Flower Adornment Elder Asks Buddha About Narayana's Strength Sutra

Translation by Tripitaka Master Prajñā and Liyan of Jibin Kingdom

This is what I heard:

Once, the Bhagavan was in the city of Śrāvastī, in the Jeta Grove of Anāthapiṇḍada's Garden. At that time, the elder Mahāvyūha rose from his seat, adjusted his robes, knelt respectfully with palms together, and addressed the Buddha, saying: "Venerable World-Honored One! What reward does one receive for giving food and drink to all sentient beings?"

At that time, the Blessed One said to the elder: "Those who offer food will gain the power of the Tathagata."

The Buddha said to the elder, "Yes, good man! It is not something that can be explained with just a few words." He then told the elder, "The strength of ten ordinary oxen equals that of one humped ox; the strength of ten humped oxen equals that of one rhinoceros; the strength of ten rhinoceroses equals that of one ordinary elephant; the strength of ten ordinary elephants equals that of one *śarabha*(a creature shaped like a deer, with a face like a rhinoceros, having eight legs—four on its back and four on the ground. When its lower legs tire, it flips over to rest, letting the upper legs walk on the ground. It has the strength to carry an elephant.); the strength of ten *śarabha* equals that of one war elephant; the strength of ten war elephants equals that of one intoxicated elephant; the strength of ten intoxicated elephants equals that of one wild elephant; the strength of ten wild elephants equals that of one *karinuka* elephant; the strength of ten *karinuka* elephants equals that of one *kumuda* flower elephant; the strength of ten *kumuda* flower elephants equals that of one *utpala* flower elephant; the strength of ten *utpala* flower elephants equals that of one *nilotpala* elephant; the strength of ten *nilotpala* elephants equals that of one great fragrant elephant; the strength of ten great fragrant elephants equals that of one five-colored lion king; the strength of ten lion kings equals that of one human champion; the strength of ten human champions equals that of one *Nakula*; the strength of ten *Nakula* equals that of one *Aśvina*; the strength of ten *Aśvina* equals that of one *Vimāsina*; the strength of ten *Vimāsina* equals that of one *Nārāyaṇa*. Six hundred and sixty-three *Nārāyaṇa* strengths equal the strength of a single pore of the Buddha, the World-Honored One. Each of his eighty-four thousand pores possesses such *Nārāyaṇa* strength, and the combined strength of all eighty-four thousand pores equals the strength of a single joint of the Bhagavān."