SN8:6 Sāriputta
- DG BB TBW © Translated from the Pali by Bhikkhu Bodhi. (More copyright information)
1On one occasion the Venerable Sāriputta was dwelling at Sāvatthī in Jeta's Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika's Park. Now on that occasion the Venerable Sāriputta was instructing, exhorting, inspiring, and gladdening the bhikkhus with a Dhamma talk, spoken with speech that was polished, clear, articulate, expressing well the meaning. And those bhikkhus were listening to the Dhamma with eager ears, attending to it as a matter of vital concern, directing their whole mind to it.
Then it occurred to the Venerable Vangisa: sn.i.190 "This Venerable Sāriputta is instructing the bhikkhus with a Dhamma talk, spoken with speech that is polished, clear, articulate, expressing well the meaning. And those bhikkhus are listening to the Dhamma with eager ears … . Let me extol the Venerable Sāriputta to his face with suitable verses."
2Then the Venerable Vangisa rose from his seat, arranged his upper robe over one shoulder, and, raising his joined hands in reverential salutation towards the Venerable Sāriputta, said to him: "An inspiration has come to me, friend Sāriputta! An inspiration has come to me, friend Sāriputta!"
"Then express your inspiration, friend Vangisa."
Then the Venerable Vangisa extolled the Venerable Sāriputta to his face with suitable verses:
3v.731 "Deep in wisdom, intelligent,
Skilled in the true path and the false,
Sāriputta, of great wisdom,
Teaches the Dhamma to the bhikkhus.
4v.732 "He teaches briefly,
He speaks in detail.
His voice, like that of a myna bird,
Pours forth inspired discourse.
[n.512] Spk paraphrases pāda c as if it contained an implicit verb hoti and treats pāda d as an independent sentence with paṭibhanaṁ as subject. It seems more fitting, however, to take nigghoso in pāda c as the subject of udirayi and paṭibhanaṁ as its object, and I translate accordingly. Spk explains the simile: "The elder's sweet voice, as he teaches the Dhamma, is like the voice of a myna bird when, having tasted a sweet ripe mango, it strikes up a breeze with its wings and emits a sweet sound." Spk glosses the verb with uṭṭhahati, and paraphrases with an intransitive sense: "Inspired discourse rises up (from him) endlessly, like waves from the ocean." This implies that Spk reads udiyyati, the Be reading of Th 1232.
5v.733 "As he teaches them, they listen
To his sweet utterance.
Uplifted in mind, made joyful
By his delightful voice,
Sonorous and lovely,
The bhikkhus incline their ears."
1Ekaṁ samayaṁ āyasmā sāriputto sāvatthiyaṁ vihārati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme. Tena kho pana samayena āyasmā sāriputto bhikkhū dhammiyā kathāya sandasseti samādapeti samuttejeti sampahaṁseti poriyā vācāya vissaṭṭhāya anelagalāya atthassa viññāpaniyā. Te ca bhikkhū aṭṭhiṁ katvā manasi katvā sabbacetasā samannāharitvā ohitasotā dhammaṁ suṇanti.
Atha kho āyasmato vaṅgīsassa etadahosi: "Ayaṁ kho āyasmā sāriputto bhikkhū dhammiyā kathāya sandasseti samādapeti samuttejeti sampahaṁseti poriyā vācāya vissaṭṭhāya anelagalāya atthassa viññāpaniyā. Te ca bhikkhū aṭṭhiṁ katvā manasi katvā sabbacetasā samannāharitvā ohitasotā dhammaṁ suṇanti. Yannūnāhaṁ āyasmantaṁ sāriputtaṁ sammukhā sāruppāhi gāthāhi abhitthaveyyan"ti.
2Atha kho āyasmā vaṅgīso uṭṭhāyāsanā ekaṁsaṁ uttarāsaṅgaṁ karitvā yenāyasmā sāriputto tenañjaliṁ paṇāmetvā āyasmantaṁ sāriputtaṁ etadavoca: "paṭibhāti maṁ, āvuso sāriputta, paṭibhāti maṁ, āvuso sāriputtā"ti.
"Paṭibhātu taṁ, āvuso vaṅgīsā"ti.
Atha kho āyasmā vaṅgīso āyasmantaṁ sāriputtaṁ sammukhā sāruppāhi gāthāhi abhitthavi:
3"Gambhīrapañño medhāvī,
maggāmaggassa kovido;
Sāriputto mahāpañño,
dhammaṁ deseti bhikkhunaṁ.
4Saṅkhittenapi deseti,
vitthārenapi bhāsati;
Sāḷikāyiva nigghoso,
paṭibhānaṁ udīrayi.
5Tassa taṁ desayantassa,
suṇanti madhuraṁ giraṁ;
Sarena rajanīyena,
savanīyena vaggunā;
Udaggacittā muditā,
sotaṁ odhenti bhikkhavo"ti.