[197. Tindukadāyaka[1]]

Traveling a bad mountain road,
I was a monkey,[2] strong and fast.
Seeing wild mangosteen[3] in fruit,
I called to mind the Best Buddha. (1) [2248]

Going forth[4] for several days,
cheerful, with pleasure in [my] heart
I sought the Leader of the World,
Siddhattha, the Three-Worlds-Ender.[5] (2) [2249]

Realizing that thought of mine,
the Teacher, Supreme in the World,
came into my vicinity
with one thousand free of outflows.[6] (3) [2250]

Generating great delight[7] [then,]
I approached [him] with fruit in hand.
The Blessed One accepted [it],
the Omniscient, Best Debater. (4) [2251]

In the ninety-four aeons since
I gave [him that] fruit at that time,
I’ve come to know no bad rebirth:
that’s the fruit of a gift of fruit. (5) [2252]

In the fifty-seventh aeon
[there was one] named Upananda,[8]
a wheel-turning king with great strength,
possessor of the seven gems. (6) [2253]

The four analytical modes,
and these eight deliverances,
six special knowledges mastered,
[I have] done what the Buddha taught! (7) [2254]

Thus indeed Venerable Tindukadāyaka Thera spoke these verses.

The legend of Tindukadāyaka Thera is finished.

  1. “Donor of a Tinduka Tree”. Tinduka = Sinh. timbiri, Diaspyros embryopteris; Indian Persimmon, wild mangosteen ↩︎

  2. makkaṭa = Sinh. vandura, the Grey Langur ↩︎

  3. tinduka = Sinh. timbiri, Diaspyros embryopteris; Indian Persimmon ↩︎

  4. reading nikkhamitvā with BJTS (and also alternate reading in PTS) for PTS nikkhipitvā (“laying down”) ↩︎

  5. tibhavantaguŋ ↩︎

  6. that is, arahants. ↩︎

  7. PTS pāmujjaŋ, BJTS pāmojjaṃ ↩︎

  8. “Joyful” ↩︎

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