མ་ག་དྷ་བཟང་མའ་རྟགས་པ་བརྗད་པ 1

1

Homage to all buddhas and bodhisattvas.

Thus did I hear at one time. The blessed Buddha was dwelling in Śrāvastī, in Prince Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍada’s Park.

At that time, a daughter of Anāthapiṇḍada known as Sumāgadhā, who was faithful, good-natured, virtuous in her thoughts, and engaged in benefiting herself and others, was dwelling in Śrāvastī.

Meanwhile, in a city known as Puṇḍravardhana, there lived another merchant, whose son was known as Vṛṣabhadatta. By associating with the heterodox non-Buddhists, he had come to believe in the nirgranthas.²³ Whenever the Blessed One performed miraculous displays, the non-Buddhists would remain in the outlying districts—some in the city called Bhadrika,²⁴ some in the area known as Mudgirika,²⁵ and some in the city known as Puṇḍravardhana.

At that time, Vṛṣabhadatta had not yet established a household. Concerning that, the nirgranthas said, “There is a daughter of Anāthapiṇḍada called Sumāgadhā, who is beautiful, pleasing to behold, and graceful, the most beautiful woman in the land.”²⁶

As soon as he heard that, Vṛṣabhadatta assumed the guise of a nirgrantha mendicant and traveled to Śrāvastī. He entered the home of the householder Anāthapiṇḍada to collect alms, and there he saw the girl. He was enamored the moment he saw her, and when he received the alms, he took them in his hat.²⁷ The girl saw his improper behavior and laughingly said, “This one is absentmindedly accepting alms!”

Vṛṣabhadatta was ashamed and returned to the city of Puṇḍravardhana. There he spoke to his father, who accepted the girl.

Anāthapiṇḍada