At Sāvatthī. Now at that time the Buddha had gone into retreat for the day’s meditation. Then the independent divinities Subrahmā and Suddhāvāsa went to the Buddha and stationed themselves one by each door-post. But Subrahmā said to Suddhāvāsa,
“Good fellow, it’s the wrong time to pay homage to the Buddha. He has gone into retreat for the day’s meditation. But such-and-such realm of divinity is successful and prosperous, while the divinity living there is negligent. Come, let’s go to that realm of divinity and inspire awe in that divinity!”
PL
“akālo kho tāva, mārisa, bhagavantaṁ payirupāsituṁ; divāvihāragato bhagavā paṭisallīno ca. Asuko ca brahmaloko iddho ceva phīto ca, brahmā ca tatra pamādavihāraṁ viharati. Āyāma, mārisa, yena so brahmaloko tenupasaṅkamissāma; upasaṅkamitvā taṁ brahmānaṁ saṁvejeyyāmā”ti.
EN
“Yes, good fellow,” replied Suddhāvāsa. Then, as easily as a strong person would extend or contract their arm, they vanished from in front of the Buddha and appeared in that realm of divinity. That divinity saw those divinities coming off in the distance and said to them,
PL
“Evaṁ, mārisā”ti kho suddhāvāso paccekabrahmā subrahmuno paccekabrahmuno paccassosi. Atha kho subrahmā ca paccekabrahmā suddhāvāso ca paccekabrahmā—seyyathāpi nāma balavā puriso …pe… evameva—bhagavato purato antarahitā tasmiṁ brahmaloke pāturahesuṁ. Addasā kho so brahmā te brahmāno dūratova āgacchante. Disvāna te brahmāno etadavoca:
EN
“Well now, good fellows, where have you come from?” “Good fellow, we’ve come from the presence of the Blessed One, the perfected one, the fully awakened Buddha. Shouldn’t you go to attend on that Blessed One?” When they had spoken, that divinity refused to accept their advice. He multiplied himself a thousand times and said to Subrahmā,
“Good fellow, can’t you see that I have such psychic power?” “I see that, good fellow.” “Since I have such psychic power and might, what other ascetic or brahmin should I go to and attend upon?” Then Subrahmā multiplied himself two thousand times and said to that divinity,
“Good fellow, can’t you see that I have such psychic power?” “I see that, good fellow.” “That Buddha has even more psychic power and might than you or me. Shouldn’t you go to attend on that Blessed One?”
PL
“passasi me no tvaṁ, mārisa, evarūpaṁ iddhānubhāvan”ti? “Passāmi kho tyāhaṁ, mārisa, evarūpaṁ iddhānubhāvan”ti. “Tayā ca kho, mārisa, mayā ca sveva bhagavā mahiddhikataro ceva mahānubhāvataro ca. Gaccheyyāsi tvaṁ, mārisa, tassa bhagavato upaṭṭhānaṁ arahato sammāsambuddhassā”ti?
EN
Then that divinity addressed Subrahmā in verse: “There are three hundreds of phoenixes, four of swans, and five of tigerhawks. To he who practiced absorption belongs this palace; it shines, Divinity,
PL
Atha kho so brahmā subrahmānaṁ paccekabrahmānaṁ gāthāya ajjhabhāsi: “Tayo supaṇṇā caturo ca haṁsā, Byagghīnisā pañcasatā ca jhāyino; Tayidaṁ vimānaṁ jalate ca brahme,
EN
lighting up the northern quarter!” “So what if your palace shines, lighting up the northern quarter? A clever person, seeing the strife in form,
its chronic trembling, takes no pleasure in it.” Then after inspiring awe in that divinity, the independent divinities Subrahmā and Suddhāvāsa vanished right there. And after some time that divinity went to attend on the Buddha.
PL
Tasmā na rūpe ramatī sumedho”ti. Atha kho subrahmā ca paccekabrahmā suddhāvāso ca paccekabrahmā taṁ brahmānaṁ saṁvejetvā tatthevantaradhāyiṁsu. Agamāsi ca kho so brahmā aparena samayena bhagavato upaṭṭhānaṁ arahato sammāsambuddhassāti.
At Sāvatthī. Now at that time the Buddha had gone into retreat for the day’s meditation. Then the independent divinities Subrahmā and Suddhāvāsa went to the Buddha and stationed themselves one by each door-post. But Subrahmā said to Suddhāvāsa,
“Good fellow, it’s the wrong time to pay homage to the Buddha. He has gone into retreat for the day’s meditation. But such-and-such realm of divinity is successful and prosperous, while the divinity living there is negligent. Come, let’s go to that realm of divinity and inspire awe in that divinity!”
PL
“akālo kho tāva, mārisa, bhagavantaṁ payirupāsituṁ; divāvihāragato bhagavā paṭisallīno ca. Asuko ca brahmaloko iddho ceva phīto ca, brahmā ca tatra pamādavihāraṁ viharati. Āyāma, mārisa, yena so brahmaloko tenupasaṅkamissāma; upasaṅkamitvā taṁ brahmānaṁ saṁvejeyyāmā”ti.
EN
“Yes, good fellow,” replied Suddhāvāsa. Then, as easily as a strong person would extend or contract their arm, they vanished from in front of the Buddha and appeared in that realm of divinity. That divinity saw those divinities coming off in the distance and said to them,
PL
“Evaṁ, mārisā”ti kho suddhāvāso paccekabrahmā subrahmuno paccekabrahmuno paccassosi. Atha kho subrahmā ca paccekabrahmā suddhāvāso ca paccekabrahmā—seyyathāpi nāma balavā puriso …pe… evameva—bhagavato purato antarahitā tasmiṁ brahmaloke pāturahesuṁ. Addasā kho so brahmā te brahmāno dūratova āgacchante. Disvāna te brahmāno etadavoca:
EN
“Well now, good fellows, where have you come from?” “Good fellow, we’ve come from the presence of the Blessed One, the perfected one, the fully awakened Buddha. Shouldn’t you go to attend on that Blessed One?” When they had spoken, that divinity refused to accept their advice. He multiplied himself a thousand times and said to Subrahmā,
“Good fellow, can’t you see that I have such psychic power?” “I see that, good fellow.” “Since I have such psychic power and might, what other ascetic or brahmin should I go to and attend upon?” Then Subrahmā multiplied himself two thousand times and said to that divinity,
“Good fellow, can’t you see that I have such psychic power?” “I see that, good fellow.” “That Buddha has even more psychic power and might than you or me. Shouldn’t you go to attend on that Blessed One?”
PL
“passasi me no tvaṁ, mārisa, evarūpaṁ iddhānubhāvan”ti? “Passāmi kho tyāhaṁ, mārisa, evarūpaṁ iddhānubhāvan”ti. “Tayā ca kho, mārisa, mayā ca sveva bhagavā mahiddhikataro ceva mahānubhāvataro ca. Gaccheyyāsi tvaṁ, mārisa, tassa bhagavato upaṭṭhānaṁ arahato sammāsambuddhassā”ti?
EN
Then that divinity addressed Subrahmā in verse: “There are three hundreds of phoenixes, four of swans, and five of tigerhawks. To he who practiced absorption belongs this palace; it shines, Divinity,
PL
Atha kho so brahmā subrahmānaṁ paccekabrahmānaṁ gāthāya ajjhabhāsi: “Tayo supaṇṇā caturo ca haṁsā, Byagghīnisā pañcasatā ca jhāyino; Tayidaṁ vimānaṁ jalate ca brahme,
EN
lighting up the northern quarter!” “So what if your palace shines, lighting up the northern quarter? A clever person, seeing the strife in form,
its chronic trembling, takes no pleasure in it.” Then after inspiring awe in that divinity, the independent divinities Subrahmā and Suddhāvāsa vanished right there. And after some time that divinity went to attend on the Buddha.
PL
Tasmā na rūpe ramatī sumedho”ti. Atha kho subrahmā ca paccekabrahmā suddhāvāso ca paccekabrahmā taṁ brahmānaṁ saṁvejetvā tatthevantaradhāyiṁsu. Agamāsi ca kho so brahmā aparena samayena bhagavato upaṭṭhānaṁ arahato sammāsambuddhassāti.
Sutraya