Cullavagga, Khandaka 5, Chapter 22

1. Now when the Blessed One had remained at Bhaggā as long as he thought fit, he set out on his journey towards Sāvatthi. And journeying straight on he arrived in due course at Sāvatthi, and there, at Sāvatthi, he stayed in the Jetavana, in the Ārāma of Anātha-piṇḍika.

Now Visākhā the mother of Migāra, bringing small jars^[1], and earthenware foot-scrubbers^[2], and brooms, went up to the place where the Blessed One was; and when she had come there, she saluted the Blessed One, and took her seat on one side. And so sitting, Visākhā the mother of Migāra said to the Blessed One, 'May the Blessed One accept these things at my hands, that that may be to me for long for a blessing and a joy.' And the Blessed One accepted the small jars and the brooms; but the Blessed One did not accept the earthenware foot-scrubbers. Then the Blessed One instructed (&c., as usual, see 21. 2, down to) she departed thence. And the Blessed One, on that occasion and in that connection, after having delivered a religious discourse, addressed the Bhikkhus, and said:

'I allow you, O Bhikkhus, small jars and brooms. You are not, O Bhikkhus, to make use of earthen-ware foot-scrubbers. Whosoever does so, shall be guilty of a dukkaṭa. I allow you, O Bhikkhus, three kinds of things to rub the feet with—to wit, sandstone^[3], gravel^[3], and sea-foam^[4].'

2. [A similar paragraph ending]

'I allow you, O Bhikkhus, the use of fans and flower-stands^[5].'

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Ghaṭakaṃ. At Jātaka I, 32 this word seems to mean the capital of a pillar. We have taken it as the diminutive of ghaṭa, especially as Buddhaghosa says nothing; but this is doubtful.

[2]:

Katakaṃ. To the note quoted at p. 318 of the text, which shows that this is a kind of foot-rubber, Buddhaghosa adds that this article is forbidden bāhulikānuyogattā. This injunction is repeated below at V, 37, where kataka is mentioned as a kind of earthenware.

[3]:

Sakkharā and kaṭhala, the exact distinction between which two terms is not stated.

[4]:

Samudda-pheṇaka. By this name are designated the bones of the cuttle-fish which, when cast up by the waves on the sea-shore, are not unlike petrified foam, and have actually been introduced from the East into use in Europe as a kind of rough natural soap; and are now sold for that purpose in most chemists' shops in England (compare Meerschaum). The same word is found in later Sanskrit works.

[5]:

Tālavaṇṭaṃ. See Jātaka I, 26, 5 (at the end); and compare tālavaṇṭakaṃ below, V, 29, 4.