1On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Campa on the bank of the Gaggara Lotus Pond together with a great Saṅgha of bhikkhus, with five hundred bhikkhus, seven hundred male lay followers, seven hundred female lay followers, and many thousands of devatas. The Blessed One outshone them in beauty and glory.

Then it occurred to the Venerable Vangisa: "This Blessed One is dwelling at Campa … and many thousands of devatas. The Blessed One outshines them in beauty and glory. Let me extol the Blessed One to his face with suitable verses."

2Then the Venerable Vangisa rose from his seat, arranged his upper robe over one shoulder, and, raising his joined hands in reverential salutation towards the Blessed One, said to him: "An inspiration has come to me, Blessed One! An inspiration has come to me, Fortunate One!"

"Then express your inspiration, Vangisa."

Then the Venerable Vangisa extolled the Blessed One to his face with a suitable verse: sn.i.196

1Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā campāyaṁ vihārati gaggarāya pokkharaṇiyā tīre mahatā bhikkhusaṅghena saddhiṁ pañcamattehi bhikkhusatehi sattahi ca upāsakasatehi sattahi ca upāsikāsatehi anekehi ca devatāsahassehi. Tyāssudaṁ bhagavā atirocati vaṇṇena ceva yasasā ca.

Atha kho āyasmato vaṅgīsassa etadahosi: "Ayaṁ kho bhagavā campāyaṁ vihārati gaggarāya pokkharaṇiyā tīre mahatā bhikkhusaṅghena saddhiṁ pañcamattehi bhikkhusatehi sattahi ca upāsakasatehi sattahi ca upāsikāsatehi anekehi ca devatāsahassehi. Tyāssudaṁ bhagavā atirocati vaṇṇena ceva yasasā ca. Yannūnāhaṁ bhagavantaṁ sammukhā sāruppāya gāthāya abhitthaveyyan"ti.

2Atha kho āyasmā vaṅgīso uṭṭhāyāsanā ekaṁsaṁ uttarāsaṅgaṁ karitvā yena bhagavā tenañjaliṁ paṇāmetvā bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: "paṭibhāti maṁ, bhagavā, paṭibhāti maṁ, sugatā"ti.

"Paṭibhātu taṁ, vaṅgīsā"ti bhagavā avoca.

Atha kho āyasmā vaṅgīso bhagavantaṁ sammukhā sāruppāya gāthāya abhitthavi: