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1. Now when the Blessed One had remained at Bhaddiya as long as he thought fit, he set out on a journey towards Sâvatthi. And walking from place to place he arrived at Sâvatthi. There the Blessed One dwelt at Sâvatthi at the Getavana, Anâtha-pindika's Grove.
2. Now at that time the Khabbaggiya Bhikkhus used to catch hold of the heifers crossing on the Akiravatî River by their horns, or ears, or dewlaps, or tails 4, or spring up upon their backs, or touch with lustful
thoughts their privy parts: and they used to duck the young calves and so kill them. People were annoyed, murmured, and became angry, saying, 'How can the Sakyaputtiya Samanas [act thus]? it is like men still enjoying the pleasures of the world.'
And Bhikkhus heard them murmuring in annoyance and indignation: and those Bhikkhus told this thing to the Blessed One.
'Is it true' (&c., see chap. 4. 2)?
'It is true, Lord.'
He rebuked them, and having delivered a religious discourse, he addressed the Bhikkhus, and said:
'Heifers are not to be caught hold of, O Bhikkhus, by their horns, or their ears, or their dewlaps, or their tails. You are not to get up on their backs. Whosoever gets up on their backs, is guilty of a dukkata offence. And their privy parts, O Bhikkhus, are not to be touched with lustful thoughts. Whosoever does so, is guilty of a thullakkaya offence. And calves ought not to be killed. Whosoever kills them, let him be dealt with according to law 1.'
3. Now at that time the Khabbaggiya Bhikkhus used to have themselves carried in vehicles to which cows were yoked with a bull between them, or bulls were yoked with a cow between them 2. People were annoyed, murmured, and became angry, saying, 'That is as is done at the Feast of the Gaṅgâ and the Mahî 3.'
They told this thing to the Blessed One.
'Do not have yourselves carried in vehicles, O Bhikkhus. Whosoever does so, is guilty of a dukkata offence.'
24:4 On kheppâ, compare Sutta-vibhaṅga I, 6; and Böhtlingk-Roth under sepa and parukkhepa.
25:1 See the 61st Pâkittiya Rule.
25:2 Buddhaghosa explains this passage in a different way: Itthi-yuttenâ ’ti dhenu-yuttena. Purisantarenâ ’ti purisa-sârathinâ. Purisa-yuttenâ ’ti gona-yuttena. Itthantarenâ ’ti itthi-sârathinâ.
25:3 Gaṅgâ-mahiyâyâ ’ti Gaṅgâ-mahî-kilikâya (B.). It is possible That Mahî may here mean the Earth; but it is probably the p. 26 well-known affluent of the Ganges, which is one of the Mahânadîs. Compare Kullavagga IX, 1, 3, Spence Hardy's 'Manual,' p. 17, and the Dhaniya Sutta in the Sutta Nipâta.