Mahavagga - Sixth Khandhaka: Chapter 20

1. Nov the Blessed One having remained at Râgagaha as long as he thought fit,
proceeded on his way to Sâvatthi. And wandering straight on from place to place
he arrived at Sâvatthi. And there, at Sâvatthi, the Blessed One stayed at the
Getavana, Anâtha-pindika's Grove.
Now at that time the venerable Sâriputta suffered from fever. And the venerable
Mahâ Moggallâna went to the place where the venerable Sâriputta was; and when he
had come there he said to the venerable Sâriputta:
You have lately had fever, friend Sâriputta. By what means has it got well?'
'By lotus stalks, my friend, of various kinds.'
Then the venerable Mahâ Moggallâna, as quickly as a strong man would stretch
forth his arm, or draw it in again when it had been stretched forth, vanished
from the Getavana and appeared on the bank of the Mandâkinî lake.
2. And a certain Nâga saw the venerable Mahâ
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[paragraph continues] Moggallâna coming from afar: and on seeing him he said to
the venerable Mahâ Moggallâna:
'May my lord, the venerable Mahâ Moggallâna, approach. Welcome to my lord, the
venerable Mahâ Moggallâna. What may my lord have need of? What shall I give to
him?'
'I want the edible stalks of the various lotuses.'
Then that Nâga gave command to another Nâga, saying, 'Very well then, good
friend, give the venerable one edible stalks of the lotuses.'
And that Nâga plunged into the Mandâkinî lake, and plucked with his trunk edible
stalks of the lotuses, and washed them thoroughly, and bound them in a bundle,
and went to the place where the venerable Mahâ Moggallâna was.
3. Then the venerable Mahâ Moggallâna as quickly (&c., as in § 1) vanished from
the bank of the Mandâkinî lake, and appeared in Getavana. Then that Nâga also
vanished from the bank of the Mandâkinî lake, and appeared in the Getavana. And
when that Nâga had caused the venerable Mahâ Moggallâna to receive those edible
stalks of the lotuses he vanished from the Getavana, and appeared on the shore
of the Mandâkinî lake.
Then the venerable Mahâ Moggallâna presented those edible stalks of the lotuses
to the venerable Sâriputta. And the fever abated on the venerable Sâriputta when
he had eaten the edible stalks of the lotuses. And many of them remained over.
4. Now at that time, during the scarcity (&c., as above, in chap. 18. 4, down
to:) did not accept the invitation.
'Accept it, O Bhikkhus, and eat. I allow a Bhikkhu who has eaten, and has
refused food still
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offered, to eat things growing in woods and ponds even if they are not the
leavings of the meal of one who has eaten 1.'



Footnotes
78:1 See the note above, on VI, 18, 4.