5:17 Epilogue

This is what the Blessed One said while dwelling among the Magadhans at the Pāsāṇaka Cetiya. When entreated by the sixteen attendant brahmins and questioned by each, he answered their questions. If one understands the meaning and the teaching in each of these [sections of] questions, and practices in accordance with the Dhamma, one would go beyond old age and death. Since these teachings lead beyond, this exposition of the Dhamma is designated the Pārāyana, “The Way to the Beyond.”

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1124Ajita, Tissa Metteyya,
Puṇṇaka, and Mettagū,
Dhotaka and Upasīva,
Nanda and also Hemaka; (1) [219]

1125Todeyya and Kappa,
and the wise Jatukaṇṇī,
Bhadrāvudho and Udaya,
and the brahmin Posāla,
the intelligent Mogharājā,
and the great rishi Piṅgiya: (2)

1126they approached the Buddha,
the rishi of excellent conduct;
asking subtle questions,
they came to the supreme Buddha. (3)

1127When asked questions by them,
the Buddha answered in accordance with truth.
With his answers to their questions,
the muni satisfied the brahmins. (4)

1128Satisfied by the One with Vision,
by the Buddha, Kinsman of the Sun,
they lived the spiritual life
under the one with excellent wisdom. (5)

1129If one would practice in the way
they were taught by the Buddha
in response to each of their questions,
one would go from the near shore to the beyond. (6)

1130Developing the supreme path,
one would go from the near shore to the beyond.
That path is for going to the beyond;
therefore it is called “the Way to the Beyond.” (7)

Verses Recited about the Way to the BeyondIn Be and Ce this section is titled Pārāyanānugītigāthā. Ee does not give it a title.

(Said the Venerable Piṅgiya)

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1131“I will recite the Way to the Beyond,
As he saw it, just so he expounded it,
the stainless one, the one of broad intelligence.
For what reason would the nāga,Reading with Be and Ce nāgo, as against Ee nātho. Nāgo is confirmed by the gloss in Niddesa.
desireless, disentangled, speak falsely? (8) [220]

1132“Come now, let me explain
the beautiful utterance of the one
who has abandoned stains and delusion,
who has abandoned conceit and denigration. (9)

1133“The dispeller of darkness, the Buddha, the universal eye,
who has gone to the world’s end, transcended all existences,
the one without influxes, who has abandoned all suffering,
who is truly named, O brahmin, he is served by me. (10)

1134“As a bird that has left behind a small woods
might settle upon a forest abounding in fruit,
just so, having left those of little vision,
I am like a goose that has arrived at a great lake. (11)

1135“Those who in the past explained things to me,
before [my meeting with] Gotama’s teaching,
saying, ‘Such it was, such it will be,’
all that was hearsay,
all was an increase of thought.As at verse 1084. (12)

1136“The dispeller of darkness seated alone,
the brilliant one,Reading with Be and Ce jutimā. the maker of light,
Gotama of broad wisdom,
Gotama of broad intelligence — (13) [221]

1137“he is the one who taught me the Dhamma,
directly visible, immediate,
the destruction of craving, without adversity,
for which there is no simile anywhere.” (14)

1138“Why do you dwell apart from him
even for a moment, O Piṅgiya,
from Gotama of broad wisdom,
from Gotama of broad intelligence, (15)

1139“the one who taught you the Dhamma,
directly visible, immediate,
the destruction of craving, without adversity,
for which there is no simile anywhere?” (16)

1140“I do not dwell apart from him
even for a moment, O brahmin,
from Gotama of broad wisdom,
from Gotama of broad intelligence, (17)

1141“the one who taught me the Dhamma,
directly visible, immediate,
the destruction of craving, without adversity,
for which there is no simile anywhere. (18)

1142“Heedful, O brahmin, night and day,
I see him with my mind as if with my eyes.
I pass the night paying homage to him;
hence I do not think I am apart from him. (19)

1143“My faith and rapture, mind and mindfulness,
do not depart from Gotama’s teaching.
To whatever direction the one of broad wisdom goes,
I pay homage to him in that same direction. (20) [222]

1144“Since I am old and feeble,
my body does not travel there,
but I go constantly on a journey of thought,
for my mind, brahmin, is united with him. (21)

1145“As I lay trembling in the mud,
I floated from island to island.
Then I saw the Enlightened One,
influx-free, who had crossed the flood.” (22)

[The Buddha]

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1146“As Vakkali had sent forth faith,
and Bhadrāvudha and Āḷavi Gotama,
just so you too must send forth faith:
then, Piṅgiya, you will go
beyond the realm of death.” (23)

[Piṅgiya]

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1147“I am pleased even more,
having heard the word of the muni.
The Enlightened One, with coverings removed,
is not barren, gifted with ingenuity. (24)

1148“Having directly known about the devas,
he understood everything, high and low.
The Teacher is the end-maker of questions
for those in doubt who acknowledge this. (25) [223]

1149“The immovable, the unshakable,
has no simile anywhere.
Surely I will go there; I have no doubt about this.
Thus remember me as one with mind resolved.” (26)

The Suttanipāta is completed.

Pārāyanatthutigāthā

Idamavoca bhagavā magadhesu viharanto pāsāṇake cetiye, paricārakasoḷasānaṁ brāhmaṇānaṁ ajjhiṭṭho puṭṭho puṭṭho pañhaṁ byākāsi. Ekamekassa cepi pañhassa atthamaññāya dhammamaññāya dhammānudhammaṁ paṭipajjeyya, gaccheyyeva jarāmaraṇassa pāraṁ. Pāraṅgamanīyā ime dhammāti, tasmā imassa dhammapariyāyassa pārāyananteva adhivacanaṁ.

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1124Ajito tissametteyyo,
puṇṇako atha mettagū;
Dhotako upasīvo ca,
nando ca atha hemako.

1125Todeyya-kappā dubhayo,
jatukaṇṇī ca paṇḍito;
Bhadrāvudho udayo ca,
posālo cāpi brāhmaṇo;
Mogharājā ca medhāvī,
piṅgiyo ca mahāisi.

1126Ete buddhaṁ upāgacchuṁ,
sampannacaraṇaṁ isiṁ;
Pucchantā nipuṇe pañhe,
buddhaseṭṭhaṁ upāgamuṁ.

1127Tesaṁ buddho pabyākāsi,
pañhe puṭṭho yathātathaṁ;
Pañhānaṁ veyyākaraṇena,
tosesi brāhmaṇe muni.

1128Te tositā cakkhumatā,
buddhenādiccabandhunā;
Brahmacariyamacariṁsu,
varapaññassa santike.

1129Ekamekassa pañhassa,
yathā buddhena desitaṁ;
Tathā yo paṭipajjeyya,
gacche pāraṁ apārato.

1130Apārā pāraṁ gaccheyya,
bhāvento maggamuttamaṁ;
Maggo so pāraṁ gamanāya,
tasmā pārāyanaṁ iti.

Pārāyanānugītigāthā

(iccāyasmā piṅgiyo):

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1131 "Pārāyanamanugāyissaṁ,
Yathāddakkhi tathākkhāsi;
Vimalo bhūrimedhaso,
Nikkāmo nibbano nāgo;
Kissa hetu musā bhaṇe.

1132Pahīnamalamohassa,
mānamakkhappahāyino;
Handāhaṁ kittayissāmi,
giraṁ vaṇṇūpasañhitaṁ.

1133Tamonudo buddho samantacakkhu,
Lokantagū sabbabhavātivatto;
Anāsavo sabbadukkhappahīno,
Saccavhayo brahme upāsito me.

1134Dijo yathā kubbanakaṁ pahāya,
Bahupphalaṁ kānanamāvaseyya;
Evampahaṁ appadasse pahāya,
Mahodadhiṁ haṁsoriva ajjhapatto.

1135Ye me pubbe viyākaṁsu,
Huraṁ gotamasāsanā;
Iccāsi iti bhavissati,
Sabbaṁ taṁ itihītihaṁ;
Sabbaṁ taṁ takkavaḍḍhanaṁ.

1136Eko tamanudāsino,
jutimā so pabhaṅkaro;
Gotamo bhūripaññāṇo,
gotamo bhūrimedhaso.

1137Yo me dhammamadesesi,
Sandiṭṭhikamakālikaṁ;
Taṇhakkhayamanītikaṁ,
Yassa natthi upamā kvaci".

1138"Kiṁ nu tamhā vippavasasi,
muhuttamapi piṅgiya;
Gotamā bhūripaññāṇā,
gotamā bhūrimedhasā.

1139Yo te dhammamadesesi,
Sandiṭṭhikamakālikaṁ;
Taṇhakkhayamanītikaṁ,
Yassa natthi upamā kvaci".

1140"Nāhaṁ tamhā vippavasāmi,
Muhuttamapi brāhmaṇa;
Gotamā bhūripaññāṇā,
Gotamā bhūrimedhasā.

1141Yo me dhammamadesesi,
Sandiṭṭhikamakālikaṁ;
Taṇhakkhayamanītikaṁ,
Yassa natthi upamā kvaci.

1142Passāmi naṁ manasā cakkhunāva,
Rattindivaṁ brāhmaṇa appamatto;
Namassamāno vivasemi rattiṁ,
Teneva maññāmi avippavāsaṁ.

1143Saddhā ca pīti ca mano sati ca,
Nāpentime gotamasāsanamhā;
Yaṁ yaṁ disaṁ vajati bhūripañño,
Sa tena teneva natohamasmi.

1144Jiṇṇassa me dubbalathāmakassa,
Teneva kāyo na paleti tattha;
Saṅkappayantāya vajāmi niccaṁ,
Mano hi me brāhmaṇa tena yutto.

1145Paṅke sayāno pariphandamāno,
Dīpā dīpaṁ upaplaviṁ;
Athaddasāsiṁ sambuddhaṁ,
Oghatiṇṇamanāsavaṁ".

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1146"Yathā ahū vakkali muttasaddho,
Bhadrāvudho āḷavigotamo ca;
Evamevaṁ tvampi pamuñcassu saddhaṁ,
Gamissasi tvaṁ piṅgiya maccudheyyassa pāraṁ".

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1147"Esa bhiyyo pasīdāmi,
Sutvāna munino vaco;
Vivaṭṭacchado sambuddho,
Akhilo paṭibhānavā.

1148Adhideve abhiññāya,
Sabbaṁ vedi varovaraṁ;
Pañhānantakaro satthā,
Kaṅkhīnaṁ paṭijānataṁ.

1149Asaṁhīraṁ asaṅkuppaṁ,
Yassa natthi upamā kvaci;
Addhā gamissāmi na mettha kaṅkhā,
Evaṁ maṁ dhārehi adhimuttacittan"ti.

Pārāyanavaggo pañcamo.