Moggallānasutta

Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā rājagahe viharati isigilipasse kāḷasilāyaṁ mahatā bhikkhusaṅghena saddhiṁ pañcamattehi bhikkhusatehi sabbeheva arahantehi. Tesaṁ sudaṁ āyasmā mahāmoggallāno cetasā cittaṁ samannesati vippamuttaṁ nirupadhiṁ. Atha kho āyasmato vaṅgīsassa etadahosi: “ayaṁ kho bhagavā rājagahe viharati isigilipasse kāḷasilāyaṁ mahatā bhikkhusaṅghena saddhiṁ pañcamattehi bhikkhusatehi sabbeheva arahantehi. Tesaṁ sudaṁ āyasmā mahāmoggallāno cetasā cittaṁ samannesati vippamuttaṁ nirupadhiṁ. Yannūnāhaṁ āyasmantaṁ mahāmoggallānaṁ bhagavato sammukhā sāruppāhi gāthāhi abhitthaveyyan”ti.

At one time the Buddha was staying on the slopes of Isigili at the Black Rock, together with a large Saṅgha of five hundred mendicants, all of whom were perfected ones. Thereupon, with his mind, Venerable Mahāmoggallāna scrutinized whose mind was liberated and free of attachments. Then Venerable Vaṅgīsa thought, “The Buddha is staying on the slopes of Isigili … with five hundred perfected ones. Mahāmoggallāna is scrutinizing whose mind is liberated and free of attachments. Why don’t I extoll him in the Buddha’s presence with fitting verses?”

Atha 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 āyasmantaṁ mahāmoggallānaṁ bhagavato sammukhā sāruppāhi gāthāhi abhitthavi:

Then Venerable Vaṅgīsa rose from his seat, arranged his robe over one shoulder, raised his cupped palms toward the Buddha, and said, “I feel inspired to speak, Blessed One! I feel inspired to speak, Holy One!” “Then speak as you feel inspired,” said the Buddha. Then Vaṅgīsa extolled Mahāmoggallāna in his presence with fitting verses:

“Nagassa passe āsīnaṁ, muniṁ dukkhassa pāraguṁ; Sāvakā payirupāsanti, tevijjā maccuhāyino.

“As the sage, who has gone beyond suffering, sits upon the mountain slope, he is revered by disciples with the three knowledges, conquerors of death.

Te cetasā anupariyeti, Moggallāno mahiddhiko; Cittaṁ nesaṁ samannesaṁ, Vippamuttaṁ nirūpadhiṁ.

Moggallāna, of great psychic power, encompasses with his mind, scrutinizing their minds, liberated, free of attachments.

Evaṁ sabbaṅgasampannaṁ, Muniṁ dukkhassa pāraguṁ; Anekākārasampannaṁ, Payirupāsanti gotaman”ti.

That is how those endowed <j>with many fine qualities revere Gotama, the sage gone beyond suffering, perfect in every respect.”