[46] 9. Thus have I heard. On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Gayā, on Gayāsīsa. Now on that occasion many matted-hair ascetics (jaṭila), on the cold nights of winter, in the eight-day interval (antaraṭṭhaka) at the time of snowfall, were emerging in the Gayā, submerging, and performing repeated emerging-and-submerging; they were pouring water over themselves and making oblations to fire, [thinking,] "By this there is purity."
The Blessed One saw those many matted-hair ascetics, on the cold nights of winter, in the eight-day interval at the time of snowfall, emerging in the Gayā, submerging, performing repeated emerging-and-submerging, pouring water over themselves, and making oblations to fire, [thinking,] "By this there is purity."
Then the Blessed One, having understood the meaning of this, at that time uttered this inspired utterance (udāna):
Not by water does one become pure, though many are the folk who bathe here;
in whom there is truth (sacca) and Dhamma, he is the pure one, and he is a brahmin (brāhmaṇa).
The ninth [sutta].
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.