SARIPUTTA AND THE TWO DEMONS
［THE SECOND AND FIFTH HIGH POWERS］
Translated from the Udána (iv. 4.)THUS have I heard.
On a certain occasion The Blessed One was dwelling at Rájagaha, in Bamboo Grove in Kalandakanivápa. And at that time the venerable Sáriputta and the venerable Moggallána the Great were dwelling in the monastery called Pigeon Glen. Now it chanced that the venerable Sáriputta, on a moonlight night, was seated under the open sky, with freshly shaven head, and in a state of trance. And it chanced that two demons, who were comrades, were passing on some errand from the northern quarter of the heavens to the southern. And these demons saw the venerable Sáriputta, on the moonlight night, seated under the open sky, with freshly shaven head. And at sight of him, the first demon spoke to the second demon as follows:
“It occurs to me, comrade, that it would be a fine plan to give this monk a blow on the head.”
Hearing this, the second demon replied:
“Enough of that, comrade; do not attack the monk. Great, O comrade, is the monk, of great magical power, and very mighty.”
And a second time the first demon spoke to the second demon as follows:
“It occurs to me, comrade, that it would be a fine plan to give this monk a blow on the head.”
And a second time the second demon replied:
“Enough of that, comrade; do not attack the monk. Great, O comrade, is the monk, of great magical power, and very mighty.”
And a third time the first demon spoke to the second demon as follows:
“It occurs to me, comrade, that it would be a fine plan to give this monk a blow on the head.”
And a third time the second demon replied:
“Enough of that, comrade; do not attack the monk. Great, O comrade, is the monk, of great magical power, and very mighty.”
Then the first demon, not heeding what the other demon said, gave the venerable Sáriputta a blow on the head. With such a blow one might fell an elephant seven or seven-and-a half cubits high, or might split a mountain peak. Thereupon, with the cry, “I am burning! I am burning!” the demon fell from where he stood into hell.
And the venerable Moggallána the Great, with his divinely clear vision surpassing that of men, saw the demon give the venerable Sáriputta the blow on the head. And when he had seen it, he drew near to where the venerable Sáriputta was; and having drawn near, he spoke to the venerable Sáriputta as follows:
“Are you comfortable, brother? Are you doing well? Does nothing trouble you?”
“I am comfortable, brother Moggallána. I am doing well, brother Moggallána; but my head troubles me a little.”
“O wonderful is it, brother Sáriputta! O marvellous is it, brother Sáriputta! How great is the magical power, and how great is the might of the venerable Sáriputta! Just now, brother Sáriputta, a certain demon gave you a blow on the head. And a mighty blow it was! With such a blow one might fell an elephant seven or seven-and-a-half cubits high, or might split a mountain peak. But the venerable Sáriputta only says thus: ‘I am comfortable, brother Moggallána. I am doing well, brother Moggallána; but my head troubles me a little.’ ”
“O wonderful is it, brother Moggallána! O marvellous is it, brother Moggallána! How great is the magical power, and how great is the might of the venerable Moggallána that he should see any demon at all! I, however, have not seen so much as a mudsprite.”
Now The Blessed One, with his divinely clear hearing surpassing that of men, heard the above conversation between these two elephants among men. Then The Blessed One, on learning of this occurrence, on that occasion breathed forth this solemn utterance:
“The man whose mind, like to a rock,
Unmovèd stands, and shaketh not;
Which no delights can e'er inflame,
Or provocations rouse to wrath—
O, whence can trouble come to him,
Who thus hath nobly trained his mind?”