Verses on Dhamma 7.9.p3

7.9.p3

So thokaṃ gantvā sarīrakiccaṃ apadisitvā ‘‘ṭhapetha tāva yānaṃ, otaritvā āgamissāmī’’ti yānā otaritvā ekasmiṃ gumbe thokaṃ papañcaṃ katvā agamāsi. Punapi thokaṃ gantvā teneva apadesena otaritvā abhiruhi, punapi tatheva akāsi. Athassa ñātakā ‘‘addhā imassa uṭṭhānāni vattantī’’ti sallakkhetvā nātidaḷhaṃ ārakkhaṃ kariṃsu. So punapi thokaṃ gantvā teneva apadesena otaritvā ‘‘tumhe pājento purato gacchatha, mayaṃ pacchato saṇikaṃ āgamissāmā’’ti vatvā otaritvā gumbābhimukho ahosi. Ñātakāpissa ‘‘pacchato āgamissatī’’ti saññāya yānaṃ pājentā gamiṃsu. Sopi tato palāyitvā ekasmiṃ padese tiṃsamattā bhikkhū vasanti, tesaṃ santikaṃ gantvā vanditvā āha – ‘‘pabbājetha maṃ, bhante’’ti. ‘‘Āvuso, tvaṃ sabbālaṅkārapaṭimaṇḍito, mayaṃ te rājaputtabhāvaṃ vā amaccaputtabhāvaṃ vā na jānāma, kathaṃ pabbājessāmā’’ti? ‘‘Tumhe maṃ, bhante, na jānāthā’’ti? ‘‘Na jānāmāvuso’’ti. ‘‘Ahaṃ upatissassa kaniṭṭhabhātiko’’ti. ‘‘Ko esa upatisso nāmā’’ti? ‘‘Bhante, bhaddantā mama bhātaraṃ ‘sāriputto’ti vadanti, tasmā mayā ‘upatisso’ti vutte na jānantī’’ti. ‘‘Kiṃ pana tvaṃ sāriputtattherassa kaniṭṭhabhātiko’’ti? ‘‘Āma, bhante’’ti. ‘‘Tena hi ehi, bhātarā te anuññātamevā’’ti vatvā bhikkhū tassa ābharaṇāni omuñcāpetvā ekamantaṃ ṭhapetvā taṃ pabbājetvā therassa sāsanaṃ pahiṇiṃsu. Thero taṃ sutvā bhagavato ārocesi – ‘‘bhante, ‘āraññikabhikkhūhi kira revato pabbājito’ti sāsanaṃ pahiṇiṃsu, gantvā taṃ passitvā āgamissāmī’’ti. Satthā ‘‘adhivāsehi tāva, sāriputtā’’ti gantuṃ na adāsi. Thero puna katipāhaccayena satthāraṃ āpucchi. Satthā ‘‘adhivāsehi tāva, sāriputta, mayampi āgamissāmā’’ti neva gantuṃ adāsi.

Now in this region lived thirty monks; and when Revata had made good his escape, he went to them, paid obeisance to them, and said, “Reverend Sirs, receive me into the Order.” “Brother, you are adorned with all the adornments; we know not whether you are a king’s son or a courtier’s son; how can we receive you into the Order?” “Don’t you recognize me, Reverend Sirs?” “We do not, brother.” “I am the youngest brother of Upatissa.” “Who is this ‘Upatissa’?” “It is just as I say, Reverend Sirs; the reverend monks call my brother ‘Sāriputta,’ and therefore do not know who is meant when the name ‘Upatissa’ is mentioned.” “Why, are you the youngest brother of Sāriputta?” “Yes, Reverend Sir.” “Well then, come! This is the very thing your brother enjoined upon us.” So they removed his jewels, received him into the Order, and sent word to the Elder.

When the Elder received the message, he said to the Exalted One, “Reverend Sir, since the forest-monks have sent me word, ‘Revata has been received into the Order,’ I should like to go and see him and then return.” The Teacher withheld his permission, saying to him, “Remain here for the present, Sāriputta.” But after a few days the Elder made the same request, and the Teacher withheld his permission as before, saying, “Remain here for the present, Sāriputta; we will go there together later.”