1On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Sāvatthī in Jeta's Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika's Park. Then, in the morning, the Blessed One dressed, took his bowl and robe, and entered Sāvatthī for alms. When he had walked for alms in Sāvatthī, after his meal, on returning from his alms round, he addressed the Venerable Ānanda: "Come, Ānanda, let us go to Migāramātā's Mansion in the Eastern Park to pass the day."

"Yes, Bhante," the Venerable Ānanda replied.

1Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme. Atha kho bhagavā pubbaṇhasamayaṁ nivāsetvā pattacīvaramādāya sāvatthiyaṁ piṇḍāya pāvisi. Sāvatthiyaṁ piṇḍāya caritvā pacchābhattaṁ piṇḍapātapaṭikkanto āyasmantaṁ ānandaṁ āmantesi:  "āyāmānanda, yena pubbārāmo migāramātupāsādo tenupasaṅkamissāma divāvihārāyā"ti. "Evaṁ, bhante"ti kho āyasmā ānando bhagavato paccassosi.

2Then the Blessed One, together with the Venerable Ānanda, went to Migāramātā's Mansion in the Eastern Park.

Then in the evening the Blessed One emerged from seclusion and addressed the Venerable Ānanda: "Come, Ānanda, let us go to the eastern gate to bathe."

"Yes, Bhante," the Venerable Ānanda replied.

Then the Blessed One, together with the Venerable Ānanda, went to the eastern gate to bathe. Having bathed at the eastern gate and come out, he stood in one robe drying himself.

2Atha kho bhagavā āyasmatā ānandena saddhiṁ yena pubbārāmo migāramātupāsādo tenupasaṅkami. Atha kho bhagavā sāyanhasamayaṁ paṭisallānā vuṭṭhito āyasmantaṁ ānandaṁ āmantesi:  "āyāmānanda, yena pubbakoṭṭhako tenupasaṅkamissāma gattāni parisiñcitun"ti. "Evaṁ, bhante"ti kho āyasmā ānando bhagavato paccassosi. Atha kho bhagavā āyasmatā ānandena saddhiṁ yena pubbakoṭṭhako tenupasaṅkami gattāni parisiñcituṁ. Pubbakoṭṭhake gattāni parisiñcitvā paccuttaritvā ekacīvaro aṭṭhāsi gattāni pubbāpayamāno.

3On that occasion, King Pasenadi of Kosala's bull elephant[n.1316] The various applications of the word nāga will be explained just below. King's Pasenadi's bull elephant was called "Seta" ("White") because its body was white. named "Seta" was coming out through the eastern gate to the accompaniment of instrumental music and drumming. People saw him and said: "The king's bull elephant is handsome! The king's bull elephant is beautiful! The king's bull elephant is graceful! The king's bull elephant is massive! He's a nāga, truly a nāga."

3Tena kho pana samayena rañño pasenadissa kosalassa seto nāma nāgo mahātūriyatāḷitavāditena pubbakoṭṭhakā paccuttarati. Apissu taṁ jano disvā evamāha:  "abhirūpo vata bho rañño nāgo; dassanīyo vata bho rañño nāgo; pāsādiko vata, bho, rañño nāgo, kāyupapanno vata bho rañño nāgo"ti.

When this was said, the Venerable Udāyī said to the Blessed One: "Bhante, is it only when people see an elephant possessed of a large massive body that they say: ‘A nāga, truly a nāga!’ or do people also say this when they see (other) things possessed of a large massive body?"

Evaṁ vutte, āyasmā udāyī bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:  "hatthimeva nu kho, bhante, mahantaṁ brahantaṁ kāyupapannaṁ jano disvā evamāha:  ‘nāgo vata bho nāgo’ti, udāhu aññampi kañci mahantaṁ brahantaṁ kāyupapannaṁ jano disvā evamāha:  ‘nāgo vata bho nāgo’"ti?

"(1) Udāyī, when people see an elephant possessed of a large massive body, they say: ‘A nāga, truly a nāga!’ (2) When people see a horse possessed of a large massive body, they say: ‘A nāga, truly a nāga!’ (3) When people see a bull possessed of a large massive body, they say: ‘A nāga, truly a nāga!’ (4) When people see a serpent possessed of a large massive body, they say: ‘A nāga, truly a nāga!’ (5) When people see a tree possessed of a large massive body, they say: ‘A nāga, truly a nāga!’ (6) When people see a human being possessed of a large massive body, they say: ‘A nāga, truly a nāga!’ But, Udāyī, in the world with its devas, Māra, and Brahmā, in this population with its ascetics and brahmins, its devas and humans, I call one a nāga who does no evil by body, speech, and mind."[n.1317] A pun is intended here. The Buddha’s statement—āguṁ na karoti—playfully derives the word nāga from na + āguṁ, "no evil." Nāga thus becomes an epithet for the Buddha, or, more broadly, for any arahant. See SnĀguṁ na karoti kiñci loke … nāgo tādi pavuccate tathattā ("One who does no evil in the world … the stable one is for such a reason called a nāga"). See too Th 1249 (= SN 8:8, I 192,34): Nāganāmo'si bhagavā ("You are named Nāga, O Blessed One").

"Hatthimpi kho, udāyi, mahantaṁ brahantaṁ kāyupapannaṁ jano disvā evamāha:  ‘nāgo vata bho nāgo’ti. Assampi kho, udāyi, mahantaṁ brahantaṁ … pe … goṇampi kho, udāyi, mahantaṁ brahantaṁ … pe … uragampi kho, udāyi, mahantaṁ brahantaṁ … pe … rukkhampi kho, udāyi, mahantaṁ brahantaṁ … pe … manussampi kho, udāyi, mahantaṁ brahantaṁ kāyupapannaṁ jano disvā evamāha:  ‘nāgo vata, bho, nāgo’ti. Api ca, udāyi, yo sadevake loke samārake sabrahmake sassamaṇabrāhmaṇiyā pajāya sadevamanussāya āguṁ na karoti kāyena vācāya manasā, tamahaṁ ‘nāgo’ti brūmī"ti.

4"It's astounding and amazing, Bhante, how well this was stated by the Blessed One: ‘But, Udāyī, in the world with its devas, Māra, and Brahmā, in this population with its ascetics and brahmins, its devas and humans, I call one a nāga who does no evil by body, speech, and mind.’ I rejoice, Bhante, in this good statement of the Blessed One with these verses:[n.1318] Mp identifies this Udāyī with Kāludāyī. However, the same verses at Th 689–704 are ascribed simply to Udāyī, while a different set of verses in Th (527–36) is ascribed to Kāludāyī. This proves that Mp's identification of the poet cannot be correct. There is a Chinese parallel of this sutta, MĀ 118 (at T I 608b2 –609a3), which at several points proved helpful in my reading of the Pāli verses.

5"A human being who is fully enlightened,
self-tamed and concentrated,
traveling on the path of brahmā,
he takes delight in peace of mind.

4"Acchariyaṁ, bhante, abbhutaṁ, bhante. Yāva subhāsitañcidaṁ, bhante, bhagavatā – api ca, udāyi, yo sadevake loke samārake sabrahmake sassamaṇabrāhmaṇiyā pajāya sadevamanussāya āguṁ na karoti kāyena vācāya manasā, tamahaṁ ‘nāgo’ti brūmīti. Idañca panāhaṁ, bhante, bhagavatā subhāsitaṁ imāhi gāthāhi anumodāmi – 

6"I have heard from the Arahant
that even the devas pay homage to him,
to the same one whom humans venerate,
the one who has gone beyond everything.

5Manussabhūtaṁ sambuddhaṁ,
attadantaṁ samāhitaṁ;
Iriyamānaṁ brahmapathe,
cittassūpasame rataṁ.

7"He has transcended all fetters
and emerged from the jungle to the clearing;[n.1319] Reading with Be vanā nibbanam āgataṁ. Ce and Ee have nibbānam in place of nibbanam. Mp draws out the word play: "From the jungle of defilements, he has come to a clearing; he has reached nibbāna, devoid of the jungle of defilements" (kilesavanato nibbanaṁ kilesavanarahitaṁ nibbānaṁ āgataṁ sampattaṁ). It seems that Ce and Ee have transposed nibbāna from the gloss into the text itself. The Chinese at T I 608c2 has "from the woods he has left the woods ," which supports the Be reading.
delighting in renunciation of sensual pleasures,
he is like pure gold freed from its ore.

6Yaṁ manussā namassanti,
sabbadhammāna pāraguṁ;
Devāpi taṁ namassanti,
iti me arahato sutaṁ.

8"He is the nāga who outshines all,
like the Himalayas amid the other mountains.
Among all things named nāga,
he, unsurpassed, is the one truly named.[n.1320] Saccanāmo is not "one whose name is truth," but "one who is truly named," whose name truly corresponds to his being. Mp: "He is truly named, really named, accurately named ‘nāga’ just because of not doing evil" (tacchanāmo bhūtanāmo āguṁ akaraṇeneva nāgoti evaṁ avitathanāmo). The Chinese (at T I 608c7) has , "he is the nāga among all nāgas, in truth the nāga who is unsurpassed."

7Sabbasaṁyojanātītaṁ,
vanā nibbanamāgataṁ;
Kāmehi nekkhammarataṁ,
muttaṁ selāva kañcanaṁ.

9"I will extol for you the nāga:
indeed, he does no evil.
Mildness and harmlessness
are two feet of the nāga.

8Sabbe accarucī nāgo,
himavāññe siluccaye;
Sabbesaṁ nāganāmānaṁ,
saccanāmo anuttaro.

10"Austerity and celibacy
are the nāga's other two feet.[n.1321] There is a word play here between two meanings of caraṇa, "conduct, behavior" and "feet." Mp glosses: "They are the Buddhanāga's two hind feet."
Faith is the great nāga's trunk,
and equanimity his ivory tusks.

9Nāgaṁ vo kittayissāmi,
na hi āguṁ karoti so;
Soraccaṁ avihiṁsā ca,
pādā nāgassa te duve.

11"Mindfulness is his neck, his head is wisdom,
investigation, and reflection on phenomena.[n.1322] Sati gīvā siro paññā vīmaṁsā dhammacintanā. I translate the terms quite literally. Mp, however, says: "The tip of the elephant's trunk is called investigation (vīmaṁsā) because (it investigates) things to determine whether they are hard or soft, edible or inedible, etc. He then rejects whatever should be rejected and takes whatever should be taken. So, for the Buddha-nāga, reflection on phenomena (dhammacintanā)—referring to his knowledge that determines the classes of phenomena—is his (means of) investigation. With this knowledge he knows who is capable and who incapable." The Chinese at 608c11 renders the line in a more straightforward way: , "wisdom is his head, reflection on and discrimination of phenomena."
Dhamma is the balanced heat of his belly,
and seclusion is his tail.[n.1323] In pāda c I read samātapo with Be and Ee, as against Ce samāvāpo. Mp: "It is the concentration of the fourth jhāna that is here called dhamma. For it is on this basis that the supernormal powers succeed. Therefore it is called balanced heat of the belly (kucchisamātapo). Seclusion (viveka) refers to bodily seclusion, mental seclusion, and seclusion from the acquisitions (kāyacittaupadhiviveko). As the elephant uses its tail to ward off mosquitoes, so the Tathāgata resorts to seclusion to ward off householders and monks." The Chinese reads the couplet (at 608c12) as , "upholding dharmas is his belly, and delight in seclusion is his pair of arms." Apparently in this transmission, vāladhi of the Pāli came down as bāhūni.

10Tapo ca brahmacariyaṁ,
caraṇā nāgassa tyāpare;
Saddhāhattho mahānāgo,
upekkhāsetadantavā.

12"This meditator, delighting in consolation,[n.1324] Assāsa can mean both inhalation and consolation, the latter referring to arahantship. Mp says that just as inhalation and exhalation are what keeps the elephant alive, so fruition attainment (phalasamāpatti) is essential to the Buddha, and it is there that he delights.
is inwardly well concentrated.
When walking, the nāga is concentrated;
when standing, the nāga is concentrated.

11Sati gīvā siro paññā,
vīmaṁsā dhammacintanā;
Dhammakucchisamātapo,
viveko tassa vāladhi.

13"When lying down, the nāga is concentrated;
when sitting, too, the nāga is concentrated.
Everywhere, the nāga is restrained:
this is the nāga's accomplishment.

12So jhāyī assāsarato,
ajjhattaṁ susamāhito;
Gacchaṁ samāhito nāgo,
ṭhito nāgo samāhito.

14"He eats blameless food,
but doesn’t eat what is blameworthy.
When he gains food and clothing,
he avoids storing it up.

13Seyyaṁ samāhito nāgo,
nisinnopi samāhito;
Sabbattha saṁvuto nāgo,
esā nāgassa sampadā.

15"Having cut off all fetters and bonds,
whether they be gross or subtle,
in whatever direction he goes,
he goes without concern.

14Bhuñjati anavajjāni,
sāvajjāni na bhuñjati;
Ghāsamacchādanaṁ laddhā,
sannidhiṁ parivajjayaṁ.

16"The lotus flower
is born and grown up in water,
yet is not soiled by the water
but remains fragrant and delightful.

15Saṁyojanaṁ aṇuṁ thūlaṁ,
sabbaṁ chetvāna bandhanaṁ;
Yena yeneva gacchati,
anapekkhova gacchati.

17"Just so the Buddha, well born in the world,
dwells in the world,[n.1325] Reading with Be loke viharati. Ce and Ee loke virajjati means "becomes detached in the world," which does not match the simile as well.
yet is not soiled by the world like
the lotus (unsoiled) by water.

16Yathāpi udake jātaṁ,
puṇḍarīkaṁ pavaḍḍhati;
Nupalippati toyena,
sucigandhaṁ manoramaṁ.

18"A great fire all ablaze
settles down when deprived of fuel,
and when all the coals have gone out,
it is said to be extinguished.[n.1326] In place of saṅkhāresūpasantesu in pāda c (the reading of all three editions), I read here with a pair of Burmese manuscripts (referred to in a note in Ee): aṅgāresu ca santesu, nibbutoti pavuccati. The reading is also found at Th 702. Vanarata points out that "the whole verse is the simile and nibbuto (meaning both an extinguished fire and a person who has attained nibbāna) refers to the fire." The Chinese (at 608c27), in agreement with Th and the Burmese manuscripts, has , "Without firewood, the fire does not continue. This fire is then said to have ceased."

17Tatheva loke sujāto,
buddho loke viharati;
Nupalippati lokena,
toyena padumaṁ yathā.

19"This simile, which conveys the meaning,
was taught by the wise.
Great nāgas will know the nāga
that was taught by the nāga.[n.1327] Mp: "Other arahant nāgas will know the Buddha-nāga that was taught by the nāga, the elder Udāyī." Despite Mp, I suspect the text itself intends the Buddha himself as the one who taught about the nāga. The Chinese (at 608c29) supports my suspicion: , "it was spoken by the nāga among nāgas."

18Mahāginīva jalito,
anāhārūpasammati;
Saṅkhāresūpasantesu,
nibbutoti pavuccati.

20"Devoid of lust, devoid of hatred,
devoid of delusion, without taints,
the nāga, discarding his body,
taintless, is utterly quenched
and attains final nibbāna."[n.1328] Reading with Ee parinibbāti ‘nāsavo, as against Ce and Be parinibbissati anāsavo. This verse completes the simile with the fire. The analogy is clearer in the Chinese (at 609a2), where , "this nāga is said to have attained nibbāna," echoes 608c27, , "this fire is said to have ceased." I have attempted to capture this effect by translating parinibbāti twice, first as quenched and then in terms of its doctrinal meaning.

19Atthassāyaṁ viññāpanī,
upamā viññūhi desitā;
Viññassanti mahānāgā,
nāgaṁ nāgena desitaṁ.

20Vītarāgo vītadoso,
Vītamoho anāsavo;
Sarīraṁ vijahaṁ nāgo,
Parinibbissati anāsavo"ti.

Paṭhamaṁ.