➥ moghapurisa:

• for mogha:
  • in vain
  • false
• for moghapurisa:
  • worthless man

Mogha: false

Where mogha is the opposite of sacca, we render it as ‘false’:

• This alone is true. All else is false.

idameva saccaṁ moghamaññan ti. (MN i 498)

On this basis, moghapurisa would be ‘a false man’ or ‘an untrue man.’

Mogha: in vain

But in many contexts mogha means ‘in vain’:

• The going forth [into the ascetic life] of all those noble young men was not in vain or barren, but fruitful and productive.

iti kho pana sabbesaṁ yeva tesaṁ kulaputtānaṁ amoghā pabbajjā ahosi avañjhā saphalā saudrayā ti. (DN ii 251)

On this basis a moghapurisa would be, for example, futile, unavailing, incompetent, ineffectual, or useless. But ‘vain’ means something else, and its synonyms seem harsh. Our ‘worthless’ is in accordance with other admonishments, which including ‘empty’ and ‘hollow’:

• Bhaddali, on that occasion, were you not an empty, hollow wrongdoer?

Nanu tvaṁ bhaddāli tasmiṁ samaye ritto tuccho aparaddho ti. (MN i 440)

Worthless defined

Worthless means:

• contemptible, despicable (Webster’s)
• without merit (Collins)
• having no good qualities or useful skills (Oxford)

➥ mogha: (main article see: moghapurisa)

Illustration: mogha, in vain

One is not a senior [bhikkhu] [just] because one’s head is grey. If one has matured [just] in age one is called ‘aged in vain.’

Na tena thero hoti yenassa palitaṁ siro
Paripakko vayo tassa moghajiṇṇo ti vuccati. (Dhp 260)

➥ moghaṁ: (main article see: moghapurisa)

Illustration: moghaṁ, in vain

One who has faith in the community of disciples and purified vision [of things according to reality]: they say he is not poor. His life is not [lived] in vain.

Saṅghe pasādo yassatthi ujubhūtañca dassanaṁ
Adaḷiddoti taṁ āhu amoghaṁ tassa jīvitaṁ. (SN v 385)

Illustration: moghaṁ, in vain

Surely the useful religious life which Kappa lived was not in vain.

yad atthiyaṁ brahmacariyaṁ acari kappāyano kaccissa taṁ amoghaṁ. (Snp 354)

Illustration: moghaṁ, in vain

Hearing your voice, best of seers, I have faith [in you]. Truly my question was not in vain.

Esa sutvā pasīdāmi vaco te isisattama
Amoghaṁ kira me puṭṭhaṁ. (Snp 356)

Illustration: moghaṁ, in vain

Should make one’s day lived not in vain, whether by a little or by much.

Amoghaṁ divasaṁ kayirā appena bahukena vā. (Tha 451)

Illustration: moghaṁ, in vain

I listened desirously; my listening was not in vain.

sotamodhesimatthiko
Taṁ me amoghaṁ savanaṁ. (Tha 995-6)

Illustration: moghaṁ, in vain

The three final knowledges are attained. The Buddha’s training system is not [undertaken] in vain.

Tisso vijjā anuppattā amoghaṁ buddhasāsanaṁ. (Thi 150)

➥ mogho: (main article see: moghapurisa)

Illustration: mogho, in vain

Your instruction was not in vain: I am your trained student.

Amogho tuyhamovādo antevāsimhi sikkhito ti. (Tha 334)

Illustration: mogho, false

My past acquired self was at the time my only true one; the future and present ones were false.

yo me ahosi atīto attapaṭilābho sveva me attapaṭilābho tasmiṁ samaye sacco ahosi mogho anāgato mogho paccuppanno. (DN i 201)

➥ moghapurisā: (main article see: moghapurisa)

Illustration: moghapurisā, worthless man

Thus do noble young men declare their [attainment of] arahantship. The matter is spoken of without any reference to themselves. Yet there are some worthless men here who apparently declare [that they have attained] arahantship for fun.

evaṁ kho bhikkhave kulaputtā aññaṁ vyākaronti attho ca vutto attā ca anupanīto. Atha ca pana idhekacce moghapurisā hasamānakā maññe aññaṁ vyākaronti. (AN iii 359)

Illustration: moghapurisā, worthless man

Bhikkhus, you have lost your way. Bhikkhus, you are conducting yourselves wrongly. Bhikkhus, how far you have strayed, you worthless men, from this teaching and training system.

Vippaṭipannā'ttha bhikkhave. Micchāpaṭipannā'ttha bhikkhave. Kīvadūrevime bhikkhave moghapurisā apakkantā imasmā dhammavinayā. (MN i 480)

➥ moghapuriso: (main article see: moghapurisa)

Illustration: moghapuriso, worthless man

When I am explaining the teaching, this worthless man does listen to it with eager ears, paying attention to it as a matter of vital concern, applying his whole mind to it.

Nacāyaṁ moghapuriso mayā dhammaṁ desiyamāne aṭṭhikatvā manasikatvā sabbacetaso samannāharitvā ohitasoto dhammaṁ suṇātī ti. (MN i 445)

Illustration: moghapurisa, worthless man

Worthless man, to whom indeed have you known me to explain the teaching that way?

Kassa nu kho nāma tvaṁ moghapurisa mayā evaṁ dhammaṁ desitaṁ ājānāsi?. (MN i 258)

➥ moghapurisassa: (main article see: moghapurisa)

Illustration: moghapurisassa, worthless man

This worthless man must have absolutely no sympathy, tender concern, or compassion for living beings.

Na hi nāma bhikkhave tassa moghapurisassa pāṇesu anuddayā anukampā avihesā bhavissati. (Vin.3.42)

➥ moghapurisena: (main article see: moghapurisa)

Illustration: moghapurisena, worthless man

The ascetic Potaliputta’s question should have been analysed before being answered. Samiddhi, the worthless man, answered it without qualification.

Iminā ca ānanda samiddhinā moghapurisena potaliputtassa paribbājakassa vibhajjavyākaraṇīyo pañho ekaṁsena vyākato ti. (MN iii 208-9)

Illustration: moghapuriso, worthless man

I do not see any other single person who so acts for the harm and unhappiness of the manyfolk, for the ruin, harm, and suffering of devas and men as Makkhali, that worthless man.

Nāhaṁ bhikkhave aññaṁ ekapuggalampi samanupassāmi yo evaṁ bahujanāhitāya paṭipanno bahujanāsukhāya bahuno janassa anatthāya ahitāya dukkhāya devamanussānaṁ yathayidaṁ bhikkhave makkhalī moghapuriso. (AN i 33)

➥ moghapurisānaṁ: (main article see: moghapurisa)

Illustration: moghapurisānaṁ, worthless persons

And, by listening to such talk, any worthless persons’ unsureness or uncertainty about the [perfection of the] Perfect One’s [enlightenment] will be abandoned.

Yesampi hi sāriputta moghapurisānaṁ bhavissati tathāgate kaṅkhā vā vimati vā tesamimaṁ dhammapariyāyaṁ sutvā yā tathāgate kaṅkhā vā vimati vā sā pahīyissatī ti. (DN iii 116)