1On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Rājagaha in the Cool Grove. Now on that occasion the householder Anāthapiṇḍika had arrived in Rājagaha on some business.[n.584] The story of Anāthapiṇḍika's first meeting with the Buddha is told in greater detail at Vin II 154–59; see too Ñāṇamoli, Life of the Buddha, pp. 87–91. His given name was Sudatta, "Anāthapiṇḍika" being a nickname meaning "(giver) of alms to the helpless"; he was so called because of his generosity. He heard: "A Buddha, it is said, has arisen in the world!" He wanted to go and see the Blessed One immediately, sn.i.211 but it occurred to him: "It is not the right time to go and see the Blessed One today. I will go and see the Blessed One early tomorrow morning." He lay down with his mindfulness directed to the Buddha, and during the night he got up three times thinking it was morning. Then the householder Anāthapiṇḍika approached the gate of the charnel ground. Nonhuman beings opened the gate. Then, as the householder Anāthapiṇḍika was leaving the city, the light disappeared and darkness appeared. Fear, trepidation, and terror arose in him and he wanted to turn back. But the yakkha Sivaka, invisible, made the proclamation:[n.585] Spk: After the first watch of the night had passed he woke up thinking of the Buddha, full of confidence and joy so intense that light became manifest and drove away the darkness. Hence he thought it was already dawn and set out for the monastery, realizing his error only when he went outside. The same thing happened at the end of the middle watch.
From Spk’s account, it seems that the Cool Grove was located near the cremation ground (sīvathikā) and thus Anāthapiṇḍika had to pass through the cemetery to reach the monastery. It was for this reason that he became frightened. The fluctuation in the intensity of the light, Spk says, reflects his inward battle between faith and fear.

1Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā rājagahe vihārati sītavane. Tena kho pana samayena anāthapiṇḍiko gahapati rājagahaṁ anuppatto hoti kenacideva karaṇīyena. Assosi kho anāthapiṇḍiko gahapati: "buddho kira loke uppanno"ti. Tāvadeva ca pana bhagavantaṁ dassanāya upasaṅkamitukāmo hoti. Athassa anāthapiṇḍikassa gahapatissa etadahosi: "akālo kho ajja bhagavantaṁ dassanāya upasaṅkamituṁ. Sve dānāhaṁ kālena bhagavantaṁ dassanāya gamissāmī"ti buddhagatāya satiyā nipajji. Rattiyā sudaṁ tikkhattuṁ vuṭṭhāsi pabhātanti maññamāno. Atha kho anāthapiṇḍiko gahapati yena sivathikadvāraṁ tenupasaṅkami. Amanussā dvāraṁ vivariṁsu. Atha kho anāthapiṇḍikassa gahapatissa nagaramhā nikkhamantassa āloko antaradhāyi, andhakāro pāturahosi, bhayaṁ chambhitattaṁ lomahaṁso udapādi, tatova puna nivattitukāmo ahosi. Atha kho sivako yakkho antarahito saddamanussāvesi: 

2v.837 "A hundred thousand elephants,
A hundred thousand horses,
A hundred thousand mule-drawn chariots,
A hundred thousand maidens
Adorned with jewellery and earrings,
Are not worth a sixteenth part
Of a single step forward.[n.586] Spk: The word sahassa (thousand), found only in conjunction with kañña, should be conjoined with each of the preceding three terms as well. All this is "not worth a sixteenth part of a single step forward" because, when he arrives at the monastery, he will be established in the fruit of stream-entry.

2"Sataṁ hatthī sataṁ assā,
Sataṁ assatarīrathā;
Sataṁ kaññāsahassāni,
Āmukkamaṇikuṇḍalā;
Ekassa padavītihārassa,
Kalaṁ nāgghanti soḷasiṁ.

3"Go forward, householder!
Go forward, householder!
Going forward is better for you,
not turning back again."

3Abhikkama gahapati,
abhikkama gahapati;
Abhikkamanaṁ te seyyo,
no paṭikkamanan"ti.

4–9Then the darkness disappeared and light appeared to the householder Anāthapiṇḍika, and the fear, trepidation, and terror that had arisen in him subsided.
A second time … verse 838 is included in this repetition
… A third time the light disappeared and darkness appeared before the householder Anāthapiṇḍika. Fear, trepidation, and terror arose in him and he wanted to turn back. But a third time the yakkha Sivaka, invisible, made the proclamation:

v.838 "A hundred thousand elephants …
Of a single step forward.

4Atha kho anāthapiṇḍikassa gahapatissa andhakāro antaradhāyi, āloko pāturahosi, yaṁ ahosi bhayaṁ chambhitattaṁ lomahaṁso, so paṭippassambhi. Dutiyampi kho anāthapiṇḍikassa gahapatissa āloko antaradhāyi, andhakāro pāturahosi, bhayaṁ chambhitattaṁ lomahaṁso udapādi, tatova puna nivattitukāmo ahosi. Dutiyampi kho sivako yakkho antarahito saddamanussāvesi: 

5"Sataṁ hatthī sataṁ assā,
… pe …
Kalaṁ nāgghanti soḷasiṁ.

6Abhikkama gahapati,
abhikkama gahapati;
Abhikkamanaṁ te seyyo,
no paṭikkamanan"ti.

7Atha kho anāthapiṇḍikassa gahapatissa andhakāro antaradhāyi, āloko pāturahosi, yaṁ ahosi bhayaṁ chambhitattaṁ lomahaṁso, so paṭippassambhi. Tatiyampi kho anāthapiṇḍikassa gahapatissa āloko antaradhāyi, andhakāro pāturahosi, bhayaṁ chambhitattaṁ lomahaṁso udapādi, tatova puna nivattitukāmo ahosi. Tatiyampi kho sivako yakkho antarahito saddamanussāvesi: 

839v.839 "Go forward, householder!
Go forward, householder!
Going forward is better for you,
not turning back again."

8"Sataṁ hatthī sataṁ assā,
… pe …
Kalaṁ nāgghanti soḷasiṁ.

9Abhikkama gahapati,
abhikkama gahapati;
Abhikkamanaṁ te seyyo,
no paṭikkamanan"ti.

10Then the darkness sn.i.212 disappeared and light appeared to the householder Anāthapiṇḍika, and the fear, trepidation, and terror that had arisen in him subsided.
Then the householder Anāthapiṇḍika approached the Blessed One in the Cool Grove.

10Atha kho anāthapiṇḍikassa gahapatissa andhakāro antaradhāyi, āloko pāturahosi, yaṁ ahosi bhayaṁ chambhitattaṁ lomahaṁso, so paṭippassambhi.
Atha kho anāthapiṇḍiko gahapati yena sītavanaṁ yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami.

11Now on that occasion the Blessed One, having risen at the first flush of dawn, was walking back and forth in the open. The Blessed One saw the householder Anāthapiṇḍika coming in the distance. He descended from the walkway, sat down in the seat that was prepared, and said to the householder Anāthapiṇḍika: "Come, Sudatta."[n.587] Spk: While he was approaching, Anāthapiṇḍika wondered how he could determine for himself whether or not the Teacher was a genuine Buddha. He then resolved that if the Teacher was a Buddha he would address him by his given name, Sudatta, known only to himself.

Then the householder Anāthapiṇḍika, thinking, "The Blessed One has addressed me by my name," (thrilled and elated),[n.588] The words in brackets render haṭṭho udaggo, found in Be only. prostrated himself right on the spot with his head at the Blessed One's feet and said to him: "I hope, venerable sir, that the Blessed One slept well."

The Blessed One:

11Tena kho pana samayena bhagavā rattiyā paccūsasamayaṁ paccuṭṭhāya abbhokāse caṅkamati. Addasā kho bhagavā anāthapiṇḍikaṁ gahapatiṁ dūratova āgacchantaṁ. Disvāna caṅkamā orohitvā paññatte āsane nisīdi. Nisajja kho bhagavā anāthapiṇḍikaṁ gahapatiṁ etadavoca: "ehi, sudattā"ti.
Atha kho anāthapiṇḍiko gahapati, nāmena maṁ bhagavā ālapatīti, haṭṭho udaggo tattheva bhagavato pādesu sirasā nipatitvā bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: "Kacci, bhante, bhagavā sukhamasayitthā"ti?

12v.840 "Always indeed he sleeps well,
The brahmin who is fully quenched,
Who does not cling to sensual pleasures,
Cool at heart, without acquisitions.

12"Sabbadā ve sukhaṁ seti,
brāhmaṇo parinibbuto;
Yo na limpati kāmesu,
sītibhūto nirūpadhi.

13v.841 "Having cut off all attachments,
Having removed care from the heart,
The peaceful one sleeps well,
Having attained peace of mind."[n.589] I prefer Se and Ee2 cetaso to Be and Ee1 cetasā. The parallel at AN I 138,3–6 also has cetaso. In the Vinaya version the Buddha next delivers a graduated sermon to Anāthapiṇḍika at the conclusion of which he attains stream-entry.

13Sabbā āsattiyo chetvā,
vineyya hadaye daraṁ;
Upasanto sukhaṁ seti,
santiṁ pappuyya cetasā"ti.