Udāna 4.4
Translators: sujato
Heartfelt Sayings 4.4
Yakkhapahārasutta
The Spirit’s Blow
Evaṁ me sutaṁ—
So I have heard.
ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā rājagahe viharati veḷuvane kalandakanivāpe.
At one time the Buddha was staying near Rājagaha, in the Bamboo Grove, the squirrels’ feeding ground.
Tena kho pana samayena āyasmā ca sāriputto āyasmā ca mahāmoggallāno kapotakandarāyaṁ viharanti.
At that time Venerables Sāriputta and Moggallāna were staying near the pigeons’ alcove.
Tena kho pana samayena āyasmā sāriputto juṇhāya rattiyā navoropitehi kesehi abbhokāse nisinno hoti aññataraṁ samādhiṁ samāpajjitvā.
Now at that time Venerable Sāriputta was sitting outdoors in the moonlight, his head freshly shaven, having entered a certain state of immersion.
Tena kho pana samayena dve yakkhā sahāyakā uttarāya disāya dakkhiṇaṁ disaṁ gacchanti kenacideva karaṇīyena.
Now at that time two native spirits who were friends were on their way from the north to the south on some business.
Addasaṁsu kho te yakkhā āyasmantaṁ sāriputtaṁ juṇhāya rattiyā navoropitehi kesehi abbhokāse nisinnaṁ.
They saw Sāriputta meditating there.
Disvāna eko yakkho dutiyaṁ yakkhaṁ etadavoca:
One of the spirits said to the other,
“paṭibhāti maṁ, samma, imassa samaṇassa sīse pahāraṁ dātun”ti.
“I feel inspired, friend, to give this ascetic a blow on the head!”
Evaṁ vutte, so yakkho taṁ yakkhaṁ etadavoca:
The other spirit replied,
“alaṁ, samma, mā samaṇaṁ āsādesi.
“Enough, friend, don’t hit the ascetic!
Uḷāro so, samma, samaṇo mahiddhiko mahānubhāvo”ti.
That is an eminent ascetic, powerful and mighty!”
Dutiyampi kho so yakkho taṁ yakkhaṁ etadavoca:
For a second time the first spirit said to the other,
“paṭibhāti maṁ, samma, imassa samaṇassa sīse pahāraṁ dātun”ti.
“I feel inspired, friend, to give this ascetic a blow on the head!”
Dutiyampi kho so yakkho taṁ yakkhaṁ etadavoca:
For a second time, the other spirit replied,
“alaṁ, samma, mā samaṇaṁ āsādesi.
“Enough, friend, don’t hit the ascetic!
Uḷāro so, samma, samaṇo mahiddhiko mahānubhāvo”ti.
That is an eminent ascetic, powerful and mighty!”
Tatiyampi kho so yakkho taṁ yakkhaṁ etadavoca:
For a third time the first spirit said to the other,
“paṭibhāti maṁ, samma, imassa samaṇassa sīse pahāraṁ dātun”ti.
“I feel inspired, friend, to give this ascetic a blow on the head!”
Tatiyampi kho so yakkho taṁ yakkhaṁ etadavoca:
For a third time, the other spirit replied,
“alaṁ, samma, mā samaṇaṁ āsādesi.
“Enough, friend, don’t hit the ascetic!
Uḷāro so, samma, samaṇo mahiddhiko mahānubhāvo”ti.
That is an eminent ascetic, powerful and mighty!”
Atha kho so yakkho taṁ yakkhaṁ anādiyitvā āyasmato sāriputtattherassa sīse pahāraṁ adāsi.
Ignoring his friend, the first spirit struck Sāriputta.
Tāva mahā pahāro ahosi, api tena pahārena sattaratanaṁ vā aḍḍhaṭṭhamaratanaṁ vā nāgaṁ osādeyya, mahantaṁ vā pabbatakūṭaṁ padāleyya.
The blow was so strong it would have felled a bull elephant seven or seven and a half cubits tall, or split apart a great mountain peak.
Atha ca pana so yakkho “ḍayhāmi ḍayhāmī”ti vatvā tattheva mahānirayaṁ apatāsi.
But then the spirit, crying out, “I burn, I burn!” fell into the Great Hell right there.
Addasā kho āyasmā mahāmoggallāno dibbena cakkhunā visuddhena atikkantamānusakena tena yakkhena āyasmato sāriputtattherassa sīse pahāraṁ dīyamānaṁ.
With clairvoyance that is purified and superhuman, Venerable Moggallāna saw that spirit striking Venerable Sāriputta.
Disvā yena āyasmā sāriputto tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmantaṁ sāriputtaṁ etadavoca:
He approached him and said,
“kacci te, āvuso, khamanīyaṁ, kacci yāpanīyaṁ, kacci na kiñci dukkhan”ti?
“I hope you’re keeping well, reverend; I hope you’re getting by. I hope that you are not in pain.”
“Khamanīyaṁ me, āvuso moggallāna, yāpanīyaṁ me, āvuso moggallāna;
“I am keeping well, Reverend Moggallāna;
api ca me sīsaṁ thokaṁ dukkhan”ti.
but my head does hurt a little.”
“Acchariyaṁ, āvuso sāriputta, abbhutaṁ, āvuso sāriputta.
“It’s incredible, Reverend Sāriputta, it’s amazing!
Yāva mahiddhiko āyasmā sāriputto mahānubhāvo.
How mighty and powerful is Venerable Sāriputta!
Idha te, āvuso sāriputta, aññataro yakkho sīse pahāraṁ adāsi.
Just now, a native spirit struck you on the head.
Tāva mahā pahāro ahosi, api tena pahārena sattaratanaṁ vā aḍḍhaṭṭhamaratanaṁ vā nāgaṁ osādeyya, mahantaṁ vā pabbatakūṭaṁ padāleyya, atha ca panāyasmā sāriputto evamāha:
The blow was so strong it would have felled a bull elephant seven or seven and a half cubits tall, or split apart a great mountain peak.
‘khamanīyaṁ me, āvuso moggallāna, yāpanīyaṁ me, āvuso moggallāna;
Yet you say, ‘I am keeping well, Reverend Moggallāna;
api ca me sīsaṁ thokaṁ dukkhan’”ti.
but my head does hurt a little.’”
“Acchariyaṁ, āvuso moggallāna, abbhutaṁ, āvuso moggallāna.
“It’s incredible, Reverend Moggallāna, it’s amazing!
Yāva mahiddhiko āyasmā mahāmoggallāno mahānubhāvo yatra hi nāma yakkhampi passissati.
How mighty and powerful is Venerable Moggallāna, in that he can even see a native spirit!
Mayaṁ panetarahi paṁsupisācakampi na passāmā”ti.
Whereas I can’t even see a mud-goblin right now.”
Assosi kho bhagavā dibbāya sotadhātuyā visuddhāya atikkantamānusikāya tesaṁ ubhinnaṁ mahānāgānaṁ imaṁ evarūpaṁ kathāsallāpaṁ.
With clairaudience that is purified and superhuman, the Buddha heard that discussion between those two spiritual giants.
Atha kho bhagavā etamatthaṁ viditvā tāyaṁ velāyaṁ imaṁ udānaṁ udānesi:
Then, understanding this matter, on that occasion the Buddha expressed this heartfelt sentiment:
“Yassa selūpamaṁ cittaṁ,
“One whose mind is like a rock,
ṭhitaṁ nānupakampati;
steady, never trembling,
Virattaṁ rajanīyesu,
free of desire for desirable things,
kopaneyye na kuppati;
not getting annoyed when things are annoying:
Yassevaṁ bhāvitaṁ cittaṁ,
from where will suffering strike one
kuto taṁ dukkhamessatī”ti.
whose mind is developed like this?”
Catutthaṁ.