"Who is it that salutes these feet of mine?” This is the Frog Devaputta's Vimana in the Great Chariot Chapter.

How did it originate?

The Lord was staying at Campā, on the shore of the Gaggara lotus pond.

He emerged towards dawn from the meditation of the great compassion, the habitual practice of Buddhas, upon which he had been entered, and, surveying the class of those beings capable of being guided, saw that, "Today, when I am teaching Dhamma at evening time, a frog will, as (his mind) seizes upon that sound of mine, die through the attack of another, come into being in the devaloka and then return, whilst the people are still looking on, with a great multitude of devas, whereupon penetration of Dhamma will arise to many”. Having seen this he dressed early in the morning and, taking bowl and robe, entered the city of Campa in search of alms accompanied by a great order of monks. He contrived that the monks gained their almsfood with ease and when he had finished his meal he entered the vihara, indicated the duties as regards the monks and, when the monks had gone to their places for the day(-time meditation), entered his fragrant hut and spent the day-time in the bliss of fruition-attainment8. At evening-time, when the four assemblies had come together, he came out of his entrancingly fragrant hut, entered the pavilion of the Dhamma-hall on the shore of the lotus pond by way of a miracle accordant with the moment and, when seated on the most excellent, adorned seat for the Buddha, began to teach Dhamma with the unthinkable majesty of a Buddha, with the polish of a Buddha that is without comparison, letting forth the sound of Brahman that is endowed with eight factors like a fearless maned lion roaring its lion-roar on the Manosilatala.

Now at that moment a frog came out of the lotus pond and, (his mind) seizing upon that sound with the realisation that it was Dhamma, thought, "This is Dhamma that is being uttered, and settled down on the edge of that assembly.

Then a cowherd who had come to that spot saw the Teacher teaching Dhamma and that assembly hearing Dhamma in the highest quietude; with his mind on that and standing supporting himself with a stick he failed to notice the frog and stood pressing down on its head.

Its heart devoted through that realisation that it was Dhamma, it died straightaway and came into being in a twelve-yojana golden vimana in the realm of the Thirty-three. As though awakening from sleep he saw himself there surrounded by an order of nymphs; deliberating as to from where it was that he had come into being there, he saw his previous birth and, pondering how in the world he had arisen there, how he had acquired such excellence and what deed he could have performed, he saw nothing apart from that seizing upon the sound of the Lord.

He straightaway returned together with his vimāna, descended from his vimāna and, whilst the people were still looking on, approached with a great retinue, with great heavenly majesty, and saluted with his head at the feet of the Lord and then remained bowing holding up an anjali salute.

Then the Lord, quite recognising him but in order to make visible at first hand to the people the fruition of deeds and the majesty of a Buddha,

"Who is it that salutes these feet of mine, blazing with iddhi and fame, lighting up all directions with surpassing complexion?,,

asked:

Who is it (ko): who is it amongst devas, nagas, yakkhas or men and so on, meaning who indeed is it.

Of mine : me=mama (alternative grammatical form).

These feet (padani). at these feet.

With iddhi (iddhiyā): with such iddhi of a deva as this.

With fame (yasasā): with such a retinue and paraphernalia as this.

Blazing(jalaṃ): flashing forth.

Surpassing (abhikkantena): extremely (ativiya) pleasing (kantena), desirable, beautiful.

With complexion (vannena): with complexion of the skin, meaning with sheen of bodily complexion.

Then the devaputta, talking of his previous birth and so on, explained with these verses:

“I was in the past a frog in the water with water for my pasture;

whilst hearing Dhamma via you a cowherd slew me.

Of devotion of heart for a moment behold my iddhi and fame;

and behold my majesty, behold my complexion and brightness.

And those who heard Dhamma via you for a long length of time, Gotama,

they have reached the immovable place where having gone they do not grieve".

Herein: In the past (pure): in my previous birth.

In the water (udake): this indicates the place of his arising at that time.

By means of thisa frog in the water the exclusion of frogs on dry land such as the toad and so on is effected.

A pasture (gocaro) is where cows (gāvo) graze (caranti) since it is like a pasture, this (water) is a pasture, a place where fodder is sought.

Since his pasture is the water (vari=udakam, synonyms) he is 'with water for my pasture’.

It is said distinguishing him as one who has water for his pasture since there are some also living in the water (iidakācari) although not having water for their pasture, such as the tortoise and so on.

Whilst hearing Dhamma via you (tava dhanirnarn sunantassa): whilst hearing Dhamma via you, as you were teaching with the sound of Brahman that is sweet as the call of the Indian cuckoo, by way of (my mind) seizing upon that sound with the thought, uThis is Dhamma that is being uttered1*; and this is to be understood as the genitive case in (the sense of) non-heeding.

A cowherd slew me (avādhi vacchapalako)： a young cowherd who was watching over his cows came near me and, standing supporting himself with a stick,pressed down on my head with his stick and killed me.

Of devotion of heart for a moment (muhuttam cittappasadassa): of devotion of heart, arisen for a mere moment with respect to Dhamma via you, that was its cause. Iddhi (iddhim): success, meaning heavenly glory.

Fame (yasam)：retinue.

Majesty (anubhavam): heavenly majesty such as the ability to assume any form at will and so on.

Brightness (jutim): extraordinary radiance capable of pervading for twelve yojanas.

Those who (ye): those beings who.

The word ca (and) (denotes) something additional.

Via you : te-tava (alternative grammatical form).

For a long length oftime (digham addhanam)\for much time.

Heard : assosum-suninisu (alternative gram matical form).

Gotama (Gotama): he addresses the Lord by way of his gotra.

The immovable place (acalatthdnam): nibbana.

For this is the meaning here: Lord Gotama, those who, unlike rye, not having heard (Dhamma) for a brief time but who, having done meritorious deeds, heard, got to hear, Dhamma via you for a long time, they, these beings, who had been overcome by the plight of samsara for that long time, have reached the grief-free place of tranquillity that is immovable through being eternal where having gone they could not grieve 一 for them there is no impediment as regards its attainment.

Then the Lord, having surveyed the successful attainment of the potential by him and the company assembled there, taught Dhamma in detail.

At the culmination of that Teaching that devaputta was established in the sotapatti-fruit. And penetration of Dhamma arose for eighty-four thousand living beings.

The devaputta saluted the Lord, circumambulated him by the right three times, made the anjali salute to the order of monks and went straight to the devaloka with his retinue.

The Exposition of the Frog-Devaputta's Vimāna is concluded.