This Venerable One’s name means “left-over habits,” referring to habits of many ages and many lifetimes which he had not gotten rid of. Once, he wished to cross the river; because he had certified to the fruit of Arhatship and had spiritual penetrations, he could demand that the river spirit stop the current so he could walk across. To the river spirit, who was a woman, he said, “Little Slave, stop the current.”
Because he was an Arhat, the river spirit had to comply. Although she dared not say anything, she was extremely displeased. This happened repeatedly until finally the river spirit complained to the Buddha. “Your disciple Pilindavatsa,” she said, “hasn’t the least bit of respect for me. He came to the river and said, ‘Little Slave, stop the current!’ He’s entirely too rude.”
The Buddha said, “When he returns I’ll have him apologize to you.” When Pilindavatsa arrived, the Buddha said, “When you were crossing the Ganges why did you say, ‘Little Slave, stop the current?’ You really shouldn’t have done that. Now, you had better hurry up and apologize to her.”
Pilindavatsa immediately went to the river spirit with his palms joined and laughingly said, “Little Slave, don’t take offense.” He had been instructed to apologize for having called her ‘Little Slave’, but in apologizing he also addressed her that way! Needless to say, she was furious.
“See that!” she said. “He stands right here in front of the Buddha and calls me Little Slave again!”
“You didn’t know this,” said the Buddha, “but five hundred lifetimes ago, you were Pilindavatsa’s servant and at that time he called you Little Slave when he gave you orders. Although you are now a river spirit, his habits have not changed and because of your previous master-servant relationship, he still calls you Little Slave.”
Hearing the Buddha’s words, the river spirit knew there was nothing she could do. Because of such heavy habits from the past, he was called “left-over habits”, Pilindavatsa.