Chapter 246 - The Buddha sends Maudgalyāyana to visit and comfort the old king

atrāntare nāsti kiṃcitbuddhānāṃ bhagavatāmajñātamadṛṣṭamaviditamavijñātaṃ; dharmatā khalu buddhānāṃ bhagavatāṃ mahākāruṇikānāṃ lokānugrahapravṛttānāmekārakṣāṇāṃ (i 157) śamathavipaśyanāvihāriṇāṃ tridamathavastukuśalānāṃ caturoghottīrṇānāṃ caturṛddhipādacaraṇatalasupratiṣṭhitamatīnāṃ caturṣu saṃgrahavastuṣu dīrgharātrakṛtaparicayānāṃ pañcāṅgaviprahīnānāṃ pañcagatisamatikrāntānāṃ ṣaḍaṅgasamanvāgatānāṃ ṣaṭpāramitāparipūrṇānāṃ saptabodhyaṅgakusumāḍhyānāmaṣṭāṅgamārgadeśikānāṃ navānupūrvavihārasamāpattikuśalānāṃ daśabalināṃ daśadiksamāpūrṇayaśasāṃ daśaśatavaśavartiprativiśiṣṭānāṃ trī rātrestrirdivasasya buddhacakṣuṣā lokaṃ vyavalokya jñānadarśanaṃ pravartate: ko hīyate ko vardhate kaḥ kṛcchraprāptaḥ kaḥ saṃkataprāptaḥ kaḥ saṃbādhaprāptaḥ kaḥ kṛcchrasaṃkaṭasaṃbādhaprāptaḥ ko'pāyanimnaḥ ko'pāyapravaṇaḥ ko'pāyaprāgbhāraḥ kamahamapāyāduddhṛtya svarge mokṣe ca pratiṣṭhāpayeyaṃ; kasya anavaropitāni kuśalamulāni avaropayeyaṃ? kasyāvaropitāni paripācayeyaṃ? kasya pakvāni vimocayeyamiti; tatra bhagavānāyuṣmantaṃ mahāmaudgalyāyanamāmantrayate: gaccha maudgalyāyana; rājānaṃ bimbisāraṃ madvacanādārogya; evaṃ sa vada: bhagavān kathayati: yatkalyāṇamitreṇa karaṇīyaṃ kṛtaṃ tatte mayā; uddhṛtaste narakatiryakpretebhyaḥ pādaḥ; pratiṣṭhāpito devamanuṣyeṣu; paryantīkṛtaḥ saṃsāraḥ; ucchoṣitā rudhirāśrusamudrāḥ; laṅghitā asthiparvatāḥ; pihitānyapāyadvārāṇi; vivṛtāni svargamokṣadvārāṇi; api tu tvayaivaitāni karmāṇi kṛtānyupacitāni labdhasaṃbhārāṇi pariṇatapratyayānyoghavatpratyupasthitānyavaśyabhāvīni; tvayaiva karmāṇi kṛtānyko'nyaḥ pratyanubhaviṣyati? na mahārāja karmāṇi kṛtānyupacitāni bāhye pṛthivīdhātau vipacyante, nābdhātau, na tejodhātau, na vāyudhātau; api tūpātteṣveva skandhadhātvāyataneṣu karmāṇi kṛtāni vipacyante śubhānyaśubhāni ca;
na praṇaśyanti karmāṇyapi kalpaśatairapi |
sāmagrīṃ prāpya kālaṃ ca phalanti khalu dehinām ||
tasmāttarhi te mahārāja karmaparāyaṇena bhavitavyamiti; evaṃ bhadantetyāyuṣmānmahāmaudgalyāyano bhagavataḥ pratiśrutya (a 481 ) tadrūpaṃ samādhiṃ samāpanno yathā samāhite citte gṛddhrakūṭe (i 158) antarhitaścārake pratyaṣṭhāt, rājño bimbisārasya purastāt; evaṃ cāha: mahārāja bhagavāṃste ārogayati; vande bhadanta mahāmaudgalyāyana bhagavantaṃ ca; bhagavānmahārāja evamāha: yatkalyāṇamitreṇa karaṇīyaṃ kṛtaṃ tatte mayā; uddhṛtaste narakatiryakpretebhyaḥ; pratiṣṭhāpito devamanuṣyeṣu; paryantīkṛtaḥ saṃsāraḥ; ucchoṣitā rudhirāśrusamudrāḥ; laṅghitā asthiparvatāḥ; pihitānyapāyadvārāṇi; vivṛtāni svargamokṣadvārāṇi; api tu tvayaivaitāni karmāṇi kṛtānyupacitāni labdhasaṃbhārāṇi pariṇatapratyayānyoghavatpratyupasthitānyavaśyabhāvīni; tvayā karmāṇi kṛtānyupacitāni ko'nyaḥ pratyanubhaviṣyati? na mahārāja karmāṇi kṛtānyupacitāni bāhye pṛthivīdhātau vipacyante, nābdhātau, na tejodhātau, na vāyudhātau; api tūpātteṣveva skandhadhātvāyataneṣu karmāṇi kṛtāni vipacyante śubhānyaśubhāni ca;
na praṇaśyanti karmāṇyapi kalpaśatairapi |
sāmagrīṃ prāpya kālaṃ ca phalanti khalu dehinām ||
tasmāttarhi te mahārāja karmaparāyaṇena bhavitavyamiti; sā cārakāvaruddhaḥ kṣurapādābhilikhanānnapānaviyogaduḥkhairabhyāhataḥ kathayati: kutra bhadanta mahāmaudgalyāyana praṇīta āhāro bhujyate iti; sa kathayati: mahārāja cāturmahārājakāyikeṣu deveṣu ityuktvā ayuṣmānmahāmaudgalyāyanaḥ tadrūpaṃ samādhiṃ samāpanno yathā samāhite citte cārake antarhito gṛddhrakūṭaparvate pratyaṣṭhāt