1At Sāvatthī.

Now at that time the Buddha had gone into retreat for the day’s meditation.

Then the independent brahmās Subrahmā and Suddhāvāsa went to the Buddha and stationed themselves one by each door-post. But Subrahmā said to Suddhāvāsa: “Good sir, it’s the wrong time to pay homage to the Buddha. He has gone into retreat for the day’s meditation. But such and such Brahmā realm is successful and prosperous, while the Brahmā living there is negligent. Come, let’s go to that Brahmā realm and inspire awe in that Brahmā!”

“Yes, good sir,” replied Suddhāvāsa.

2Then, as easily as a strong person would extend or contract their arm, they vanished from in front of the Buddha and appeared in that Brahmā realm.

That Brahmā saw those Brahmās coming off in the distance and said to them: “Well now, good sirs, where have you come from?”

“Good sir, we’ve come from the presence of the Blessed One, the perfected one, the fully awakened Buddha. Shouldn’t you go to attend on that Blessed One?”

3When they had spoken, that Brahmā refused to accept their advice. He multiplied himself a thousand times and said to Subrahmā: “Good sir, can’t you see that I have such psychic power?”

“I see that, good sir.”

“Since I have such psychic power and might, what other ascetic or brahmin should I go to and attend upon?”

5Then Subrahmā multiplied himself two thousand times and said to that Brahmā: “Good sir, can’t you see that I have such psychic power?”

“I see that, good sir.”

“That Buddha has even more psychic power and might than you or me. Shouldn’t you go to attend on that Blessed One?”

Then that Brahmā addressed Subrahmā in verse:

6“There are three hundreds of phoenixes, four of swans, and five of eagles.
This palace belongs to him who practiced absorption.
It shines, Brahmā,
lighting up the northern quarter!”

“So what if your palace shines,
lighting up the northern quarter?
A clever person who has seen the deficiency in form,
its chronic trembling, takes no pleasure in it.”

7Then after inspiring awe in that Brahmā, the independent brahmās Subrahmā and Suddhāvāsa vanished right there. And after some time that Brahmā went to attend on the Buddha.

1Sāvatthinidānaṁ.

Tena kho pana samayena bhagavā divāvihāragato hoti paṭisallīno.

Atha kho subrahmā ca paccekabrahmā suddhāvāso ca paccekabrahmā yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkamiṁsu; upasaṅkamitvā paccekaṁ dvārabāhaṁ upanissāya aṭṭhaṁsu. Atha kho subrahmā paccekabrahmā suddhāvāsaṁ paccekabrahmānaṁ etadavoca: "akālo kho tāva, mārisa, bhagavantaṁ payirupāsituṁ; divāvihāragato bhagavā paṭisallīno ca. Asuko ca brahmaloko iddho ceva phīto ca, brahmā ca tatra pamādavihāraṁ vihārati. Āyāma, mārisa, yena so brahmaloko tenupasaṅkamissāma; upasaṅkamitvā taṁ brahmānaṁ saṁvejeyyāmā"ti.

"Evaṁ, mārisā"ti kho suddhāvāso paccekabrahmā subrahmuno paccekabrahmuno paccassosi.

2Atha kho subrahmā ca paccekabrahmā suddhāvāso ca paccekabrahmā – seyyathāpi nāma balavā puriso … pe … evameva – bhagavato purato antarahitā tasmiṁ brahmaloke pāturahesuṁ.

Addasā kho so brahmā te brahmāno dūratova āgacchante. Disvāna te brahmāno etadavoca: "handa kuto nu tumhe, mārisā, āgacchathā"ti?

"Āgatā kho mayaṁ, mārisa, amha tassa bhagavato santikā arahato sammāsambuddhassa. Gaccheyyāsi pana tvaṁ, mārisa, tassa bhagavato upaṭṭhānaṁ arahato sammāsambuddhassā"ti?

3Evaṁ vutto, kho so brahmā taṁ vacanaṁ anadhivāsento sahassakkhattuṁ attānaṁ abhinimminitvā subrahmānaṁ paccekabrahmānaṁ etadavoca: "passasi me no tvaṁ, mārisa, evarūpaṁ iddhānubhāvan"ti?

"Passāmi kho tyāhaṁ, mārisa, evarūpaṁ iddhānubhāvan"ti.

"So khvāhaṁ, mārisa, evaṁmahiddhiko evaṁmahānubhāvo kassa aññassa samaṇassa vā brāhmaṇassa vā upaṭṭhānaṁ gamissāmī"ti?

4Atha kho subrahmā paccekabrahmā dvisahassakkhattuṁ attānaṁ abhinimminitvā taṁ brahmānaṁ etadavoca: "passasi me no tvaṁ, mārisa, evarūpaṁ iddhānubhāvan"ti?

"Passāmi kho tyāhaṁ, mārisa, evarūpaṁ iddhānubhāvan"ti.

"Tayā ca kho, mārisa, mayā ca sveva bhagavā mahiddhikataro ceva mahānubhāvataro ca. Gaccheyyāsi tvaṁ, mārisa, tassa bhagavato upaṭṭhānaṁ arahato sammāsambuddhassā"ti?

Atha kho so brahmā subrahmānaṁ paccekabrahmānaṁ gāthāya ajjhabhāsi: 

5"Tayo supaṇṇā caturo ca haṁsā,
Byagghīnisā pañcasatā ca jhāyino;
Tayidaṁ vimānaṁ jalate ca brahme,
Obhāsayaṁ uttarassaṁ disāyan"ti.

6"Kiñcāpi te taṁ jalate vimānaṁ,
Obhāsayaṁ uttarassaṁ disāyaṁ;
Rūpe raṇaṁ disvā sadā pavedhitaṁ,
Tasmā na rūpe ramatī sumedho"ti.

7Atha kho subrahmā ca paccekabrahmā suddhāvāso ca paccekabrahmā taṁ brahmānaṁ saṁvejetvā tatthevantaradhāyiṁsu. Agamāsi ca kho so brahmā aparena samayena bhagavato upaṭṭhānaṁ arahato sammāsambuddhassāti.