[142] On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Vesālī, in the Great Wood, in the Hall with the Peaked Roof. Then the Venerable Ānanda approached the Blessed One; having approached and paid homage to the Blessed One, he sat down at one side. Sitting at one side, the Venerable Ānanda said this to the Blessed One: "Venerable sir, possessed of how many qualities should a bhikkhu be agreed upon as an exhorter of bhikkhunīs (bhikkhunovādaka)?"
"Ānanda, possessed of eight qualities a bhikkhu should be agreed upon as an exhorter of bhikkhunīs. What eight? Here, Ānanda, a bhikkhu is virtuous … he trains himself, having undertaken the training rules. He is greatly learned … well penetrated by view. Both Pātimokkhas have been well handed down to him in detail, well analyzed, well mastered, well determined, both as to the rule (suttaso) and as to the detailed explanation (anubyañjanaso). He is of good speech and good enunciation, endowed with urbane speech that is distinct, faultless, and conveys the meaning. He is capable of instructing, encouraging, inspiring, and gladdening the Saṅgha of bhikkhunīs with a talk on the Dhamma. He is, for the most part, dear and agreeable to the bhikkhunīs. He has never before committed a grave offense (garudhamma) against a woman gone forth in dedication to the Blessed One, wearing the ochre robe. And he is of twenty years' standing, or of more than twenty years' standing. Possessed of these eight qualities, Ānanda, a bhikkhu should be agreed upon as an exhorter of bhikkhunīs."
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.