[324] "Master Gotama, there are those ascetics and brahmins who are heads of orders, heads of groups, teachers of groups, well-known and famous founders of sects (titthakarā), esteemed as good by the multitude — namely, Pūraṇa Kassapa, Makkhali Gosāla, Nigaṇṭha Nāṭaputta, Sañjaya Velaṭṭhaputta, Pakudha³ Kaccāyana, and Ajita Kesakambala.⁴ Even they, when asked by me, 'Do you claim: "I have fully awakened to the unsurpassed perfect enlightenment (anuttarā sammāsambodhi)"?' do not claim to have fully awakened to the unsurpassed perfect enlightenment. How then can Master Gotama [claim this], when he is both young by birth and new in the going forth (pabbajjā)?"
[Siam edition variant-reading footnotes:]
¹ Sī.: the twofold reading "iti paṭijānāti" is not found. (Refers to text preceding this excerpt.)
² Ma.: "mameva taṃ". (Refers to text preceding this excerpt.)
³ Sī., Yu.: "Kakudho".
⁴ Sī.: "Kesakambalī".
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.