[427. {430.}1 Sovaṇṇakattarika2]

The Self-Composed One,3 the Buddha,
the Self-Tamer,4 Attentive One,5
Wandering the Path of Brahmā,6
Delighting in Mental Relief,7 (1) [4617]

the Flood-Crosser,8 the Sambuddha,
Who Loves Meditation [and] Trance,9
the Sage, the Seated One,10 Attainer,11
Brilliant as Blue Lotus Petals:12 (2) [4618]

I approached [him,] the Best Buddha,
taking a gourd13 to hold water.
After washing the Buddha’s feet,
I gave that [water-]gourd [to him]. (3) [4619]

The Sambuddha [then] had [it] fetched,
the Leader, Padumuttara,
“Bringing [more] water with this [gourd,]
place it at the soles of my feet.” (4) [4620]

Agreeing, saying, “Excellent,”
and with respect for the Teacher,
carrying water with the gourd,14
I brought it to the Best Buddha. (5) [4621]

The Great Hero gave thanks [for that,]
quenching [the anguish in] my heart,
“Because of giving [me] this gourd,
let what you think be accomplished.” (6) [4622]

For fifteen15 aeons [after that,]
I delighted in the gods’ world,
and thirty times I was a king,
a king who turns the wheel [of law]. (7) [4623]

Whether by day or else by night,
walking back and forth or standing,
a water pot16 made out of gold
is standing [right] in front of me. (8) [4624]

Giving a gourd to the Buddha,
I receive a gold water-pot:
the deed done with little trouble17
becomes huge like that [later on]. (9) [4625]

In the hundred thousand aeons
since I gave [him] that gourd back then,
I’ve come to know no bad rebirth:
that’s the fruit of [giving] a gourd. (10) [4626]

My defilements are [now] burnt up;
all [new] existence is destroyed.
Like elephants with broken chains,
I am living without constraint. (11) [4627]

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! (12) [4628]

The four analytical modes,
and these eight deliverances,
six special knowledges mastered,
[I have] done what the Buddha taught! (13) [4629]

Thus indeed Venerable Sovaṇṇakattarika18 Thera spoke these verses.

The legend of Sovaṇṇakattarika19 Thera is finished.

The Summary:

Sakiŋsammajjaka Thera,
Ekadussī, thus Āsanī,
then Kadamba [and] Koraṇḍa,
Ghataŋ, also Savanika,
Succhintita, Kiṇkhanika,
and Soṇṇa-Kattarika20 too:
there are a hundred verses here
plus seventy-one [more verses]

The Sakiŋsammajjaka Chapter, the Forty-Third

  1. Apadāna numbers provided in {fancy brackets} correspond to the BJTS edition, which contains more individual poems than does the PTS edition dictating the main numbering of this translation.↩

  2. “Golden Scissors” or “Golden Walking-stick-er” or (following BJTS, and preferred) “Golden Water-jug-er”. BJTS (and PTS alt) reads the name Soṇṇakontarika, see below, n. to [4624]↩

  3. reading manobhāvanīyaṃ with BJTS for PTS manobhāvaniyaŋ; BJTS Sinhala gloss sambhāvanīya vū↩

  4. attadantaŋ↩

  5. samāhitaŋ↩

  6. iriyamānam brahmapathe. RD: “the path to the Br. world or the way to the highest good”↩

  7. cchitta-vūpasame rataŋ↩

  8. oghatiṇṇaŋ↩

  9. jhāyi-jhana-rata↩

  10. upaviṭṭhaṃ↩

  11. samāpannaŋ↩

  12. indīvara-dala-pabhaŋ↩

  13. alābu RD: “a long white gourd, Curcurbita Lagenaris”↩

  14. reading alābunā ‘hatvā with BJTS for PTS lābun’āhatvā↩

  15. reading paṇṇarasasu with BJTS for PTS pannarasesu↩

  16. reading kontaraṃ with BJTS (and PTS alt.) for PTS kattara in [4624], [4625]. Kattara is a knife or a walking stick; kattarikā a pair of scissors; konta (RD) “a pennant or standard”. BJTS gloss on kontaraṃ is keṇḍiyak, a pot or jar, ewer or can (with a spout). Cone guesses “a lance?” for this passage (see kontara, s.v.), but I take the BJTS reading (even though I do not find any warrant for it beyond the context), given the correspondence between the gift (a water-gourd) and the result (a water-pot made of gold).↩

  17. appakampi kataṃ kāraṃ, lit., “the deed done with little quaking,”↩

  18. BJTS reads Soṇṇakontarika↩

  19. BJTS reads Soṇṇakontarika↩

  20. BJTS (and PTS alt.) Soṇṇakontarika↩