The Discourse about Moonlight

ekaṁ samayaṁ Bhagavā Rājagahe viharati,
at one time the Fortunate One was dwelling near Rājagaha,

Veḷuvane Kalandakanivāpe.
in Bamboo Wood, at the Squirrels’ Feeding Place.

āyasmā ca Sāriputto āyasmā ca Mahāmoggallāno
venerable Sāriputta and venerable Mahāmoggallāna

Tena kho pana samayena āyasmā Sāriputto, juṇhāya rattiyā,
Then at that time venerable Sāriputta, on a moonlight night,

navoropitehi kesehi, abbhokāse nisinno hoti,
with his hair freshly shaved off, was sitting in the open air,

aññataraṁ samādhiṁ samāpajjitvā.
having attained a certain concentration.

Tena kho pana samayena dve yakkhā sahāyakā
Then at that time two yakkha friends

Uttarāya disāya Dakkhiṇaṁ disaṁ gacchanti,
were going from the Northern region to the Southern region,

Addasaṁsu kho te yakkhā āyasmantaṁ Sāriputtaṁ, juṇhāya rattiyā,
Those yakkhas saw venerable Sāriputta, on (that) moonlight night,

navoropitehi kesehi, abbhokāse nisinnaṁ.
with his hair freshly shaved off, sat in the open air.

Disvāna, eko yakkho dutiyaṁ yakkhaṁ etad-avoca:
And after seeing (him), one of those yakkhas said this to the second yakkha:

“Paṭibhāti maṁ The Commentary explains maṁ as having the meaning of a genitive, as it is governed by the upasagga (prefix) paṭi - here. samma imassa samaṇassa sīse pahāraṁ dātun”-ti.
“It occurs to me, friend, to give a blow on this ascetic’s head.”

Evaṁ vutte, so yakkho taṁ yakkhaṁ etad-avoca:
When that was said, that yakkha said this to the (other) yakkha:

“Alaṁ samma mā samaṇaṁ āsādesi.
“Enough, friend, don't strike the ascetic.

Uḷāro so samma samaṇo mahiddhiko mahānubhāvo” ti.
Eminent is the ascetic, friend, of great power, of great majesty.”

Dutiyam-pi kho so yakkho taṁ yakkhaṁ etad-avoca:
For a second time that yakkha said this to the (other) yakkha:

“Paṭibhāti maṁ samma imassa samaṇassa sīse pahāraṁ dātun”-ti.
“It occurs to me, friend, to give a blow on this ascetic’s head.”

Dutiyam-pi kho so yakkho taṁ yakkhaṁ etad-avoca:
For a second time that yakkha said this to the (other) yakkha:

“Alaṁ samma mā samaṇaṁ āsādesi.
“Enough, friend, don't strike the ascetic.

Uḷāro so samma samaṇo mahiddhiko mahānubhāvo” ti.
Eminent is the ascetic, friend, of great power, of great majesty.”

Tatiyam-pi kho so yakkho taṁ yakkhaṁ etad-avoca:
For a third time that yakkha said this to the (other) yakkha:

“Paṭibhāti maṁ samma imassa samaṇassa sīse pahāraṁ dātun”-ti.
“It occurs to me, friend, to give a blow on this ascetic’s head.”

Tatiyam-pi kho so yakkho taṁ yakkhaṁ etad-avoca:
For a third time that yakkha said this to the (other) yakkha:

“Alaṁ samma mā samaṇaṁ āsādesi.
“Enough, friend, don't strike the ascetic.

Uḷāro so samma samaṇo mahiddhiko mahānubhāvo” ti.
Eminent is the ascetic, friend, of great power, of great majesty.”

Atha kho so yakkho taṁ yakkhaṁ anādiyitvā,
Then the yakkha taking no notice of that (other) yakkha,

āyasmato Sāriputtattherassa sīse pahāraṁ adāsi:
gave a blow on the elder venerable Sāriputta’s head:

tāva mahāpahāro ahosi api tena pahārena
it was such a great blow that with that blow

sattaratanaṁ vā aḍḍhaṭṭharatanaṁ A ratana is defined in Abhidhānappadīpaka as being 12 aṅgulāni (finger-breadths, or commonly, inches), but that would make the elephant only 7 feet or 7 feet 6 inches tall, which may be smaller than intended by the text. vā Nāgaṁ osādeyya,
a seven, or seven and a half cubit Nāga (elephant) might have been felled,

mahantaṁ vā pabbatakūṭaṁ padāḷeyya.
or a great mountain top might have been burst open.

Atha ca pana so yakkho: “Ḍayhāmi, ḍayhāmī” ti,
Then that yakkha (calling out): “I'm burning, I'm burning”

tattheva Mahānirayaṁ apatāsi. So ChS. BJT reads avaṭṭhāsi, which is aorist to avatiṭṭhati (PED: to abide, linger, stand still), but that hardly allows the right meaning in the context. The Commentary appears to be reading apatāsi.
right there (and then) fell into the Great Hell.

dibbena cakkhunā, visuddhena atikkantamānusakena,
with his divine-eye, which is purified, and surpasses that of (normal) men,

tena yakkhena āyasmato Sāriputtassa sīse pahāraṁ dīyamānaṁ.
that yakkha giving a blow on venerable Sāriputta’s head.

Disvāna, yenāyasmā Sāriputto tenupasaṅkami,
And after seeing (it), he went to venerable Sāriputtā,

upasaṅkamitvā, āyasmantaṁ Sāriputtaṁ etad-avoca:
and after going, he said this to venerable Sāriputta:

“Kacci te āvuso khamanīyaṁ? Kacci yāpanīyaṁ?
“Can you bear up, venerable friend? Can you carry on?

“Khamanīyaṁ me āvuso Moggallāna; yāpanīyaṁ me āvuso Moggallāna,
“I can bear up, friend Moggallāna; I can carry on, friend Moggallāna,

api ca me sīse thokaṁ dukkhan”-ti.
but I have a little pain on my head.”

“Acchariyaṁ āvuso Sāriputta, abbhutaṁ āvuso Sāriputta,
“Wonderful, friend Sāriputta, marvellous, friend Sāriputta,

yāva mahiddhiko āyasmā Sāriputto mahānubhāvo.
such is the venerable Sāriputta’s great power and great majesty.

Idha te āvuso Sāriputta aññataro yakkho sīse pahāraṁ adāsi:
Here, friend Sāriputta, a certain yakkha gave a blow on your head:

tāva mahāpahāro ahosi, api tena pahārena
it was such a great blow, that with that blow

sattaratanaṁ vā aḍḍhaṭṭharatanaṁ vā Nāgaṁ osādeyya,
a seven, or seven and a half cubit Nāga (elephant) might have been felled,

mahantaṁ vā pabbatakūṭaṁ padāḷeyya.
or a great mountain top might have been burst open.

Atha ca panāyasmā Sāriputto evam-āha:
But then venerable Sāriputta said this:

‘Khamanīyaṁ me āvuso Moggallāna; yāpanīyaṁ me āvuso Moggallāna,
‘I can bear up, friend Moggallāna; I can carry on, friend Moggallāna,

api ca me sīse thokaṁ dukkhan' ”-ti.
but I have a little pain on my head.’ ”

“Acchariyaṁ āvuso Moggallāna, abbhutaṁ āvuso Moggallāna,
“Wonderful, friend Moggallāna, marvellous, friend Moggallāna,

yāva mahiddhiko āyasmā Mahāmoggallāno mahānubhāvo,
such is the venerable Mahāmoggallāna’s great power and great majesty,

yatra hi nāma yakkham-pi passissati,
in as much as he can even see a yakkha,

mayaṁ panetarahi paṁsupisācakam-pi na passāmā!” ti.
whereas we at present do not even see a mud-demon!”

Assosi kho Bhagavā dibbāya sotadhātuyā,
The Fortunate One heard with his divine ear-element,

visuddhāya atikkantamānusikāya,
which is purified, and surpasses that of (normal) men,

tesaṁ ubhinnaṁ Mahānāgānaṁ imaṁ evarūpaṁ kathāsallāpaṁ.
the fitting talk and conversation of these two Great Nāgas.

Atha kho Bhagavā, etam-atthaṁ viditvā,
Then the Fortunate One, having understood the significance of it

tāyaṁ velāyaṁ imaṁ udānaṁ udānesi:
on that occasion uttered this exalted utterance:

“Yassa selūpamaṁ cittaṁ, ~ ṭhitaṁ nānupakampati,
“For he whose mind is like a rock, ~ steady, and not wavering,

Virattaṁ rajanīyesu, ~ kopaneyye na kuppati,
Unexcited by what is exciting, ~ not agitated by what is agitating,

Yassevaṁ bhāvitaṁ cittaṁ ~ kuto taṁ dukkham-essatī?” ti
For he whose mind is developed thus ~ from where will pain come upon him?”