1At Sāvatthī. Now on that occasion the following evil speculative view had arisen in a certain brahma: "There is no ascetic or brahmin who can come here." Then, having known with his own mind the reflection in that brahma's mind, just as quickly as a strong man might extend his drawn-in arm or draw in his extended arm, the Blessed One disappeared from Jeta's Grove and reappeared in that brahma world. The Blessed One sat cross-legged in the air above that brahma, having entered into meditation on the fire element. [n.392] Spk: He did the preparatory work on the fire-kasiṇa, emerged from the basic jhāna, and made a determination: "Let flames come forth from my body." By the power of his determination, flames came out from his entire body.

2Then it occurred to the Venerable Mahāmoggallāna: "Where now is the Blessed One dwelling at present?" With the divine eye, which is purified and surpasses the human, the Venerable Mahāmoggallāna saw the Blessed One sitting cross-legged in the air above that brahma, having entered into meditation on the fire element. Having seen this, just as quickly as a strong man might extend his drawn-in arm or draw in his extended arm, the Venerable Mahāmoggallāna disappeared from Jeta's Grove and reappeared in that brahma world. Then the Venerable Mahāmoggallāna stationed himself in the eastern quarter and sat cross-legged in the air above that brahma—though lower than the Blessed One—having entered into meditation on the fire element.

3Then it occurred to the Venerable Mahākassapa: "Where now is the Blessed One dwelling at present?" With the divine eye … the Venerable Mahākassapa saw the Blessed One sitting cross-legged in the air above that brahma … . Having seen this, … sn.i.145 the Venerable Mahākassapa disappeared from Jeta's Grove and reappeared in that brahma world. Then the Venerable Mahākassapa stationed himself in the southern quarter and sat cross-legged in the air above that brahma—though lower than the Blessed One—having entered into meditation on the fire element.

4Then it occurred to the Venerable Mahakappina: "Where now is the Blessed One dwelling at present?" With the divine eye … the Venerable Mahakappina saw the Blessed One sitting cross-legged in the air above that brahma … . Having seen this, … the Venerable Mahakappina disappeared from Jeta's Grove and reappeared in that brahma world. Then the Venerable Mahakappina stationed himself in the western quarter and sat cross-legged in the air above that brahma—though lower than the Blessed One—having entered into meditation on the fire element.

5Then it occurred to the Venerable Anuruddha: "Where now is the Blessed One dwelling at present?" With the divine eye … the Venerable Anuruddha saw the Blessed One sitting cross-legged in the air above that brahma … . Having seen this, … the Venerable Anuruddha disappeared from Jeta's Grove and reappeared in that brahma world. Then the Venerable Anuruddha stationed himself in the northern quarter and sat cross-legged in the air above that brahma—though lower than the Blessed One—having entered into meditation on the fire element.

---

6Then the Venerable Mahāmoggallāna addressed that brahma in verse:

7v.580 "Today, friend, do you still hold that view,
The view that you formerly held?
Do you see the radiance
Surpassing that in the brahma world?" [n.393] I translate pādas cd in accordance with Spk's paraphrase: "Do you see the radiance, the aura, of the Buddha, the Blessed One, surpassing the other auras of the brahma's bodies, mansions, and ornaments in this brahma world?"

8v.581 "I no longer hold that view, dear sir,
The view that I formerly held.
Indeed I see the radiance
Surpassing that in the brahma world.
Today how could I maintain,
‘I am permanent and eternal’?" [n.394] According to Spk, this brahma had held two views: first, the view that no ascetics could come to his world; and second, an eternalist view. The first was abandoned when he saw the Buddha and his disciples arrive in his realm. Thereafter the Buddha gave him a discourse at the conclusion of which he was established in the fruit of stream-entry, and thus, through the path of stream-entry, he abandoned his eternalist view.

9Then, having stirred up a sense of urgency in that brahma, just as quickly as a strong man might extend his drawn-in arm or draw in his extended arm, the Blessed One disappeared from that brahma world and reappeared in Jeta's Grove.

Then that brahma addressed one member of his assembly thus: "Come now, dear sir, approach the Venerable Mahāmoggallāna and say to him: ‘Sir Moggallana, are there any other disciples of the Blessed One that are as powerful sn.i.146 and mighty as Masters Moggallana, Kassapa, Kappina, and Anuruddha?’"

"Yes, dear sir," that member of Brahma's assembly replied. Then he approached the Venerable Mahāmoggallāna and asked him: "Sir Moggallana, are there any other disciples of the Blessed One that are as powerful and mighty as Masters Moggallana, Kassapa, Kappina, and Anuruddha?"

---

Then the Venerable Mahāmoggallāna addressed that member of Brahma's assembly in verse:

10v.582 "Many are the disciples of the Buddha
Who are arahants with taints destroyed,
Triple-knowledge bearers with spiritual powers,
Skilled in the course of others’ minds." [n.395] The three knowledges implied by "triple-knowledge bearers" (tevijja) are: the knowledge of the recollection of past abodes, the divine eye (also called the knowledge of the passing away and rebirth of beings), and the knowledge of the destruction of the taints. Together with spiritual powers (iddhi) and the capacity for reading others’ minds, these make five of the six abhiññās or direct knowledges. Spk says that the sixth, the divine ear, is also implied.

11Then that member of Brahma's assembly, having delighted and rejoiced in the Venerable Mahāmoggallāna's statement, approached that brahma and told him: "Dear sir, the Venerable Mahāmoggallāna speaks thus:

12v.583 "‘Many are the disciples of the Buddha …
Skilled in the course of others’ minds.’"

This is what that member of Brahma's assembly said. Elated, that brahma delighted in his statement.

1Sāvatthinidānaṁ. Tena kho pana samayena aññatarassa brahmuno evarūpaṁ pāpakaṁ diṭṭhigataṁ uppannaṁ hoti: "natthi so samaṇo vā brāhmaṇo vā yo idha āgaccheyyā"ti. Atha kho bhagavā tassa brahmuno cetasā cetoparivitakkamaññāya – seyyathāpi nāma balavā puriso … pe … tasmiṁ brahmaloke pāturahosi. Atha kho bhagavā tassa brahmuno upari vehāsaṁ pallaṅkena nisīdi tejodhātuṁ samāpajjitvā.

2Atha kho āyasmato mahāmoggallānassa etadahosi: "kahaṁ nu kho bhagavā etarahi vihāratī"ti? Addasā kho āyasmā mahāmoggallāno bhagavantaṁ dibbena cakkhunā visuddhena atikkantamānusakena tassa brahmuno upari vehāsaṁ pallaṅkena nisinnaṁ tejodhātuṁ samāpannaṁ. Disvāna – seyyathāpi nāma balavā puriso samiñjitaṁ vā bāhaṁ pasāreyya, pasāritaṁ vā bāhaṁ samiñjeyya; evameva – jetavane antarahito tasmiṁ brahmaloke pāturahosi. Atha kho āyasmā mahāmoggallāno puratthimaṁ disaṁ nissāya tassa brahmuno upari vehāsaṁ pallaṅkena nisīdi tejodhātuṁ samāpajjitvā nīcataraṁ bhagavato.

3Atha kho āyasmato mahākassapassa etadahosi: "kahaṁ nu kho bhagavā etarahi vihāratī"ti? Addasā kho āyasmā mahākassapo bhagavantaṁ dibbena cakkhunā … pe … disvāna – seyyathāpi nāma balavā puriso … pe … evameva – jetavane antarahito tasmiṁ brahmaloke pāturahosi. Atha kho āyasmā mahākassapo dakkhiṇaṁ disaṁ nissāya tassa brahmuno upari vehāsaṁ pallaṅkena nisīdi tejodhātuṁ samāpajjitvā nīcataraṁ bhagavato.

4Atha kho āyasmato mahākappinassa etadahosi: "kahaṁ nu kho bhagavā etarahi vihāratī"ti? Addasā kho āyasmā mahākappino bhagavantaṁ dibbena cakkhunā … pe … tejodhātuṁ samāpannaṁ. Disvāna – seyyathāpi nāma balavā puriso … pe … evameva – jetavane antarahito tasmiṁ brahmaloke pāturahosi. Atha kho āyasmā mahākappino pacchimaṁ disaṁ nissāya tassa brahmuno upari vehāsaṁ pallaṅkena nisīdi tejodhātuṁ samāpajjitvā nīcataraṁ bhagavato.

5Atha kho āyasmato anuruddhassa etadahosi: "kahaṁ nu kho bhagavā etarahi vihāratī"ti? Addasā kho āyasmā anuruddho … pe … tejodhātuṁ samāpannaṁ. Disvāna – seyyathāpi nāma balavā puriso … pe … tasmiṁ brahmaloke pāturahosi. Atha kho āyasmā anuruddho uttaraṁ disaṁ nissāya tassa brahmuno upari vehāsaṁ pallaṅkena nisīdi tejodhātuṁ samāpajjitvā nīcataraṁ bhagavato.

---

6Atha kho āyasmā mahāmoggallāno taṁ brahmānaṁ gāthāya ajjhabhāsi:

7"Ajjāpi te āvuso sā diṭṭhi,
Yā te diṭṭhi pure ahu;
Passasi vītivattantaṁ,
Brahmaloke pabhassaran"ti.

8"Na me mārisa sā diṭṭhi,
yā me diṭṭhi pure ahu;
Passāmi vītivattantaṁ,
brahmaloke pabhassaraṁ;
Svāhaṁ ajja kathaṁ vajjaṁ,
ahaṁ niccomhi sassato"ti.

9Atha kho bhagavā taṁ brahmānaṁ saṁvejetvā – seyyathāpi nāma balavā puriso samiñjitaṁ vā bāhaṁ pasāreyya, pasāritaṁ vā bāhaṁ samiñjeyya; evameva – tasmiṁ brahmaloke antarahito jetavane pāturahosi.

Atha kho so brahmā aññataraṁ brahmapārisajjaṁ āmantesi: "ehi tvaṁ, mārisa, yenāyasmā mahāmoggallāno tenupasaṅkama; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmantaṁ mahāmoggallānaṁ evaṁ vadehi: ‘atthi nu kho, mārisa moggallāna, aññepi tassa bhagavato sāvakā evaṁmahiddhikā evaṁmahānubhāvā; seyyathāpi bhavaṁ moggallāno kassapo kappino anuruddho’"ti?

"Evaṁ, mārisā"ti kho so brahmapārisajjo tassa brahmuno paṭissutvā yenāyasmā mahāmoggallāno tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmantaṁ mahāmoggallānaṁ etadavoca: "atthi nu kho, mārisa moggallāna, aññepi tassa bhagavato sāvakā evaṁmahiddhikā evaṁmahānubhāvā; seyyathāpi bhavaṁ moggallāno kassapo kappino anuruddho"ti?

---

Atha kho āyasmā mahāmoggallāno taṁ brahmapārisajjaṁ gāthāya ajjhabhāsi:

10"Tevijjā iddhipattā ca,
cetopariyāyakovidā;
Khīṇāsavā arahanto,
bahū buddhassa sāvakā"ti.

11Atha kho so brahmapārisajjo āyasmato mahāmoggallānassa bhāsitaṁ abhinanditvā anumoditvā yena so brahmā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā taṁ brahmānaṁ etadavoca: "Āyasmā, mārisa, mahāmoggallāno evamāha:

12‘Tevijjā iddhipattā ca,
cetopariyāyakovidā;
Khīṇāsavā arahanto,
bahū buddhassa sāvakā’"ti.

13Idamavoca so brahmapārisajjo. Attamano ca so brahmā tassa brahmapārisajjassa bhāsitaṁ abhinandīti.