Aṇguttara-Nikāya
Pañcaka-Nipāta
22. Akkosaka Vagga
The Book of the Gradual Sayings
The Book of the Fives
Chapter XXII: The Abuser
Sutta 220
Madhurā[1]
Translated by E. M. Hare
Copyright The Pali Text Society
Commercial Rights Reserved
For details see Terms of Use.
[1] Thus have I heard:
Once the Exalted One dwelt near Sāvatthī, at Jeta Grove, in Anāthapiṇḍika's Park;
and there he addressed the monks, saying:
"Monks."
'Yes, lord,' they replied; and the Exalted One said:
"Monks, there are these five disadvantages in Madhurā.
What five?
(The ground) is uneven;
there is much dust;
there are fierce dogs;
bestial yakkhas;
and alms are got with difficulty.
Monks, these are the five disadvantages in Madhurā.'
[1] This no doubt is Madhura or Mathura on the Jumna; see Rhys Davids, Buddh. India, 36. Comy. tells of how the B. met a yakkhinī there who put out her tongue at him. M. is not mentioned in D., only in one sutta in M., never in S., and thrice in A. Later than the Buddha it became a Jain centre, 300 B.C., see C.H.I. i, 167. However, when the Chinese pilgrims Fa Hsien and Yuan Chwang visited it, Buddhism flourished there (Watters, p. 301). Quoting the Mūla sarvā.stivāda-nikāya-vinaya, he gives the following five 'defects': the ground was uneven, it was covered with stones and brickbats, it abounded in prickly shrubs, the people took solitary meals, and there were too many women' (p. 312, vol. i).
