Verses on Dhamma 25.12.p18

25.12.p18

Thero pana pakatiyāpi āraddhavīriyo, tassa tattha pubbarattāpararattaṃ caṅkamantassa udaravāto samuṭṭhahi. Atha naṃ kilantarūpaṃ disvā sāmaṇero pucchi – ‘‘bhante, kiṃ vo rujjatī’’ti? ‘‘Udaravāto me samuṭṭhito’’ti. ‘‘Aññadāpi samuṭṭhitapubbo, bhante’’ti? ‘‘Āmāvuso’’ti. ‘‘Kena phāsukaṃ hoti, bhante’’ti? ‘‘Anotattato pānīye laddhe phāsukaṃ hoti, āvuso’’ti. ‘‘Tena hi, bhante, āharāmī’’ti. ‘‘Sakkhissasi sāmaṇerā’’ti? ‘‘Āma, bhante’’ti. Tena hi anotatte pannago nāma nāgarājā maṃ jānāti, tassa ācikkhitvā bhesajjatthāya ekaṃ pānīyavārakaṃ āharāti. So sādhūti upajjhāyaṃ vanditvā vehāsaṃ abbhuggantvā pañcayojanasataṃ ṭhānaṃ agamāsi. Taṃ divasaṃ pana nāgarājā nāganāṭakaparivuto udakakīḷaṃ kīḷitukāmo hoti. So sāmaṇeraṃ āgacchantaṃ disvāva kujjhi, ‘‘ayaṃ muṇḍakasamaṇo attano pādapaṃsuṃ mama matthake okiranto vicarati, anotatte pānīyatthāya āgato bhavissati, na dānissa pānīyaṃ dassāmī’’ti paṇṇāsayojanikaṃ anotattadahaṃ mahāpātiyā ukkhaliṃ pidahanto viya phaṇena pidahitvā nipajji. Sāmaṇero nāgarājassa ākāraṃ oloketvāva ‘‘kuddho aya’’nti ñatvā imaṃ gāthamāha –

Now the Elder was ordinarily energetic and active, and as he walked back and forth during the former and the latter part of the night, he began to suffer with indigestion. The novice noticed that he looked haggard and pale and asked him, "Reverend Sir, what ails you?" "I am troubled with indigestion." "Have you ever before been troubled with it, Reverend Sir?" "Yes, brother." "What will cure you, Reverend Sir?" "Brother, drinking-water brought from Lake Anotatta will cure me." "Well then, Reverend Sir, I will fetch you some." "Can you do so, novice?" "Yes, Reverend Sir." "Well then, Paṇṇaka, king of the dragons, who lives at Lake Anotatta, knows me; tell him your errand, and fetch me a jar of drinking-water for medicinal purposes." "Very well," replied the novice, and saluting his preceptor, he rose into the air and proceeded to Lake Anotatta, five hundred leagues away.

Now on that day the king of the dragons had laid his plans to disport himself in the water in company with some dancing dragons. When therefore he saw the novice approaching, he became very angry. Said he to himself, "Here this shaveling novice walks about, scattering the dust of his own feet on the top of my head! He must have come to fetch drinking-water from Lake Anotatta. Well, I will not let him have any drinking-water!" And forthwith he lay down, covering with his hood the whole of Lake Anotatta, fifty leagues in extent, just as one would cover a kettle with a great dish. The novice observed the manner of the king of the dragons, and perceiving within himself, "He is angry," pronounced the following Stanza,