Devahitasutta

Sāvatthinidānaṁ. Tena kho pana samayena bhagavā vātehābādhiko hoti; āyasmā ca upavāṇo bhagavato upaṭṭhāko hoti. Atha kho bhagavā āyasmantaṁ upavāṇaṁ āmantesi: “iṅgha me tvaṁ, upavāṇa, uṇhodakaṁ jānāhī”ti. “Evaṁ, bhante”ti kho āyasmā upavāṇo bhagavato paṭissutvā nivāsetvā pattacīvaramādāya yena devahitassa brāhmaṇassa nivesanaṁ tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā tuṇhībhūto ekamantaṁ aṭṭhāsi. Addasā kho devahito brāhmaṇo āyasmantaṁ upavāṇaṁ tuṇhībhūtaṁ ekamantaṁ ṭhitaṁ. Disvāna āyasmantaṁ upavāṇaṁ gāthāya ajjhabhāsi:

At Sāvatthī. Now at that time the Buddha was afflicted by winds. Venerable Upavāṇa was his carer. Then the Buddha said to Upavāṇa, “Go on then, Upavāṇa, find some hot water for me.” “Yes, sir,” replied Upavāṇa. He robed up, and, taking his bowl and robe, went to the home of the brahmin Devahita, and stood silently to one side. Devahita saw him standing there and addressed him in verse:

“Tuṇhībhūto bhavaṁ tiṭṭhaṁ, muṇḍo saṅghāṭipāruto; Kiṁ patthayāno kiṁ esaṁ, kiṁ nu yācitumāgato”ti.

“Silent stands the worthy one, shaven, wrapped in his outer robe. What do you want? What are you looking for? What have you come here to ask for?”

“Arahaṁ sugato loke, vātehābādhiko muni; Sace uṇhodakaṁ atthi, munino dehi brāhmaṇa.

“The perfected one, the Holy One in the world, the sage is afflicted by winds. If there’s hot water, give it to the sage, brahmin.

Pūjito pūjaneyyānaṁ, sakkareyyāna sakkato; Apacito apaceyyānaṁ, tassa icchāmi hātave”ti.

I wish to bring it to the one who is esteemed by the estimable, honored by the honorable, venerated by the venerable.”

Atha kho devahito brāhmaṇo uṇhodakassa kājaṁ purisena gāhāpetvā phāṇitassa ca puṭaṁ āyasmato upavāṇassa pādāsi. Atha kho āyasmā upavāṇo yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ uṇhodakena nhāpetvā uṇhodakena phāṇitaṁ āloletvā bhagavato pādāsi. Atha kho bhagavato ābādho paṭippassambhi.

Then Devahita had a man fetch a carrying-pole with hot water. He also presented Upavāṇa with a jar of molasses. Then Venerable Upavāṇa went up to the Buddha and bathed him with the hot water. Then he stirred molasses into hot water and presented it to the Buddha. Then the Buddha’s illness died down.

Atha kho devahito brāhmaṇo yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavatā saddhiṁ sammodi. Sammodanīyaṁ kathaṁ sāraṇīyaṁ vītisāretvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho devahito brāhmaṇo bhagavantaṁ gāthāya ajjhabhāsi:

Then the brahmin Devahita went up to the Buddha, and exchanged greetings with him. When the greetings and polite conversation were over, he sat down to one side, and addressed the Buddha in verse:

“Kattha dajjā deyyadhammaṁ, kattha dinnaṁ mahapphalaṁ; Kathañhi yajamānassa, kathaṁ ijjhati dakkhiṇā”ti.

“Where should you give an available gift? Where is a gift very fruitful? How does one who is donating ensure the success of their religious donation?”

“Pubbenivāsaṁ yo vedī, saggāpāyañca passati; Atho jātikkhayaṁ patto, abhiññāvosito muni.

“One who knows their past lives, sees heaven and places of loss, and has attained the ending of rebirth, is a sage of perfect insight.

Ettha dajjā deyyadhammaṁ, ettha dinnaṁ mahapphalaṁ; Evañhi yajamānassa, evaṁ ijjhati dakkhiṇā”ti.

Here you should give an available gift; what’s given here is very fruitful. That’s how a sponsor of sacrifices ensures the success of their religious donation.”

Evaṁ vutte, devahito brāhmaṇo bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “abhikkantaṁ, bho gotama …pe… upāsakaṁ maṁ bhavaṁ gotamo dhāretu ajjatagge pāṇupetaṁ saraṇaṁ gatan”ti.

When he had spoken, the brahmin Devahita said to the Buddha, “Excellent, worthy Gotama … From this day forth, may the worthy Gotama remember me as a lay follower who has gone for refuge for life.”