Mahavagga, Khandaka 1, Chapter 20

1. At that time the Blessed One had rags taken from a dust heap (of which he was going to make himiself a dress). Now the Blessed One thought: 'Where shall I wash these rags?' Then Sakka the king of the devas, understanding in his mind the thought which had arisen in the mind of the Blessed One, dug a tank with his own hand, and said to the Blessed One: 'Lord, might the Blessed One wash the rags here.'

And the Blessed One thought: 'What shall I rub the rags upon?' Then Sakka the king of the devas, understanding, &c., put there a great stone and said: 'Lord, might the Blessed One rob the rags upon this stone.'

2. And the Blessed One thought: 'What shall I take hold of when going up (from the tank)?' Then a deity that resided in a Kakudha tree, understanding, &c., bent down a branch and said: 'Lord, might the Blessed One take hold of this branch when going up (from the tank).'

And the Blessed One thought: 'What shall I lay the rags upon (in order to dry them)?' Then Sakka the king of the devas, understanding, &c., put there a great stone and sald: 'Lord, might the Blessed One lay the rags upon this stone.'

3. And when that night had elapsed, the Jaṭila Uruvelā Kassapa went to the place where the Blessed One was; having approached him, he said to the Blessed One: 'It is time, great Samaṇa, the meal is ready. What is this, great Samaṇa? Formerly there was here no tank, and now here is this tank. Formerly no stone was put here; by whom has this stone been put here? Formerly this Kakudha tree did not bend down its branch, and now this branch is bent down.'

4. 'I had rags, Kassapa, taken from a dust heap; and I thought, Kassapa: "Where shall I wash these rags?" Then, Kassapa, Sakka the king of the devas, understanciing in his mind the thought which had arisen in my mind, dug a tank with his hand and said to me: "Lord, might the Blessed One wash the rags here." Thus this tank has been dug by the hand of a non-human being.

'And I thought, Kassapa: "What shall I rub the rags upon?" Then, Kassapa, Sakka, &c. Thus this stone has been put here by a non-human being.

5. 'And I thought, Kassapa: "What shall I take hold of when going up (from the tank)?" Then, Kassapa, a deity, &c. Thus this Kakudha tree has served me as a hold for my hand.

“And I thought, Kassapa: "Where shall I lay the rags upon (in order to dry them)?" Then, Kassapa, Sakka, &c. Thus this stone has been put here by a non-human being.”

6. Then the Jaṭila Uruvelā Kassapa thought: 'Truly the great Samaṇa possesses high magical powers and great faculties, since Sakka the king of the devas does service to him. He is not, however, holy like me.'

And the Blessed One ate (&c., as in chap. 16. 2 ).

7. And when that night had elapsed, the Jaṭila Uruvelā Kassapa went to the place where the Blessed One was; having approached him, he announced to the Blessed One that it was time, by saying, 'It is time, great Samaṇa, the meal is ready.'

(Buddha replied): 'Go you, Kassapa; I will follow you.'

Having thus sent away the Jaṭila Uruvelā Kassapa, he went to pluck a fruit from the jambu tree after which this continent of Jambudīpa (the Gambu Island, or India) is named^[1]; then arriving before Kassapa he sat down in the room where Kassapa's (sacred) fire was kept^[2].

8. Then the Jaṭila Uruvelā Kassapa saw the Blessed One sitting in the fire room; seeing him he said to the Blessed One: 'By what way have you come, great Samaṇa? I have departed before you, and you have arrived before me and are sitting in the fire room.'

9. 'When I had sent you away, Kassapa, I went to pluck a fruit from the garnbu tree after which this continent of Jambudīpa is named; then I arrived before you and sat down in the fire room. Here is the jambu fruit, Kassapa, it is beautiful, fragrant, and full of flavour; you may eat it, if you like.'

“Nay, great Samaṇa, to you alone it is becoming to eat it; eat it yourself.”

And the Jaṭila Uruvelā Kassapa thought: 'Truly the great Samaṇa possesses high magical powers and great faculties, since he is able, having sent me away before him, to go and pluck a fruit from the jambu tree after which this continent of Jambudīpa is named, and then to arrive before me and to sit down in the fire room. He is not however, holy like me.'

And the Blessed One ate (&c., as in chap. 16. 2).

10. And when that night had elapsed (&c., as in § 7, down to:). Having thus sent away the Jaṭila Uruvelā Kassapa, he went to pluck a fruit from a mango tree growing near the jambu tree after which this continent of Jambudīpa is named, &c. He went to pluck a fruit from an emblic myrobalan tree, &c., from a yellow myrobalan tree growing near the jambu tree, &c. He went to the Tāvatimsa heaven to pluck a pāricchattaka (or pārijātaka) flower; then arriving before Kassapa he sat down in the fire room. Then the Jaṭila Uruvelā Kassapa saw (&c., as in § 8).

11. 'When I had sent you away, Kassapa, I went to the Tāvatimsa heaven to pluck a pāricchattaka flower; then I arrived before you and sat down in the fire room. Here is the pāricchattaka flower, Kassapa; it is beautiful and fragrant; you may take it, if you like.'

“Nay, great Samaṇa, to you alone it is becoming to keep it; keep it yourself.”

And the Jaṭila (&c., as in § 9). 'He is not, however, holy as I am.'

12. At that time one day the Jaṭilas, who wished to attend on their sacred fires, could not succeed in splitting fire-wood. Now these Jaṭilas thought:

'Doubtless this is the magical power and the high faculty of the great Samaṇa that we cannot succeed in splitting fire-wood.' Then the Blessed One said to the Jaṭila Uruvelā Kassapa: 'Shall the fire-wood be split, Kassapa?'

“Let it be split, great Samaṇa.”

Then in a moment the five hundred pieces of fire-wood^[3] were split. And the Jaṭila Uruvelā Kassapa thought: 'Truly the great Samaṇa possesses high magical powers and great faculties, since even the fire-wood splits itself (at his command). He is not, however, holy like me.'

13. At that time the Jaṭilas who wished to attend on their sacred fires, could not succeed in lighting up the fires (&c., as in the preceding story).

14. At that time the Jaṭilas, after having attended on their sacred fires, could not succeed in extinguishing the fires (&c., as above).

15. At that time in the cold winter nights, in the time between the ashṭakā festivals^[4], when snow falls, the Jaṭilas plunged into the river Nerañjarā, and emerged again, and repeatedly plunged into the water and emerged. And the Blessed One created five hundred vessels with burning fire^[5]; at those the Jaṭilas coming out of the river warmed themselves. And the Jaṭilas thought: 'Doubtless this is the magical power and the high faculty of the great Samaṇa that these vessels with fire have been caused to appear here.' And the Jaṭila Uruvelā Kassapa thought: 'Truly the great Samaṇa possesses high magical powers and great faculties, since he can create such great vessels with fire. He is not, however, holy like me.'

16. At that time a great rain fell out of season; and a great inundation arose. The place where the Blessed One livcd was covered with water. Then the Blessed One thought: 'What if I were to cause the water to recede round about, and if I were to walk up and down in the midst of the water on a dust-covered spot.' And the Blessed One caused the water to recede round about, and he walked up and down in the midst of the water on a dust-covered spot.

And the Jaṭila Uruvelā Kassapa, who was afraid that the water might have carried away the great Samaṇa, went with a boat together with many Jaṭilas to the place where the Blessed One lived. Then the Jaṭila Uruvelā Kassapa saw the Blessed One, who had caused the water to recede round about, walking up and down in the midst of the water on a dust-covered spot. Seeing him, he said to the Blessed One: 'Are you there, great Samaṇa?'

'Here I am, Kassapa,' replied the Blessed One, and he rose in the air and stationed himself in the boat.

And the Jaṭila Uruvelā Kassapa thought: 'Truly the great Samaṇa possesses high magical powers and great faculties, since the water does not carry him away. He is not, however, holy like me.'

17. Then the Blessed One thought: 'This foolish man will still for a long time think thus: "Truly the great Samaṇa possesses high magical powers and great faculties; he is not, however, holy like me." What if I were to move the mind of this Jaṭila (in order to show him my superiority).'

And the Blessed One said to the Jaṭila Uruvelā Kassapa: 'You are not holy (arahā), Kassapa, nor have you entered the path of Arahatship, nor do you walk in such a practice as will lead you to Arahatship. or to entering the path of Arahatship.'

Then the Jaṭila Uruvelā. Kassapa prostrated himself, inclining his head to the feet of the Blessed One, and said to the Blessed One: 'Lord, let me receive the pabbajjā and upasampadā ordinations from the Blessed One.'

18. (Buddha replied): 'You, Kassapa, are chief, leader, foremost, first, and highest of five hundred Jaṭilas; go first and inform them of your intention, and let them do what they think fit.'

Then the Jaṭila Uruvelā Kassapa went to those Jaṭilas; having gone to them, he said to those Jaṭilas: 'I wish, Sirs, to lead a religious life under the direction of the great Samaṇa; you may do, Sirs, what you think fit.'

(The Jaṭilas replied): 'We have conceived, Sir, an affection for the great Samaṇa long since; if you will lead. Sir, a religious life under the great Samaṇa' s direction; we will all lead a religious life under the great Samaṇa's direction.'

19. Then the Jaṭilas flung their hair^[6], their braids, their provisions^[7], and the things for the agnihotra sacrifice into the river, and went to the place where the Blessed One was; having approached him and prostrated themselves before him, inclining their heads to the feet of the Blessed One, they said to the Blessed One: 'Lord, let us receive the pabbajjā and upasampadā ordinations from the Blessed One.'

'Come, O Bhikkhus,' said the Blessed One, 'well taught is the doctrine; lead a holy life for the sake of the complete extinction of suffering.'

Thus these venerable persons received the upasampadā ordination.

20. And the Jaṭila Nadī Kassapa saw the hair, the braids, the provisions, the things for the agnihotra sacrifice, which were carried down by the river; when he saw that, he became afraid that some misfortune might have befallen his brother. He sent some Jaṭilas, saying, 'Go and look after my brother,' and went himself with his three hundred Jaṭilas to the venerable Uruvelā Kassapa; having approached him, he said to the venerable Uruvelā Kassapa: 'Now, Kassapa, is this bliss?'

(Uruvelā Kassapa replied): 'Yes, friend, this is bliss.'

21. And the Jaṭilas (who had come with Nadī Kassapa) (&c., as in § 19).

22. And the Jaṭila Gayā Kassapa saw (&c., as in § 20); when he saw that, he became afraid that some misfortune might have befallen his brothers. He sent some Jaṭilas, saying, 'Go and look after my brothers,' and went himself with his two hundred Jaṭilas to the venerable Uruvelā Kassapa (&c., as above).

23. And the Jaṭilas (who had come with Gayā Kassapa) (&c., as in § 19).

24.^[8]At the command of the Blessed One the five hundred pieces of fire-wood could not be split and were split, the fires could not be lit up and were lit up, could not be extinguished and were extinguished; besides he created five hundred vessels with fire. Thus the number of these miracles amounts to three thousand five hundred.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

See about this jambu tree, which grows in the forest of Himavant, Hardy's Manual, p. 18 seq.

[2]:

Very probably it is this story in which a similar legend has originated that the Ceylonese tell about Mahinda, the converter of their island; see Dīpavaṃsa XII, 75.

[3]:

Bigandet (Life of Gaudama, p. 135) translates this passage from the Burmese version: 'Gaudama split it in a moment, in five hundred pieces.' Doubtless the true meaning is, that there were five hundred pieces of wood, one for each of the five hundred Jaṭilas over whom was Kassapa chief. In the following two stories (§§ 13, 14) we have five hundred sacred fires.

[4]:

The aṣṭakā festivals, about which accurate details are given in the Gṛhya Sūtras, were celebrated about the wane of the moon of the winter months mārgaśīrṣa, taiṣa, and māgha; see Weber, Die vedischen Nachrichten von den Naxatra, II. p. 337, and H. O.'s note on the Śāṅkhāyana Gṛhya, 3, 12, ap. lndische Studien, XV, p. 145.

[5]:

Buddhaghosa explains mandāmukhiyo by aggibhājanāni.

[6]:

Which they had cut off in order to receive the pabbajjā ordination, see chap. 12. 3.

[7]:

We are extremely doubtful about the meaning of khārikāja, which Buddhaghosa explains by khāribhāra. Perhaps it may mean provisions of any description of which each Jaṭila used to keep one khārī (a certain dry measure).

[8]:

This is evidently a remark added to the text by a reader or commentator.