Sobhita Chapter, the Fourteenth
[131. Sobhita]
The Victor Padumuttara,
the World’s Best One, the Bull of Men,
before a large body of folks
did preach the path of deathlessness. (1) [1870]
[Then] having listened to his words,
those majestic words he uttered,
pressing both my hands together,
I became tranquil at that time. (2) [1871]
“As the [great] ocean is
the foremost of the seas,
[and] the rock-heap Meru
is the best of mountains, (3)
likewise those [people] who
are controlled by the heart
approach not a tittle
of the Buddha’s knowledge.” (4) [1872]1
The Buddha, Compassionate, Sage,
setting forth the Dhamma-method,
seated in the monks’ Assembly,
uttered this verse [about me then]: (5) [1873]
“He who praises knowledge [like this]
when the Buddha, World-Leader [lives],
for one hundred thousand aeons
will come to know no bad rebirth. (6) [1874]
Having destroyed the defilements,
tranquil and well-attentive,
he’ll be the Teacher’s follower,
known by the name of Sobhita.” (7) [1875]
I have burnt up [my] defilements,
all [new] existence is destroyed.
The three-fold knowing is attained,
[I have] done what the Buddha taught. (8) [1877]2
In the fifty-thousandth aeon
there were seven Samuggatas,3
wheel-turning kings with great power,
possessors of the seven gems. (9) [1876]
The four analytical modes,
and these eight deliverances,
six special knowledges mastered,
[I have] done what the Buddha taught! (10) [1878]
Thus indeed Venerable Sobhita Thera spoke these verses.
The legend of Sobhita Thera is finished.
PTS presents these lines as two verses with feet of only six syllables each; BJTS presents them (I think correctly) as a single verse whose feet measure twelve syllables each.↩
note that BJTS and PTS invert verses [1877] and [1876]/(8) and (9). I follow the PTS for consistency even though I suspect BJTS has it right.↩
“Risen Up Together”↩