Dighanikaya 14.11

14.11

Upaṭṭhākaparicchede pana ānandoti nibaddhupaṭṭhākabhāvaṃ sandhāya vuttaṃ. Bhagavato hi paṭhamabodhiyaṃ anibaddhā upaṭṭhākā ahesuṃ. Ekadā nāgasamālo pattacīvaraṃ gahetvā vicari, ekadā nāgito, ekadā upavāno, ekadā sunakkhatto, ekadā cundo samaṇuddeso, ekadā sāgato, ekadā meghiyo. Tattha ekadā bhagavā nāgasamālattherena saddhiṃ addhānamaggapaṭipanno dvedhāpathaṃ patto. Thero maggā okkamma – ‘‘bhagavā, ahaṃ iminā maggena gacchāmī’’ti āha. Atha naṃ bhagavā – ‘‘ehi bhikkhu, iminā maggena gacchāmā’’ti āha. So – ‘‘handa, bhagavā, tumhākaṃ pattacīvaraṃ gaṇhatha, ahaṃ iminā maggena gacchāmī’’ti vatvā pattacīvaraṃ chamāyaṃ ṭhapetuṃ āraddho. Atha naṃ bhagavā – ‘‘āhara, bhikkhū’’ti vatvā pattacīvaraṃ gahetvā gato. Tassapi bhikkhuno itarena maggena gacchato corā pattacīvarañceva hariṃsu, sīsañca bhindiṃsu. So – ‘‘bhagavā idāni me paṭisaraṇaṃ, na añño’’ti cintetvā lohitena gaḷitena bhagavato santikaṃ agamāsi. ‘‘Kimidaṃ bhikkhū’’ti ca vutte taṃ pavattiṃ ārocesi. Atha naṃ bhagavā – ‘‘mā cintayi, bhikkhu, etaṃyeva te kāraṇaṃ sallakkhetvā nivārayimhā’’ti vatvā naṃ samassāsesi.

In the section on the attendant, 'Ānanda' was said with reference to his being the permanent attendant. For during the Blessed One's early period after awakening, there were no permanent attendants. Sometimes Nāgasamāla took his bowl and robe and went along with him, sometimes Nāgita, sometimes Upavāna, sometimes Sunakkhatta, sometimes the novice Cunda, sometimes Sāgata, sometimes Meghiya. On one occasion there, when the Blessed One was travelling along a highway with the elder Nāgasamāla, they arrived at a fork in the road. The elder, turning off the road, said, 'Blessed One, I am going by this road.' Then the Blessed One said to him, 'Come, monk, let us go by this road.' He said, 'Here, Blessed One, take your bowl and robe; I am going by this road,' and began to set the bowl and robe down on the ground. Then the Blessed One said, 'Bring them, monk,' took the bowl and robe, and went on. As for that monk, as he went along the other road, bandits took his bowl and robe and broke his head. Thinking, 'Now only the Blessed One is my refuge, no one else,' he went to the Blessed One, his blood dripping. And when asked, 'What is this, monk?' he related the event. Then the Blessed One consoled him, saying, 'Do not worry, monk; having foreseen just this situation, we turned you back.'