[435] Now at that time the Venerable Mahāmoggallāna was seated not far from the Blessed One. Then this thought occurred to the Venerable Mahāmoggallāna: "Did that spirit (yakkha) rejoice in the Blessed One's utterance having understood it, or did he not? Suppose I were to find out about that yakkha — whether he rejoiced in the Blessed One's utterance having understood it, or whether he did not." Then, just as a strong man might extend his bent arm or bend his extended arm, even so the Venerable Mahāmoggallāna vanished from the palace of Migāra's mother in the Eastern Park (Pubbārāma) and appeared among the gods of the Tāvatiṃsa realm.
Now on that occasion Sakka, lord of gods, furnished and endowed with five hundred heavenly musical instruments, was amusing himself in the Ekapuṇḍarīka pleasure-garden. Sakka, lord of gods, saw the Venerable Mahāmoggallāna coming while still far off; and having seen him, he dismissed those five hundred heavenly musical instruments, approached the Venerable Mahāmoggallāna, and having approached, said this to the Venerable Mahāmoggallāna: "Come, dear sir (mārisa) Moggallāna! Welcome, dear sir Moggallāna! It has been long, dear sir Moggallāna, since you made this occasion, that is to say, for coming here. Sit down, dear sir Moggallāna; this seat has been prepared."
The Venerable Mahāmoggallāna sat down on the prepared seat.
And Sakka, lord of gods, taking a certain low seat, sat down to one side.
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.