Verses on Dhamma 2.1.p12

2.1.p12

So ekadivasaṃ paccekabuddhaṃ āha – ‘‘bhante, yadā me okāso na bhavissati, tadā imaṃ sunakhaṃ pesessāmi, tena saññāṇena āgaccheyyāthā’’ti. Tato paṭṭhāya anokāsadivase, ‘‘gaccha, tāta, ayyaṃ ānehī’’ti sunakhaṃ pesesi. So ekavacaneneva pakkhanditvā sāmikassa gacchapothanabhūmipothanaṭṭhāne tikkhattuṃ bhussitvā tena saddena vāḷamigānaṃ palātabhāvaṃ ñatvā pātova sarīrapaṭijagganaṃ katvā paṇṇasālaṃ pavisitvā nisinnassa paccekabuddhassa vasanaṭṭhānaṃ gantvā paṇṇasāladvāre tikkhattuṃ bhussitvā attano āgatabhāvaṃ jānāpetvā ekamante nipajjati, paccekabuddhe velaṃ sallakkhetvā nikkhante bhussanto purato gacchati. Antarantarā paccekabuddho taṃ vīmaṃsanto aññaṃ maggaṃ paṭipajjati. Athassa purato tiriyaṃ ṭhatvā bhussitvā itaramaggameva naṃ āropeti. Athekadivasaṃ aññaṃ maggaṃ paṭipajjitvā tena purato tiriyaṃ ṭhatvā vāriyamānopi anivattitvā sunakhaṃ pādena paharitvā pāyāsi. Sunakho tassa anivattanabhāvaṃ ñatvā nivāsanakaṇṇe ḍaṃsitvā ākaḍḍhanto itaramaggameva naṃ āropesi. Evaṃ so tasmiṃ balavasinehaṃ uppādesi.

A few days later the herdsman found it inconvenient to go in person. He therefore sent the dog in his place, saying, “Boy, go bring his reverence back.” At the mere word of the herdsman the dog started off. Where he had seen his master stop and strike bushes and ground, the dog also stopped and barked three times; and when he was sure that his barking had frightened away the wild beasts, he went on. Early in the morning, having attended to nature’s needs, he entered the hut of leaves and grass, went to the place where the Private Buddha sat, barked three times by way of announcing his arrival, and then lay down at one side. By this the Private Buddha knew that it was time for him to go, and therefore started out. The dog ran before him, barking constantly. From time to time the Private Buddha tested the dog by taking the wrong path; but every time he did so the dog, by standing across the path and barking, intimated to him to take the other path.

One day the Private Buddha took the wrong path, and when the dog tried to stop him, without turning back, he pushed away the dog with his foot and went on. The dog, perceiving that he did not intend to turn back, took the hem of his undergarment in his teeth and dragged him along until he brought him to the right path. Such was the strength of the affection of the dog for the Private Buddha.