Verses on Dhamma 5.12.p2

5.12.p2

Ekasmiñhi divase jaṭilasahassassa abbhantaro āyasmā lakkhaṇatthero ca mahāmoggallānatthero ca ‘‘rājagahe piṇḍāya carissāmā’’ti gijjhakūṭato otaranti. Tesu āyasmā mahāmoggallānatthero ekaṃ ahipetaṃ disvā sitaṃ pātvākāsi. Atha naṃ lakkhaṇatthero ‘‘kasmā, āvuso, sitaṃ pātukarosī’’ti sitakāraṇaṃ pucchi. ‘‘Akālo, āvuso lakkhaṇa, imassa pañhassa, bhagavato santike maṃ puccheyyāsī’’ti thero āha. Tesu rājagahe piṇḍāya caritvā bhagavato santikaṃ gantvā nisinnesu lakkhaṇatthero pucchi, ‘‘āvuso, moggallānaṃ tvaṃ gijjhakūṭā otaranto sitaṃ pātukaritvā mayā sitakāraṇaṃ puṭṭho ‘bhagavato santike maṃ puccheyyāsī’ti avaca, kathehi idāni taṃ kāraṇa’’nti. Thero āha – ‘‘ahaṃ, āvuso, ekaṃ petaṃ disvā sitaṃ pātvākāsiṃ. Tassa evarūpo attabhāvo – manussasīsaṃ viya assa sīsaṃ, ahissa viya seso attabhāvo, ahipeto nāmesa pamāṇato pañcavīsatiyojaniko, tassa sīsato uṭṭhitā aggijālā yāva naṅguṭṭhā gacchanti, naṅguṭṭhato uṭṭhitā aggijālā yāva sīsā, majjhesīsato uṭṭhitā dve passāni gacchanti, dvīhi passehi uṭṭhitā majjhe otarantī’’ti. Dvinnaṃyeva kira petānaṃ attabhāvo pañcavīsatiyojaniko, avasesānaṃ tigāvutappamāṇo. Imassa ceva ahipetassa kākapetassa ca pañcavīsatiyojaniko. Tesu ayaṃ tāva ahipeto. Kākapetampi mahāmoggallāno gijjhakūṭamatthake paccamānaṃ disvā tassa pubbakammaṃ pucchanto imaṃ gāthamāha –

For on a certain day, in the midst of a thousand ascetics wearing matted hair, the Venerable Elder Lakkhaṇa and the Venerable Elder Moggallāna the Great descended from Vulture Peak with the intention of making an alms-pilgrimage in Rājagaha. The Venerable Elder

Moggallāna the Great, seeing a snake-ghost, smiled. Thereupon Elder Lakkhaṇa asked him the reason for his smile, saying, "Brother, why do you smile?" Said Elder Moggallāna the Great, "Brother, it is not the proper time for you to ask that question. Wait until we are in the presence of the Exalted One and then ask me." When they had completed their rounds for alms in Rājagaha and had come into the presence of the Teacher and had sat down, Elder Lakkhaṇa asked Elder Moggallāna, "Brother Moggallāna, as you were descending from Vulture Peak, you smiled; and when I asked you the reason for your smile, you said, 'Wait until we are in the presence of the Teacher and then ask me.' Now tell me the reason."

Said the Elder, "Brother, I smiled because I saw a snake-ghost. This is what he looked like: his head was like the head of a man, and the rest of his body was like that of a snake. He was what is called a snake-ghost. He was twenty-five leagues in length. Flames of fire started from his head and went as far as his tail; flames of fire started from his tail and went as far as his head. Flames of fire starting from his head played on both sides of his body; flames of fire starting from his sides descended on his body. There are two ghosts, they say, whose length is twenty-five leagues, the length of the rest being three-quarters of a league. But the length of this snake-ghost and of this crow-ghost was twenty-five leagues." So much for the snake-ghost.

On another occasion Moggallāna saw a crow-ghost enduring torment on the summit of Vulture Peak. And he asked the ghost about his former deed, pronouncing the following Stanza,