Verses on Dhamma 6.5.p14

6.5.p14

Ekaṃ buddhantaraṃ dibbasampattiṃ anubhavitvā imasmiṃ buddhuppāde tato cuto sāvatthiyaṃ sāriputtattherassūpaṭṭhākakule seṭṭhidhītu kucchiyaṃ paṭisandhiṃ gaṇhi. Athassā mātāpitaro gabbhassa patiṭṭhitabhāvaṃ ñatvā gabbhaparihāraṃ adaṃsu. Tassā aparena samayena evarūpo dohaḷo uppajji – ‘‘aho vatāhaṃ dhammadesanāpatiṃ ādiṃ katvā pañcannaṃ bhikkhusatānaṃ rohitamaccharasena dānaṃ datvā kāsāyāni vatthāni nivāsetvā āsanapariyante nisinnā tesaṃ bhikkhūnaṃ ucchiṭṭhabhattaṃ paribhuñjeyya’’nti. Sā mātāpitūnaṃ ārocetvā tathā akāsi, dohaḷo paṭipassambhi. Athassā tato aparesupi sattasu maṅgalesu rohitamaccharaseneva dhammasenāpatittherappamukhāni pañca bhikkhusatāni bhojesuṃ. Sabbaṃ tissakumārassa vatthumhi vuttaniyāmeneva veditabbaṃ. Ayamassa pana mahāduggatakāle dinnassa rohitamaccharasadānasseva nissando. Nāmaggahaṇadivase panassa, ‘‘bhante, dāsassa vo sikkhāpadāni dethā’’ti mātarā vutte thero āha – ‘‘konāmo ayaṃ dārako’’ti? ‘‘Bhante, imassa dārakassa kucchiyaṃ paṭisandhiggahaṇato paṭṭhāya imasmiṃ gehe jaḷā eḷamūgāpi paṇḍitā jātā, tasmā me puttassa paṇḍitotveva nāmaṃ bhavissatī’’ti. Thero sikkhāpadāni adāsi. Jātadivasato paṭṭhāya panassa ‘‘nāhaṃ mama puttassa ajjhāsayaṃ bhindissāmī’’ti mātu cittaṃ uppajji. So sattavassikakāle mātaraṃ āha – ‘‘amma, therassa santike pabbajissāmī’’ti. ‘‘Sādhu, tāta, ‘ahaṃ tava ajjhāsayaṃ na bhindissāmicceva manaṃ uppādesi’’’nti vatvā theraṃ nimantetvā bhojetvā, ‘‘bhante, dāso vo pabbajitukāmo, ahaṃ imaṃ sāyanhasamaye vihāraṃ ānessāmī’’ti theraṃ uyyojetvā ñātake sannipātāpetvā ‘‘mama puttassa gihikāle kattabbasakkāraṃ ajjeva karissāmā’’ti mahantaṃ sakkāraṃ kāretvā taṃ ādāya vihāraṃ gantvā ‘‘imaṃ, bhante, pabbājethā’’ti therassa adāsi.

When the mother and father of the merchant’s daughter learned that she had conceived a child in her womb, they saw to it that she received the treatment necessary for the protection of the embryo. After a time the longing of pregnancy came upon her and she thought to herself, “Oh that I might make offerings of the choicest portions of redfish to the five hundred monks headed by the Captain of the Faith; oh that I might put on yellow robes, sit down in the outer circle of the seats, and partake of the food left uneaten by these monks!” She expressed her longing to her mother and father and fulfilled her longing, whereupon it subsided. Thereafter she held seven festivals more, and provided the five hundred monks headed by the Captain of the Faith with the choicest portions of redfish. (All is to be understood precisely as in the Story of the Youth Tissa.) This was the fruit of his offering of the choicest portions of redfish in his former existence as the poor man, Mahāduggata.

Now on the day appointed for the naming of the child the mother said to the Elder, “Reverend Sir, confer the moral precepts on your

servant." Said the Elder, "What is the name of this child?" "Reverend Sir, from the day this child came into existence in my womb, those of this household who were stupid and deaf and dumb became wise; therefore the name of my child shall be Youth Wiseman, Paṇḍita Dāraka." The Elder then conferred the moral precepts on the child.

Now from the day of his birth his mother resolved, "I will not interfere with the desire of my son." When he was seven years old, he said to his mother, "I desire to become a monk under the Elder." She replied, "Very well, dear child; long ago I made up my mind not to interfere with your desire." So she invited the Elder to her house, provided him with food, and said to him, "Reverend Sir, your servant desires to become a monk; I will bring him to the monastery this evening." Having dismissed the Elder, she gathered her kinsfolk together and said to them, "This very day I shall render the honors appropriate to the occasion of my son's leaving the life of a layman." So she prepared rich gifts and taking the child to the monastery, committed him to the hands of the Elder, saying, "Reverend Sir, admit this child to the Order."