Ekamantaṁ ṭhito kho anāthapiṇḍiko devaputto bhagavato santike imā gāthāyo abhāsi:
Standing to one side, the young deity Anāthapiṇḍika recited these verses in the presence of the Blessed One:
“Idañhi taṁ jetavanaṁ,
isisaṅghanisevitaṁ;
Āvutthaṁ dhammarājena,
pītisañjananaṁ mama.
“This indeed is that Jeta’s Grove,
inhabited by the assembly of sages;
dwelt in by the |king of Dhamma::just king; an epithet of the Buddha [dhammarāja]|,
a place that gives me |joy::heartfelt or intense joy, feeling of love, rapture lit. lovely feeling [pīti]|.
Kammaṁ vijjā ca dhammo ca,
sīlaṁ jīvitamuttamaṁ;
Etena maccā sujjhanti,
na gottena dhanena vā.
|Action::deed, volitional act [kamma]|, |wisdom::clear apprehension of how things have come to be, directly knowing [vijja]|, and Dhamma,
|virtue::moral conduct, ethical behavior [sīla]| and an excellent way of life;
by this are mortals purified,
not by lineage or wealth.
Tasmā hi paṇḍito poso,
sampassaṁ atthamattano;
Yoniso vicine dhammaṁ,
evaṁ tattha visujjhati.
Therefore, a |wise::astute, intelligent, learned, skilled [paṇḍita]| person,
seeing their own good;
should thoroughly examine the Dhamma,
thus they are purified therein.
Sāriputtova paññāya,
sīlena upasamena ca;
Yopi pāraṅgato bhikkhu,
etāvaparamo siyā”ti.
|Sāriputta::foremost disciple of the Buddha in great wisdom [sāriputta]| truly is endowed with wisdom,
with virtue and |tranquility::calmness, serenity, stillness, peace [upasama]|;
even a bhikkhu who has gone beyond,
at best can only equal him.”
Idamavoca anāthapiṇḍiko devaputto. Idaṁ vatvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā padakkhiṇaṁ katvā tatthevantaradhāyi.
This is what the young deity Anāthapiṇḍika said. Having said this, he paid homage to the Blessed One and, keeping him on the right, he disappeared right there.
Atha kho bhagavā tassā rattiyā accayena bhikkhū āmantesi: “imaṁ, bhikkhave, rattiṁ aññataro devaputto abhikkantāya rattiyā abhikkantavaṇṇo kevalakappaṁ jetavanaṁ obhāsetvā yenāhaṁ tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā maṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ aṭṭhāsi. Ekamantaṁ ṭhito kho, bhikkhave, so devaputto mama santike imā gāthāyo abhāsi:
Then, when the night had passed, the Blessed One addressed the bhikkhus: “Bhikkhus, last night, when the night had advanced, a certain young deity, with a radiant appearance, having illuminated the entire Jeta’s Grove, approached me. Having approached, he paid homage to me and stood to one side. Standing to one side, bhikkhus, that deity recited these verses in my presence:
‘Idañhi taṁ jetavanaṁ,
isisaṅghanisevitaṁ;
Āvutthaṁ dhammarājena,
pītisañjananaṁ mama.
‘This indeed is that Jeta’s Grove,
inhabited by the assembly of sages;
dwelt in by the king of Dhamma,
a place that gives me joy.
Kammaṁ vijjā ca dhammo ca,
sīlaṁ jīvitamuttamaṁ;
Etena maccā sujjhanti,
na gottena dhanena vā.
Action, wisdom, and Dhamma,
virtue and an excellent way of life;
by this are mortals purified,
not by lineage or wealth.
Tasmā hi paṇḍito poso,
sampassaṁ atthamattano;
Yoniso vicine dhammaṁ,
evaṁ tattha visujjhati.
Therefore, a wise person,
seeing their own good;
should thoroughly examine the Dhamma,
thus they are purified therein.
Sāriputtova paññāya,
sīlena upasamena ca;
Yopi pāraṅgato bhikkhu,
etāvaparamo siyā’ti.
Sāriputta truly is endowed with wisdom,
with virtue and tranquility;
even a bhikkhu who has gone beyond,
at best can only equal him.’
Idamavoca, bhikkhave, so devaputto. Idaṁ vatvā maṁ abhivādetvā padakkhiṇaṁ katvā tatthevantaradhāyī”ti.
This is what that young deity said, bhikkhus. Thinking, ‘The Teacher approves,’ he paid homage to me, circumambulated me, and disappeared right there.”
Evaṁ vutte, āyasmā ānando bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “so hi nūna, bhante, anāthapiṇḍiko devaputto bhavissati. Anāthapiṇḍiko gahapati āyasmante sāriputte abhippasanno ahosī”ti.
When this was said, the venerable Ānanda said to the Blessed One: “Venerable sir, that young deity must surely have been Anāthapiṇḍika. For the householder Anāthapiṇḍika had |complete confidence::total trust [abhippasanna]| in the venerable Sāriputta.”
“Sādhu sādhu, ānanda, yāvatakaṁ kho, ānanda, takkāya pattabbaṁ anuppattaṁ taṁ tayā. Anāthapiṇḍiko hi so, ānanda, devaputto”ti.
“Good, good, Ānanda! As far as |reasoning::logic, speculation [takka]| can go, you have reached it. That young deity, Ānanda, was Anāthapiṇḍika.”