[8. Piṇḍola-Bhāradvāja]
The Victor Padumuttara
the Self-Become One, Best Person,
did dwell in CChittakūṭa1 then,
in front of the Himalayas. (1) [620]
I was [then] the king of beasts there,
fearlessly going on all fours.
Hearing the voice of that [Buddha]
many folks were assembling [then]. (2) [621]
Picking up a blooming lotus
I approached [him], the Bull of Men,
[and] gave it to the Buddha when
he’d risen from meditation. (3) [622]
I worshipped from four directions
the Best Buddha, Ultimate Man
and bringing pleasure to [my] heart
I [then] roared out2 a lion’s roar. (4) [623]
Padumuttara, World-Knower,
Sacrificial Recipient,
sitting down on his own seat then
uttered these verses [about me]: (5) [624]
Knowing that Buddha would speak,3 the
gods all came together, [thinking],
“the Best One, [the Buddha] has come;
let us listen to his Teaching.” (6) [625]
The World-Chief, the Far-Seeing One,
the Great Sage [Buddha] then explained
the [meaning] of my roar before
[those gods] overcome with laughter. (7) [626]
“I shall relate details of him
who gave [me] this lotus flower
and who has roared a lion’s roar;
[all of] you listen to my words: (8) [627]
Eight aeons in the future he
will be a wheel-turning monarch,
possessor of the seven gems,
a lord of the four continents. (9) [628]
He [then] will reign over the earth
for four more than sixty [lifetimes].4
He will be known as Paduma,5
a wheel-turning king with great strength. (10) [629]
In one hundred thousand aeons,
arising in Okkāka’s clan,
the one whose name is Gotama,
will be the Teacher in the world. (11) [630]
This one will be a brahmin when
the Buddha’s words are broadcast then.
Leaving behind his brahmin-ness,
he’ll go forth [in the Buddhist way]. (12) [631]
Being one bent on exertion,
calmed,6 devoid of grounds for rebirth,7
knowing well all the defilements,
he’ll reach nirvana, undefiled. (13) [632]
[Though] of a frightful clan of beasts
[living] in the deepest forest,
knowing well all the defilements,
he’ll reach nirvana, undefiled.” (14) [633]
My defilements are [now] burnt up;
all [new] existence is destroyed.
Like elephants with broken chains,
I am living without constraint. [634]8
Being in Best Buddha’s presence
was a very good thing for me.
The three knowledges are attained;
[I have] done what the Buddha taught! [635]9
The four analytical modes,
and these eight deliverances,
six special knowledges mastered,
[I have] done what the Buddha taught! (15) [636]
Thus indeed Venerable Piṇḍola-Bhāradvāja Thera spoke these verses.
The legend of Piṇḍola-Bhāradvāja Thera is finished.
a mountain in the Himalayas. DPPN says it is “generally identified with Kāmptanāthgiri in Bundelkhand, an isolated hill on the Paisunī or Mandākinī River.”↩
reading ‘nadim (BJTS) or anadim (cty) for adās’ (PTS)↩
lit., “recognizing [that there would be] speech of the Buddha”↩
I follow the cty and BJTS in taking the number to refer to lifetimes↩
i.e.,” Pink Lotus,” which hearkens both to his formative gift and its recipient.↩
upasanto↩
nirūpadhi↩
PTS omits this verse↩
PTS omits this verse↩