[184. Pañcchahatthiya1]
The Blessed One known as Tissa
was the World’s Best, the Bull of Men;
Honored by the monks’ Assembly,2
he went out onto3 the highway. (1) [2169]
Wishing to give an offering
to achieve my vow, I picked up4
five handfuls of lotus blossoms
and four [more handfuls]5 placed by me. (2) [2170]
Delighted6 by the Buddha’s rays,
I gave [them]7 to the Best Biped,
the Golden-Colored Sambuddha
who was walking8 through the bazaar. (3) [2171]
In the ninety-two aeons since
I offered [those] flowers9 [to him,]
I’ve come to know no bad rebirth:
that’s the fruit of Buddha-pūjā. (4) [2172]
In the thirtieth aeon hence
there were five Subhāsammatās,10
wheel-turning monarchs with great strength,
possessors of the seven gems. (5) [2173]
The four analytical modes,
and these eight deliverances,
six special knowledges mastered,
[I have] done what the Buddha taught! (6) [2174]
Thus indeed Venerable Pañcchahatthiya Thera spoke these verses.
The legend of Pañcchahatthiya Thera is finished.
“Five-handful-er”↩
lit., “honored by [his] followers”↩
lit., “entered into”↩
lit., “are picked up,” reading paggaṇhitaṃ with BJTS for PTS “‘haŋ mūgo ‘mhi” (“I am a deer”)↩
That is, nine handfuls total. BJTS suggests another readings of “five or four handfuls,” but the “ccha” suggests that the reading 5+4 is more appropriate. The cty does not take this up.↩
reading abhituṭṭho with BJTS for PTS abhighuṭṭho (“proclaimed, announced”)↩
lit., “I did pūjā [with them]”↩
lit., “going”↩
lit., “that flower”↩
that is, five men named Subhāsammatā, all of whom were rebirth precursors of Rev. Pañcchahatthiya. The name means “Well-Approved” or “Well Agreed Upon”.↩