Saṅgārava untranslated

Saṅgārava. A very learned Brahmin of Candalakappa. One day he saw Dhānañjānī trip up, and heard her exclaim three times, “Glory to the Buddha, the Arahant, the all-enlightened.” He blamed her for thus extolling a shavelling monk, but when she told him of the Buddha’s marvellous qualities, he felt a desire to see him. Some time after, the Buddha went to Candalakappa and stayed in Todeyya’s Mango grove. When Dhānañjānī told Saṅgārava that he was there, Saṅgārava visited him and questioned him on his views on Brahmins. The Buddha said he had great regard for Brahmins who had here and now won the goal, having discovered unaided a doctrine before unknown. He himself was one of these. He then proceeds to describe how he came to leave the household life and how, in due course, he won Awakening.

Saṅgārava asks further whether there are any gods. The Buddha answers that of that there is no doubt; the whole world is in agreement on that point. Saṅgārava is pleased and accepts the Buddha as his teacher (MN.ii.209ff). Buddhaghosa says (MN­a.ii.808) that Saṅgārava was the youngest of the Bhāradvājas (q.v.), brothers of Dhānañjānī’s husband.

The Saṁyutta (SN.i.182f) mentions a Saṅgārava who is perhaps distinct from the above. He lived in Sāvatthī and was a “bath ritualist,” believing in purification by water, bathing morning and evening. The Buddha, at Ānanda’s request, visited his house and preached to him the Dhamma, after which he became the Buddha’s follower. The Commentary (SN­a.i.207) explains that Ānanda and Saṅgārava had, as laymen, been friends, and Ānanda was anxious to prevent “this wretch (varāko) who, for all our friendship has contracted wrong views, from becoming a hell-filler; moreover he has a circle of friends, and hundreds may follow if he is converted.”

Another Saṁyutta passage (SN.v.121f.; see Saṅgāravasutta 3) contains a Sutta in which the Brahmin Saṅgārava visits the Buddha and asks him why he can remember certain mantras with great ease and others not at all. It may be this same Brahmin who is mentioned several times also in the Aṅguttara. AN.i.168 f; iii.230f.; v. 232, 252. For details see Saṅgāravasutta (4-7).

The Commentary states (AN­a.i.396) that he was an overseer in charge of the repair of the dilapidated buildings in Rājagaha (Rājagahanagare jiṇṇapaṭisaṅkharaṇakārako āyuttakabrāhmaṇo).