212 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES
‘He would, Gotama.’
‘And would the Brahmans teach him their verses?’
‘They would, Gotama?’
‘And would he be shut off, or not, from their women?’
‘He would not, Gotama.’
‘But thereby, Ambattha, the Kshatriya would have fallen into the deepest degradation, shaven as to his head, cut dead with the ash-basket, banished from land and townships. So that, even when a Kshatriya has fallen into the deepest degradation, still it holds good that the Kshatriyas are higher, and the Brahmans inferior.
- ‘Moreover it was one of the Brahma gods, Sanam-kumara, who uttered this stanza.”
“The Kshatriya is the best of those among this folk who put their trust in lineage.
But he who is perfect in wisdom and righteousness, he is the best among gods and men.”
‘Now this stanza, Ambattha, was well sung and not ill sung by the Brahma Sanam-kumara. well said and not ill said, full of meaning and not void thereof. And 1 too approve it,
‘I also’ Ambattha says:
“The Kshatriya is the best of those among this folk who put their trust in lineage.
But he who is perfect in wisdom and righteousness, he is the best among gods and men.”
HERE ENDS THE FIRST PORTION FOR RECITATION
…..
- ‘But what. Gotama, is the righteousness and what the wisdom spoken of in that verse?’
‘In the supreme perfection in wisdom and righteousness. Ambattha, there is no reference to the question either of birth, or of lineage, or of the pride which says: “You are held as worthy as I”, or “You are not held as worthy as I”. It is where the talk is of marrying, or giving in marriage, that reference is made to such things as that. For whosoever. Ambattha. are in bondage to the notions of birth or of lineage, or to the pride of social position, or of connection by marrige. they are far from the best wisdom and righteousness. It is only by having got rid of all such bondage that one can realise for himself that supreme perfection in wisdom and in conduct.
- ‘But what, Gotama. is that conduct, and what that wisdom?’
[Here follow, under ‘Morality’ (Sila)]
The introductory paragraphs (40 42 of the ‘Samanaphala’ pp. 62,
63 of the text) on the appearance of a Buddha, his preaching the conversion of a hearer, and his renunciation of the world: then come.