1At one time the Buddha was staying on the slopes of Isigili at the Black Rock, together with a large Saṅgha of around five hundred mendicants, all of whom were perfected ones. Thereupon, with his mind, Venerable Mahāmoggallāna checked to see 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 checking to see whose mind is liberated and free of attachments. Why don’t I extoll him in the Buddha’s presence with fitting verses?”

2Then Venerable Vaṅgīsa got up from his seat, arranged his robe over one shoulder, raised his joined 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:

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

4Moggallāna, of great psychic power,
comprehends with his mind,
scrutinizing their minds,
liberated, without attachments.

5So they revere Gotama,
the sage gone beyond suffering,
who is endowed with all path factors,
and with a multitude of attributes.”

1Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā rājagahe vihārati 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 vihārati 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.

2Atha 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: 

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

4Te cetasā anupariyeti,
Moggallāno mahiddhiko;
Cittaṁ nesaṁ samannesaṁ,
Vippamuttaṁ nirūpadhiṁ.

5Evaṁ sabbaṅgasampannaṁ,
Muniṁ dukkhassa pāraguṁ;
Anekākārasampannaṁ,
Payirupāsanti gotaman"ti.