1At Sāvatthī.

So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery.

Then, late at night, a glorious deity, lighting up the entire Jeta’s Grove, went up to the Buddha, bowed, stood to one side, and said to him: “Good sir, how did you cross the flood?”

“Neither standing nor swimming, sir, I crossed the flood.”

“But in what way did you cross the flood neither standing nor swimming?”

“When I stood still, I went under. And when I swam, I was swept away. That’s how I crossed the flood neither standing nor swimming.”

2“After a long time I see
a brahmin extinguished.
Neither standing nor swimming,
he’s crossed over clinging to the world.”

3This is what that deity said, and the teacher approved. Then that deity, knowing that the teacher approved, bowed and respectfully circled the Buddha, keeping him on his right, before vanishing right there.

1Evaṁ me sutaṁ — ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ vihārati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme.

Atha kho aññatarā devatā abhikkantāya rattiyā abhikkantavaṇṇā kevalakappaṁ jetavanaṁ obhāsetvā yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ aṭṭhāsi. Ekamantaṁ ṭhitā kho sā devatā bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: "Kathaṁ nu tvaṁ, mārisa, oghamatarī"ti?

"Appatiṭṭhaṁ khvāhaṁ, āvuso, anāyūhaṁ oghamatarin"ti.

"Yathākathaṁ pana tvaṁ, mārisa, appatiṭṭhaṁ anāyūhaṁ oghamatarī"ti?

"Yadāsvāhaṁ, āvuso, santiṭṭhāmi tadāssu saṁsīdāmi; yadāsvāhaṁ, āvuso, āyūhāmi tadāssu nibbuyhāmi. Evaṁ khvāhaṁ, āvuso, appatiṭṭhaṁ anāyūhaṁ oghamatarin"ti.

2"Cirassaṁ vata passāmi,
brāhmaṇaṁ parinibbutaṁ;
Appatiṭṭhaṁ anāyūhaṁ,
tiṇṇaṁ loke visattikan"ti.

3Idamavoca sā devatā. Samanuñño satthā ahosi. Atha kho sā devatā: "samanuñño me satthā"ti bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā padakkhiṇaṁ katvā tatthevantaradhāyīti.