1"Bhikkhus, there are these four kinds of persons found existing in the world. What four? One of little learning who is not intent on what he has learned; one of little learning who is intent on what he has learned; one of much learning who is not intent on what he has learned; and one of much learning who is intent on what he has learned.

---

(1) "And how is a person one of little learning who is not intent on what he has learned? Here, someone has learned little—that is, of the discourses, mixed prose and verse, expositions, verses, inspired utterances, quotations, birth stories, amazing accounts, and questions-and-answers [n.631] In Pāli: suttaṁ, geyyaṁ, veyyākaraṇaṇ, gāthā, udānaṁ, itivuttakaṁ, jātakaṁ, abbhutadhammaṁ, vedallaṁ. This is the early ninefold division of the Dhamma, eventually superseded by the arrangement of the texts into the five Nikāyas. See Norman 1983: 15–16; Norman 2006a: 172–73. Mp, in line with other commentaries, gives examples of each genre, not all of which would be approved by modern scholarship. It is a disputed question whether some items in the list refer to collections that already existed in the Buddha’s time or to prototypes on the basis of which the present collections were established. Present scholarly opinion leans toward the latter. —but he does not understand the meaning of what he has learned; he does not understand the Dhamma; and he does not practice in accordance with the Dhamma. In such a way, a person is one of little learning who is not intent on what he has learned.

2(2) "And how is a person one of little learning who is intent on what he has learned? Here, someone has learned little—that is, of the discourses … questions-and-answers—but having understood the meaning of what he has learned, and having understood the Dhamma, he practices in accordance with the Dhamma. In such a way, a person is one of little learning who is intent on what he has learned.

3(3) "And how is a person one of much learning who is not intent on what he has learned? Here, someone has learned much—that is, of the discourses … questions-and-answers—but he does not understand the meaning of what he has learned; he does not understand the Dhamma; and he does not practice in accordance with the Dhamma. In such a way, a person is one of much learning who is not intent on what he has learned.

4(4) "And how is a person one of much learning who is intent on what he has learned? Here, someone has learned much—that is, of the discourses … questions-and-answers—and having understood the meaning of what he has learned, and having understood the Dhamma, he practices in accordance with the Dhamma. In such a way, a person is one of much learning who is intent on what he has learned.

---

"These, bhikkhus, are the four kinds of persons found existing in the world."

5If one has little learning
and is not settled in the virtues,
they criticize him on both counts,
virtuous behavior and learning.

6If one has little learning
but is well settled in the virtues,
they praise him for his virtuous behavior;
his learning has succeeded. [n.632] I follow Be, which reads tassa sampajjate sutaṁ in pāda d of this verse and nāssa sampajjate sutaṁ, "his learning has not succeeded," in pāda d of the next verse. Ce reads nāssa sampajjate sutaṁ here and tassa sampajjate sutaṁ in the next verse, while Ee has nāssa sampajjate sutaṁ in both places. Mp supports Be by explaining, in relation to this verse: "His learning can be said to have succeeded because this person has used what he has learned to achieve the purpose of learning." And in relation to the next verse, Mp says: "It (his learning) does not succeed because he has not achieved the purpose of learning." The verses are cited at Vism 48, Ppn 1.136, but with differences in readings among the several editions.

7If one is highly learned
but is not settled in the virtues,
they criticize him for his lack of virtue;
his learning has not succeeded.

8If one is highly learned
and is settled in the virtues,
they praise him on both counts,
virtuous behavior and learning.

9When a disciple of the Buddha is highly learned,
an expert on the Dhamma, endowed with wisdom,
like a coin of refined mountain gold,
who is fit to blame him?
Even the devas praise such a one;
by Brahmā too he is praised.

1"Cattārome, bhikkhave, puggalā santo saṁvijjamānā lokasmiṁ. Katame cattāro? Appassuto sutena anupapanno, appassuto sutena upapanno, bahussuto sutena anupapanno, bahussuto sutena upapanno.

---

Kathañca, bhikkhave, puggalo appassuto hoti sutena anupapanno? Idha, bhikkhave, ekaccassa puggalassa appakaṁ sutaṁ hoti – suttaṁ geyyaṁ veyyākaraṇaṁ gāthā udānaṁ itivuttakaṁ jātakaṁ abbhutadhammaṁ vedallaṁ. So tassa appakassa sutassa na atthamaññāya dhammamaññāya dhammānudhammappaṭipanno hoti. Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, puggalo appassuto hoti sutena anupapanno.

2Kathañca, bhikkhave, puggalo appassuto hoti sutena upapanno? Idha, bhikkhave, ekaccassa puggalassa appakaṁ sutaṁ hoti – suttaṁ geyyaṁ veyyākaraṇaṁ gāthā udānaṁ itivuttakaṁ jātakaṁ abbhutadhammaṁ vedallaṁ. So tassa appakassa sutassa atthamaññāya dhammamaññāya dhammānudhammappaṭipanno hoti. Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, puggalo appassuto hoti sutena upapanno.

3Kathañca, bhikkhave, puggalo bahussuto hoti sutena anupapanno? Idha, bhikkhave, ekaccassa puggalassa bahukaṁ sutaṁ hoti – suttaṁ geyyaṁ veyyākaraṇaṁ gāthā udānaṁ itivuttakaṁ jātakaṁ abbhutadhammaṁ vedallaṁ. So tassa bahukassa sutassa na atthamaññāya dhammamaññāya dhammānudhammappaṭipanno hoti. Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, puggalo bahussuto hoti sutena anupapanno.

4Kathañca, bhikkhave, puggalo bahussuto hoti sutena upapanno? Idha, bhikkhave, ekaccassa puggalassa bahukaṁ sutaṁ hoti – suttaṁ geyyaṁ veyyākaraṇaṁ gāthā udānaṁ itivuttakaṁ jātakaṁ abbhutadhammaṁ vedallaṁ. So tassa bahukassa sutassa atthamaññāya dhammamaññāya dhammānudhammappaṭipanno hoti. Evaṁ kho, bhikkhave, puggalo bahussuto hoti sutena upapanno.

---

Ime kho, bhikkhave, cattāro puggalā santo saṁvijjamānā lokasminti.

5Appassutopi ce hoti,
sīlesu asamāhito;
Ubhayena naṁ garahanti,
sīlato ca sutena ca.

6Appassutopi ce hoti,
sīlesu susamāhito;
Sīlato naṁ pasaṁsanti,
tassa sampajjate sutaṁ.

7Bahussutopi ce hoti,
sīlesu asamāhito;
Sīlato naṁ garahanti,
nāssa sampajjate sutaṁ.

8Bahussutopi ce hoti,
sīlesu susamāhito;
Ubhayena naṁ pasaṁsanti,
sīlato ca sutena ca.

9Bahussutaṁ dhammadharaṁ,
sappaññaṁ buddhasāvakaṁ;
Nekkhaṁ jambonadasseva,
ko taṁ ninditumarahati;
Devāpi naṁ pasaṁsanti,
brahmunāpi pasaṁsito"ti.

---

Chaṭṭhaṁ.