Mahākhandhako The Great Chapter - Ancient Buddhist Texts

108
[III: The Miracles at Uruvelā] 166
Paṭhamaṁ Pāṭihāriyaṁ
21: The First Miracle
(The Dragon-King - Prose)
Atha kho Bhagavā anupubbena cārikaṁ caramāno
Then the Gracious One while walking gradually on walking tour
yena Uruvelā tad-avasari.
arrived at Uruvelā.
Tena kho pana samayena Uruvelāyaṁ tayo jaṭilā paṭivasanti:
Then at that time at Uruvelā there lived three yogis: 167
Uruvelakassapo Nadīkassapo Gayākassapo ti.
known as Uruvelakassapa, Nadīkassapa, and Gayākassapa. 168
Tesu Uruvelakassapo jaṭilo pañcannaṁ jaṭilasatānaṁ
o Of these, the yogi Uruvelakassapa was the leader,
nāyako hoti vināyako aggo pamukho pāmokkho.
guide, chief, director, and instructor of five hundred yogis.
Nadīkassapo jaṭilo tiṇṇaṁ jaṭilasatānaṁ
o The yogi Nadīkassapa was the leader,
nāyako hoti vināyako aggo pamukho pāmokkho.
guide, chief, director, and instructor of three hundred yogis.
Gayākassapo jaṭilo dvinnaṁ jaṭilasatānaṁ
o The yogi Gayākassapa was the leader,
nāyako hoti vināyako aggo pamukho pāmokkho.
guide, chief, director, and instructor of two hundred yogis.
Atha kho Bhagavā yena Uruvelakassapassa jaṭilassa assamo tenupasaṅkami,
Then the Gracious One approached the yogi Uruvelakassapa’s ashram,
upasaṅkamitvā Uruvelakassapaṁ jaṭilaṁ etad-avoca:
and after approaching he said this to the yogi Uruvelakassapa:
166 This section with its miracle-working and supernatural elements stands out from the rest
of the narrative which seems in many ways to be so realistic.
167 Literally: one with a tangled mass of hair, a matted hair ascetic. I use yogi to be concise.
168 All the names arise from the place names where they dwelt: Kassapa at Uruvelā, Kassapa
at the River (Nadī, i.e. Nerañjarā), and Kassapa at Gayā. The name Kassapa (Skt: Kāśyapa)
itself is a brahminical clan name.