpṛcchyaiva yena bhagavāṃstenopajagāma. upetya bhagavatā sārdhaṃ sammukhaṃ sammodanīṃ saṃrañjanīṃ kathāṃ vyatisāryaikānte nyaṣīdat. ekāntaniṣaṇṇaḥ siṃhasenāpatirbhagavantametadavocat—

śrutaṃ me bho gautama—akriyāvādaḥ śramaṇo gautamo'kriyāyai ca dharmaṃ deśayatīti. kaccit te bho gautamaivaṃvādinaḥ śramaṇaṃ gautamaṃ nābhūtenābhyācakṣate? kaccidbhūtaṃ vyākurvanti? kacciddharmaṃ vyākurvanti? kacciddharmasyānudharmaṃ vyākurvanti? kaccinna kaścitsahadhārmiko vādānuvādo garhyaṃ sthānamāgacchatīti?

bhagavānavocat—ye te siṃha evamāhuḥ—akriyāvādaḥ śramaṇo gautamo'kriyāyai ca dharmaṃ deśayatīti, te māṃ nābhūtenābhyācakṣate. bhūtaṃ vyākurvanti, dharmaṃ vyākurvanti, dharmasyānudharmaṃ vyākurvanti, na ca kaścitsahadhārmiko vādānuvādo garhyaṃ sthānamāgacchati. tatkasya hetoḥ?

asti sa siṃha paryāyo yena paryāyeṇa samyagvadamāno māṃ nābhūtenābhyācakṣīta, yadutākriyāvādaḥ śramaṇo gautamo'kriyāyai ca dharmaṃ deśayatīti. asti sa siṃha paryāyo yena paryāyeṇa samyagvadamāno māṃ nābhūtenābhyācakṣīta, yaduta kriyāvādaḥ śramaṇo gautamaḥ kriyāyai ca dharmaṃ deśayatīti. asti sa siṃha paryāyo yena paryāyeṇa samyagvadamāno māṃ nābhūtenābhyācakṣīta, yadutocchedavādaḥ śramaṇo gautama ucchedāya ca dharmaṃ deśayatīti. asti sa siṃha paryāyo yena paryāyeṇa samyagvadamāno māṃ nābhūtenābhyācakṣīta, yaduta jugupsivādaḥ śramaṇo gautamo jugupsāyai ca dharmaṃ deśayatīti. asti sa siṃha paryāyo yena paryāyeṇa samyagvadamāno māṃ nābhūtenābhyācakṣīta, yaduta vainayikaḥ śramaṇo gautamo vinayāya ca dharmaṃ deśayatīti. asti sa siṃha paryāyo yena paryāyeṇa samyagvadamāno māṃ nābhūtenābhyācakṣīta, yaduta tapasvī śramaṇo gautamastapase ca dharmaṃ deśayatīti. asti sa siṃha paryāyo yena paryāyeṇa samyagvadamāno māṃ nābhūtenābhyācakṣīta, yadutāpagarbhaḥ śramaṇo gautamo'pagarbhatvāyai ca dharmaṃ deśayatīti. asti sa siṃha paryāyo yena paryāyeṇa samyagvadamāno māṃ nābhūtenābhyācakṣīta, yadutāśvāsikaḥ śramaṇo gautama āśvāsāya ca dharmaṃ deśayatīti.

katamaśca sa siṃha paryāyo yena paryāyeṇa samyagvadamāno māṃ nābhūtenābhyācakṣīta, yadutākriyāvādaḥ śramaṇo gautamo'kriyāyai ca dharmaṃ deśayatīti? ahaṃ hi siṃha kāyaduṣcaritasyākriyāṃ vadāmi, vāgduṣcaritasya manoduṣcaritasyākriyāṃ vadāmi. ye ceme siṃha apramāṇāḥ pāpakā akuśalāḥ saṅkleśikā dharmāḥ paunarbhavikāḥ sadarā duḥkhavipākā āyatyāṃ jātijarāvyādhimaraṇasaṃvartanikāsteṣāmahaṃ sarveṣāmakriyāṃ vadāmi. ayaṃ khalu sa siṃha paryāyo yena paryāyeṇa samyagvadamāno māṃ nābhūtenābhyācakṣīta, yadutākriyāvādaḥ śramaṇo gautamo'kriyāyai ca dharmaṃ deśayatīti.

katamaśca sa siṃha paryāyo yena paryāyeṇa samyagvadamāno māṃ nābhūtenābhyācakṣīta, yaduta kriyāvādaḥ śramaṇo gautamaḥ kriyāyai ca dharmaṃ deśayatīti? ahaṃ hi siṃha kāyasucaritasya kriyāṃ vadāmi, vāksucaritasya manassucaritasya kriyāṃ vadāmi. ye ceme siṃha apramāṇāḥ kuśalā dharmāḥ sukhaphalāḥ sukhavipākāḥ sugatyupapattaye dīrghāyuṣkatvāya saṃvartante, teṣāmahaṃ sarveṣāṃ kriyāṃ vadāmi. ayaṃ khalu sa siṃha paryāyo yena paryāyeṇa samyagvadamāno māṃ nābhūtenābhyācakṣīta, yaduta kriyāvādaḥ śramaṇo gautamaḥ kriyāyai ca dharmaṃ deśayatīti.

katamaśca sa siṃha paryāyo yena paryāyeṇa samyagvadamāno māṃ nābhūtenābhyācakṣīta, yadutocchedavādaḥ śramaṇo gautama ucchedāya ca dharmaṃ deśayatīti? ahaṃ hi siṃha kāyaduṣcaritasyocchedaṃ vadāmi, vāgduṣcaritasya manoduṣcaritasyocchedaṃ vadāmi. ye ceme siṃha apramāṇāḥ pāpakā akuśalāḥ saṅkleśikā dharmāḥ paunarbhavikāḥ saṃjvarā duḥkhavipākā āyatyāṃ jātijarāvyādhimaraṇasaṃvartanikāsteṣāmahaṃ sarveṣāmocchedaṃ vadāmi. ayaṃ khalu sa siṃha paryāyo yena paryāyeṇa samyagvadamāno māṃ nābhūtenābhyācakṣīta, yadutocchedavādaḥ śramaṇo gautama ucchedāya ca dharmaṃ deśayatīti.

katamaśca sa siṃha paryāyo yena paryāyeṇa samyagvadamāno māṃ nābhūtenābhyācakṣīta, yaduta jugupsivādaḥ śramaṇo gautamo jugupsāyai ca dharmaṃ deśayatīti? ahaṃ hi siṃha kāyaduṣcaritasya jugupsāṃ vadāmi, vāgduṣcaritasya manoduṣcaritasya jugupsāṃ vadāmi. ye ceme siṃha apramāṇāḥ pāpakā akuśalāḥ saṅkleśikā dharmāḥ paunarbhavikāḥ saṃjvarā duḥkhavipākā āyatyāṃ jātijarāvyādhimaraṇasaṃvartanikāsteṣāmahaṃ sarveṣāṃ jugupsāṃ vadāmi. ayaṃ khalu sa siṃha paryāyo yena paryāyeṇa samyagvadamāno māṃ nābhūtenābhyācakṣīta, yaduta jugupsivādaḥ śramaṇo gautamo jugupsāyai ca dharmaṃ deśayatīti.

katamaśca sa siṃha paryāyo yena paryāyeṇa samyagvadamāno māṃ nābhūtenābhyācakṣīta, yaduta vainayikaḥ śramaṇo gautamo vinayāya ca dharmaṃ deśayatīti? ahaṃ hi siṃha rāgasya vinayāya dharmavinayaṃ deśayāmi, dveṣasya mohasya vinayāya dharmavinayaṃ deśayāmi. ye ceme siṃha apramāṇāḥ pāpakā akuśalāḥ saṅkleśikā dharmāḥ paunarbhavikāḥ saṃjvarā duḥkhavipākā āyatyāṃ jātijarāvyādhimaraṇasaṃvartanikāsteṣāmahaṃ vinayāya dharmavinayaṃ deśayāmi. ayaṃ khalu sa siṃha paryāyo yena paryāyeṇa samyagvadamāno māṃ nābhūtenābhyācakṣīta, yaduta vainayikaḥ śramaṇo gautamo vinayāya ca dharmaṃ deśayatīti.

katamaśca sa siṃha paryāyo yena paryāyeṇa samyagvadamāno māṃ nābhūtenābhyācakṣīta, yaduta tapasvī śramaṇo gautamastapase ca dharmaṃ deśayatīti? iha siṃha, eke śramaṇabrāhmaṇā acelakā bhavanti, hastāpalekhanāḥ, parṇavasanāḥ, muktācārāḥ. na kumbhyāḥ pratigṛhṇanti, na kalopyāḥ pratigṛhṇanti, na daṇḍāntaraṃ na musalāntaraṃ pratigṛhṇanti, na māyārjitaṃ bhuñjate. naihibhadantikaṃ na tiṣṭhabhadantikaṃ na svāgatabhadantikaṃ pratigṛhṇanti, na dvayorbhuñjānayorantare, na garbhiṇyāḥ, na śvavatyāḥ, na yatra makṣikāḥ ṣaṇḍaṣaṇḍacāriṇyo bhavanti tatpratigṛhṇanti. na matsyaṃ na māṃsaṃ na surāṃ na maireyaṃ na pāpakodakaṃ pibanti. apānakā vā bhavantyapānacaryāmanuyuktāḥ. ekālopikā vā bhavantyekālopena yāpayanti, dvyālopikā vā tryālopikā vā caturālopikā vā yāvatsaptālopikā vā bhavanti saptālopena yāpayanti. ekadattikā vā bhavantyekadattena yāpayanti, dvidattikā vā tridattikā vā caturdattikā vā yāvatsaptadattikā vā bhavanti saptadattena yāpayanti. ekāhikamapi āhāraparyāyamanuyuktā viharanti, dvyāhikaṃ tryāhikaṃ caturāhikaṃ pañcāhikaṃ ṣaḍāhikaṃ saptāhikamardhamāsikaṃ māsikamapi āhāraparyāyamanuyuktā viharanti. śākabhakṣā vā bhavanti, śyāmākabhakṣā vā, nīvārabhakṣā vā, piṇyākabhakṣā vā, dardurabhakṣā vā, rūkṣāhārā vā. araṇyāyatanāni vā sevyante. mūlāhārā vā bhavanti phalāhārā vā patitaphalabhojino vā. śāṇāni vā dhārayanti, vālakambalāni vā, keśakambalāni vā, dūṣyacīrāṇi vā, ajināni vā, ajinapaveṇīṃ vā, samastājinapaveṇīṃ vā. muktakeśā vā bhavanti, jaṭilā vā, muktajaṭilā vā, muṇḍā vā bhavanti, śmaśrumuṇḍā vā, keśaśmaśrumuṇḍā vā, keśolluñcakā vā bhavanti, śmaśrulluñcakā vā, keśaśmaśrulluñcakā vā. sthānikā vā bhavantyāsanapratyākhyāyinaḥ, utkuṭukā vā bhavantyutkuṭukapradhānānuyogamanuyuktāḥ, kaṇṭakāpāśrayikā vā bhavanti kaṇṭakaśayyāṃ kalpayanti, phalakaśāyino vā bhavanti phalakaśayyāṃ kalpayanti. udakāvataraṇamanuyuktā vā viharanti sāyamprātaḥ. agnihotraṃ vā paricaranti rātriṃdivam, ādityamupatiṣṭhante, candramupatiṣṭhante, yāvadvṛddhānupatiṣṭhante kṛtāñjalipuṭāḥ. evamādirūpamapramāṇaṃ duḥkhamanubhavanti saṃjvaracaritamanucaranti.

siṃha, astīdaṃ tapo nāhaṃ nāstīti vadāmi. tattu tapo hīnaṃ grāmyaṃ pṛthagjanasevitamanāryamanarthasaṃhitaṃ klamathāya duḥkhāya ca saṃvartate. yasya śramaṇasya vā brāhmaṇasya vā te pāpakā akuśalā dharmā ucchinnā bhavanti samūlaghātahatāstālāvāstukṛta anabhāvaṅgatā āyatyāmanutpādadharmāṇaḥ, tamahaṃ tapasvīti vadāmi. tathāgatasya hi siṃha arhataḥ samyaksambuddhasya te pāpakā akuśalā dharmā ucchinnāḥ samūlaghātahatāstālāvāstukṛta anabhāvaṅgatā āyatyāmanutpādadharmāṇaḥ, tasmādahaṃ tapasvī. ayaṃ khalu sa siṃha paryāyo yena paryāyeṇa samyagvadamāno māṃ nābhūtenābhyācakṣīta, yaduta tapasvī śramaṇo gautamastapase ca dharmaṃ deśayatīti.

katamaśca sa siṃha paryāyo yena paryāyeṇa samyagvadamāno māṃ nābhūtenābhyācakṣīta, yadutāpagarbhaḥ śramaṇo gautamo'pagarbhatvāyai ca dharmaṃ deśayatīti? yasya śramaṇasya vā brāhmaṇasya vā āyatyāṃ punarbhavagarbhāvakrāntirucchinnā bhavati samūlaghātahatā tālāvāstukṛta anabhāvaṅgatā āyatyāmanutpādadharmā, tamahamapagarbha iti vadāmi. tathāgatasya hi siṃha arhataḥ samyaksambuddhasyāyatyāṃ punarbhavagarbhāvakrāntirucchinnā samūlaghātahatā tālāvāstukṛta anabhāvaṅgatā āyatyāmanutpādadharmā, tasmādahamapagarbhaḥ. ayaṃ khalu sa siṃha paryāyo yena paryāyeṇa samyagvadamāno māṃ nābhūtenābhyācakṣīta, yadutāpagarbhaḥ śramaṇo gautamo'pagarbhatvāyai ca dharmaṃ deśayatīti.

katamaśca sa siṃha paryāyo yena paryāyeṇa samyagvadamāno māṃ nābhūtenābhyācakṣīta, yadutāśvāsikaḥ śramaṇo gautama āśvāsāya ca dharmaṃ deśayatīti? ye kecitsiṃha kulaputrāḥ keśaśmaśrvavatārya kāṣāyāṇi vastrāṇyācchādya samyageva śraddhayāgārādanagārikāṃ pravrajantyanuttarabrahmacaryaparyavasānārtham, teṣāṃ dṛṣṭa eva dharme svayamabhijñāya sākṣātkṛtyopasampadya viharatām—kṣīṇā jātiruṣitaṃ brahmacaryaṃ kṛtaṃ karaṇīyaṃ nāparamasmādbhavamiti yathābhūtaṃ prajānatām, ahamātmānamaśvastaṃ tathānyānbhikṣūnbhikṣuṇīrupāsakānupāsikāścāśvāsayāmi.. te mayāśvāsitāḥ santo jātidharmāṇaḥ sattvā jātito vimuktā bhavanti, jarāvyādhimaraṇaśokaparidevaduḥkhadaurmanasyopāyāsasaṅkleśadharmāṇaḥ sattvā jarāvyādhimaraṇaśokaparidevaduḥkhadaurmanasyopāyāsasaṅkleśebhyo vimuktā bhavanti. ayaṃ khalu sa siṃha paryāyo yena paryāyeṇa samyagvadamāno māṃ nābhūtenābhyācakṣīta, yadutāśvāsikaḥ śramaṇo gautama āśvāsāya ca dharmaṃ deśayatīti.

siṃhaḥ senāpatirbhagavantametadavocat—ājñātaṃ bho gautama, ājñātaṃ sugata. tadyathāpi bho gautama nikubjitaṃ vonnāmayet, praticchannaṃ vā vivṛṇuyāt, mūḍhāya vā mārgamācakṣīta, andhakāre vā tailapradyotaṃ dhārayeccakṣuṣmanto rūpāṇi drakṣyantīti, evameva bhotā gautamenānekaparyāyeṇa dharmo deśito artho vivṛto me mārgānusāreṇa. so'haṃ bhagavantaṃ śaraṇaṃ gacchāmi dharmaṃ ca bhikṣusaṅghaṃ ca. upāsakaṃ māṃ bhagavāndhārayatvadyāgreṇa yāvajjīvaṃ prāṇopetaṃ śaraṇagataṃ prasannam.

tadyathāpi bhagavan, kaścitpuruṣo duṣṭāśvaṃ poṣayellābhaṃ prākāṅkṣamāṇaḥ, sa tatra vṛthā klāmyati parikhidyate na cārthamadhigacchati. evamevāhaṃ bhagavan, teṣu bālajātīyeṣu nirgrantheṣvakuśaleṣvajānatsvaparijānatsu svayamapratyavekṣamāṇeṣvakṣetrajñeṣuanātmajñeṣu dīrgharātraṃ satkāraṃ gurukāraṃ mānanaṃ pūjanaṃ ca kṛtavānlābhaṃ prākāṅkṣamāṇaḥ. tatra kevalaṃ klānto'smi parikhinno'smi na cārthamadhigatavān. so'haṃ bhagavan, dvitīyamapi bhagavantaṃ śaraṇaṃ gacchāmi dharmaṃ ca bhikṣusaṅghaṃ ca. upāsakaṃ māṃ bhagavāndhārayatvadyāgreṇa yāvajjīvaṃ prāṇopetaṃ śaraṇagataṃ prasannam.

yanme bhagavan, pūrvaṃ bālajātīyeṣu nirgrantheṣvajñānācchraddhābhūtprema ca gauravaṃ ca, tadadyāgreṇa samucchinadmi. tatkasya hetoḥ? vipralabdho'haṃ tairiti. so'haṃ bhagavan, tṛtīyamapi bhagavantaṃ śaraṇaṃ gacchāmi dharmaṃ ca bhikṣusaṅghaṃ ca. upāsakaṃ māṃ bhagavāndhārayatvadyāgreṇa yāvajjīvaṃ prāṇopetaṃ śaraṇagataṃ prasannam.

idamavocadbhagavān. āttamanāḥ siṃhasenāpatiste ca bhikṣavo bhagavato bhāṣitamabhyanandiṣuḥ.

siṃhasūtramaṣṭamaṃ samāptam.