Dhammapada 1.7.p4

1.7.p4

Athassa eko kuṭumbiko satasahassagghanikaṃ gandhakāsāvavatthaṃ datvā – ‘‘sace te dānavattaṃ nappahoti, idaṃ vissajjetvā yaṃ ūnaṃ, taṃ pūreyyāsi. Sace pahoti, yassicchasi, tassa bhikkhuno dadeyyāsī’’ti āha. Tadā tassa sabbaṃ dānavattaṃ pahosi, kiñci ūnaṃ nāma nāhosi. So manusse pucchi – ‘‘idaṃ, ayyā, kāsāvaṃ ekena kuṭumbikena evaṃ nāma vatvā dinnaṃ atirekaṃ jātaṃ, kassa naṃ demā’’ti. Ekacce ‘‘sāriputtattherassā’’ti āhaṃsu. Ekacce ‘‘thero sassapākasamaye āgantvā gamanasīlo, devadatto amhākaṃ maṅgalāmaṅgalesu sahāyo udakamaṇiko viya niccaṃ patiṭṭhito, tassa taṃ demā’’ti āhaṃsu. Sambahulikāya kathāyapi ‘‘devadattassa dātabba’’nti vattāro bahutarā ahesuṃ, atha naṃ devadattassa adaṃsu. So taṃ chinditvā sibbitvā rajitvā nivāsetvā pārupitvā vicarati. Taṃ disvā manussā ‘‘nayidaṃ devadattassa anucchavikaṃ, sāriputtattherassa anucchavikaṃ. Devadatto attano ananucchavikaṃ nivāsetvā pārupitvā vicaratī’’ti vadiṃsu. Atheko disāvāsiko bhikkhu rājagahā sāvatthiṃ gantvā satthāraṃ vanditvā katapaṭisanthāro satthārā dvinnaṃ aggasāvakānaṃ phāsuvihāraṃ pucchito ādito paṭṭhāya sabbaṃ taṃ pavattiṃ ārocesi. Satthā ‘‘na kho bhikkhu idāneveso attano ananucchavikaṃ vatthaṃ dhāreti, pubbepi dhāresiyevā’’ti vatvā atītaṃ āhari –

Now a certain householder presented a perfumed yellow robe worth a hundred thousand pieces of money, saying, "If your combined alms prove insufficient, sell this and devote the proceeds to supplying the deficiency; if they are sufficient, you may give it to whatever monk you please." The combined offerings proved sufficient for the householder's purpose; there was nothing lacking. The lay disciple therefore said to the men, "Honorable Sirs, this yellow robe, given by a certain householder for such and such a purpose, is superfluous. To whom shall we give it?"

Some said, "Let us give it to the Elder Sāriputta." Others said, "The Elder Sāriputta has a way of coming and going when the crops are ripe. But Devadatta is our constant companion, both on festival days and on ordinary days, and is ever ready like a water-pot. Let us give it to him." After a long discussion it was decided by a majority of four to give the robe to Devadatta. So they gave the robe to Devadatta. Devadatta cut it in two, fashioned it, dyed it, put one part on as an undergarment and the other as an upper garment, and wore it as he walked about. When they saw him wearing his new robe, they said, "This robe does not become Devadatta, but does become the Elder Sāriputta. Devadatta is going about wearing under and upper garments which do not become him."

Now a certain monk who lived in foreign parts came from Rājagaha to Sāvatthi, and when he had paid obeisance to the Teacher and expressed his pleasure at seeing him, the Teacher asked him about the well-being of the two Chief Disciples. The monk thereupon told him the whole episode of the robe from beginning to end. Said the Teacher, "Monks, this is not the first time Devadatta has worn robes unbecoming to him; in a previous state of existence also he wore robes which did not become him." So saying, he related the following