[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 saptadharmavarge prathame bhadradharmasūtraṃ prathamam.

evaṃ mayā śrutam. ekasmin samaye bhagavāñchrāvastyāṃ viharati sma jetavane'nāthapiṇḍadasyārāme.

tasminsamaye bhagavān bhikṣūnāmantrayata—yo bhikṣuḥ saptabhirdharmaiḥ samanvāgato bhavati sa āryadharme prāmodyasukhaṃ labhate samyagāsravakṣayāya ca pratipadyate. katamaiḥ saptabhiḥ—iha bhikṣurdharmajño'rthajñaḥ kālajño mātrajña ātmajñaḥ pariṣajjñaḥ pudgalavarāvarajñaśca bhavati.

kathaṃ ca bhikṣurdharmajño bhavati—iha bhikṣurdharmaṃ jānāti. yaduta sūtrageyavyākaraṇagāthānidānodānāvadānetivṛttakajātakavaipulyādbhutadharmopadeśāñ jānāti. evaṃ hi bhikṣurdharmajño bhavati. yo bhikṣurdharmaṃ na jānāti yaduta sūtrageyavyākaraṇagāthānidānodānāvadānetivṛttakajātakavaipulyādbhutadharmopadeśānna jānāti sa evaṃ bhikṣurna dharmajño bhavati. yāvadbhikṣuḥ suṣṭhu dharmaṃ jānāti yaduta sūtrageyavyākaraṇagāthānidānodānāvadānetivṛttakajātakavaipulyādbhutadharmopadeśāñ jānāti tāvadbhikṣuḥ sudharmajña ityucyate.

kathaṃ ca bhikṣurarthajño bhavati—iha bhikṣustasya tasya bhāṣitasyārthaṃ jānātyayamasyārtho'yametasyārtha iti. evaṃ hi bhikṣurarthajño bhavati. yo bhikṣustasya tasya bhāṣitasyārthaṃ na jānātyayamasyārtho'yametasyārtha iti sa evaṃ bhikṣurnārthajño bhavati. yāvadbhikṣustasya tasya bhāṣitasyārthaṃ suṣṭhu jānātyayamasyārtho'yametasyārtha iti tāvadbhikṣuḥ suṣṭhvarthajña ityucyate.

kathaṃ ca bhikṣuḥ kālajño bhavati—iha bhikṣuḥ kālaṃ jānātyayaṃ kālaḥ śamathanimittaṃ bhāvayitumayaṃ kālaḥ pragrahanimittaṃ bhāvayitumayaṃ kāla upekṣānimittaṃ bhāvayitumiti. evaṃ hi bhikṣuḥ kālajño bhavati. yo bhikṣuḥ kālaṃ na jānātyayaṃ kālaḥ śamathanimittaṃ bhāvayitumayaṃ kālaḥ pragrahanimittaṃ bhāvayitumayaṃ kāla upekṣānimittaṃ bhāvayitumiti sa evaṃ bhikṣurna kālajño bhavati. yāvadbhikṣuḥ suṣṭhu kālaṃ jānātyayaṃ kālaḥ śamathanimittaṃ bhāvayitumayaṃ kālaḥ pragrahanimittaṃ bhāvayitumayaṃ kāla upekṣānimittaṃ bhāvayitumiti tāvadbhikṣuḥ sukālajña ityucyate.

kathaṃ ca bhikṣurmātrajño bhavati—iha bhikṣurmātrāṃ jānāti pāne bhojane gamane sthāne niṣadyāyāṃ śayyāyāṃ bhāṣite tūṣṇīṃbhāva uccārapraśravaṇe middhavinodane samprajanyabhāvanāyāṃ ca. evaṃ hi bhikṣurmātrajño bhavati. yo bhikṣurmātrāṃ na jānāti pāne bhojane gamane sthāne niṣadyāyāṃ śayyāyāṃ bhāṣite tūṣṇīṃbhāva uccārapraśravaṇe middhavinodane samprajanyabhāvanāyāṃ ca sa evaṃ bhikṣurna mātrajño bhavati. yāvadbhikṣuḥ suṣṭhu mātrāṃ jānāti pāne bhojane gamane sthāne niṣadyāyāṃ śayyāyāṃ bhāṣite tūṣṇīṃbhāva uccārapraśravaṇe middhavinodane samprajanyabhāvanāyāṃ tāvadbhikṣuḥ sumātrajña ityucyate.

kathaṃ ca bhikṣurātmajño bhavati—iha bhikṣurahametāvacchraddhāśīlaśrutatyāgaprajñāpratibhānāgamādhigamasamanvāgato'smītyātmānaṃ jānāti. evaṃ hi bhikṣurātmajño bhavati. yo bhikṣurahametāvacchraddhāśīlaśrutatyāgaprajñāpratibhānāgamādhigamasamanvāgato'smītyātmānaṃ na jānāti sa evaṃ bhikṣurnātmajño bhavati. yāvadbhikṣurahametāvacchraddhāśīlaśrutatyāgaprajñāpratibhānāgamādhigamasamanvāgato'smītyātmānaṃ suṣṭhu jānāti tāvadbhikṣuḥ suṣṭhvātmajña ityucyate.

kathaṃ ca bhikṣuḥ pariṣajjño bhavati—iha bhikṣuḥ pariṣadaṃ jānātīyaṃ kṣatriyapariṣadiyaṃ brāhmaṇapariṣadiyaṃ gṛhapatipariṣadiyaṃ śramaṇapariṣaditi. mayā tasyāṃ pariṣadyevaṃ gantavyamevaṃ sthātavyamevaṃ niṣattavyamevaṃ bhāṣitavyamevaṃ tūṣṇīṃbhavitavyamiti. evaṃ hi bhikṣuḥ pariṣajjño bhavati. yo bhikṣuḥ pariṣadaṃ na jānātīyaṃ kṣatriyapariṣadiyaṃ brāhmaṇapariṣadiyaṃ gṛhapatipariṣadiyaṃ śramaṇapariṣaditi. mayā tasyāṃ pariṣadyevaṃ gantavyamevaṃ sthātavyamevaṃ niṣattavyamevaṃ bhāṣitavyamevaṃ tūṣṇīṃbhavitavyamiti sa evaṃ bhikṣurna pariṣajjño bhavati. yāvadbhikṣuḥ suṣṭhu pariṣadaṃ jānātīyaṃ kṣatriyapariṣadiyaṃ brāhmaṇapariṣadiyaṃ gṛhapatipariṣadiyaṃ śramaṇapariṣaditi. mayā tasyāṃ pariṣadyevaṃ gantavyamevaṃ sthātavyamevaṃ niṣattavyamevaṃ bhāṣitavyamevaṃ tūṣṇīṃbhavitavyamiti tāvadbhikṣuḥ supariṣajjña ityucyate.

kathaṃ ca bhikṣuḥ pudgalavarāvarajño bhavati—iha bhikṣurdvau pudgalau jānāti śrāddhaṃ cāśrāddhaṃ ca. tatra yaḥ śrāddhaḥ sa viśiṣṭataro yo'śrāddhaḥ sa hīnataraḥ. śrāddho'pi pudgalo dvividho bhavati—yo'bhīkṣṇaṃ bhikṣūndraṣṭumupasaṅkrāmati yaścābhīkṣṇaṃ bhikṣūndraṣṭuṃ nopasaṅkrāmati. tatra yo'bhīkṣṇaṃ bhikṣūndraṣṭumupasaṅkrāmati sa viśiṣṭataro yaścābhīkṣṇaṃ bhikṣūndraṣṭuṃ nopasaṅkrāmati sa hīnataraḥ. yo'bhīkṣṇaṃ bhikṣūndraṣṭumupasaṅkrāmati so'pi dvividho bhavati—yo bhikṣūnabhivādayate yaśca nābhivādayate. tatra yo bhikṣūnabhivādayate sa viśiṣṭataro yaśca nābhivādayate sa hīnataraḥ. yo bhikṣūnabhivādayate so'pi dvividho bhavati—yaḥ sūtraṃ paripṛcchati yaśca na paripṛcchati. tatra yaḥ sūtraṃ paripṛcchati sa viśiṣṭataro yaśca na paripṛcchati sa hīnataraḥ. yaḥ sūtraṃ paripṛcchati so'pi dvividho bhavati—ya ekāgreṇa manasā sūtraṃ śṛṇoti yaśca naikāgreṇa manasā sūtraṃ śṛṇoti. tatra ya ekāgreṇa manasā sūtraṃ śṛṇoti sa viśiṣṭataro yaśca naikāgreṇa manasā sūtraṃ śṛṇoti sa hīnataraḥ. ya ekāgreṇa manasā sūtraṃ śṛṇoti so'pi dvividho bhavati—yaḥ śrutvā dharmaṃ dhārayati yaśca śrutvā na dhārayati. tatra yaḥ śrutvā dharmaṃ dhārayati sa viśiṣṭataro yaśca śrutvā na dhārayati sa hīnataraḥ. yaḥ śrutvā dharmaṃ dhārayati so'pi dvividho bhavati—yaḥ śrutānāṃ dharmāṇāmarthamupaparīkṣate yaśca śrutānāṃ dharmāṇāmarthaṃ nopaparīkṣate. tatra yo'rthamupaparīkṣate sa viśiṣṭataro yaścārthaṃ nopaparīkṣate sa hīnataraḥ.

yo'rthamupaparīkṣate so'pi dvividho bhavati—eko dharmajño'rthajño dharmānudharmapratipanno'nudharmacārī yathādharmaṃ carati. aparaścādharmajño'narthajño na dharmānudharmapratipanno nānudharmacārī na yathādharmaṃ carati. tatra yo dharmajño'rthajño dharmānudharmapratipanno'nudharmacārī yathādharmaṃ carati sa viśiṣṭataraḥ. yastvadharmajño'narthajño na dharmānudharmapratipanno nānudharmacārī na yathādharmaṃ carati sa hīnataraḥ.

yo dharmajño'rthajño dharmānudharmapratipanno'nudharmacārī yathādharmaṃ carati so'pi dvividho bhavati—eka ātmahitāya pratipannaḥ parahitāya ca bahujanahitāya lokānukampāyai devamanuṣyānāmarthāya hitāya yogakṣemāya sukhāya ca. aparaśca nātmahitāya pratipanno na parahitāya na bahujanahitāya na lokānukampāyai devamanuṣyānāṃ nārthāya na hitāya na yogakṣemāya na sukhāya. tatra ya ātmahitāya pratipannaḥ parahitāya ca bahujanahitāya lokānukampāyai devamanuṣyānāmarthāya hitāya yogakṣemāya sukhāya ca sa teṣu pudgaleṣvagrya ityucyate mahāñchreṣṭho jyeṣṭhaḥ pravaro vara uttamaśca. tadyathā gorutpadyate kṣīraṃ kṣīrāddadhi dadhno navanītaṃ navanītātsarpiḥ sarpiṣaḥ sarpirmaṇḍaḥ. sarpirmaṇḍasteṣāmagrya ityucyate mahāñchreṣṭho jyeṣṭhaḥ pravaro vara uttamaśca. evameva ya ātmahitāya pratipannaḥ parahitāya ca bahujanahitāya lokānukampāyai devamanuṣyānāmarthāya hitāya yogakṣemāya sukhāya ca sa teṣu pudgaleṣvagrya ityucyate mahāñchreṣṭho jyeṣṭhaḥ pravaro vara uttamaśca. etayoḥ purastādbhāṣitayoḥ purastādvibhaktayoḥ purastātprajñaptayoḥ pudgalayorayaṃ pudgalo'grya ityucyate, mahāñchreṣṭho jyeṣṭhaḥ pravaro vara uttamaśca. evaṃ hi bhikṣuḥ pudgalavarāvarajño bhavati.

idamavocadbhagavān. āttamanasaste bhikṣavo bhagavato bhāṣitamabhyanandan.

bhadradharmasūtraṃ prathamaṃ samāptam.