1. Naḷavagga

Saṁyutta Nikāya 1.1

Linked Discourses 1.1

1. Naḷavagga

1. A Reed

Oghataraṇasutta

Crossing the Flood

Evaṁ me sutaṁ—

So I have heard.

ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme.

At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s Monastery.

Atha kho aññatarā devatā abhikkantāya rattiyā abhikkantavaṇṇā kevalakappaṁ jetavanaṁ obhāsetvā yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ aṭṭhāsi. Ekamantaṁ ṭhitā kho sā devatā bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:

Then, late at night, a glorious deity, lighting up the entire Jeta’s Grove, went up to the Buddha, bowed, stood to one side, and said to him,

“kathaṁ nu tvaṁ, mārisa, oghamatarī”ti?

“Good fellow, how did you cross the flood?”

“Appatiṭṭhaṁ khvāhaṁ, āvuso, anāyūhaṁ oghamatarin”ti.

“Neither standing nor swimming, respectable sir, I crossed the flood.”

“Yathākathaṁ pana tvaṁ, mārisa, appatiṭṭhaṁ anāyūhaṁ oghamatarī”ti?

“But in what way did you cross the flood neither standing nor swimming?”

“Yadāsvāhaṁ, āvuso, santiṭṭhāmi tadāssu saṁsīdāmi;

“When I stood, I sank under.

yadāsvāhaṁ, āvuso, āyūhāmi tadāssu nibbuyhāmi.

When I swam, I was swept away.

Evaṁ khvāhaṁ, āvuso, appatiṭṭhaṁ anāyūhaṁ oghamatarin”ti.

That’s how I crossed the flood neither standing nor swimming.”

“Cirassaṁ vata passāmi,

“After a long time I see

brāhmaṇaṁ parinibbutaṁ;

a brahmin fully quenched.

Appatiṭṭhaṁ anāyūhaṁ,

Neither standing nor swimming,

tiṇṇaṁ loke visattikan”ti.

he’s crossed over clinging to the world.”

Idamavoca sā devatā.

This is what that deity said,

Samanuñño satthā ahosi.

and the teacher approved.

Atha kho sā devatā:

“samanuñño me satthā”ti bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā padakkhiṇaṁ katvā tatthevantaradhāyīti.

Then that deity, knowing that the teacher approved, bowed and respectfully circled the Buddha, keeping him on his right, before vanishing right there.