1At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in the Eastern Monastery, the stilt longhouse of Migāra’s mother, together with a large Saṅgha of around five hundred monks, all of whom were perfected ones. Now, at that time it was the sabbath — the full moon on the fifteenth day — and the Buddha was sitting in the open surrounded by the Saṅgha of monks for the invitation to admonish.

Then the Buddha looked around the Saṅgha of monks, who were so very silent. He addressed them: “Come now, monks, I invite you all: Is there anything I’ve done by way of body or speech that you would criticize?”

2When he had spoken, Venerable Sāriputta got up from his seat, arranged his robe over one shoulder, raised his joined palms toward the Buddha, and said: “There is nothing, sir, that you’ve done by way of body or speech that we would criticize. For the Blessed One is the one who gave rise to the unarisen path, who gave birth to the unborn path, who explained the unexplained path. He is the knower of the path, the discoverer of the path, the expert on the path. And now the disciples live following the path; they acquire it later. And sir, I invite the Blessed One. Is there anything I’ve done by way of body or speech that you would criticize?”

3“There is nothing, Sāriputta, that you’ve done by way of body or speech that I would criticize. Sāriputta, you are astute. You have great wisdom, widespread wisdom, laughing wisdom, swift wisdom, sharp wisdom, penetrating wisdom. A wheel-turning monarch’s oldest son rightly keeps wielding the power set in motion by his father. In the same way, Sāriputta rightly keeps rolling the supreme Wheel of Dhamma that was rolled forth by me.”

4“Since it seems I have done nothing worthy of the Blessed One’s criticism, is there anything these five hundred monks have done by way of body or speech that you would criticize?”

“There is nothing, Sāriputta, that these five hundred monks have done by way of body or speech that I would criticize. For of these five hundred monks, sixty have the three knowledges, sixty have the six direct knowledges, sixty are freed both ways, and the rest are freed by wisdom.”

5Then 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 the Buddha in his presence with fitting verses:

6“Today, on the fifteenth day sabbath,
five hundred monks have gathered together to purify their precepts.
These untroubled sages have cut off their fetters and bonds,
they will not be reborn again.

7Just as a wheel-turning monarch
surrounded by ministers
travels all around this
land that’s girt by sea.

8So disciples with the three knowledges,
destroyers of death,
revere the winner of the battle,
the unsurpassed caravan leader.

9All are sons of the Blessed One —
there is no rubbish here.
I bow to the Kinsman of the Sun,
destroyer of the dart of craving.”

1Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ vihārati pubbārāme migāramātupāsāde mahatā bhikkhusaṅghena saddhiṁ pañcamattehi bhikkhusatehi sabbeheva arahantehi. Tena kho pana samayena bhagavā tadahuposathe pannarase pavāraṇāya bhikkhusaṅghaparivuto abbhokāse nisinno hoti.

Atha kho bhagavā tuṇhībhūtaṁ bhikkhusaṅghaṁ anuviloketvā bhikkhū āmantesi: "handa dāni, bhikkhave, pavāremi vo. Na ca me kiñci garahatha kāyikaṁ vā vācasikaṁ vā"ti.

2Evaṁ vutte, āyasmā sāriputto uṭṭhāyāsanā ekaṁsaṁ uttarāsaṅgaṁ karitvā yena bhagavā tenañjaliṁ paṇāmetvā bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: "na kho mayaṁ, bhante, bhagavato kiñci garahāma kāyikaṁ vā vācasikaṁ vā. Bhagavā hi, bhante, anuppannassa maggassa uppādetā, asañjātassa maggassa sañjanetā, anakkhātassa maggassa akkhātā, maggaññū maggavidū maggakovido. Maggānugā ca, bhante, etarahi sāvakā vihāranti pacchā samannāgatā; ahañca kho, bhante, bhagavantaṁ pavāremi. Na ca me bhagavā kiñci garahati kāyikaṁ vā vācasikaṁ vā"ti.

3"Na khvāhaṁ te, sāriputta, kiñci garahāmi kāyikaṁ vā vācasikaṁ vā. Paṇḍito tvaṁ, sāriputta, mahāpañño tvaṁ, sāriputta, puthupañño tvaṁ, sāriputta, hāsapañño tvaṁ, sāriputta, javanapañño tvaṁ, sāriputta, tikkhapañño tvaṁ, sāriputta, nibbedhikapañño tvaṁ, sāriputta. Seyyathāpi, sāriputta, rañño cakkavattissa jeṭṭhaputto pitarā pavattitaṁ cakkaṁ sammadeva anuppavatteti; evameva kho tvaṁ, sāriputta, mayā anuttaraṁ dhammacakkaṁ pavattitaṁ sammadeva anuppavattesī"ti.

4"No ce kira me, bhante, bhagavā kiñci garahati kāyikaṁ vā vācasikaṁ vā. Imesaṁ pana, bhante, bhagavā pañcannaṁ bhikkhusatānaṁ na kiñci garahati kāyikaṁ vā vācasikaṁ vā"ti.

"Imesampi khvāhaṁ, sāriputta, pañcannaṁ bhikkhusatānaṁ na kiñci garahāmi kāyikaṁ vā vācasikaṁ vā. Imesañhi, sāriputta, pañcannaṁ bhikkhusatānaṁ saṭṭhi bhikkhū tevijjā, saṭṭhi bhikkhū chaḷabhiññā, saṭṭhi bhikkhū ubhatobhāgavimuttā, atha itare paññāvimuttā"ti.

5Atha 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 bhagavantaṁ sammukhā sāruppāhi gāthāhi abhitthavi: 

6"Ajja pannarase visuddhiyā,
Bhikkhū pañcasatā samāgatā;
Saṁyojanabandhanacchidā,
Anīghā khīṇapunabbhavā isī.

7Cakkavattī yathā rājā,
amaccaparivārito;
Samantā anupariyeti,
sāgarantaṁ mahiṁ imaṁ.

8Evaṁ vijitasaṅgāmaṁ,
satthavāhaṁ anuttaraṁ;
Sāvakā payirupāsanti,
tevijjā maccuhāyino.

9Sabbe bhagavato puttā,
palāpettha na vijjati;
Taṇhāsallassa hantāraṁ,
vande ādiccabandhunan"ti.