The Bhaggas were an isolated republican clan, sandwiched between the Vacchas south of the Yamuna and the Kosalans north of the Ganges. By the time of the Buddha they were evidently subject to the Vacchas. | “Crocodile’s Bellow” (susumāragira) was their capital. The commentary it was was so-named because a crocodile bellowed in a nearby lake during the founding of the city.

While Moggallāna is known for his mastery of advanced psychic abilities, suttas such as this and MN 5 show his concern for even the smallest defects in ethical conduct.

The term “invites” (pavāreti) suggests a connection with the “Invitation” (pavāraṇā) ceremony at the end of each rains retreat, where the monastics invite each other for admonition (Kd 4). The Chinese parallels confirm this connection, saying the discourse was spoken on the Pavāraṇā.

This discourse acts as a sutta counterpart to the Vinaya rule Bu Ss 12, which lays down a procedure to deal with a mendicant who makes themselves incorrigible. The Pali origin story for that rule lays the blame on the monk Channa, the Buddha’s former charioteer, who boasts “mine is the Buddha, mine the Dhamma!” It was evidently unsuccessful, as the Buddha on his deathbed had to further lay down the “divine punishment” for him (DN 16:6.4.1).

“Glorifies themselves” is attukkaṁsaka.

Apadāna means the traces or marks left behind, in this case the evidence of misdeeds.

Compare MN 8:12.45.

“Should measure against” is anuminitabba, which in its noun form anumāna lends the sutta its title. The normal sense in later literature is “inference” (eg. Mil 6.4.1). Anumāna occurs in the early texts only here and in the passive form anumīyati at SN 22.36:1.4, where the sense must be to “measure against”. This passage also discusses how to measure oneself in relation to another, an external standard, whereas the next section on reflection applies an inner standard. Hence the commentary glosses with: “should compare, should judge” (tuletabbo tīretabbo).

Moggallāna also takes part in a similar conversation about blemishes at MN 5:3.1.

The Chinese parallels continue at this point, expanding the sequence that leads from joy to immersion to insight and liberation.

The commentary says that the ancient teachers called this the “Bhikkhupātimokkha”, perhaps an echo of the memory that it was recited on the pavāraṇā, which replaces the recitation of the Pātimokkha normally held on the full moon day. It goes on to say that a mendicant should use these teachings to review themselves three times a day, or at least once.