[476. {479.}1 Pānadhidāyaka2]

Anomadassi, Blessed One,
the World’s Best One, the Bull of Men,
gone out during the siesta,
got on the road, the Eyeful One. (1) [5006]

Taking a well-made pair of shoes,
I [also] went along the road.
There I saw [him], the Sambuddha,
Carrying a Bowl,3 Good-Looking.4 (2) [5007]

Bringing pleasure to [my] own heart,
taking out5 those shoes [that I had],
placing them at the [Buddha’s] feet,
I spoke these words [to him back then]: (3) [5008]

“Put on6 [these shoes], O Sage So Great,
O Well-Gone-One, O Lord, O Guide.
I will receive the fruit from this;
let the purpose succeed for me!” (4) [5009]

Anomadassi, Blessed One,
the World’s Best One, the Bull of Men,
after having put on [those] shoes,
spoke these words [about me back then]: (5) [5010]

“This one who gave [these] shoes to me,
[feeling well-] pleased by [his] own hands,
I shall relate details of him;
[all of] you listen to my words:” (6) [5011]

Knowing that Buddha would speak,7 the
gods all came together [there then],
happy, stirred up with emotion,
thrilled, with their hands together. (7) [5012]

“Due to [this] offering of shoes,
this one is going to be happy,
and fifty-five [different] times,
he will exercise divine rule. (8) [5013]

A thousand times he’ll be a king,
a king who turns the wheel [of law],
[And there will be] much local rule,
innumerable by counting. (9) [5014]

Aeons beyond measure from now,
arising in Okkāka’s clan,
the one whose name is Gotama
will be the Teacher in the world. (10) [5015]

Worthy heir to that one’s Dhamma,
Dhamma’s legitimate offspring,
knowing well all the defilements,
he’ll reach nirvana, undefiled. (11) [5016]

Merit-filled, he’ll be reborn in
the world of the gods or of men;
he will receive vehicles, which
resemble divine vehicles.” (12) [5017]

My palaces and palanquins,
ornamented elephants and
chariots yoked with thoroughbreds
are always appearing for me. (13) [5018]

[When] I’m departing from the house,
I depart on8 a chariot.
When my hair was being cut off,
I attained [my] arahantship. (14) [5019]

The gain for me was well-received,
that [carefully] hiring merchants,
[then] giving [just] one [pair of] shoes,
I’ve attained the unshaking state. (15) [5020]

During aeons beyond measure
since I gave [those] shoes [at that time],
I’ve come to know no bad rebirth:
that’s the fruit of [a pair of] shoes. (16) [5021]

My defilements are [now] burnt up;
all [new] existence is destroyed.
Like elephants with broken chains,
I am living without constraint. (17) [5022]

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! (18) [5023]

The four analytical modes,
and these eight deliverances,
six special knowledges mastered,
[I have] done what the Buddha taught! (19) [5024]

Thus indeed Venerable Pānadhidāyaka Thera spoke these verses.

The legend of Pānadhidāyaka Thera is finished.


  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. “Sandal Donor,” taking panidha as pavahanak following BJTS Sinhala gloss. See above, #212, for a different apadāna of a monk with the same name.

  3. pattikañ

  4. ccharudassanaŋ

  5. nīharitvā, taking out, throw away, driving out; “taking off?” Should we imagine that he is wearing, rather than carrying, the shoes?

  6. lit., “ascend onto” “get into”

  7. lit., “recognizing [that there would be] speech of the Buddha”

  8. lit., “with,” “by”