Campā is modern Champapur near Bhagalpur in Bihar state, not far from West Bengal. It is near the eastern-most reach of the Buddha’s journeys. Campā was the capital of Aṅga, one of the sixteen “great nations” (mahājanapadā). It was a flourishing trade center, and became a sacred city for the Jains. | Gaggarā, an onomatopoeic reduplication (“gargle”), is the name of a number of rivers and whirlpools in Sanskrit (cp. the modern Ghaggar River in north-west India).

Thag 1.77 is attributed to a certain “elephant driver’s son”, but according to the commentary this was a different person. Otherwise, neither of these appear elsewhere.

Kandaraka’s status as a (non-Buddhist) wanderer does not preclude his faith in the Buddha.

We do not hear anything about Kandaraka after this exchange.

Nipaka (“alert”) is explained in the Pali tradition as “wise”. The root pāl, rather, suggests the sense “on guard, alert”, which is supported by such phrases as “mindfully alert and on guard” (ārakkhasatino nipakkasatino, AN 5.114:3.1), where nipaka parallels ārakkha (“guarding”). Likewise, the Vedic sense is “one who keeps watch, a protector” (Rig Veda 4.45.6, 10.44.4).

Yāva supaññatta is also at DN 18:22.3; it is a variation of the standard yāva subhāsita.

The Buddha sometimes taught devotional meditations such as the six recollections for lay people, but passages such as this show there was no fundamental difference between lay and monastic meditations.

“Mortifies themselves” is attantapo.

“With self become divine” (brahmabhūtena attanā) deliberately echoes Upaniṣadic language. Pali is sometimes said to lack reference to the cosmic Brahman (in neuter), having only the personal Brahmā (in masculine). The grammatical case of brahma- in the compound here is undetermined, yet no scholar of Sanskrit would hesitate to interpret the common phrase brahmabhūtātmā in the sense “self become one with the cosmic divinity Brahman”. Surely the Pali draws from the same sense, using it to describe Nibbāna.

Presumably Kandaraka left too. This sutta has an odd structure, as the bulk of the teaching occurs after the protagonists leave. This has the ring of a genuinely random encounter.

For these practices, which were pursued by the Buddha before his awakening, see notes at MN 12:45.1.

The same vivid description of ritual is found at MN 94:12.2 and AN 4.198:6.2. | The passage features many details close to the sacrifice as described in the Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa, especially chapter 3, to which I refer below. Of course the attitude is the exact opposite.

Santhāgāra is normally a hall to gather for business, a “town hall”. Here, however, the term draws on the idiom yajñasya saṁsthā, (“completion/establishment of the sacrifice”), which is so common the term “sacrifice” may be left out as implied (eg. 13.2.4.2). Thus it is “a building for completing the sacrifice” (commentary: yaññasāla). | The hall for sacrifice, referred to simply as śālā (3.1.1), is oriented to the east, for “the east is the quarter of the gods” (3.1.1.6). | Shaving hair and beard before the sacrifice is described in detail (3.1.2). | The anointing is with navanīta (“fresh butter”, 3.1.3.7 ff.). | The sacrificer wears clean linen (3.1.2.13), but sits on antelope hide (3.2.1.1), scratching himself with the horn (3.2.1.31; cf. Rig Veda 7.18.7). | The wife’s fertility cleanses and heals (3.5.3.13, 3.8.2). A king enters the “fire chamber” (agnyāgāra) with four wives (13.4.1.8).

He lies down to sleep in the evening (3.2.2.22), with his wives, but refraining from sex (13.4.1.9). | The spreading of grass is a regular feature of Vedic ritual (eg. 3.6.3.14).

After shaving, the sacrificer consumes milk (3.1.2.1) from all four teats or fewer (9.5.1.6), breaking his fast with milk cooked with rice or barley (3.2.2.10, 14). | Milk is drawn from specific teats (3.4.4.26, 9.5.1; Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad 5.8.1). | Milk is cooked from a white cow with white calf (5.3.2.1), or in another rite from a black cow with white calf (9.2.3.30).

The slaughter of animal victims is described in detail (3.7.3). | The sacrificer ought not use the worldly term “slaughter” (Pali haññantu = Sanskrit jahi), rather “make them agree”, “persuade” (saṁjñapaya, 3.8.1.15) so they look forward to being sacrificed (3.7.3.4). | Trees are felled to make the stake (yūpa) to which the animals are tied, while grass (darbha) is strewn on the altar (3.6.4).