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of the Sakyans who went forth from a Sakyan clan, has been wandering in the country of the Videhans with a large Sangha of bhikkhus, with five hundred bhikkhus. Now a good report of Master Gotama has been spread to this effect: ‘The Blessed One is accomplished, fully enlightened, perfect in true knowledge and conduct, sublime, knower of worlds, incomparable leader of persons to be tamed, teacher of gods and humans, enlightened, blessed. He declares this world with its gods, its Māras, and its Brahmās, this generation with its recluses and brahmins, with its princes and its people, which he has himself realised with direct knowledge. He teaches the Dhamma that is good in the beginning, good in the middle, and good in the end, with the right meaning and phrasing, and he reveals a holy life that is utterly perfect and pure.’ Now it is good to see such arahants.” [134]

4. Now at that time the brahmin Brahmāyu had a young brahmin student named Uttara who was a master of the Three Vedas…fully versed in natural philosophy and in the marks of a Great Man. He told his student: “My dear Uttara, the recluse Gotama, the son of the Sakyans who went forth from a Sakyan clan, has been wandering in the country of the Videhans with a large Sangha of bhikkhus, with five hundred bhikkhus…Now it is good to see such arahants. Come, my dear Uttara, go to the recluse Gotama and find out whether the report spread about him is true or not, and whether Master Gotama is one such as this or not. Thus we shall know about Master Gotama through you.”

5. “But how shall I find out, sir, whether the report spread about Master Gotama is true or not, and whether Master Gotama is one such as this or not?”

“My dear Uttara, the thirty-two marks of a Great Man have been handed down in our hymns, and the Great Man who is endowed with them has only two possible destinies, no other.851 If he lives the home life, he becomes a Wheel-turning Monarch, a righteous king who rules by the Dhamma, master of the four quarters, all-victorious, who has stabilised his country and possesses the seven treasures. He has these seven treasures: the wheel-treasure, the elephant-treasure, the horse-treasure, the jewel-treasure, the woman-treasure, the steward-treasure, and the counsellor-treasure as the seventh.852 His children, who exceed a thousand, are brave and heroic, and crush the armies of others; over this earth bounded by the ocean, he rules without a rod, without a weapon, by means of the Dhamma. But if he goes forth from the home life into homelessness, he becomes an Accomplished One, a Fully Enlightened One, who draws aside the veil in the world.853 But I, my dear Uttara, am the giver of the hymns; you are the receiver of them.”

6. “Yes, sir,” he replied. He rose from his seat, and after paying homage to the brahmin Brahmāyu, keeping him on his right, he left for the country of the Videhans, where the Blessed One was wandering. [135] Travelling by stages, he came to the Blessed One and exchanged greetings with him. When this courteous and amiable talk was finished, he sat down at one side and looked for the thirty-two marks of a Great Man on the Blessed One’s body. He saw, more or less, the thirty-two marks of a Great Man on the Blessed One’s body, except two; he was doubtful and uncertain about two of the marks, and he could not decide and make up his mind about them: about the male organ being enclosed in a sheath and about the largeness of the tongue.

Then it occurred to the Blessed One: “This brahmin student Uttara sees, more or less, the thirty-two marks of a Great Man on me, except two; he is doubtful and uncertain about two of the marks, and he cannot decide and make up his mind about them: about the male organ being enclosed in a sheath and about the largeness of the tongue.”

7. Then the Blessed One worked such a feat of supernormal power that the brahmin student Uttara saw that the Blessed One’s male organ was enclosed in a sheath.854 Next the Blessed One extruded his tongue, and he repeatedly touched both ear holes and both nostrils, and he