Commentary on Biography of the thera Tiṇasantharadāyaka

Stanzas starting with Himavantassāvidūre constitute the biography of the venerable thera Tiṇasantharadāyaka. This one also, having done devoted service toward former Buddhas, accumulating meritorious deeds conducive towards escape from rounds of repeated reborths (vaṭṭa) in this and that existence, was reborn in a family-house at the time of the Glorious One Tissa. Because he sprang up earlier than the appearance of Buddha, he forsook the house-hold life, renounced the world as an ascetic and properly lived relying on a lake near Himavanta. On that occasion, the Glorious One Tissa, out of compassion for him went through the sky; then, indeed, that hermit (or ascetic) saw that Glorious One standing, after having descended down from the sky, became pleasingly pious-minded, reaped the grass, made a grass-spread, requested Him to sit down on it, paid homage with five kinds of establishments on the ground (pañcapatiṭṭhita), also with abundant respect, receded, (paṭikuṭito), and made his departure. he lived on as long as his life-span lasted, passed away thence, wandered round his rounds of rebirths among divine and human-beings, enjoyed many a kind of prosperity, was reborn in a family-house when this Buddha arose; on having grown up, he became full of pleasing faith in the Master, renounced the world and became, before long even, an arahat.

22. Subsequently, he recollected his own former deed, became delighted and uttered and stanza, starting with Himavantassāvidūre, in order to make manifest the deed done by him formerly. The meaning of it is that as aforesaid. Mahājātassaro (the great natural lake) here, however, sara (lake) is here, river, cavern and so on is sara (lake); that lake also is large, and because it sprang up but by itself and also because it is lake also thus, mahājātassaro, (the great natural lake). Because it is not a well-known name like such lakes as Anotatta, Chaddanta and so on, it is spoken of as "Mahājātassaro (large natural lake"; thus, it should be seen. Satapattehi sañchanno (well-covered with hundred-petal-lotus), by way of the fact that in each and every flower, there are a hundred petals respectively, it is hundred petal (satapatta);well-covered with white paduma lotuses with a hundred petals each to become a forest of flowers; thus, is the meaning. Nānāsakuṇamālayo, the roosting place of different species of birds, many a such bird as, swans, roosters, hens, water-flows, deṇḍibha (pheasant) and so on, coo (or cry) in unison, make sound all together, thus sakuṇa (bird); the resting place that had become the depository of winged birds which gain the name sakuṇa (bird); thus, is the meaning. The rest is but clear in meaning.

The commentary on the biography of the thera Tiṇasantharadāyaka has ended.