1Thus I heard: At one time the Gracious One was dwelling near Rājagaha, in Bamboo Wood, at the Squirrels’ Feeding Place. Then at that time venerable Sāriputta and venerable Mahāmoggallāna were living at the Pigeon Vale. Then at that time venerable Sāriputta, on a moonlight night, with his hair freshly shaved off, was sitting in the open air, having attained a certain concentration.

2Then at that time two yakkha friends were going from the Northern region to the Southern region, with some business or other. Those yakkhas saw venerable Sāriputta, on that moonlight night, with his hair freshly shaved off, sat in the open air.

And after seeing him, one of those yakkhas said this to the second yakkha: "It occurs to me, friend, to give a blow on this ascetic's head."

When that was said, that yakkha said this to the other yakkha: "Enough, friend, don’t strike the ascetic. Eminent is the ascetic, friend, of great power, of great majesty."

3For a second time that yakkha said this to the other yakkha: "It occurs to me, friend, to give a blow on this ascetic's head."

For a second time that yakkha said this to the other yakkha: "Enough, friend, don’t strike the ascetic. Eminent is the ascetic, friend, of great power, of great majesty."

For a third time that yakkha said this to the other yakkha: "It occurs to me, friend, to give a blow on this ascetic's head."

For a third time that yakkha said this to the other yakkha: "Enough, friend, don’t strike the ascetic. Eminent is the ascetic, friend, of great power, of great majesty."

4Then the yakkha taking no notice of that other yakkha, gave a blow on the elder venerable Sāriputta's head: it was such a great blow that with that blow a seven, or seven and a half cubit Nāga elephant might have been felled, or a great mountain top might have been burst open.

Then that yakkha calling out: "I'm burning, I'm burning" right there and then fell into the Great Hell.

5Venerable Mahāmoggallāna saw with his divine-eye, which is purified, and surpasses that of normal men, that yakkha giving a blow on venerable Sāriputta's head. And after seeing it, he went to venerable Sāriputta, and after going, he said this to venerable Sāriputta: "Can you bear up, venerable friend? Can you carry on? Do you have any pain?"

"I can bear up, friend Moggallāna; I can carry on, friend Moggallāna, but I have a little pain on my head."

6"Wonderful, friend Sāriputta, marvellous, friend Sāriputta, such is the venerable Sāriputta's great power and great majesty. Here, friend Sāriputta, a certain yakkha gave a blow on your head: it was such a great blow, that with that blow a seven, or seven and a half cubit Nāga elephant might have been felled, or a great mountain top might have been burst open. But then venerable Sāriputta said this: ‘I can bear up, friend Moggallāna; I can carry on, friend Moggallāna, but I have a little pain on my head.’ "

7"Wonderful, friend Moggallāna, marvellous, friend Moggallāna, such is the venerable Mahāmoggallāna's great power and great majesty, in as much as he can even see a yakkha, whereas we at present do not even see a mud-demon!"

8The Gracious One heard with his divine ear-element, which is purified, and surpasses that of normal men, the fitting talk and conversation of these two Great Nāgas.

9Then the Gracious One, having understood the significance of it on that occasion uttered this exalted utterance:

1Evaṁ me sutaṁ — ​   ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā rājagahe viharati veḷuvane kalandakanivāpe. Tena kho pana samayena āyasmā ca sāriputto āyasmā ca mahāmoggallāno kapotakandarāyaṁ viharanti. Tena kho pana samayena āyasmā sāriputto juṇhāya rattiyā navoropitehi kesehi abbhokāse nisinno hoti aññataraṁ samādhiṁ samāpajjitvā.

2Tena kho pana samayena dve yakkhā sahāyakā uttarāya disāya dakkhiṇaṁ disaṁ gacchanti kenacideva karaṇīyena. Addasaṁsu kho te yakkhā āyasmantaṁ sāriputtaṁ juṇhāya rattiyā navoropitehi kesehi abbhokāse nisinnaṁ.

Disvāna eko yakkho dutiyaṁ yakkhaṁ etadavoca:  "paṭibhāti maṁ, samma, imassa samaṇassa sīse pahāraṁ dātun"ti.

Evaṁ vutte, so yakkho taṁ yakkhaṁ etadavoca:  "Alaṁ, samma, mā samaṇaṁ āsādesi. Uḷāro so, samma, samaṇo mahiddhiko mahānubhāvo"ti.

3Dutiyampi kho so yakkho taṁ yakkhaṁ etadavoca:  "paṭibhāti maṁ, samma, imassa samaṇassa sīse pahāraṁ dātun"ti.

Dutiyampi kho so yakkho taṁ yakkhaṁ etadavoca:  "Alaṁ, samma, mā samaṇaṁ āsādesi. Uḷāro so, samma, samaṇo mahiddhiko mahānubhāvo"ti.

Tatiyampi kho so yakkho taṁ yakkhaṁ etadavoca:  "paṭibhāti maṁ, samma, imassa samaṇassa sīse pahāraṁ dātun"ti.

Tatiyampi kho so yakkho taṁ yakkhaṁ etadavoca:  "Alaṁ, samma, mā samaṇaṁ āsādesi. Uḷāro so, samma, samaṇo mahiddhiko mahānubhāvo"ti.

4Atha kho so yakkho taṁ yakkhaṁ anādiyitvā āyasmato sāriputtattherassa sīse pahāraṁ adāsi. Tāva mahā pahāro ahosi, api tena pahārena sattaratanaṁ vā aḍḍhaṭṭhamaratanaṁ vā nāgaṁ osādeyya, mahantaṁ vā pabbatakūṭaṁ padāleyya.

Atha ca pana so yakkho "ḍayhāmi ḍayhāmī"ti vatvā tattheva mahānirayaṁ apatāsi.

5Addasā kho āyasmā mahāmoggallāno dibbena cakkhunā visuddhena atikkantamānusakena tena yakkhena āyasmato sāriputtattherassa sīse pahāraṁ dīyamānaṁ. Disvā yena āyasmā sāriputto tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmantaṁ sāriputtaṁ etadavoca:  "Kacci te, āvuso, khamanīyaṁ, kacci yāpanīyaṁ, kacci na kiñci dukkhan"ti?

"Khamanīyaṁ me, āvuso moggallāna, yāpanīyaṁ me, āvuso moggallāna; api ca me sīsaṁ thokaṁ dukkhan"ti.

6"Acchariyaṁ, āvuso sāriputta, abbhutaṁ, āvuso sāriputta. Yāva mahiddhiko āyasmā sāriputto mahānubhāvo. Idha te, āvuso sāriputta, aññataro yakkho sīse pahāraṁ adāsi. Tāva mahā pahāro ahosi, api tena pahārena sattaratanaṁ vā aḍḍhaṭṭhamaratanaṁ vā nāgaṁ osādeyya, mahantaṁ vā pabbatakūṭaṁ padāleyya, atha ca panāyasmā sāriputto evamāha:  ‘khamanīyaṁ me, āvuso moggallāna, yāpanīyaṁ me, āvuso moggallāna; api ca me sīsaṁ thokaṁ dukkhan’"ti.

7"Acchariyaṁ, āvuso moggallāna, abbhutaṁ, āvuso moggallāna. Yāva mahiddhiko āyasmā mahāmoggallāno mahānubhāvo yatra hi nāma yakkhampi passissati. Mayaṁ panetarahi paṁsupisācakampi na passāmā"ti.

8Assosi kho bhagavā dibbāya sotadhātuyā visuddhāya atikkantamānusikāya tesaṁ ubhinnaṁ mahānāgānaṁ imaṁ evarūpaṁ kathāsallāpaṁ.

9Atha kho bhagavā etamatthaṁ viditvā tāyaṁ velāyaṁ imaṁ udānaṁ udānesi: 

Catutthaṁ.