Mahakhandhako, The Great Chapter sections 1-4

II. Progress of the Sāsana - 103
dukkhī dummano tatthevantaradhāyi.
and pained, depressed, he vanished right there.
Dutiya-Mārakathā Niṭṭhitā
The Second Story about Māra is Finished
Bhaddavaggiyasahāyakānaṁ Vatthu
20: The Tale of the Good Group of Friends
Atha kho Bhagavā Bārāṇasiyaṁ yathābhirantaṁ viharitvā,
Then the Gracious One, having dwelt in Bārāṇasī as long as he liked,
yena Uruvelā tena cārikaṁ pakkāmi.
left on a walking tour for Uruvelā. 155
Atha kho Bhagavā maggā okkamma,
Then the Gracious One, having gone down from the road,
yena aññataro vanasaṇḍo tenupasaṅkami,
approached a certain jungle thicket, 156
upasaṅkamitvā taṁ vanasaṇḍaṁ ajjhogāhetvā,
and after approaching and entering that jungle thicket,
aññatarasmiṁ rukkhamūle nisīdi.
he sat down at the root of a certain tree.
Tena kho pana samayena tiṁsamattā bhaddavaggiyā sahāyakā sapajāpatikā,
Then at that time a group of thirty good friends, 157 together with their wives, 158
tasmiṁ vanasaṇḍe paricārenti.
were amusing themselves in that jungle thicket.
Ekassa pajāpati nāhosi, tassa atthāya vesī ānītā ahosi.
One, who was not married, 159 had for that reason brought along a harlot. 160
155 This is where he had attained Awakening before coming to Bārāṇasī and Isipatana. It is
strange indeed that the Buddha seems to have made this journey alone.
156 Named as Kappāsiya in Jā Nid.
157 At the beginning of the commentary to the Kaṭhinakkhandhaka they are said to have been
30 brothers having the Kosalan king as father (kosalarañño ekapitukabhātūnaṁ).
158 In Mahāvastu this group are all said to be batchelors and they only bring along one harlot,
who is named as Upārdha Kasikā, which indicates that she was from a farming background.
159 Lit: not a husband.
160 Literally vesī means a woman belonging to the third caste, but the word had come to mean
a prostitute or a harlot. If Mahāvastu is correct about the name, then she would actually
belong to the sudda caste.