Verses on Dhamma 6.4.p8

6.4.p8

So taṃ uttaritvā purato gacchanto aparampi nadiṃ disvā ‘‘ayaṃ kā nāmā’’ti pucchi. ‘‘Nīlavāhinī nāma, devā’’ti. ‘‘Kimassā parimāṇa’’nti? ‘‘Gambhīratopi puthulatopi aḍḍhayojanaṃ, devā’’ti. Sesaṃ purimasadisameva. Taṃ pana nadiṃ disvā ‘‘svākkhāto bhagavatā dhammo’’ti dhammānussatiṃ anussaranto pakkhandi. Tampi atikkamitvā gacchanto aparampi nadiṃ disvā ‘‘ayaṃ kā nāmā’’ti pucchi. ‘‘Candabhāgā nāma, devā’’ti. ‘‘Kimassā parimāṇa’’nti? ‘‘Gambhīratopi puthulatopi yojanaṃ, devā’’ti. Sesaṃ purimasadisameva. Imaṃ pana nadiṃ disvā ‘‘suppaṭipanno bhagavato sāvakasaṅgho’’ti saṅghānussatiṃ anussaranto pakkhandi. Taṃ pana nadiṃ atikkamitvā gacchanto satthu sarīrato nikkhantā chabbaṇṇarasmiyo addasa. Nigrodharukkhassa sākhāviṭapapalāsāni sovaṇṇamayāni viya ahesuṃ. Rājā cintesi – ‘‘ayaṃ pana obhāso neva candassa, na sūriyassa, na devamārabrahmanāgasupaṇṇādīnaṃ aññatarassa, addhā ahaṃ satthāraṃ uddissa āgacchanto mahāgotamabuddhena diṭṭho bhavissāmī’’ti. So tāvadeva assapiṭṭhito otaritvā onatasarīro rasmianusārena satthāraṃ upasaṅkamitvā manosilārase nimujjanto viya buddharasmīnaṃ anto pavisitvā satthāraṃ vanditvā ekamantaṃ nisīdi saddhiṃ amaccasahassena, satthā tassa anupubbiṃ kathaṃ kathesi. Desanāvasāne rājā saparivāro sotāpattiphale patiṭṭhahi. Atha sabbeva uṭṭhahitvā pabbajjaṃ yāciṃsu. Satthā ‘‘āgamissati nu kho imesaṃ kulaputtānaṃ iddhimayapattacīvara’’nti upadhārento ‘‘ime kulaputtā paccekabuddhasahassassa cīvarasahassaṃ adaṃsu, kassapasammāsambuddhakāle vīsatiyā bhikkhusahassānampi vīsaticīvarasahassānipi adaṃsu. Anacchariyaṃ imesaṃ iddhimayapattacīvarāgamana’’nti ñatvā dakkhiṇahatthaṃ pasāretvā ‘‘etha, bhikkhavo, caratha brahmacariyaṃ sammā dukkhassa antakiriyāyā’’ti āha. Te tāvadeva aṭṭhaparikkhāradharā vassasaṭṭhikattherā viya hutvā vehāsaṃ abbhuggantvā paccorohitvā satthāraṃ vanditvā nisīdiṃsu.

Having crossed the river Aravacchā, the king proceeded until he came to yet another river. “What is the name of this river?” he asked. “The river Nīlavāhanā, your majesty.” “How deep is it and how wide is it?” “Half a league deep and half a league wide, your majesty.” The rest exactly as before, except that when the king saw this river he said, “Well has the Law been preached by the Exalted One,” and crossed by meditating on the Law. Having crossed the river Nīlavāhanā, the king proceeded until he came to yet a third river. “What is the name of this river?” he asked. “The river Candabhāgā, your majesty.” “How deep is it and how wide is it?” “A league deep and a league wide, your majesty.” The rest exactly as before, except that when the king saw this river he said, “Devoted to righteousness is the Order of Disciples of the Exalted One,” and crossed by meditating on the Order.

After crossing the third river as the king continued his journey, he saw the rays of light of six colors which issued from the body of the Teacher; the branches and forks and leaves of the banyan-tree appeared as though made of pure gold. The king thought to himself, “This radiance is not that of the moon or sun, nor yet that of any mighty Nāga or Garuḍa; it must be that, setting out as I have for the sake of the Teacher, I have been seen by the great Gotama Buddha.” Accordingly he dismounted at once from his horse and inclining his body to the direction of the rays, approached the Teacher; and penetrating the circle of the Buddha’s rays as one might plunge into a sea of vermilion, he paid obeisance to the Teacher and with his retinue of a thousand courtiers seated himself respectfully on one side.

The Teacher preached the Law in orderly sequence, and at the conclusion of his discourse the king and his company of courtiers were established in the Fruit of Conversion, whereupon all of them arose with one accord and requested to be admitted to the Order. The Teacher considered within himself, "Will these noblemen receive bowls and robes created by magic?" and became aware of the following, "These noblemen gave a thousand robes to a thousand Private Buddhas, and in the dispensation of the Buddha Kassapa also gave twenty thousand robes to twenty thousand monks; it is not wonderful that they should receive bowls and robes created by magic." Therefore he extended his right hand and said, "Come, monks, take up the religious life, that you may utterly extinguish suffering." Straightway they were provided with the eight monastic requisites, becoming as it were Elders a century old, and first soaring into the air, they returned to earth, paid obeisance to the Teacher, and sat down.