[192] "Seven from here, seven from there —
I transmigrate through fourteen;
I recollect the abodes
where I lived before.
"For a long time, venerable sir, I have been free from the states of deprivation (avinipāta), and I am aware of my freedom from the states of deprivation; and moreover the hope remains established in me for the state of a once-returner (sakadāgāmitā)."
"This is marvellous of the venerable yakkha Janavasabha, this is astonishing of the venerable yakkha Janavasabha — that he declared: 'For a long time, venerable sir, I have been free from the states of deprivation, and I am aware of my freedom from the states of deprivation,' and that he declared: 'And moreover the hope remains established in me for the state of a once-returner.' But from what source does the venerable yakkha Janavasabha know his attainment of such a lofty distinction?"
"Not apart from the Blessed One's teaching (sāsana)! Not apart from the Sublime One's (Sugata) teaching! From the day, venerable sir, on which I became wholly devoted to the Blessed One — from that day forward, venerable sir, I have long been free from the states of deprivation, and I am aware of my freedom from the states of deprivation; and moreover the hope remains established in me for the state of a once-returner. Just now, venerable sir, I had been sent by the great king Vessavaṇa into the presence of the great king Virūḷhaka on some business, and along the way I saw the Blessed One, who had entered the Brick House and was seated, having applied attention, directed the mind, and concentrated wholly with the mind upon the Magadhan devotees, thinking: 'I shall know their destination and their future state — what destination those worthies have, what future state.' And it is no wonder, venerable sir, that I received face to face, as the great king Vessavaṇa was speaking to that assembly, the account of what destination those worthies have, what future state. This occurred to me, venerable sir: 'I shall see the Blessed One, and I shall inform the Blessed One of this.' These, venerable sir, are my two reasons for coming to see the Blessed One.
"In days gone by, venerable sir — on that Uposatha day of the fifteenth, on the full-moon night of the entry to the rains (vassūpanāyikā) — the gods of the Thirty-three (Tāvatiṃsa) in their entirety were seated assembled in the Sudhammā Hall; a great celestial assembly was seated all around, and the four great kings were seated at the four quarters: in the eastern quarter the great king Dhataraṭṭha sat facing west, honored before by the gods; in the southern quarter the great king Virūḷhaka sat facing north, honored before by the gods; in the western quarter the great king Virūpakkha sat facing east, honored before by the gods; in the northern quarter the great king Vessavaṇa sat facing south, honored before by the gods. When, venerable sir, the gods of the Thirty-three in their entirety are seated assembled in the Sudhammā Hall, and a great celestial assembly is seated all around, and the four great kings are seated at the four quarters — such is their arrangement of seats; and afterwards comes our seat. Those gods, venerable sir, who, having lived the holy life (brahmacariya) under the Blessed One, have recently been reborn in the company of the Thirty-three outshine the other gods in both beauty and glory. At that, venerable sir, the gods of the Thirty-three were delighted, gladdened, filled with rapture (pīti) and joy: 'Indeed, sirs, the divine hosts wax full; the asura hosts wane!' Then, venerable sir, Sakka, lord of gods, having known the satisfaction of the gods of the Thirty-three, rejoiced with these verses:"
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.