64. Near the Nera/^ara river the Blessed One
1 Buddhaghosa explains makkha by kodha.
2 Compare ^ullavagga IV, 4, 4, where Dabba also te^odhatuwz samapa^ati, that is, his finger is on fire.
3 Compare the Editor's corrections at iTullavagga, p. 363.
4 In §§ 6, 7 (excepting the last clause of § 7) the story related in §§ 1-5 is repeated in a more popular style. This appears to us to be a more archaic redaction than the preceding. We do not know
I, 15, 7. ADMISSION TO THE ORDER OF BHIKKHUS. 121
said to the GWila Uruvela Kassapa : ' If it is not
disagreeable to you, Kassapa, let me dwell this moon-
light night in your fire room/
* It is not disagreeable to me, great Sama/za, but
in your own behalf I warn you off. There is a
savage Snake king there possessed of magical power,
a dreadfully venomous serpent ; let him do no harm
to you/
' He is not likely to do any harm to me ; pray, Kassapa, allow me a place in your fire room.'
When he saw that Kassapa had given his per-
mission, fearlessly He, who had overcome all fear,
entered. When the chief of Serpents saw that the
Sage had entered, he became irritated, and sent forth
a cloud of smoke. Then the chief of men *, joyful
and unperplexed, also sent forth a cloud of smoke.
Unable to master his rage, the chief of Serpents sent
forth flames like a burning fire. Then the chief of
men1, the perfect master of the element of fire, also
sent forth flames. When they shone forth both with
their flames, the 6Wilas looked at the fire room (say-
ing), * Truly the countenance of the great Samara is
beautiful, but the Naga will do harm to him/
7. And when that night had elapsed, the flames
of the Naga were extinguished, but the various-
coloured flames of Him who is possessed of magical
powers remained. Dark blue and red, light red,
yellow, and crystal-coloured flames of various colours
any other instance in the Pali Pi/akas of a similar repetition, ex- cepting a short passage at the end of chap. 24. 3 ; and one other in the Maha-padhana Sutta.
1 Literally, ' the Snake among men/ or ' the Elephant among men' (manussanago).
I 2 2 MAHAVAGGA. I, 16, I.
appeared on the Angirasa's1 body. Having put
the chief of Serpents into his alms-bowl, he showed
him to the Brahma/za (saying), * Here you see the
Naga, Kassapa; his fire has been conquered by
my fire/
And the GWila UruvelS, Kassapa, having con-
ceived an affection for the Blessed One in con-
sequence of this wonder, said to the Blessed One :
1 Stay with me, great Sama#a, I will daily provide
you with food.'
End of the first Wonder.
i. And the Blessed One resided in a certain
grove near the hermitage of the CWila Uruvela
Kassapa. And on a beautiful night the four
Maharajas2, filling the whole grove with light by
the brilliancy of their complexion, went to the place
where the Blessed One was ; having approached
him and respectfully saluted the Blessed One, they
stood in the four directions like great firebrands.
2. And when that night had elapsed, the 6a/ila
Uruvela Kassapa went to the place where the
Blessed One was ; having approached him, he said
to the Blessed One : ' It is time, great Samara, the
meal is ready. Who were they, great Samara, who
came, this beautiful night, filling the whole grove
with light by the brilliancy of their complexion, to
1 According to Vedic tradition the Gautamas, as is well known, belong to the Ahgirasa tribe.
2 See chap. 4. 4.
I, 17, 2. ADMISSION TO THE ORDER OF BHIKKHUS. 1 23
the place where you were, and having approached
you and respectfully saluted you, stood in the four
directions like great firebrands ?'
' They were the four Maharajas, Kassapa, who came to me in order to hear my preaching/
Then the Ga/ila Uruvela Kassapa thought : ' Truly
the great Samara possesses high magical powers
and great faculties, since even the four Maharajas
come to hear his preaching. He is not, however,
holy like me/
And the Blessed One ate the food offered by the
GWila Uruvela Kassapa, and continued to stay in
that same grove.
End of the second Wonder.
1. And on a beautiful night Sakka (£akra or
Indra) the king of the devas, filling the whole grove
with light by the brilliancy of his complexion, went
to the place where the Blessed One was; having
approached him and respectfully saluted the Blessed
One, he stood near him like a great firebrand, sur-
passing in beauty and brilliancy the splendour of the
former appearances.
2. And when that night had elapsed (&c, as in chap. 16. 2).
End of the third Wonder.
124 MAHAVAGGA. I, 18.
And on a beautiful night Brahma Sahampati (&c, as in chap. 17).
End of the fourth Wonder.
1. At that time a great sacrifice which the GWila
Uruvela Kassapa used to celebrate was approaching,
and all the people of Anga and Magadha wished
to go to that sacrifice carrying abundant food, both
hard and soft. Now the GWila Uruvela Kassapa
thought : * Presently my great sacrifice is approaching,
and all the people of Anga and Magadha will come
and bring with them abundant food, both hard and
soft. If the great Samara should perform a wonder
before that great assembly, gain and honour would
increase to the great Samara, and my gain and
honour would diminish. Well, the great Sama/za
shall not appear here to-morrow.'
2. Then the Blessed One, understanding by the
power of his mind this reflection which had arisen
in the mind of the 6Wila Uruvela Kassapa, went
to Uttara Kuru ; having begged alms there, he took
the food (he had received) to the Anotatta lake1;
there he took his meal and rested during the heat
of the day at the same place.
And when the night had elapsed, the 6Wila
Uruvela Kassapa went to the place where the Blessed
One was ; having approached him, he said to the
1 One of the supposed seven great lakes in the Himavant.
I, 20, I. ADMISSION TO THE ORDER OF BHIKKHUS. I 25
Blessed One : * It is time, great Sama/za, the meal
is ready. Why did you not come yesterday, great
Samara? We have thought of you: "Why does
the great Samara not come ?" and your portions of
food, both hard and soft, were served up for you/
3. (Buddha replied) : ' Did you not think, Kassapa:
" Presently my great sacrifice (&c, as above down to :).
Well, the great Samara shall not appear here to-
morrow ?"
4. ' Now I understood, Kassapa, by the power of
my mind this reflection which had arisen in your
mind, and I went to Uttara Kuru ; having begged
alms there, I took the food to the Anotatta lake ;
there I took my meal and rested during the heat
of the day at the same place.'
Then the GWila Uruvel& Kassapa thought :
1 Truly the great Sama/za possesses high magical
powers and great faculties, since he is able to under-
stand by the power of his mind the thoughts of other
people. He is not, however, holy like me.5
And the Blessed One ate (&c, as in chap. 16. 2).
End of the fifth Wonder.
1. At that time the Blessed One had rags
taken from a dust heap (of which he was going to
make himself a dress). Now the Blessed One
thought : * Where shall I wash these rags ? ' Then
Sakka the king of the devas, understanding in his
mind the thought which had arisen in the mind of
the Blessed One, dug a tank with his own hand,
126 MAHAVAGGA. 1,20,2.
and said to the Blessed One : ' Lord, might the Blessed One wash the rags here/
And the Blessed One thought : 'What shall I rub
the rags upon ?' Then Sakka the king of the devas,
understanding, &c, put there a great stone and said:
' Lord, might the Blessed One rub the rags upon
this stone/
2. And the Blessed One thought : ' What shall
I take hold of when going up (from the tank)?'
Then a deity that resided in a Kakudha tree, under-
standing, &c, bent down a branch and said : ' Lord,
might the Blessed One take hold of this branch when
going up (from the tank)/
And the Blessed One thought: 'What shall I
lay the rags upon (in order to dry them)?' Then
Sakka the king of the devas, understanding, &c,
put there a great stone and said : * Lord, might the
Blessed One lay the rags upon this stone/
3. And when that night had elapsed, the 6Wila
Uruvela Kassapa went to the place where the
Blessed One was ; having approached him, he said
to the Blessed One : 'It is time, great Samara,
the meal is ready. What is this, great Samara ?
Formerly there was here no tank, and now here
is this tank. Formerly no stone was put here ; by
whom has this stone been put here ? Formerly this
Kakudha tree did not bend down its branch, and
now this branch is bent down/
4. * I had rags, Kassapa, taken from a dust heap;
and I thought, Kassapa : " Where shall I wash these
rags ?" Then, Kassapa, Sakka the king of the devas,
understanding in his mind the thought which had
arisen in my mind, dug a tank with his hand and
said to me : " Lord, might the Blessed One wash the
I, 20, 7. ADMISSION TO THE ORDER OF BHIKKHUS. I 27
rags here." Thus this tank has been dug by the hand of a non-human being.
* And I thought, Kassapa : " What shall I rub the
rags upon ?" Then, Kassapa, Sakka, &c. Thus this
stone has been put here by a non-human being.
5. ' And I thought, Kassapa : "What shall I take
hold of when going up (from the tank)?" Then,
Kassapa, a deity, &c. Thus this Kakudha tree has
served me as a hold for my hand.
* And I thought, Kassapa : " Where shall I lay the
rags upon (in order to dry them) ?" Then, Kassapa,
Sakka, &c. Thus this stone has been put here by
a non-human being.5
6. Then the GWila Uruvela Kassapa thought :
' Truly the great Samara possesses high magical
powers and great faculties, since Sakka the king of
the devas does service to him. He is not, however,
holy like me/
And the Blessed One ate (&c, as in chap, 16. 2).
7. And when that night had elapsed, the GWila
Uruvelcl Kassapa went to the place where the
Blessed One was ; having approached him, he
announced to the Blessed One that it was time,
by saying, ' It is time, great Samara, the meal is
ready.'
(Buddha replied) : ' Go you, Kassapa ; I will follow you.'
Having thus sent away the GWila Uruvela Kas-
sapa, he went to pluck a fruit from the ^ambu tree
after which this continent of Gambudlpa (the Gambu
Island, or India) is named1; then arriving before
1 See about this ^ambu tree, which grows in the forest of Hima- vant, Hardy's Manual, p. 18 seq.
128 MAHAVAGGA. I, 20, 8.
Kassapa he sat down in the room where Kassapa's (sacred) fire was kept \
8. Then the Ga/ila Uruvela Kassapa saw the
Blessed One sitting in the fire room ; seeing him
he said to the Blessed One : ' By what way have
you come, great Samara ? I have departed before
you, and you have arrived before me and are sitting
in the fire room/
9. ' When I had sent you away, Kassapa, I went
to pluck a fruit from the ^ambu tree after which
this continent of 6ambudipa is named ; then I arrived
before you and sat down in the fire room. Here
is the ^ambu fruit, Kassapa, it is beautiful, fragrant,
and full of flavour ; you may eat it, if you like/
' Nay, great Samara, to you alone it is becoming to eat it ; eat it yourself/
And the Ga/ila Uruvela Kassapa thought : 'Truly
the great Samara possesses high magical powers
and great faculties, since he is able, having sent
me away before him, to go and pluck a fruit from
the ^ambu tree after which this continent of
Cambudipa is named, and then to arrive before
me and to sit down in the fire room. He is not,
however, holy like me/
And the Blessed One ate (&c, as in chap. 16. 2).
10. And when that night had elapsed (&c, as in
§ 7, down to:). Having thus sent away the GWila
Uruvela Kassapa, he went to pluck a fruit from a
mango tree growing near the^ambu tree after which
this continent of ^ambudipa is named, &c. He