1On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Sāvatthī in Jeta's Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika's Park. Now on that occasion the Venerable Visākha Pañcāliputta was instructing, exhorting, inspiring, and gladdening the bhikkhus in the assembly hall with a Dhamma talk, spoken with speech that was polished, clear, articulate, expressive of the meaning, comprehensive, and unhindered.

1Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme. Tena kho pana samayena āyasmā visākho pañcālaputto upaṭṭhānasālāyaṁ bhikkhū dhammiyā kathāya sandasseti samādapeti samuttejeti sampahaṁseti, poriyā vācāya vissaṭṭhāya anelagalāya atthassa viññāpaniyā pariyāpannāya anissitāya.

Then, in the evening, the Blessed One emerged from seclusion and approached the assembly hall. He sat down on the appointed seat and addressed the bhikkhus:

Atha kho bhagavā sāyanhasamayaṁ paṭisallānā vuṭṭhito yena upaṭṭhānasālā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā paññatte āsane nisīdi. Nisajja kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi: 

2"Bhikkhus, who has been instructing, exhorting, inspiring, and gladdening the bhikkhus in the assembly hall with a Dhamma talk, spoken with speech that is polished, clear, articulate, expressive of the meaning, comprehensive, and unhindered?"

"It was Venerable Visākha Pañcāliputta, Bhante."

2"Ko nu kho, bhikkhave, upaṭṭhānasālāyaṁ bhikkhū dhammiyā kathāya sandasseti samādapeti samuttejeti sampahaṁseti poriyā vācāya vissaṭṭhāya anelagalāya atthassa viññāpaniyā pariyāpannāya anissitāyā"ti?

"Āyasmā, bhante, visākho pañcālaputto upaṭṭhānasālāyaṁ bhikkhū dhammiyā kathāya sandasseti samādapeti samuttejeti sampahaṁseti poriyā vācāya vissaṭṭhāya anelagalāya atthassa viññāpaniyā pariyāpannāya anissitāyā"ti.

3Then the Blessed One said to the Venerable Visākha Pañcāliputta: "Good, good, Visākha! It is good that you instruct, exhort, inspire, and gladden the bhikkhus in the assembly hall with a Dhamma talk, spoken with speech that is polished, clear, articulate, expressive of the meaning, comprehensive, and unhindered."

3Atha kho bhagavā āyasmantaṁ visākhaṁ pañcālaputtaṁ etadavoca:  "sādhu sādhu, visākha. Sādhu kho tvaṁ, visākha, bhikkhū dhammiyā kathāya sandassesi samādapesi samuttejesi sampahaṁsesi poriyā vācāya vissaṭṭhāya anelagalāya atthassa viññāpaniyā pariyāpannāya anissitāyāti.

4When the wise man is in the midst of fools,
they do not know him if he does not speak.[n.728] I read with Be and Ee nābhāsamānaṁ jānanti, as against Ce na bhāsamānaṁ jānanti. The context clearly requires the former. The Chinese parallel SĀ 1069 (at T II 277c12) supports this with ,"If he does not speak the Dhamma."
But they know him when he speaks,
teaching the deathless state.

4Nābhāsamānaṁ jānanti,
missaṁ bālehi paṇḍitaṁ;
Bhāsamānañca jānanti,
desentaṁ amataṁ padaṁ.

5He should speak and illustrate the Dhamma;
he should lift high the seers’ banner.
Well-spoken words are the seers’ banner:
for the Dhamma is the banner of seers.

5Bhāsaye jotaye dhammaṁ,
paggaṇhe isinaṁ dhajaṁ;
Subhāsitadhajā isayo,
dhammo hi isinaṁ dhajo"ti.

Aṭṭhamaṁ.