Gaggarāsutta

Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā campāyaṁ viharati 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 viharati 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.

At one time the Buddha was staying near Campā on the banks of the Gaggarā Lotus Pond, together with a large Saṅgha of five hundred mendicants, seven hundred male and seven hundred female lay followers, and many thousands of deities. But the Buddha outshone them all in beauty and glory. Then Venerable Vaṅgīsa thought, “The Buddha is staying near Campā on the banks of the Gaggarā Lotus Pond, together with a large Saṅgha of five hundred mendicants, seven hundred male and seven hundred female lay followers, and many thousands of deities. And he outshines them all in beauty and glory. Why don’t I extoll him in his 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 bhagavantaṁ sammukhā sāruppāya gāthāya 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 the Buddha in his presence with fitting verses:

“Cando yathā vigatavalāhake nabhe, Virocati vigatamalova bhāṇumā; Evampi aṅgīrasa tvaṁ mahāmuni, Atirocasi yasasā sabbalokan”ti.

“Like the moon on a cloudless night, like the shining immaculate sun, so too Aṅgīrasa, O great sage, your glory outshines the entire world.”