Search Our Translations

The young nāga thought, “What suffering could be worse than my present suffering? I shall take refuge and adopt the precepts in the presence of the Blessed One.”As the new monk’s preceptor was a hermit living in the forest, the monk took the nāga disguised as a brahmin to see him and said, “Preceptor, as this noble son wants to go forth, I ask that you allow him to go forth.”The nāga disguised as a brahmin thought, “I cannot live on the things humans eat; I had better return to the land of nāgas, where I can imbibe ambrosia, and return once I’ve eaten.” Understanding well what such words meant, the nāga hastily transformed, cloaking his natural appearance and reverting to his conjured look. Monks gathered around and asked him, “What is the matter?”

The nāga would drink the ambrosia of the gods in the land of nāgas and then return. As nāgas require a lot of sleep, he would soon fall into slumber. The monk would return later from his alms round as the nāga was rising from his nap.

The Blessed One said to the nāga, “My dear sir, with this body of yours you cannot attain any of a host of qualities, so leave and do no harm to the monks.”

A short time later, a small task came up, prompting King Bimbisāra to say to Prince Ajātaśatru, “Son, go and join in the festivities for the nāga kings Giri and Valguka.”

Some time later, in Rājagṛha, the feast day of the nāga kings Giri and Valguka approached. As the day neared, King Bimbisāra wondered whether he should join in the festivities himself, as was his wont, or send Prince Ajātaśatru in his stead.