法苑珠林 82.94

82.94

Furthermore, the Saṃyuktāgama says: At that time, the Venerable Śāriputra and Mahāmaudgalyāyana were staying on Mount Gṛdhrakūṭa. At that time, the Venerable Śāriputra had newly shaved his hair. Then there were two yakṣas, Ghaṭa and Upaghaṭa. The yakṣa Upaghaṭa, seeing that the Venerable Śāriputra had newly shaved his beard and hair, said to the yakṣa Ghaṭa: "I will now go and strike that śramaṇa's head." The yakṣa Ghaṭa said: "Do not say such words! This śramaṇa has great virtue and great power. Do not give rise to anger, lest through the long night you incur the suffering of great misfortune." He spoke thus two and three times. Then the yakṣa Upaghaṭa twice and thrice refused to heed Ghaṭa's words. He immediately struck the Venerable Śāriputra's head with his hand. After striking him, he at once cried out of himself, shouting: "It burns me, Ghaṭa! It boils me, Ghaṭa!" Having cried out two and three times, he sank into the earth and fell into the Avīci Hell. Maudgalyāyana heard that Śāriputra had been struck by a yakṣa and immediately went to ask him: "How is it, Venerable? Can you endure the pain or not?" Śāriputra answered: "Venerable Maudgalyāyana, although there is pain, my mind is able to endure it; it does not amount to great suffering." Maudgalyāyana said to Śāriputra: "How marvelous, Venerable Śāriputra! You truly possess great virtue and great power. If this yakṣa had struck Mount Gṛdhrakūṭa with his hand, he could have smashed it to bits like chaff and bran, how much more so when striking a man without causing him severe pain!" At that time, Śāriputra said to Maudgalyāyana: "Truly, I do not suffer great pain." Then Śāriputra and Mahāmaudgalyāyana comforted each other. At that time, the World-Honoured One, having heard their voices with the divine ear, immediately spoke a verse: