1 Thus was heard by me. At one time, the Auspicious One was living at Rājagaha at the Bamboo Grove, the Squirrel's Feeding Place. At that time the venerable Sariputta and the venerable Mahamoggallana were dwelling at the Pidgeon's Grotto. At that time the venerable Sariputta was seated in the open air on a moonlit night with a freshly shaven head, having attained to a certain type of samadhi. At that time two yakkhas who were friends were travelling from northern region to the southern region on some business. Those yakkhas saw the venerable Sariputta seated in the open air on a moonlit night with a freshly shaven head. Having seen, one of the yakkhas said this to the second yakkha: “It occurs to me, O friend, to strike a blow on this samana's head.” When thus was said, the [second] yakkha said this to that yakkha: “Enough friend. Do not assault this samaṇa. Eminent, O friend, is this samana, of great power, of great majesty.” Also for a second time, that yakkha said this to the second yakkha: “It occurs to me, O friend, to strike a blow on this samana's head.” Also for a second time, the [second] yakkha said this to that yakkha: “Enough friend. Do not assault this samaṇa. Eminent, O friend, is this samana, of great power, of great majesty.” Also for a third time, that yakkha said this to the [second] yakkha: “It occurs to me, O friend, to strike a blow on this samana's head.” Also for a third time, the [second] yakkha said this to that yakkha: “Enough friend. Do not assault this samaṇa. Eminent, O friend, is this samana, of great power, of great majesty.”

2 Then that yakkha, having not heeded the [second] yakkha, struck a blow on the venerable Elder Sariputta's head. It was such a great strike that it could have felled a seven or a seven and half cubits elephant, or split apart a great mountain peak. Then that yakkha [crying out], “I am burning, I am burning!” fell into the great hell, just there.

3 The venerable Mahamoggallana saw with his divine eye which is purified and surpasses the human, that yakkha striking a blow on the venerable Sariputta's head. Having seen, he approached the venerable Sariputta. Having approached, he said this to the venerable Sariputta “I hope you are bearing up, O friend. I hope you are keeping on. I hope you do not have much pain.” “I am bearing up, O friend Moggallana. I am keeping on, O friend Moggallana. Yet, I do have a small amount of headache.”

4 “It is marvellous, O friend Sariputta. It is unprecedented, O friend Sariputta, the extent to which the venerable Sariputta is of great power, of great majesty. Here, O friend Sariputta, a certain yakkha struck such a great blow on your head that it could have felled a seven or a seven and half cubits elephant, or split apart a great mountain peak, yet the venerable Sariputta says thus: “I am bearing up, O friend Moggallana. I am keeping on, O friend Moggallana. Yet, I do have a small amount of headache.” ” “It is marvellous, O friend Moggallana. It is unprecedented, O friend Moggallana, the extent to which the venerable Moggallana is of great power, of great majesty, in as much as he can see a yakkha. For now we are not able to see even a mud goblin.” the Auspicious One heard with his divine ear element which is purified and surpasses the human, the friendly conversation between this pair of great Nagas.

5 Then the Auspicious One, having understood the significance of this, uttered this inspired utterance:

“He whose mind is like,
the immovable, unshakeable;
dispassioned amidst things that provoke passion,
unangered amidst things that provoke anger;
he whose mind is thus enculturated,
from where will suffering come?”

1 evaṃ me sutaṃ: ekaṃ samayaṃ bhagavā rājagahe viharati. veḷuvane kalandakanivāpe. tena kho pana samayena āyasmā ca sāriputto āyasmā ca mahāmoggalalāno kapotakandarāyaṃ viharanti. tena kho pana samayena āyasmā sāriputto juṇhāya rattiyā navoropitehi kesehi abbhokāse nisinno hoti, aññataraṃ samādhiṃ samāpajjitvā. tena kho pana samayena dve yakkhā sahāyakā uttarāya disāya dakkhiṇaṃdisaṃ gacchanti, kenacideva karaṇīyena. addasaṃsu kho te yakkhā āyasmantaṃ sāriputtaṃ juṇhāya rattiyā navoropitehi kesehi abbhokāse nisinnaṃ. disvāna eko yakkho dutiyaṃ yakkhaṃ etadavoca: "paṭibhāti maṃ samma, imassa samaṇassa sise pahāraṃ dātuṃ"ti. evaṃ vutte so yakkho taṃ yakkhaṃ etadavoca: " alaṃ samma, mā samaṇaṃ āsādesi. uḷāro so samma samaṇo mahiddhiko mahānubhāvo"ti dutiyampi kho so yakkho taṃ yakkhaṃ etadavoca: " paṭibhāti maṃ samma, imassa samaṇassa sīse pahāraṃ dātuṃ"ti. dutiyampi kho so yakkho taṃ yakkhaṃ etadavoca: "alaṃ samma, mā samaṇaṃ āsādesi. uḷāro so samma, samaṇo mahiddhiko mahānubhāvo"ti. tatiyampi kho so yakkho taṃ yakkhaṃ etadavoca: "paṭibhāti maṃ samma, imassa samaṇassasīse pahāraṃ dātuṃ"ti. tatiyampi kho so yakkho taṃ yakkhaṃ etadavoca: "alaṃ samma, mā samaṇaṃ āsādesi. uḷāro so samma, samaṇo mahiddhiko mahānubhāvo"ti.

2 atha kho so yakkho taṃ yakkhaṃ anādiyitvā āyasmato sāriputtattherassa sīse pahāraṃ adāsi: tāva mahāpahāro ahosi, api tena pahārena sattaratanaṃ vā aḍḍhaṭṭharatanaṃ vā nāgaṃ osādeyya mahantaṃ vā pabbatakūṭaṃ padāḷeyya. atha ca pana so yakkho 'ḍayhāmi, ḍayhāmī"ti tattheva mahānirayaṃ avatthāsi.

3 addasā kho āyasmā mahāmoggallāno dibbena cakkhunā visuddhena atikkantamānusakena tena yakkhena āyasmato sāriputtassa sīse pahāraṃ dīyamānaṃ. disvāna yenāyasmā sāriputto tenupasaṅkami, upasaṅkamitvā āyasmantaṃ sāriputtaṃ etadavoca: " kacci te āvuso khamanīyaṃ? kacci yāpanīyaṃ? kacci na kiñci dukkhaṃ?"ti. "khamanīyaṃ me āvuso moggallāna, yāpanīyaṃ me āvuso moggallāna, api ca me sīse thokaṃ dukkhaṃ"ti.

4 acchariyaṃ āvuso sāriputta, abbhūtaṃ āvuso sāriputta, yāva mahiddhiko āyasmā sāriputto mahānubhāvo. idha te āvuso sāriputta, aññataro yakkho sīse pahāraṃ adāsi. tāva mahāpahāro ahosi, api tena pahārena sattaratanaṃ vā aḍḍhaṭṭharatanaṃ vā nāgaṃ osādeyya mahantaṃ vā pabbatakūṭaṃ padāḷeyya. atha ca panāyasmā sāriputto evamāha: "khamanīyaṃ me āvuso moggallāna, yāpanīyaṃ me āvuso moggallāna, api ca me sīse thokaṃ dukkhaṃ"ti, acchariyaṃ āvuso moggallāna, abbhutaṃ āvuso moggallāna, yāva mahiddhiko āyasmā mahāmoggallāno mahānubhāvo. yatra hi nāma yakkhampi passissati, mayaṃ panetarahi paṃsupisācakampi na passāmā"ti. assosi kho bhagavā dibbāya sotadhātuyā visuddhāya atikkantamānussikāya tesaṃ ubhinnaṃ mahānāgānaṃ imaṃ evarūpaṃ kathāsallāpaṃ.

5 atha kho bhagavā etamatthaṃ viditvā tāyaṃ velāyaṃ imaṃ udānaṃ udānesi:

yassa ūpamaṃ cittaṃ,
ṭhitaṃ nānūpakampati;
virattaṃ rajaniyesu,
kopaneyye na kuppati;
yassevaṃ bhāvitaṃ cittaṃ,
kuto taṃ dukkhamessatīti.