[369] "But what do you think, Vāseṭṭha — among the brahmins versed in the three Vedas (tevijjā), is there even a single brahmin by whom Brahmā has been seen face to face?"
"No indeed, worthy Gotama."
"But what do you think, Vāseṭṭha — among the brahmins versed in the three Vedas, is there even a single teacher by whom Brahmā has been seen face to face?"
"No indeed, worthy Gotama."
"But what do you think, Vāseṭṭha — among the brahmins versed in the three Vedas, is there even a single teacher's teacher by whom Brahmā has been seen face to face?"
"No indeed, worthy Gotama."
"But what do you think, Vāseṭṭha — among the brahmins versed in the three Vedas, is there anyone, back through seven generations of teachers, by whom Brahmā has been seen face to face?"
"No indeed, worthy Gotama."
"But what do you think, Vāseṭṭha — as for those ancient seers of the brahmins versed in the three Vedas, the composers of the hymns (manta), the propagators of the hymns, whose ancient corpus of hymns — sung, recited, and compiled — the brahmins versed in the three Vedas nowadays still sing after and recite after, reciting what was recited and teaching what was taught — namely, Aṭṭhaka, Vāmaka, Vāmadeva, Vessāmitta, Yamataggi, Aṅgirasa, Bhāradvāja, Vāseṭṭha, Kassapa, and Bhagu — did even they speak thus: 'We know this, we see this — where Brahmā is, by what way Brahmā is, or in what place Brahmā is'?"
"No indeed, worthy Gotama."
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.