[45. Pañcchahatthiya[1]]

The Sambuddha named Sumedha
was traveling through the bazaar
with downcast eyes,[2] [speaking] few words,
mindful, with his sense[-doors] guarded. (1) [1191]

Then they brought[3] [me] — for my top-crest[4] —
five handfuls of water lilies.
I did Buddha-pūjā with them
[feeling well-] pleased by [my] own hands. (2) [1192]

[Then] those flowers [that I had] placed
became the Teacher’s canopy.
They flocked to[5] the Great Elephant
like students to a [good] teacher. (3) [1193]

In the thirty thousand aeons
since I offered [him] that flower,
I’ve come to know no bad rebirth:
that’s the fruit of Buddha-pūjā. (4) [1194]

One hundred twenty aeons hence
there were five [different] kṣatriyans.
[All of them] were named Hatthiya,[6]
wheel-turning kings with great power. (5) [1195]

The four analytical modes,
and these eight deliverances,
six special knowledges mastered,
[I have] done what the Buddha taught! (6) [1196]

Thus indeed Venerable Pañcchahatthiya Thera spoke these verses.

The legend of Pañcchahatthiya Thera is finished.

  1. “Five Handfuls” ↩︎

  2. reading okhitta-cchakkhu (BJTS, cty) for khitta-cchakkhu (“thrown eyes,” PTS). ↩︎

  3. reading ahamsu (BJTS) for akāsi (PTS) ↩︎

  4. BJTS gloss: mudun malkaḍa ↩︎

  5. saŋsāviŋsu fr. saṃsāveti, to flow together to ↩︎

  6. “[One] Handful” ↩︎

Feedback

We welcome your feedback on this translation, as well as on technical and other aspects of the project.

Please use one of the following methods to provide feedback:

Note: a free Github account is required for options #1 & #2.

  1. Open an Issue on Github

    If you detect a bug or would like to provide technical feedback, you can open an issue in our Github repository.

    Check that the issue has not already been opened, then click “New Issue” and provide a detailed description of the problem.

  2. Suggest an Edit on Github

    To suggest a specific change to the translation, navigate to the relevant poem in the Github repository, click “History”, then click on the most recent commit. Find the line you would like to revise, click it, and fill out the comment box that opens below. We will review your feedback and incorporate it into the text if appropriate.

    Those more familiar with Github are also invited to fork the repository and submit a specific change via pull request.

  3. Send an email

    Contact Jonathan S. Walters for translation-related or general queries. For technical questions or comments, contact Dana Johnson.