1At one time Venerable Sāriputta was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery.

Now at that time Venerable Sāriputta was educating, encouraging, firing up, and inspiring the mendicants in the assembly hall with a Dhamma talk. His words were polished, clear, articulate, and expressed the meaning. And those mendicants were paying heed, paying attention, engaging wholeheartedly, and lending an ear.

Then Venerable Vaṅgīsa thought: “This Venerable Sāriputta is educating the mendicants. … And those mendicants are paying heed, paying attention, engaging wholeheartedly, and lending an ear. Why don’t I extoll him in his presence with fitting verses?”

2Then Venerable Vaṅgīsa got up from his seat, arranged his robe over one shoulder, raised his joined palms toward Sāriputta, and said: “I feel inspired to speak, Reverend Sāriputta! I feel inspired to speak, Reverend Sāriputta!”

“Then speak as you feel inspired,” said Sāriputta.

Then Vaṅgīsa extolled Sāriputta in his presence with fitting verses:

3“Deep in wisdom, intelligent,
expert in the variety of paths;
Sāriputta, so greatly wise,
teaches Dhamma to the mendicants.

4He teaches in brief,
or he speaks at length.
His call, like a myna bird,
overflows with inspiration.

5While he teaches
the mendicants listen to his sweet voice,
sounding attractive,
clear and graceful.
They listen joyfully,
their hearts uplifted.”

1Ekaṁ samayaṁ āyasmā sāriputto sāvatthiyaṁ vihārati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme.

Tena kho pana samayena āyasmā sāriputto bhikkhū dhammiyā kathāya sandasseti samādapeti samuttejeti sampahaṁseti poriyā vācāya vissaṭṭhāya anelagalāya atthassa viññāpaniyā. Te ca bhikkhū aṭṭhiṁ katvā manasi katvā sabbacetasā samannāharitvā ohitasotā dhammaṁ suṇanti.

Atha kho āyasmato vaṅgīsassa etadahosi: "Ayaṁ kho āyasmā sāriputto bhikkhū dhammiyā kathāya sandasseti samādapeti samuttejeti sampahaṁseti poriyā vācāya vissaṭṭhāya anelagalāya atthassa viññāpaniyā. Te ca bhikkhū aṭṭhiṁ katvā manasi katvā sabbacetasā samannāharitvā ohitasotā dhammaṁ suṇanti. Yannūnāhaṁ āyasmantaṁ sāriputtaṁ sa ruppāhi gāthāhi abhitthaveyyan"ti.

2Atha kho āyasmā vaṅgīso uṭṭhāyāsanā ekaṁsaṁ uttarāsaṅgaṁ karitvā yenāyasmā sāriputto tenañjaliṁ paṇāmetvā āyasmantaṁ sāriputtaṁ etadavoca: "paṭibhāti maṁ, āvuso sāriputta, paṭibhāti maṁ, āvuso sāriputtā"ti.

"Paṭibhātu taṁ, āvuso vaṅgīsā"ti.

Atha kho āyasmā vaṅgīso āyasmantaṁ sāriputtaṁ sammukhā sāruppāhi gāthāhi abhitthavi: 

3"Gambhīrapañño medhāvī,
maggāmaggassa kovido;
Sāriputto mahāpañño,
dhammaṁ deseti bhikkhunaṁ.

4Saṅkhittenapi deseti,
vitthārenapi bhāsati;
Sāḷikāyiva nigghoso,
paṭibhānaṁ udīrayi.

5Tassa taṁ desayantassa,
suṇanti madhuraṁ giraṁ;
Sarena rajanīyena,
savanīyena vaggunā;
Udaggacittā muditā,
sotaṁ odhenti bhikkhavo"ti.