1Then the brahmin Ujjaya approached the Blessed One and exchanged greetings with him. When they had concluded their greetings and cordial talk, he sat down to one side and said to the Blessed One:

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"Does Master Gotama praise sacrifice?"

"I do not praise all sacrifice, brahmin, nor do I withhold praise from all sacrifice. (1) I do not praise a violent sacrifice at which cattle, goats, rams, chickens, and pigs are slain, at which various creatures are led to slaughter. (2) For what reason? Because arahants and those who have entered the path to arahantship do not attend a violent sacrifice.

2(3) "But I praise a non-violent sacrifice at which cattle, goats, rams, chickens, and pigs are not slain, where various creatures are not slaughtered, that is, a regular giving, a sacrifice offered by family custom. [n.709] Niccadānaṁ anukulayaññaṁ. Mp explains anukulayaññaṁ as a sacrifice that should be made to maintain the family custom, on the grounds that it was given by one's father and grandfather and so forth. On niccadānaṁ anukulayaññaṁ as superior to animal sacrifice, see especially DN 5.79–80, I 144, which can be regarded almost as an elaboration of the present sutta. (4) For what reason? Because arahants and those who have entered the path to arahantship attend a nonviolent sacrifice." [n.710] My division into four sections is speculative. Apart from this, I do not see any other basis for including this sutta among the Fours.

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3The horse sacrifice, human sacrifice,
sammāpāsa, vājapeyya, niraggaḷa: [n.711] These were Vedic sacrifices.
these grand sacrifices, fraught with violence, [n.712] I follow Ce and Be, which put niraggaḷaṁ in pāda b and include mahāyaññā in pāda c. Ee lacks mahāyaññā, but two Chinese parallels include a compound corresponding to this word: SĀ 89 (at T II 22c19) has more literally "great gathering," and SĀ² 89 (at T II 404b4) has, where means "to sacrifice to the gods or ancestors." Mp explains mahārambhā: "With great tasks, great works; further, they are of ‘great violence’ because of the extent of the destruction of life."
do not bring great fruit.

4The great seers of right conduct
do not attend a sacrifice
where goats, rams, cattle,
and various creatures are slain.

5But when they regularly offer by family custom
sacrifices free from violence,
no goats, sheep, and cattle
or various creatures are slain.
That is the sacrifice the great seers
of right conduct attend.

6The wise person should offer this;
this sacrifice is very fruitful.
For one who makes such sacrifice
it is indeed better, never worse.
Such a sacrifice is truly vast
and the deities too are pleased.

1Atha kho ujjayo brāhmaṇo yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavatā saddhiṁ sammodi. Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho ujjayo brāhmaṇo bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:

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"bhavampi no gotamo yaññaṁ vaṇṇetī"ti?

"Na kho ahaṁ, brāhmaṇa, sabbaṁ yaññaṁ vaṇṇemi; na panāhaṁ, brāhmaṇa, sabbaṁ yaññaṁ na vaṇṇemi. Yathārūpe kho, brāhmaṇa, yaññe gāvo haññanti, ajeḷakā haññanti, kukkuṭasūkarā haññanti, vividhā pāṇā saṅghātaṁ āpajjanti; evarūpaṁ kho ahaṁ, brāhmaṇa, sārambhaṁ yaññaṁ na vaṇṇemi. Taṁ kissa hetu? Evarūpañhi, brāhmaṇa, sārambhaṁ yaññaṁ na upasaṅkamanti arahanto vā arahattamaggaṁ vā samāpannā.

2Yathārūpe ca kho, brāhmaṇa, yaññe neva gāvo haññanti, na ajeḷakā haññanti, na kukkuṭasūkarā haññanti, na vividhā pāṇā saṅghātaṁ āpajjanti; evarūpaṁ kho ahaṁ, brāhmaṇa, nirārambhaṁ yaññaṁ vaṇṇemi, yadidaṁ niccadānaṁ anukulayaññaṁ. Taṁ kissa hetu? Evarūpañhi, brāhmaṇa, nirārambhaṁ yaññaṁ upasaṅkamanti arahanto vā arahattamaggaṁ vā samāpannāti.

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3Assamedhaṁ purisamedhaṁ,
Sammāpāsaṁ vājapeyyaṁ niraggaḷaṁ;
Mahāyaññā mahārambhā,
Na te honti mahapphalā.

4Ajeḷakā ca gāvo ca,
vividhā yattha haññare;
Na taṁ sammaggatā yaññaṁ,
upayanti mahesino.

5Ye ca yaññā nirārambhā,
yajanti anukulaṁ sadā;
Ajeḷakā ca gāvo ca,
vividhā nettha haññare;
Tañca sammaggatā yaññaṁ,
upayanti mahesino.

6Etaṁ yajetha medhāvī,
eso yañño mahapphalo;
Etaṁ hi yajamānassa,
seyyo hoti na pāpiyo;
Yañño ca vipulo hoti,
pasīdanti ca devatā"ti.

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Navamaṁ.