He put his dwelling in order, took his bowl and robes, and left for Rājagaha, where he eventually arrived. He then transformed himself into a boy wearing a snake as a belt and appeared on Prince Ajātasattu’s lap. When Ajātasattu became fearful and agitated, Devadatta said to him, “Are you afraid of me, prince?” “I am. Who are you?” “I’m Devadatta.” “If you’re Venerable Devadatta, please appear in your own form.” Devadatta abandoned the form of a boy and stood in front of Ajātasattu, wearing his robes and carrying his bowl. By means of this wonder Devadatta was able to inspire Ajātasattu to have confidence in him. Ajātasattu then attended on him morning and evening, with five hundred carriages and a meal offering of five hundred dishes of food. Overcome by material support, honor, and praise, Devadatta started desiring to lead the Sangha of monks. But with the appearance of that thought, his supernormal powers disappeared.

At that time Kakudha the Koḷiyan, the attendant to Venerable Mahāmoggallāna, had recently died and been reborn in a mind-made body. He had acquired a body two or three times the size of the fields of a Magadhan village. Yet he harmed neither himself nor others with that body. Soon afterwards the god Kakudha approached Mahāmoggallāna, bowed down, and told him about Devadatta’s desire and the disappearance of his supernormal powers. He then bowed down, circumambulated Mahāmoggallāna with his right side toward him, and disappeared right there.