[277] **"Desiring praise, claiming to be skilled" (pasaṃsakāmā kusalāvadānā):** As to **"desiring praise" (pasaṃsakāmā)** — they are desirous of praise, wanting praise, intent upon praise, giving precedence to praise, going about in search of praise.
As to **"claiming to be skilled" (kusalāvadānā)** — they speak of themselves as skilled, speak of themselves as wise, speak of themselves as sagacious, speak of themselves as possessed of knowledge (ñāṇa), speak of themselves as possessed of reasons, speak of themselves as possessed of characteristics, speak of themselves as possessed of grounds, speak of themselves as possessed of standing — according to their own creed. Hence, "desiring praise, claiming to be skilled." Therefore the Blessed One said:
Desiring debate, having plunged into the assembly,
they brand one another mutually as fools;
relying on another, they utter contentious talk,
desiring praise, claiming to be skilled.
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.