[628] Then the Blessed One, knowing that the brahmin student Assalāyana sat silent, abashed, with drooping shoulders and downcast face, brooding, at a loss for a reply, said to him: "Formerly, Assalāyana, when seven brahmin seers were dwelling in leaf huts in a forest region, this evil view had arisen in them: 'Only brahmins are the highest class (vaṇṇa); any other class is inferior … heirs of Brahmā.'
"The seer Asita Devala heard, Assalāyana: 'It seems that in seven brahmin seers, dwelling in leaf huts in a forest region, this evil view has arisen: "Only brahmins are the highest class … heirs of Brahmā."' Then, Assalāyana, the seer Asita Devala arranged his hair and beard, dressed himself in garments of crimson colour, put on lined sandals, took up a staff made of gold, and appeared in the courtyard of the seven brahmin seers. Then, Assalāyana, the seer Asita Devala, walking back and forth in the courtyard of the seven brahmin seers, said: 'Well now, where have these worthy brahmin seers gone? Well now, where have these worthy brahmin seers gone?' Then, Assalāyana, the seven brahmin seers said of the seer Asita Devala: 'Who is this, walking back and forth like a village boy in the courtyard of the seven brahmin seers, saying: "Well now, where have these worthy brahmin seers gone? Well now, where have these worthy brahmin seers gone?" Come, let us curse him!' Then, Assalāyana, the seven brahmin seers cursed the seer Asita Devala: 'Be ashes, wretch! Be ashes, wretch! Be ashes, wretch!' But, Assalāyana, the more the seven brahmin seers cursed the seer Asita Devala, the more handsome, the more comely, and the more graceful he became. Then, Assalāyana, it occurred to the seven brahmin seers: 'Vain indeed is our asceticism (tapa); fruitless is our holy life (brahmacariya)! For formerly, when we cursed anyone, "Be ashes, wretch!" some would indeed become ashes; but this one, the more we curse him, the more handsome, comely, and graceful he becomes.'
"'Your asceticism is not vain, sirs, nor is your holy life fruitless. Come, sirs, dispel the mental hatred that you bear towards me.'
"'Whatever mental hatred there is, we dispel it. But who might the worthy one be?'
"'Have you sirs heard of the seer Asita Devala?'
"'Yes, sir.'
"'I, sirs, am he.'
"Then, Assalāyana, the seven brahmin seers set about saluting the seer Asita Devala. Then, Assalāyana, the seer Asita Devala said to the seven brahmin seers: 'I have heard this, sirs: it seems that in seven brahmin seers, dwelling in leaf huts in a forest region, this evil view has arisen: "Only brahmins are the highest class; any other class is inferior; only brahmins are the fair class; any other class is dark; only brahmins are purified, not non-brahmins; only brahmins are Brahmā's sons, his own offspring, born from his mouth, born of Brahmā, created by Brahmā, heirs of Brahmā."'
"'So it is, sir.'
"'But do you sirs know whether the mother who bore you went only with a brahmin, and not with a non-brahmin?'
"'Not this, sir.'
"'But do you sirs know whether the mother of the mother who bore you, back through seven generations of maternal grandmothers, went only with brahmins, and not with non-brahmins?'
"'Not this, sir.'
"'But do you sirs know whether the father who begot you went only with a brahmin woman, and not with a non-brahmin woman?'
"'Not this, sir.'
"'But do you sirs know whether the father of the father who begot you, back through seven generations of paternal grandfathers, went only with brahmin women, and not with non-brahmin women?'
"'Not this, sir.'
"'But do you sirs know how the descent of the embryo comes about?'
"'We do know, sir, how the descent of the embryo comes about: here the mother and father come together, the mother is in season, and the gandhabba is present — thus, from the coming together of these three, the descent of the embryo comes about.'
"'But do you sirs know for certain whether that gandhabba is a khattiya, a brahmin, a vessa, or a sudda?'
"'We do not know, sir, for certain whether that gandhabba is a khattiya, a brahmin, a vessa, or a sudda.'
"'That being so, sirs, do you know what you are?'
"'That being so, sir, we do not know what we are.'
"Now, Assalāyana, when even those seven brahmin seers, being questioned, cross-questioned, and pressed by the seer Asita Devala on their own doctrine of birth, could not make good their case, how shall you, being now questioned, cross-questioned, and pressed by me on your own doctrine of birth, make good yours — you who, together with your teacher, are not the equal even of Puṇṇa, their ladle-holder?"
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.