SNP 5.10  Kappamāṇavapucchā - Questions of Kappa

“Majjhe sarasmiṁ tiṭṭhataṁ,
(iccāyasmā kappo)
Oghe jāte mahabbhaye;
Jarāmaccuparetānaṁ,
Dīpaṁ pabrūhi mārisa;
Tvañca me dīpamakkhāhi,
Yathāyidaṁ nāparaṁ siyā”.

“For those standing in the midst of the tide,”
(said the venerable Kappa),
“when a perilous flood has arisen;
For those overcome by aging and death,
declare an island, venerable sir;
Explain the |island::solid ground, refuge, place of safety; epithet of Nibbāna; lit. island [dīpa]| to me,
so this might occur no more.”

“Majjhe sarasmiṁ tiṭṭhataṁ,
(kappāti bhagavā)
Oghe jāte mahabbhaye;
Jarāmaccuparetānaṁ,
Dīpaṁ pabrūmi kappa te.

“For those standing in the midst of the tide,
(Kappa,” said the Blessed One)
“when a perilous flood has arisen;
For those overcome by aging and death,
let me declare an island to you.

Akiñcanaṁ anādānaṁ,
etaṁ dīpaṁ anāparaṁ;
Nibbānaṁ iti naṁ brūmi,
jarāmaccuparikkhayaṁ.

|Possessing nothing::with nothing, without possessions; epithet of an arahant [akiñcana]|, |not grasping::not taking anything as one’s own [anādāna]|,
this is the peerless island;
I call this ‘Nibbāna,’
the |complete exhaustion::gradual and complete wearing away [parikkhaya]| of aging and death.

Etadaññāya ye satā,
Diṭṭhadhammābhinibbutā;
Na te māravasānugā,
Na te mārassa paddhagū”ti.

Having understood this, those mindful ones,
are |completely quenched::entirely emancipated, completely cooled [abhinibbuta]| in this life;
They do not come |under Māra’s control::under the sway of death [māravasānuga]|,
nor are they |Māra::the ruler of the sensual realm, often depicted as a tempter who tries to obstruct beings from the path to liberation [māra]|’s footmen.”