Mahākhandhako The Great Chapter - Ancient Buddhist Texts

IV. In Rājagaha - 169
tehi katikā katā hoti:
and there was an agreement amongst themselves:
“Yo paṭhamaṁ Amataṁ adhigacchati, so itarassa ārocetū.” ti
“Whoever attains the Deathless first, he should inform the other.” 209
Atha kho āyasmā Assaji, pubbaṇhasamayaṁ nivāsetvā,
Then the venerable Assaji, having dressed in the morning time,
pattacīvaram-ādāya Rājagahaṁ piṇḍāya pāvisi,
after taking up his bowl and robe, entered Rājagaha for alms,
pāsādikena abhikkantena paṭikkantena, ālokitena vilokitena,
pleasing in going forwards, in going back, in looking ahead, in looking around,
sammiñjitena pasāritena, okkhittacakkhu iriyāpathasampanno.
in bending, in stretching, having downcast eyes, and endowed with good posture.
Addasā kho Sāriputto paribbājako
The wanderer Sāriputta saw
āyasmantaṁ Assajiṁ Rājagahe piṇḍāya carantaṁ,
the venerable Assaji walking for alms in Rājagaha,
pāsādikena abhikkantena paṭikkantena, ālokitena vilokitena,
pleasing in going forwards, in going back, in looking ahead, in looking around,
sammiñjitena pasāritena, okkhittacakkhuṁ iriyāpathasampannaṁ,
in bending, in stretching, having downcast eyes, and endowed with good posture,
disvānassa etad-ahosi:
and having seen (him), this occurred to him:
“Ye vata loke Arahanto vā Arahattamaggaṁ vā samāpannā
“Of those in the world who are Worthy or have entered the path to Worthiness
ayaṁ tesaṁ bhikkhu aññataro.
this monk is a certain one of them.
Yan-nūnāhaṁ imaṁ bhikkhuṁ upasaṅkamitvā puccheyyaṁ:
Now what if I, having approached this monk, were to ask:
209 The comm. explains that seeking the Deathless the two friends had joined Sañjaya’s
Wanderers, but soon realised that the essence (sāra = Nibbāna) was not to be found there, so
they made the above pact.