Dhammapada 1.3.p3

1.3.p3

Atīte bārāṇasiyaṃ bārāṇasiraññe rajjaṃ kārente devilo nāma tāpaso aṭṭha māse himavante vasitvā loṇambilasevanatthāya cattāro māse nagaramupanissāya vasitukāmo himavantato āgantvā nagaradvāre dārake disvā pucchi – ‘‘imaṃ nagaraṃ sampattapabbajitā kattha vasantī’’ti? ‘‘Kumbhakārasālāyaṃ, bhante’’ti. Tāpaso kumbhakārasālaṃ gantvā dvāre ṭhatvā ‘‘sace te bhaggava agaru, vaseyyāma ekarattiṃ sālāya’’nti āha. Kumbhakāro ‘‘mayhaṃ rattiṃ sālāyaṃ kiccaṃ natthi, mahatī sālā, yathāsukhaṃ vasatha, bhante’’ti sālaṃ niyyādesi. Tasmiṃ pavisitvā nisinne aparopi nārado nāma tāpaso himavantato āgantvā kumbhakāraṃ ekarattivāsaṃ yāci. Kumbhakāro ‘‘paṭhamaṃ āgato iminā saddhiṃ ekato vasitukāmo bhaveyya vā no vā, attānaṃ parimocessāmī’’ti cintetvā ‘‘sace, bhante, paṭhamaṃ upagato rocessati, tassa ruciyā vasathā’’ti āha. So tamupasaṅkamitvā ‘‘sace te, ācariya agaru, mayañcettha ekarattiṃ vaseyyāmā’’ti yāci. ‘‘Mahatī sālā, pavisitvā ekamante vasāhī’’ti vutte pavisitvā puretaraṃ paviṭṭhassa devilassa aparabhāge nisīdi. Ubhopi sāraṇīyakathaṃ kathetvā nipajjiṃsu.

Once upon a time, when a certain king of Benāres reigned at Benāres, an ascetic named Devala, who had resided for eight months in the Himālaya country, desiring to reside near the city during the four months of the rains, returned from the Himālaya for salt and vinegar. Seeing two boys at the gate of the city, he asked them, "Where do monks who come to this city spend the night?" "In the potter's hall, Reverend Sir." So Devala went to the potter's hall, stopped at the door, and said, "If it is agreeable to you, Bhaggava, I should like to spend one night in your hall." The potter turned over the hall to him, saying, "I have no work going on in the hall at night, and the hall is a large one; spend the night here as you please, Reverend Sir."

No sooner had Devala entered the hall and sat down than another ascetic named Nārada, returning from the Himālaya, asked the potter for a night's lodging. The potter thought to himself, "The ascetic who arrived first may or may not be willing to spend the night with him; I will therefore relieve myself of responsibility." So he said to the ascetic who had just arrived, "Reverend Sir, if the ascetic who arrived first approves, spend the night at his pleasure." So Nārada approached Devala and said, "Teacher, if it is agreeable to you, I should like to spend one night here." Devala replied, "The hall is a large one; therefore come in and spend the night on one side." So

Nārada went in and sat down behind the ascetic who had gone in before him. Both exchanged friendly greetings.