Verses on Dhamma 5.11.p7

5.11.p7

Buddhānampi kho paccūsakāle lokavolokanaṃ avijahitameva hoti. Tasmā ekadivasaṃ bhagavato paccūsasamaye lokaṃ volokentassa ayaṃ jambukājīvako ñāṇajālassa anto paññāyi. Satthā ‘‘kiṃ nu kho bhavissatī’’ti āvajjetvā tassa saha paṭisambhidāhi arahattassūpanissayaṃ disvā ‘‘ahaṃ etaṃ ādiṃ katvā ekaṃ gāthaṃ bhāsissāmi, gāthāvasāne caturāsītiyā pāṇasahassānaṃ dhammābhisamayo bhavissati. Imaṃ kulaputtaṃ nissāya mahājano sotthibhāvaṃ pāpuṇissatī’’ti ñatvā punadivase rājagahe piṇḍāya caritvā piṇḍapātapaṭikkanto ānandattheraṃ āmantesi – ‘‘ānanda, jambukājīvakassa santikaṃ gamissāmī’’ti. ‘‘Bhante, kiṃ tumheyeva gamissathā’’ti? ‘‘Āma, ahamevā’’ti evaṃ vatvā satthā vaḍḍhamānakacchāyāya tassa santikaṃ pāyāsi.

It is the invariable practice of the Buddhas to survey the world at dawn. Therefore one day, as the Buddha surveyed the world, this Naked Ascetic Jambuka entered the Net of his Knowledge. "What will happen?" pondered the Teacher. Straightway he perceived that Jambuka possessed the dispositions requisite for the attainment of Arahatship with the Supernatural Faculties. And he became aware of the following, "I will pronounce a single Stanza, and at the conclusion of the Stanza, beginning with this ascetic, eighty-four thousand living beings will obtain Comprehension of the Law. Through this man a great multitude will win Salvation."

On the following day the Teacher made his round for alms in Rājagaha, and when he had returned from his round, he said to the Elder Ānanda, "Ānanda, I intend to go to the Naked Ascetic Jambuka." "Reverend Sir, can it be that you intend to go to him?" "Yes, Ānanda, I do." Having so said, as the shadows of evening lengthened, the Teacher set out to go to him. Thereupon the deities thought, "The Teacher is going to visit the Naked Ascetic Jambuka. Now Jambuka lives on a flat rock polluted by excrement, urine, and toothsticks. We must therefore cause rain to fall." So by their own supernatural power they caused rain to fall, though but for a moment. Immediately the flat rock was pure and spotless. For the deities caused the five kinds of rain to fall upon that rock.