Verse 396

Dhammapada Verse 396

The Story of a Brahmin

Once, a brahmin from Savatthi thought that since the Buddha called his disciples 'brahmanas', he should also be called a 'brahmana' because he was born of brahmin parents. When he told the Buddha about this, the Buddha replied to him, "O brahmin! I do not call him a brahmana just because he is born of brahmin parents. I call him a brahmana only if he is free from moral defilements and cut off all clinging to existence."

Then the Buddha spoke in verse as follows:

Na caham brahmanam brumi
yonijam mattisambhavam,
bhovadi¹ nama so hoti
sace hoti sakincano
akincanam anadanam
tamaham brumi brahmanam.

Verse 396: I do not call him a brahmana just because he is born from the womb of a brahmana mother. He is just a bhovadi brahmin if he is not free from moral defilements. Him I call a brahmana, who is free from moral defilements and from attachment.