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M. A. Dhaky
And finally the following verse in the selfsame hymn once more refers to Nātaputta : “And just as the one who possesses seven lavas (in the five ultimate heavenly worlds) are best among those beings who remain in stable state, and as the heaven Sudharmā's is the finest of all assembly-halls, and among all orders the one that leads to the path of liberation is the best, so is Nātaputta matchless (among the "knowers'):
ठितीण सेट्ठा लवसत्तमा या सभा सूधम्मा व सभाण सेठा । निव्वाण सेट्ठा जथ सव्वधम्मा नातपुत्ता परमत्थि नाणी ॥
-सूत्रकृतांग १.६.२४ Also in Book II of the Sūtrakstānga, in the chapter “Ardrakiya" (c. 3rd2nd cent. B. C.) references to Samaņa Nātaputta and Isiņo Nātaputta figure :
पन्नं जता वणिए उदयट्ठी आतस्स हेतु पगरेति संगं । ततोवमे समणे नातपुत्ते इच्चेव मे होती मती वियक्का ॥
-सूत्रकृतांग २.६.१९ सव्वे सि जीवान दयट्ठताए सावज्ज दोसं परिवज्जयंता । तस्संकिणो इसिणो नातपुत्ता उदिट्ठभत्तं परिवज्जयंति ॥
-सूत्रकृतांग २.६.४० The Daśavaikālika-sūtra also refers to Nātaputta in its chapter on "Pindesana" (c. 3rd-2nd cent. B. C.) which dwells upon monastic rules for begging food and permissible alms. The two verses cited below (without translation) is the first case in point :
एतं च दोसं दठूनं नातपुत्तेन भासितं । अणुमातं पि मेधावी मायामोसं विवज्जए ।
--वशवकालिकसूत्र ५.२.४९ विडमुब्भेइमं लोणं तेल्लं सप्पि च फाणितं । न ते सन्निहिमिच्छंति नातपुत्तवचोरता ।।
-दशवकालिकसूत्र ६.१७ The next two verses claim that, if clothes, begging bowl, blanket, and the feet-cleaner are accepted (by a friar) for the sake of modesty and for the maintenance of ascetic practices, it cannot be construed as possession (parigraha); because it is in the final analysis) the "attachment which is possession par excellence as enjoined by Nataputta': .
जं पि वत्थं च पातं वा कंबलं पादपुंछनं । तं पि संजम-लज्जट्ठा धारेंति परिहरे वि च ॥ न सो परिग्गहो वुत्तो नातपुत्तेन ताइना। मुच्छा परिग्गहो वुत्तो इति वुतं महेसिणा ॥
-दशवकालिकसूत्र ६.१९-२०
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