Saṃyutta Nikāya
I. Sagātha Vagga
7. Brāhmana Saṃyutta

The Book of the Kindred Sayings
I. Kindred Sayings with Verses
7. The Brāhmana Suttas

Translated by Mrs. Rhys Davids
Assisted by Sūriyagoḍa Sumangala Thera
Public Domain

 

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[220]

II: The Lay Adherents

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Sutta 13

Devahita Suttaṃ

Devahita

 

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[13.1] THUS HAVE I HEARD:

On one occasion, at Sāvatthi, the Exalted One fell ill with intestinal wind.

And the venerable Upavāna was attending on the Exalted One.

Then the Exalted One appealed to him, saying:

"Prithee, Upavāna,^[1]
dost know how I can get hot water?"

"Surely, lord," responded the venerable Upavāna,
and making ready he took bowl and robe,
and sought the dwelling of the brahmin Devahita.

When he got there he stood silently aside.

[221] Now Devahita saw him standing thus in silence,
and addressed him in the verse: —

"His Worship standing there and speaking not,
With shaven head and face, wrapped in his cloak,
What doth he wish for, what may be his quest,
What would he beg, that he is thither come?"^[2]

[Upavāna: —]

"An Arahant, the Blessed of all men,
A holy sage, he suffereth sore with wind.
It there be any water heated here,
0 give it to me, brahmin, for the sage.
Revered by them to whom we reverence owe,^[3]
Cherished by them who claim our pious care,
Honoured by them to whom honour is due,
For him I do beseech it may be brought."

Then Devahita the brahmin made a serving man take hot water on a carrying-pole^[4]
and a jar of molasses,^[5]
and offered them to the venerable Upavāna.

Then the venerable Upavana came to the Exalted One
and administered them to him,
fomenting with the hot water
and mixing the molasses with hot water.^[6]

Then the illness of the Exalted One abated.

And Devahita the brahmin came to visit the Exalted One,
and exchanging with him the greetings of courtesy and amity,
took his seat at one side.

So seated, he addressed the Exalted One in the verse:

"Where should he give^[7] who hath a gift to make?
Where given, will his offering bear much fruit?
[222] Yea, how to him who doth oblation bring —
How shall his tribute work effectively?"^[8]

[The Exalted One:—]

"Whose^[9] vision many former lives hath pierced.
Who sees the heavens above, the depths below,
Whose is't to win the doing down of birth: —
Master of supernormal lore, a seer: —
There should he give who hath a gift to make,
There given, will his offering bear much fruit,
Yea, thus to him who doth oblation bring —
Thus shall his tribute work effectively."

When he had thus spoken,
Devahita the brahmin said to the Exalted One:

"Most excellent, Master Gotama, most excellent!

As if one raised up
that which had been overthrown,
or revealed
that which had been hidden,
or declared the way
to one who was bewildered,
or carried an oil-lamp into the dark,
so that they that had eyes could see,
even so is the Norm in many ways
made manifest by Master Gotama.

Lo! I go for refuge to Gotama the Exalted One,
to the Norm,
and to the Order.

May Master Gotama suffer me as a lay-adherent,
who from this day forth
as long as life endures
has taken in him refuge!"

 

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^[1] The Comy. gives the same account of the temporary attendants before Ānanda as Dhammapāla gives. See Pss. of the Brethren, p. 350, differing only in the inclusion of one Bodhi. They were chosen out of the 80 'Great Theras' or inner entourage of the Master. Cf. op. cit. xxxvi, 350; Dialogues, ii, 151.

^[2] Presumably it was not the conventional hour for the alms-call, hence the perplexity. The verses of the petition agree with 185, 186 of the Theragātha.

^[3] E.g. 'the 80 Great Theras.' Comy.

^[4] Kajā or pingo, the pole at right angles to the shoulders.

^[5] Cf. Vin. Texts, ii, 42.

^[6] 'As a sweating mixture.' Comy.

^[7] Dajjā.

^[8] Ijjhcti.

^[9] Cf. VII, 1, § 8.