MĀ 13 tīrthyasūtram

[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 tīrthyasūtraṃ tṛtīyam.

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

tasminsamaye bhagavānbhikṣūnāmantrayata—trīṇīmāni bhikṣavastīrthāyatanāni nānāgotrāṇi nānānāmāni nānāpakṣāṇi nānāvādāni yāni prājñaiḥ suparigṛhītāni sudhāritāni parebhyaścākhyātāni, tathāpyanarthāya saṃvartante.

katamāni trīṇi? santi bhikṣava eke śramaṇabrāhmaṇā evaṃdṛṣṭaya evaṃvādinaḥ—yatkiñcidayaṃ puruṣaḥ karoti tatsarvaṃ pūrvakṛtahetukamiti. santi punareke śramaṇabrāhmaṇā evaṃdṛṣṭaya evaṃvādinaḥ—yatkiñcidayaṃ puruṣaḥ karoti tatsarvamīśvaranirmāṇahetukamiti. santi punareke śramaṇabrāhmaṇā evaṃdṛṣṭaya evaṃvādinaḥ—yatkiñcidayaṃ puruṣaḥ karoti tatsarvamahetukamapratyayamiti.

tatra ye te śramaṇabrāhmaṇā evaṃdṛṣṭaya evaṃvādinaḥ—yatkiñcidayaṃ puruṣaḥ karoti tatsarvaṃ pūrvakṛtahetukamiti, tānahamupasaṅkramyaivaṃ pṛcchāmi—kiṃ nu yūyamāyuṣmantaḥ satyamevaṃdṛṣṭaya evaṃvādinaḥ, yatkiñcidayaṃ puruṣaḥ karoti tatsarvaṃ pūrvakṛtahetukamiti? te evamityāhuḥ. tānahamevaṃ vadāmi—yadyevamāyuṣmantaḥ sarve yūyaṃ prāṇātipātino bhaviṣyatha. tatkasya hetoḥ? sarvasya pūrvakṛtahetukatvāt. evamāyuṣmantaḥ sarve yūyamadattādāyinaḥ kāmeṣu mithyācārino mṛṣāvādino yāvadmithyādṛṣṭayo bhaviṣyatha. tatkasya hetoḥ? sarvasya pūrvakṛtahetukatvāt. āyuṣmantaḥ sarvaṃ pūrvakṛtahetukamiti yathābhūtaṃ samanupaśyatām, idaṃ kartavyamidaṃ vākartavyamiti chando vā vyāyāmo vā na bhavati. āyuṣmanta idaṃ kartavyamidaṃ vākartavyamiti yathābhūtamajānānānāṃ muṣitasmṛtīnāmasamprajānānāṃ saha dharmeṇopadeśo na yujyate. ya evaṃ śramaṇadharmeṇa vadati, sa sahetukaṃ tāñchramaṇabrāhmaṇānnigṛhṇāti.

tatra ye te śramaṇabrāhmaṇā evaṃdṛṣṭaya evaṃvādinaḥ—yatkiñcidayaṃ puruṣaḥ karoti tatsarvamīśvaranirmāṇahetukamiti, tānahamupasaṅkramyaivaṃ pṛcchāmi—kiṃ nu yūyamāyuṣmantaḥ satyamevaṃdṛṣṭaya evaṃvādinaḥ, yatkiñcidayaṃ puruṣaḥ karoti tatsarvamīśvaranirmāṇahetukamiti? te evamityāhuḥ. tānahamevaṃ vadāmi—yadyevamāyuṣmantaḥ sarve yūyaṃ prāṇātipātino bhaviṣyatha. tatkasya hetoḥ? sarvasyaiśvaranirmāṇahetukatvāt. evamāyuṣmantaḥ sarve yūyamadattādāyinaḥ kāmeṣu mithyācārino mṛṣāvādino yāvadmithyādṛṣṭayo bhaviṣyatha. tatkasya hetoḥ? sarvasyaiśvaranirmāṇahetukatvāt. āyuṣmantaḥ sarvamīśvaranirmāṇahetukamiti yathābhūtaṃ samanupaśyatām, idaṃ kartavyamidaṃ vākartavyamiti chando vā vyāyāmo vā na bhavati. āyuṣmanta idaṃ kartavyamidaṃ vākartavyamiti yathābhūtamajānānānāṃ muṣitasmṛtīnāmasamprajānānāṃ saha dharmeṇopadeśo na yujyate. ya evaṃ śramaṇadharmeṇa vadati, sa sahetukaṃ tāñchramaṇabrāhmaṇānnigṛhṇāti.

tatra ye te śramaṇabrāhmaṇā evaṃdṛṣṭaya evaṃvādinaḥ—yatkiñcidayaṃ puruṣaḥ karoti tatsarvamahetukamapratyayamiti, tānahamupasaṅkramyaivaṃ pṛcchāmi—kiṃ nu yūyamāyuṣmantaḥ satyamevaṃdṛṣṭaya evaṃvādinaḥ, yatkiñcidayaṃ puruṣaḥ karoti tatsarvamahetukamapratyayamiti? te evamityāhuḥ. tānahamevaṃ vadāmi—yadyevamāyuṣmantaḥ sarve yūyaṃ prāṇātipātino bhaviṣyatha. tatkasya hetoḥ? sarvasyāhetukatvādapratyayatvāt. evamāyuṣmantaḥ sarve yūyamadattādāyinaḥ kāmeṣu mithyācārino mṛṣāvādino yāvadmithyādṛṣṭayo bhaviṣyatha. tatkasya hetoḥ? sarvasyāhetukatvādapratyayatvāt. āyuṣmantaḥ sarvamahetukamapratyayamiti yathābhūtaṃ samanupaśyatām, idaṃ kartavyamidaṃ vākartavyamiti chando vā vyāyāmo vā na bhavati. āyuṣmanta idaṃ kartavyamidaṃ vākartavyamiti yathābhūtamajānānānāṃ muṣitasmṛtīnāmasamprajānānāṃ saha dharmeṇopadeśo na yujyate. ya evaṃ śramaṇadharmeṇa vadati, sa sahetukaṃ tāñchramaṇabrāhmaṇānnigṛhṇāti.

yo me dharmo bhikṣavaḥ svayaṃ jñātaḥ svayamabhisaṃbuddho yuṣmākamākhyātaḥ, sa śramaṇena vā brāhmaṇena vā devena vā māreṇa vā brahmaṇā vā kenacidvā punarloke'nigṛhīto'saṃkliṣṭo'pratikruṣṭaḥ. katamaśca me dharmo bhikṣavaḥ svayaṃ jñātaḥ svayamabhisaṃbuddho yuṣmākamākhyātaḥ, yaḥ śramaṇena vā brāhmaṇena vā devena vā māreṇa vā brahmaṇā vā kenacidvā punarloke'nigṛhīto'saṃkliṣṭo'pratikruṣṭaḥ?

yaduta ṣaḍāyatanadharmāḥ, so'yaṃ me dharmo svayaṃ jñātaḥ svayamabhisaṃbuddho yuṣmākamākhyātaḥ, yaḥ śramaṇena vā brāhmaṇena vā devena vā māreṇa vā brahmaṇā vā kenacidvā punarloke'nigṛhīto'saṃkliṣṭo'pratikruṣṭaḥ.

punaraparaṃ ṣaḍdhātudharmāḥ, so'yaṃ me dharmo svayaṃ jñātaḥ svayamabhisaṃbuddho yuṣmākamākhyātaḥ, yaḥ śramaṇena vā brāhmaṇena vā devena vā māreṇa vā brahmaṇā vā kenacidvā punarloke'nigṛhīto'saṃkliṣṭo'pratikruṣṭaḥ.

katame te ṣaḍāyatanadharmā ye mayā svayaṃ jñātāḥ svayamabhisaṃbuddhā yuṣmākamākhyātāḥ? yaduta cakṣurāyatanaṃ śrotrāyatanaṃ ghrāṇāyatanaṃ jihvāyatanaṃ kāyāyatanaṃ manāyatanam. ime te ṣaḍāyatanadharmā ye mayā svayaṃ jñātāḥ svayamabhisaṃbuddhā yuṣmākamākhyātāḥ.

katame te ṣaḍdhātudharmā ye mayā svayaṃ jñātāḥ svayamabhisaṃbuddhā yuṣmākamākhyātāḥ? yaduta pṛthivīdhāturabdhātustejodhāturvāyudhāturākāśadhāturvijñānadhātuḥ. ime te ṣaḍdhātudharmā ye mayā svayaṃ jñātāḥ svayamabhisaṃbuddhā yuṣmākamākhyātāḥ.

ṣaṇṇāṃ dhātūnāṃ samavāyādmātuḥ kukṣāvavakrāntirbhavati, ṣaḍdhātūnpratītya ṣaḍāyatanaṃ bhavati, ṣaḍāyatanaṃ pratītya sparśo bhavati, sparśaṃ pratītya vedanā bhavati.

yasyāsti bhikṣavo vedanā, sa duḥkhaṃ yathābhūtaṃ prajānāti, duḥkhasamudayaṃ duḥkhanirodhaṃ duḥkhanirodhagāminīṃ pratipadaṃ yathābhūtaṃ prajānāti.

kathaṃ ca duḥkhaṃ yathābhūtaṃ prajānāti? yaduta jātirapi duḥkhaṃ jarāpi duḥkhaṃ vyādhirapi duḥkhaṃ maraṇamapi duḥkhamapriyasamprayogo'pi duḥkhaṃ priyaviprayogo'pi duḥkhaṃ yadapīcchanna labhate tadapi duḥkham, saṃkṣepeṇa pañcopādānaskandhā duḥkham. iti duḥkhaṃ yathābhūtaṃ prajānāti.

kathaṃ ca duḥkhasamudayaṃ yathābhūtaṃ prajānāti? yāyaṃ tṛṣṇā paunarbhavikī nandīrāgasahagatā tatratatrābhinandinī, iti duḥkhasamudayaṃ yathābhūtaṃ prajānāti.

kathaṃ ca duḥkhanirodhaṃ yathābhūtaṃ prajānāti? yadasyā eva tṛṣṇāyāḥ paunarbhavikyā nandīrāgasahagatāyāstatratatrābhinandinyā aśeṣaprahāṇaṃ pratinisargo vāntiḥ kṣayo virāgo nirodho vyupaśamo'staṅgamaḥ, iti duḥkhanirodhaṃ yathābhūtaṃ prajānāti.

kathaṃ ca duḥkhanirodhagāminīṃ pratipadaṃ yathābhūtaṃ prajānāti? yadutāryāṣṭāṅgo mārgaḥ, tadyathā—samyagdṛṣṭiryāvatsamyaksamādhirityaṣṭau. iti duḥkhanirodhagāminīṃ pratipadaṃ yathābhūtaṃ prajānāti.

tasmādbhikṣavo duḥkhaṃ yathābhūtaṃ parijñeyam, duḥkhasamudayaḥ prahātavyaḥ, duḥkhanirodhaḥ sākṣātkartavyaḥ, duḥkhanirodhagāminī pratipadbhāvitavyā.

sa yadi bhikṣurduḥkhaṃ yathābhūtaṃ parijānāti, duḥkhasamudayaṃ prajahāti, duḥkhanirodhaṃ sākṣātkaroti, duḥkhanirodhagāminīṃ pratipadaṃ bhāvayati; sa evaṃ bhikṣuḥ sarvāsravakṣīṇa ityucyate chinnasaṃyojanaḥ samyagjñānena duḥkhasyāntaṃ karoti.

idamavocadbhagavān. āttamanasaste bhikṣavo bhagavato bhāṣitamabhyanandan.

tīrthyasūtraṃ tṛtīyaṃ samāptam.