1. Now at that time the Bhikkhu Gagga was insane and out of his mind; and by him, when so insane and out of his mind, many things unworthy of a samana had been committed, as well in speech as in act 3. The Bhikkhus warned the Bhikkhu Gagga of a fault so committed by him when insane and out of his mind, saying, 'Does the venerable one call to
mind that he has committed such and such an offence?'
He replied, 'I, my friends, was insane and out of my mind. (No doubt) many things unworthy of a samana, as well in speech as in act, may have been committed by me when so insane and out of my mind. But I do not recollect it. It was done by me by reason of my insanity.'
But though they received that answer from him 1, they warned him still, saying, 'Does the venerable one call to mind that he has committed such and such an offence?'
'Those Bhikkhus who were moderate were annoyed, murmured, and became indignant, saying, "How can those Bhikkhus warn the Bhikkhu Gagga . . . saying . . . such and such an offence?" And when he replies, "I, my friends, was insane . . . by reason of my insanity"--how can those Bhikkhus still warn him, saying . . . of such and such an offence?'
And those Bhikkhus told the matter to the Blessed One.
'Is it true, O Bhikkhus, that those Bhikkhus (&c., as before, down to) such and such an offence?'
'It is true, Lord.'
Then he rebuked them, and when he had delivered a religious discourse he addressed the Bhikkhus, and said:
'Let then the Samgha grant to Gagga the
[paragraph continues] Bhikkhu who is now sane the dispensation for those who are no longer insane.
2. 'And thus, O Bhikkhus, should it be granted.
'Let that Bhikkhu Gagga [here follow the words of the formal request, of the resolution, and of the grant by decision of the Samgha, exactly in the same way as in the last case, chapter 4, § 10].'
18:2 The particular decision given in this chapter for the particular case is elaborated in chap. 14, § 28 below into a general rule for every similar case.
18:3 Buddhaghosa explains this word as follows: 'Bhâsitaparikantan ti vikâya bhâsitam kâyena parikkantam parikkametvâ katan ti attho.' The similar word Parikantam, which occurs in the Sutta-vibhaṅga, Pârâgika IV, 1, 2, in the sense of lacerated, is from the root krint.
19:1 Nam in the text is correct. It is identical with the nam so frequently found in Jain Prakrit; on which see Weber in his Bhagavatî 'Abhandlungen der Berliner Akadamie,' 1865, pp. 422 and foll.