SN 2.24 With Ghaṭīkāra

Reference Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0).

Ekamantaṁ ṭhito kho ghaṭīkāro devaputto bhagavato santike imaṁ gāthaṁ abhāsi:

Standing to one side, the godling Ghaṭīkāra spoke this verse in the Buddha’s presence:

“Avihaṁ upapannāse,

“Seven mendicants reborn in Aviha

vimuttā satta bhikkhavo;

have been freed.

Rāgadosaparikkhīṇā,

With the complete ending of greed and hate,

tiṇṇā loke visattikan”ti.

they’ve crossed over clinging to the world.”

“Ke ca te ataruṁ paṅkaṁ,

“Who are those who’ve crossed the bog,

maccudheyyaṁ suduttaraṁ;

Death’s dominion so hard to pass?

Ke hitvā mānusaṁ dehaṁ,

Who, after leaving behind the human body,

dibbayogaṁ upaccagun”ti.

have risen above celestial yokes?”

“Upako palagaṇḍo ca,

“Upaka and Palagaṇḍa,

pukkusāti ca te tayo;

and Pukkusāti, these three;

Bhaddiyo khaṇḍadevo ca,

Bhaddiya and Bhaddadeva,

bāhuraggi ca saṅgiyo;

and Bāhudantī and Piṅgiya.

Te hitvā mānusaṁ dehaṁ,

They, after leaving behind the human body,

dibbayogaṁ upaccagun”ti.

have risen above celestial yokes.”

“Kusalī bhāsasī tesaṁ,

“You speak well of them,

mārapāsappahāyinaṁ;

who have let go the snares of Māra.

Kassa te dhammamaññāya,

Whose teaching did they understand

acchiduṁ bhavabandhanan”ti.

to cut the bonds of rebirth?”

“Na aññatra bhagavatā,

“None other than the Blessed One!

nāññatra tava sāsanā;

None other than your instruction!

Yassa te dhammamaññāya,

It was your teaching that they understood

acchiduṁ bhavabandhanaṁ.

to cut the bonds of rebirth.

Yattha nāmañca rūpañca,

Where name and form

asesaṁ uparujjhati;

cease with no residue left behind;

Taṁ te dhammaṁ idhaññāya,

understanding this teaching,

acchiduṁ bhavabandhanan”ti.

they cut the bonds of rebirth.”

“Gambhīraṁ bhāsasī vācaṁ,

“The words you say are deep,

dubbijānaṁ sudubbudhaṁ;

hard to understand, so very hard to wake up to.

Kassa tvaṁ dhammamaññāya,

Whose teaching did you understand

vācaṁ bhāsasi īdisan”ti.

to be able to say such things?”

“Kumbhakāro pure āsiṁ,

“In the past I was a potter

vekaḷiṅge ghaṭīkaro;

in Vebhaliṅga called Ghaṭīkāra.

Mātāpettibharo āsiṁ,

I took care of my parents

kassapassa upāsako.

as a lay follower of Buddha Kassapa.

Virato methunā dhammā,

I refrained from sexual intercourse,

brahmacārī nirāmiso;

I was chaste, spiritual.

Ahuvā te sagāmeyyo,

We lived in the same village;

ahuvā te pure sakhā.

in the past I was your comrade.

Sohamete pajānāmi,

I am the one who understands

vimutte satta bhikkhavo;

that these seven mendicants have been freed.

Rāgadosaparikkhīṇe,

With the complete ending of greed and hate,

tiṇṇe loke visattikan”ti.

they’ve crossed over clinging to the world.”

“Evametaṁ tadā āsi,

“That’s exactly how it was,

yathā bhāsasi bhaggava;

just as you say, Bhaggava.

Kumbhakāro pure āsi,

In the past you were a potter

vekaḷiṅge ghaṭīkaro.

in Vebhaliṅga called Ghaṭīkāra.

Mātāpettibharo āsi,

You took care of your parents

kassapassa upāsako;

as a lay follower of Buddha Kassapa.

Virato methunā dhammā,

You refrained from sexual intercourse,

brahmacārī nirāmiso;

you were chaste, spiritual.

Ahuvā me sagāmeyyo,

We lived in the same village;

ahuvā me pure sakhā”ti.

in the past you were my comrade.”

“Evametaṁ purāṇānaṁ,

“That’s how it was

sahāyānaṁ ahu saṅgamo;

when those friends of old met again.

Ubhinnaṁ bhāvitattānaṁ,

Both of them are evolved,

sarīrantimadhārinan”ti.

and bear their final body.”