Mahavagga, Khandaka 1, Chapter 15

1. And the Blessed One, wandering from place to place, came to Uruvelā. At that time there lived in Uruvelā three Jaṭilas^[1], Uruvelā Kassapa, Nadī Kassapa (Kassapa of the River, i.e. the Nerañjarā), and Gayā Kassapa (Kassapa of the village Gayā.). Of these the Jaṭila Uruvelā Kassapa was chief, leader, foremost, first, and highest over five hundred Jaṭilas; Nadī Kassapa was chief . . . . (&c., down to highest over) three hundred Jaṭilas, Gayā Kassapa was chief (&c., down to highest over) two hundred Jaṭilas.

2. And the Blessed One went to the hermitage of the Jaṭila Uruvelā Kassapa; having gone there, he said to the Jaṭila Uruvelā Kassapa: 'If it is not disagreeable to you, Kassapa, let me spend one night in the room where your (sacred) fire is kept.'

“It is not disagreeable to me, great Samaṇa, but there is a savage Nāga (or Serpent) king of great magical power^[2], a dreadfully venomous serpent; let him do no harm to you.”

And a second time the Blessed One said to the Jaṭila Uruvelā Kassapa: 'If it is not disagreeable,' &c. . . . .

'It is not disagreeable,' &c.

And a third time the Blessed One said: 'If it not disagreeable,' &c. . . . .

'It is not disagreeable,' &c. . . . .

“He is not likely to do any harm to me. Pray, Kassapa, allow me a place in the room where your fire is kept.”

“Stay there, great Samaṇa, as you wish it.”

3. Then the Blessed One entered the room where the fire was kept, made himself a couch of grass, and sat down cross-legged, keeping the body erect and surrounding himself with watchfulness of mind^[3]. And the Nāga saw that the Blessed One had entered; when he saw that, he became annoyed, and irritated, and sent forth a cloud of smoke. Then the Blessed One thought: 'What if I were to leave intact the skin, and hide, and flesh, and ligaments, and bones, and marrow of this Nāga; but were to conquer the fire, which he will send forth, by my fire.'

4. And the Blessed One effected the appropriate exercise of miraculous power and sent forth a cloud of smoke. Then the Nāga, who could not master his rage^[4], sent forth flames. And the Blessed One, converting his body into fire^[5], sent forth flames. When they both shone forth with their flames, the fire room looked as if it were burning and blazing, as if it were all in flames. And the Jaṭilas, surrounding the fire room, said: 'Truly, the countenance of the great Samaṇa is beautiful, but the Nāga will do harm to him^[6].'

5. That night having elapsed, the Blessed One, leaving intact the skin and hide and flesh and ligaments and bones and marrow of that Nāga, and conquering the Nāga's fire by his fire, threw him into his alms-bowl, and showed him to the Jaṭila Uruvelā Kassapa (saying), 'Here you see the Nāga, Kassapa; his fire has been conquered by my fire.' Then the Jaṭila Uruvelā Kassapa thought: 'Truly the great Samaṇa possesses high magical powers and great faculties, in that he is able to conquer by his fire the fire of that savage Nāga king, who is possessed of magical power, that dreadfully venomous serpent. He is not, however, holy (arahā) as I am.'

6^[7]. Near the Nerañjarā river the Blessed One said to the Jaṭila Uruvelā Kassapa: 'If it is not disagreeable to you, Kassapa, let me dwell this moonlight night in your fire room.'

“It is not disagreeable to me, great Samaṇa, but in your own behalf I warn you off. There is a savage Snake king there possessed of magical power, a dreadfully venomous serpent; let him do no harm to you.”

“He is not likely to do any harm to me; pray, Kassapa, allow me a place in your fire room.”

When he saw that Kassapa had given his permission, fearlessly He, who had overcome all fear, entered. When the chief of Serpents saw that the Sage had entered, he became irritated, and sent forth a cloud of smoke. Then the chief of men^[8], joyful and unperplexed, also sent forth a cloud of smoke. Unable to master his rage, the chief of Serpents sent forth flames like a burning fire. Then the chief of men^[8], the perfect master of the element of fire, also sent forth flames. When they shone forth both with their flames, the Jaṭilas looked at the fire room (saying), 'Truly the countenance of the great Samaṇa is beautiful, but the Nāga will do harm to him.'

7. And when that night had elapsed, the flames of the Nāga were extinguished, but the various-coloured flames of Him who is possessed of magical powers remained. Dark blue and red, light red, yellow, and crystal-coloured flames of various colours appeared on the Aṅgirasa's^[9] body. Having put the chief of Serpents into his alms-bowl, he showed him to the Brāhmaṇa (saying), 'Here you see the Nāga, Kassapa; his fire has been conquered by my fire.'

And the Jaṭila Uruvelā Kassapa, having conceived an affection for the Blessed One in consequence of this wonder, said to the Blessed One: 'Stay with me, great Samaṇa, I will daily provide you with food.'

End of the first Wonder.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

The Jaṭilas (i.e. ascetics wearing matted hair) are Brahmanical vānaprasthas. The description of their ascetic life given in many passages of the Jātaka Atthavaṇṇanā and of the Apadāna exactly agrees with the picture of the forest life of the {Greek: ulóbioi} which so frequently occurs in the Mahābhārata. In the Mahāvagga (VI, 35, 2) it is expressly stated that the Jaṭilas recognised the authority of the Veda, and it is in keeping with this that the usual term for adopting the state of a Jaṭila is 'isipabbajjam pabbajati' (frequently in the Jāt. Atth.), i.e. leaving the world and becoming a Ṛṣi.

[2]:

Iddhi. compare the passages referred to by Rh. D. in. Buddhist Suttas from the Pāli,' pp. 2, 40, 259; and further Mahāvagga VI, 15, 8, and Cullavagga Vll, 1, 4, and VII, 2, 1.

[3]:

Satiṃ upaṭṭhāpetvā. Sati is here a more precise idea than memory.

[4]:

Buddhaghosa explains makkha by kodha.

[5]:

Compare Cullavagga IV, 4, 4, where Dabba also tejodhatuṃ samāpajjati, that is, his finger is on fire.

[6]:

Compare the Editor's corrections at Cullavagga, p. 363.

[7]:

In §§ 6, 7 (excepting the last clause of § 7) the story related in §§ 1-5 is repeated in a more popular style. This appears to us to be a more archaic redaction than the preceding. We do not know any other instance in the Pāli Piṭakas of a similar repetition, excepting a short passage at the end of chap. 24. 3; and one other in the Mahā-padhāna Sutta.

[8]:

Literally, 'the Snake among men,' or 'the Elephant among men' (manussanāgo).

[9]:

According to Vedic tradition the Gautamas, as is well known. belong to the Āṅgirasa tribe.