Seeing the venerable Lakuṇḍaka Bhaddiya being treated with contempt by the bhikkhus for his stunted appearance, the Blessed One reveals his great supernormal power and attainment of Arahantship with an inspired verse.
Evaṁ me sutaṁ— ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme. Tena kho pana samayena āyasmā lakuṇḍakabhaddiyo sambahulānaṁ bhikkhūnaṁ piṭṭhito piṭṭhito yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami.
Thus have I heard—At one time, the Blessed One was dwelling at Sāvatthi, in Jeta’s grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s park. At that time, the venerable Lakuṇḍaka Bhaddiya, closely following several bhikkhus, approached the Blessed One.
Addasā kho bhagavā āyasmantaṁ lakuṇḍakabhaddiyaṁ dūratova sambahulānaṁ bhikkhūnaṁ piṭṭhito piṭṭhito āgacchantaṁ dubbaṇṇaṁ duddasikaṁ okoṭimakaṁ yebhuyyena bhikkhūnaṁ paribhūtarūpaṁ. Disvāna bhikkhū āmantesi:
The Blessed One saw the venerable Lakuṇḍaka Bhaddiya coming from afar, closely following several bhikkhus—|ugly::bad looking [dubbaṇṇa]|, unsightly, |small in stature::deformed, lit. bent down [okoṭimaka]|, and for the most part |treated with contempt::despised, disrespected [paribhūtarūpa]| by the bhikkhus. Seeing him, the Blessed One addressed the bhikkhus:
“Passatha no tumhe, bhikkhave, etaṁ bhikkhuṁ dūratova sambahulānaṁ bhikkhūnaṁ piṭṭhito piṭṭhito āgacchantaṁ dubbaṇṇaṁ duddasikaṁ okoṭimakaṁ yebhuyyena bhikkhūnaṁ paribhūtarūpan”ti?
“Do you see, bhikkhus, that bhikkhu coming from afar, closely following several bhikkhus—ugly, unsightly, small in stature, and for the most part treated with contempt by the bhikkhus?”
“Evaṁ, bhante”ti.
“Yes, venerable sir.”
“Eso, bhikkhave, bhikkhu mahiddhiko mahānubhāvo. Na ca sā samāpatti sulabharūpā yā tena bhikkhunā asamāpannapubbā. Yassa catthāya kulaputtā sammadeva agārasmā anagāriyaṁ pabbajanti, tadanuttaraṁ—brahmacariyapariyosānaṁ diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja viharatī”ti.
“Bhikkhus, that bhikkhu is |of great supernormal power::of great spiritual power [mahiddhika]| and great might. It is no common attainment that that bhikkhu has attained. And that for the sake of which sons of good families rightly go forth from the home life into homelessness—the |perfection of the spiritual life::ideal of the spiritual path, culmination of the spiritual life [brahmacariyapariyosāna]|—he has realized for himself with |direct knowledge::experiential understanding [abhiññāya]| in this very life, and having entered upon it, he dwells in it.”
Atha kho bhagavā etamatthaṁ viditvā tāyaṁ velāyaṁ imaṁ udānaṁ udānesi:
Then, understanding the significance of this, the Blessed One at that time expressed this inspired utterance:
“Nelaṅgo setapacchādo,
ekāro vattatī ratho;
Anīghaṁ passa āyantaṁ,
chinnasotaṁ abandhanan”ti.
“With faultless limbs, beneath a white canopy,
the one-spoked chariot rolls on;
See the |untroubled one::undisturbed one, calm, free from affliction [anīgha]| approaching,
his stream [of becoming] cut off, unbound.
Thus have I heard—At one time, the Blessed One was dwelling at Sāvatthi, in Jeta’s grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s park. At that time, the venerable Lakuṇḍaka Bhaddiya, closely following several bhikkhus, approached the Blessed One.
The Blessed One saw the venerable Lakuṇḍaka Bhaddiya coming from afar, closely following several bhikkhus—|ugly::bad looking [dubbaṇṇa]|, unsightly, |small in stature::deformed, lit. bent down [okoṭimaka]|, and for the most part |treated with contempt::despised, disrespected [paribhūtarūpa]| by the bhikkhus. Seeing him, the Blessed One addressed the bhikkhus:
“Do you see, bhikkhus, that bhikkhu coming from afar, closely following several bhikkhus—ugly, unsightly, small in stature, and for the most part treated with contempt by the bhikkhus?”
“Yes, venerable sir.”
“Bhikkhus, that bhikkhu is |of great supernormal power::of great spiritual power [mahiddhika]| and great might. It is no common attainment that that bhikkhu has attained. And that for the sake of which sons of good families rightly go forth from the home life into homelessness—the |perfection of the spiritual life::ideal of the spiritual path, culmination of the spiritual life [brahmacariyapariyosāna]|—he has realized for himself with |direct knowledge::experiential understanding [abhiññāya]| in this very life, and having entered upon it, he dwells in it.”
Then, understanding the significance of this, the Blessed One at that time expressed this inspired utterance:
“With faultless limbs, beneath a white canopy,
the one-spoked chariot rolls on;
See the |untroubled one::undisturbed one, calm, free from affliction [anīgha]| approaching,
his stream [of becoming] cut off, unbound.
Evaṁ me sutaṁ— ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme. Tena kho pana samayena āyasmā lakuṇḍakabhaddiyo sambahulānaṁ bhikkhūnaṁ piṭṭhito piṭṭhito yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami.
Addasā kho bhagavā āyasmantaṁ lakuṇḍakabhaddiyaṁ dūratova sambahulānaṁ bhikkhūnaṁ piṭṭhito piṭṭhito āgacchantaṁ dubbaṇṇaṁ duddasikaṁ okoṭimakaṁ yebhuyyena bhikkhūnaṁ paribhūtarūpaṁ. Disvāna bhikkhū āmantesi:
“Passatha no tumhe, bhikkhave, etaṁ bhikkhuṁ dūratova sambahulānaṁ bhikkhūnaṁ piṭṭhito piṭṭhito āgacchantaṁ dubbaṇṇaṁ duddasikaṁ okoṭimakaṁ yebhuyyena bhikkhūnaṁ paribhūtarūpan”ti?
“Evaṁ, bhante”ti.
“Eso, bhikkhave, bhikkhu mahiddhiko mahānubhāvo. Na ca sā samāpatti sulabharūpā yā tena bhikkhunā asamāpannapubbā. Yassa catthāya kulaputtā sammadeva agārasmā anagāriyaṁ pabbajanti, tadanuttaraṁ—brahmacariyapariyosānaṁ diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja viharatī”ti.
Atha kho bhagavā etamatthaṁ viditvā tāyaṁ velāyaṁ imaṁ udānaṁ udānesi:
“Nelaṅgo setapacchādo,
ekāro vattatī ratho;
Anīghaṁ passa āyantaṁ,
chinnasotaṁ abandhanan”ti.