[39. Dhammacakkika1]
On the front of the lion-throne
of Siddhattha, the Blessed One,
a Dhamma-wheel2 was placed by me,
well-fashioned, [and] praised by the wise.3 (1) [1104]
I shine, a charming gold color;4
have vehicles, army and mounts.
Many people attached [to me]
are waiting on me, constantly. (2) [1105]
I am always attended by
sixty thousand instruments,5
beautified by [my] retinue:
that is the fruit of good karma. (3) [1106]
In the ninety-four aeons since
I established that [Dhamma-]wheel
I’ve come to know no bad rebirth:
that’s the fruit of a Dhamma-wheel. (4) [1107]
Eleven aeons after that
there were eight lords over countries;
[all] were named Sahassarāja,6
wheel-turning kings with great power. (5) [1108]
The four analytical modes,
and these eight deliverances,
six special knowledges mastered,
[I have] done what the Buddha taught! (6) [1109]
Thus indeed Venerable Dhammacakkika Thera spoke these verses.
The legend of Dhammacakkika Thera is finished.
“Dhamma-Wheel-er”↩
stone-carved free-standing scultpures of dhamma-cchakkas (an eight-spoked wheel representing the Dhamma of the Buddha as well as the Law of a “wheel-turning” [cchakka-vatti] monarchs have been discovered in the ruins of the stupas of the day. For references see SSE, fn XX. See also above, n. XX, ON THE CChAKKAVATTI, first appearance. The Dhamma-wheel is also a standard emblem carved into the base of such thrones, which is often, as the cty stipulates here, flanked by images of lions (Dhammacakkika’s was ‘situated in the place between them both”).↩
BJTS Sinhala gloss follows the cty, as do I, in understanding “vaṇṇitaṃ” as “varṇatā karaṇalada.”↩
“or of a charming appearance;” cty seems to read cchatuvaṇṇo for cchāruvaṇṇo (on which BJTS and PTS agree, without alternates in the mss.) and therefore interprets this to mean, “[Among?] the four castes, I shine”.↩
turiya, musical instruments↩
“Thousand Kings,” perhaps to be understood as the overlord of a thousand royal underlords, or the king over thousands of people.↩