1Thus I heard: At one time the Gracious One was dwelling near Sāvatthī, in Jeta's Wood, at Anāthapiṇḍika's monastery. Then at that time, amongst many monks, after returning from the alms-round after the meal, assembling together, and sitting in the Round Hall, this conversation arose:

"Now who, venerable friends, knows a craft? Who has trained in what craft? Which craft is the greatest of the crafts?"

2Then some said this: "Elephant-craft is the greatest of the crafts," some said this: "Horse-craft is the greatest of the crafts," some said this: "Chariot-craft is the greatest of the crafts," some said this: "Bow-craft is the greatest of the crafts," some said this: "Sword-craft is the greatest of the crafts," some said this: "Finger-calculation-craft is the greatest of the crafts," some said this: "Abacus-craft is the greatest of the crafts," some said this: "Accountancy-craft is the greatest of the crafts," some said this: "Writing-craft is the greatest of the crafts," some said this: "Poetry-craft is the greatest of the crafts," some said this: "Natural philosophy-craft is the greatest of the crafts," some said this: "Political science-craft is the greatest of the crafts." Now this conversation that arose amongst those monks was left unfinished.

3Then the Gracious One, having risen from seclusion in the evening time, went to the Round Hall, and after going, he sat down on the prepared seat. Having sat down the Gracious One addressed the monks, saying: "What is the talk about, monks, amongst those who have assembled at present, and what is the conversation amongst you that was left unfinished?"

4"Here, reverend Sir, after returning from the alms-round after the meal, assembling together, and sitting in the Round Hall, this conversation arose:

"Now who, venerable friends, knows a craft? Who has trained in what craft? Which of the crafts is the greatest of the crafts?"

5Then some said this: "Elephant-craft is the greatest of the crafts," some said this: "Horse-craft is the greatest of the crafts," some said this: "Chariot-craft is the greatest of the crafts," some said this: "Bow-craft is the greatest of the crafts," some said this: "Sword-craft is the greatest of the crafts," some said this: "Finger-calculation-craft is the greatest of the crafts," some said this: "Abacus-craft is the greatest of the crafts," some said this: "Accountancy-craft is the greatest of the crafts," some said this: "Writing-craft is the greatest of the crafts," some said this: "Poetry-craft is the greatest of the crafts," some said this: "Natural philosophy-craft is the greatest of the crafts," some said this: "Political science-craft is the greatest of the crafts." This is the conversation, reverend Sir, that we left unfinished, then the Gracious One arrived."

6"This is certainly not suitable, monks, for you sons of good family who through faith have gone forth from the home to homelessness, that you should talk such talk. When you have assembled together, monks, there are two things that you ought to do: talk about the Dhamma, or maintain noble silence."

7Then the Gracious One, having understood the significance of it, on that occasion uttered this exalted utterance:

1Evaṁ me sutaṁ — ​   ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme. Tena kho pana samayena sambahulānaṁ bhikkhūnaṁ pacchābhattaṁ piṇḍapātapaṭikkantānaṁ maṇḍalamāḷe sannisinnānaṁ sannipatitānaṁ ayamantarākathā udapādi: 

"Ko nu kho, āvuso, sippaṁ jānāti? Ko kiṁ sippaṁ sikkhi? Kataraṁ sippaṁ sippānaṁ aggan"ti?

2Tatthekacce evamāhaṁsu:  "hatthisippaṁ sippānaṁ aggan"ti. Ekacce evamāhaṁsu:  "assasippaṁ sippānaṁ aggan"ti. Ekacce evamāhaṁsu:  "rathasippaṁ sippānaṁ aggan"ti. Ekacce evamāhaṁsu:  "dhanusippaṁ sippānaṁ aggan"ti. Ekacce evamāhaṁsu:  "tharusippaṁ sippānaṁ aggan"ti. Ekacce evamāhaṁsu:  "muddāsippaṁ sippānaṁ aggan"ti. Ekacce evamāhaṁsu:  "gaṇanāsippaṁ sippānaṁ aggan"ti. Ekacce evamāhaṁsu:  "saṅkhānasippaṁ sippānaṁ aggan"ti. Ekacce evamāhaṁsu:  "lekhāsippaṁ sippānaṁ aggan"ti. Ekacce evamāhaṁsu:  "kāveyyasippaṁ sippānaṁ aggan"ti. Ekacce evamāhaṁsu:  "lokāyatasippaṁ sippānaṁ aggan"ti. Ekacce evamāhaṁsu:  "khattavijjāsippaṁ sippānaṁ aggan"ti. Ayañcarahi tesaṁ bhikkhūnaṁ antarākathā hoti vippakatā.

3Atha kho bhagavā sāyanhasamayaṁ paṭisallānā vuṭṭhito yena maṇḍalamāḷo tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā paññatte āsane nisīdi. Nisajja kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi:  "kāya nuttha, bhikkhave, etarahi kathāya sannisinnā, kā ca pana vo antarākathā vippakatā"ti?

4"Idha, bhante, amhākaṁ pacchābhattaṁ piṇḍapātapaṭikkantānaṁ maṇḍalamāḷe sannisinnānaṁ ayamantarākathā udapādi: 

‘Ko nu kho, āvuso, sippaṁ jānāti? Ko kiṁ sippaṁ sikkhi? Kataraṁ sippaṁ sippānaṁ aggan’ti?

5Tatthekacce evamāhaṁsu:  ‘hatthisippaṁ sippānaṁ aggan’ti. Ekacce evamāhaṁsu:  ‘assasippaṁ sippānaṁ aggan’ti. Ekacce evamāhaṁsu:  ‘rathasippaṁ sippānaṁ aggan’ti. Ekacce evamāhaṁsu:  ‘dhanusippaṁ sippānaṁ aggan’ti. Ekacce evamāhaṁsu:  ‘tharusippaṁ sippānaṁ aggan’ti. Ekacce evamāhaṁsu:  ‘muddāsippaṁ sippānaṁ aggan’ti. Ekacce evamāhaṁsu:  ‘gaṇanāsippaṁ sippānaṁ aggan’ti. Ekacce evamāhaṁsu:  ‘saṅkhānasippaṁ sippānaṁ aggan’ti. Ekacce evamāhaṁsu:  ‘lekhāsippaṁ sippānaṁ aggan’ti. Ekacce evamāhaṁsu:  ‘kāveyyasippaṁ sippānaṁ aggan’ti. Ekacce evamāhaṁsu:  ‘lokāyatasippaṁ sippānaṁ aggan’ti. Ekacce evamāhaṁsu:  ‘khattavijjāsippaṁ sippānaṁ aggan’ti. Ayaṁ kho no, bhante, antarākathā hoti vippakatā, atha bhagavā anuppatto"ti.

6"Na khvetaṁ, bhikkhave, tumhākaṁ patirūpaṁ kulaputtānaṁ saddhā agārasmā anagāriyaṁ pabbajitānaṁ yaṁ tumhe evarūpiṁ kathaṁ katheyyātha. Sannipatitānaṁ vo, bhikkhave, dvayaṁ karaṇīyaṁ – dhammī vā kathā ariyo vā tuṇhībhāvo"ti.

7Atha kho bhagavā etamatthaṁ viditvā tāyaṁ velāyaṁ imaṁ udānaṁ udānesi: 

Navamaṁ.