Verses on Dhamma 25.12.p26

25.12.p26

Atha naṃ sāmaṇero ‘‘evaṃ, mahārāja, harāmī’’ti vatvā ‘‘yadi sakkonto harāhī’’ti vutte – ‘‘tena hi suṭṭhu jānassū’’ti tikkhattuṃ paṭiññaṃ gahetvā ‘‘buddhasāsanassa ānubhāvaṃ dassetvā mayā pānīyaṃ harituṃ vaṭṭatī’’ti cintetvā ākāsaṭṭhadevatānaṃ tāva santikaṃ agamāsi. Tā āgantvā vanditvā ‘‘kiṃ, bhante’’ti vatvā aṭṭhaṃsu. ‘‘Etasmiṃ anotattadahapiṭṭhe pannaganāgarājena saddhiṃ mama saṅgāmo bhavissati, tattha gantvā jayaparājayaṃ olokethā’’ti āha. So eteneva nīhārena cattāro lokapāle sakkasuyāmasantusitaparanimmitavasavattī ca upasaṅkamitvā tamatthaṃ ārocesi. Tato paraṃ paṭipāṭiyā yāva brahmalokaṃ gantvā tattha tattha brahmehi āgantvā vanditvā ṭhitehi ‘‘kiṃ, bhante’’ti puṭṭho tamatthaṃ ārocesi. Evaṃ so asaññe ca arūpibrahmāno ca ṭhapetvā sabbattha muhutteneva āhiṇḍitvā ārocesi. Tassa vacanaṃ sutvā sabbāpi devatā anotattadahapiṭṭhe nāḷiyaṃ pakkhittāni piṭṭhacuṇṇāni viya ākāsaṃ nirantaraṃ pūretvā sannipatiṃsu. Sannipatite devasaṅghe sāmaṇero ākāse ṭhatvā nāgarājaṃ āha –

Then said the novice to the king of the dragons, “Thus, mighty king, will I take the water.” Said the king of the dragons, “Take it if you can.” “Very well,” said the novice, “make up your mind for certain.” Three times did the novice exact a promise from the king of the dragons. Then he thought to himself, “I had best manifest the power of the Religion of the Buddha in taking this water.” So he went to the deities who dwell in the sky. They approached, saluted him, and said, “What do you wish, Reverend Sir?” “There is going to be a battle between me and Paṇṇaka king of the dragons, who broods over the surface of Lake Anotatta; go there and see who wins and who loses.”

In like manner the novice went to the Four Warders of the World, and to Sakka, Suyāma, Santusita, Paranimmita-Vasavattī, and told them what was about to happen. Then he went farther to each one of the Brahmā Worlds, nine in number. The Brahmā of each of these worlds approached, saluted him, and asked, “What do you wish, Reverend Sir?” The novice told each of them what was about to happen. Thus the novice passed through each of the worlds in but an instant of time, visiting all of the deities except the Unconscious Deities and the Formless Brahmās, and told the deities what was about to happen. Hearing his words, all of the deities assembled on the surface of Lake Anotatta, filling the sky completely, as when powdered lead is put into a pint-measure. When the host of deities had assembled, the novice, poised in the air, spoke thus to the king of the dragons,