Mahavagga, Khandaka 6, Chapter 20

1. Nov the Blessed One having remained at Rājagaha as long as he thought fit, proceeded on his way to Sāvatthi. And wandering straight on from place to place he arrived at Sāvatthi. And there, at Sāvatthi, the Blessed One stayed at the Jetavana, Anātha-piṇḍika's Grove.

Now at that time the venerable Sāriputta suffered from fever. And the venerable Mahā Moggallāna went to the place where the venerable Sāriputta was; and when he had come there he said to the venerable Sāriputta:

You have lately had fever, friend Sāriputta. By what means has it got well?'

'By lotus stalks, my friend, of various kinds.'

Then the venerable Mahā Moggallāna, 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 Jetavana and appeared on the bank of the Mandākinī lake.

2. And a certain Nāga saw the venerable Mahā

Moggallāna coming from afar: and on seeing him he said to the venerable Mahā Moggallāna:

'May my lord, the venerable Mahā Moggallāna, approach. Welcome to my lord, the venerable Mahā Moggallāna. What may my lord have need of? What shall I give to him?'

'I want the edible stalks of the various lotuses.'

Then that Nāga gave command to another Nāga, saying, 'Very well then, good friend, give the venerable one edible stalks of the lotuses.'

And that Nāga plunged into the Mandākinī 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 Mahā Moggallāna was.

3. Then the venerable Mahā Moggallāna as quickly (&c., as in § 1) vanished from the bank of the Mandākinī lake, and appeared in Jetavana. Then that Nāga also vanished from the bank of the Mandākinī lake, and appeared in the Jetavana. And when that Nāga had caused the venerable Mahā Moggallāna to receive those edible stalks of the lotuses he vanished from the Jetavana, and appeared on the shore of the Mandākinī lake.

Then the venerable Mahā Moggallāna presented those edible stalks of the lotuses to the venerable Sāriputta. And the fever abated on the venerable Sāriputta 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 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 and references:

[1]:

See the note above, on VI, 18, 4.