So I have heard. Evaṁ me sutaṁ—At one time, when he was first awakened, the Buddha was staying in Uruvelā at the goatherd’s banyan tree on the bank of the Nerañjarā River. ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā uruvelāyaṁ viharati najjā nerañjarāya tīre ajapālanigrodhe paṭhamābhisambuddho. There the Buddha sat cross-legged for seven days without moving, experiencing the bliss of freedom. Tena kho pana samayena bhagavā sattāhaṁ ekapallaṅkena nisinno hoti vimuttisukhapaṭisaṁvedī. When seven days had passed, the Buddha emerged from that state of immersion. Atha kho bhagavā tassa sattāhassa accayena tamhā samādhimhā vuṭṭhāsi.

Then a certain brahmin, one of those who murmured the mystic syllable <i lang='pi' translate='no'>huṁ</i>, <i lang='pi' translate='no'>huṁ</i>, went up to the Buddha and exchanged greetings with him. Atha kho aññataro huṁhuṅkajātiko brāhmaṇo yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavatā saddhiṁ sammodi. When the greetings and polite conversation were over, he stood to one side and said, Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ aṭṭhāsi. Ekamantaṁ ṭhito kho so brāhmaṇo bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “Worthy Gotama, how do you define a brahmin? And what are the things that make one a brahmin?” “kittāvatā nu kho, bho gotama, brāhmaṇo hoti, katame ca pana brāhmaṇakaraṇā dhammā”ti?

Then, understanding this matter, on that occasion the Buddha expressed this heartfelt sentiment: Atha kho bhagavā etamatthaṁ viditvā tāyaṁ velāyaṁ imaṁ udānaṁ udānesi:

“Any brahmin who has banished bad qualities—“Yo brāhmaṇo bāhitapāpadhammo, not murmuring the mystic syllable <i lang='pi' translate='no'>huṁ</i>, <j>unstained, self-controlled, Nihuṁhuṅko nikkasāvo yatatto; a complete knowledge master <j>who has completed the spiritual journey—Vedantagū vūsitabrahmacariyo, they may legitimately proclaim the divine doctrine; Dhammena so brahmavādaṁ vadeyya; who have no pretensions about anything in the world.” Yassussadā natthi kuhiñci loke”ti.

Catutthaṁ.