Commentary on the Biography of the thera Sumaṅgala

Stanzas starting with Āhutim yiṭṭhukāmo, constitute the biography of the venerable thera Sumaṅgala. This venerable one also having done devoted deeds of service towards former Buddhas, accumulating meritorious deeds, conducive towards escape from the rounds of repeated rebirth (vaṭṭa) was reborn as a tree-divinity at the time of the Glorious One Piyadassī. One day, he met the master standing in a single robe after having had his bath, and having become delighted in mind, clapped his arms. Due to that meritorious deed, he wandered round his repeated rebirths among heavenly and human beings and was reborn in a poor family consequent upon his deed similar to that poverty-stricken family, in a certain village not far from Sāvatthi, at the time of the appearance of this Buddha. His name was Sumaṅgala. On his coming of age, he became equipped with a plough-share and pole (kuddāla) for ploughing on a small acale (khujja) and earned his livelihood by ploughing (or cultivation of crops). One day, when a colossal charity was being offered to the glorious One and the clergy of bhikkhus by the king Pasenadī Kosala, he caught hold of a pot of milk-curd and joined the crowd of people who were arriving, bringing along with them materials for making charity, saw them making their own offerings with reverence towards bhikkhus, considered thus: "The monks, sons of Sākiyan families having dressed themselves in delicate dress, eaten good meals, live in monastic residential abodes; what if I were to become a monk also". He approached a certain major thera and informed him of his own intention of becoming a monk. That thera, having compassion on him, made him a monk and informed him of his mental exercise (kammaṭṭhānu). Living in the forest he became disgusted with his living alone, became bored (ukkaṇṭhita) and being desirous of reverting to lay life (vibbhama) was on his way going back to his relative's village, saw people who were cultivators, having girded their loins, ploughing their fields, dressed in dirty clothes, with their bodies covered (or mixed up) all over with dust from all sides, dried up by heat, cultivating their fields of crops and gained remorse properly thus:- "These creatures are properly experiencing painful misery, which is their pattern (nimittam) of living, which, indeed, is big". Because of his having gone towards all-round maturity of his knowledge, he became devotedly established in such mental exercise (kammaṭṭhāna), as undertaken by him. he went near the base (or root) of a certain tree, gained seclusion, made himself wisely mindful, developed spiritual insight (vipassanā) and attained arahatship after entering upon a series of the noble path.

124. Having thus attained the fruition of arahatship, he remembered his own former deeds, became delighted in mind and uttered a stanza, starting with Āhutim yiṭṭhukāmo ham, in order to make manifest the deeds done by him, previously. There āhutim (sacrifice) varieties of self-made reverential offering comprise many a different such sorts as food, drink and so on; yiṭṭhukāmo (desirous of making sacrifice) I being desirous of offering charity and wishing to perform sacrificial ceremony; paṭiyādetvāna bhojanam (having prepared soft food) having prepared and finished making meal;brāhmaṇe paṭimānento (properly measuring the brahmins) seeking all round pure monks, who were proper recipients; visāle māḷke ṭhito (stood in the extensive hall) standing in the prosperous hall, which was all round pure, yellow (paṇḍarā).

125-7. Athaddasāsim sambuddham, then I saw the self-enlightened Buddha; mahāyasam, great fame, sabbalokam, the whole world, vinetāram, one who led out, sayambhum (self become), self-dependent, aggapuggalam, topmost individual, jutimantam, possessed of shining splendour, purakkhatam, placed in front, ādiccamiva, like unto the sun, rocantam shining, rathiyam, on the chariot-road, sambuddham, self-enlightened Buddha, añjalim paggahetvāna, having raised my clasped hands, sakam cittam, my own mind, pasādayim, I was pleased. In the stanzas starting with Athaddasāsim sambuddham, I saw the self-enlightened Buddha, Vipassī, by name, going after having entered upon a chariot road, shining like the sun, surrounded by disciples, endowed with such radiant rays as blue, golden and so on, equipped with such qualities as possessing glory, the most excellent personage, the Glorious One, the teacherless, but selfdependent Buddha, with a large retinue, who made the whole world of living-beings attain nibbāna, by leading them there in particular; I became pleased and made my pious pleasure manifest in the qualities of such a desirable mighty man as the Glorious one; thus, is the meaning. Manasāva nimantesim (I invited but mentally) by means of my mind I made my invitation; āgacchatu mahāmuni (let the great sage come) may the Glorious One, the mightily worthy of honour, the sage, come to my residence.

128. mama saṅkappamaññāya (after having known my intention) knowing my mental disposition; loke (in the world) in the world of living beings; anuttaro (unsurpassed) the Master, devoid of any superior; khīṇāsavasahassehi (with a thousand arahats) mama dvāram (my door) the door of my house; upāgami (approached) arrived properly.

129. To that master, who had arrived properly, I made the performance of adoration in this manner:- Purisājañña (O well-born man!) O most excellent well-bred among men! te (to you) atthu (let be) let my making of adoration be to you p purisuttama (O most excellent man!) O distinguished Man of main quality, the most excellent among men! te (to you) may my making of adoration be to you!; pāsādam (palace) having ascended my palatial residence, sīhāsane (on the lion-seat) I requested Him to kindly sit down on the most excellent seat; thus, is the meaning. 130. Danto dantaparivāro (the tame with the tame with the tame retinue) Himself subdued in connection with three doors and surrounded by four kinds of audience reckoned as likewise subdued brethren (bhikkhus), sisters, (bhikkhunīs) male and female devotees; tiṇṇo tārayatam varo 9the excellent among those led across, who himself had crossed over) Himself having crossed, passed over and gone out of the rounds of repeated rebirths (samsāra) the good and most excellent Glorious One among the distinguished individuals who had been transported and led across, having ascended the palace, with my requesting offer; pavarāsane (on the good seat) on the most excellent seat' mosīdi (sat down) took His seat.

131. Yamme atthi sake gehe (whatever there is in my house) whatever material in my own home; paccupaṭṭhitam (placed forward) there is well laid and made into a heap; tāham Buddhassa pādāsim (I offered that to Buddha) I offered that material offering to Buddha, as well as the clergy of monks headed by Buddha, (or I gave with mannerly respect); thus, is the meaning. Pasanno sehi pāṇibhi (piously pleased, with my palms) I offered after taking in my two hands, being of piously pleasing mind; thus, is the meaning.

132. Pasanna citto (being of piously pleasing mind) my mind being pleasantly and piously disposed, and being of good and proper heart; vedajāto (become sentimental) with my knowledge arisen and my delightful mind springing up; katañjalī (my clasped hands made) clasped hand-hold placed on my head; Buddhaseṭṭham namassāmi (I shall bow down towards the most excellent Buddha) I make my adoration to the most excellent Buddha; thus, is the meaning. Aho Buddhassuḷākatā (wonderful is the mightiness of Buddha) wonderful astonishing is the state of greatness and mightiness of the Master, who properly penetrated into the four noble truths; thus, is the meaning.

133. Aṭṭhannam payirūpāsatam (to the eight approached) to the eight attended upon; bhuñjam (eating) among the eight noble individuals (ariya) who were eating their meals;khīnāsave (cankerless), the arahats were but many; tuyhereso ānubhavo (this power is but yours even) this such power as wandering about in the air (or sky), rising up from and diving down into the water and so on is but your power of influence even but not of others; saraṇamta, upemaham (I approach you as my refuge) I go and approach (or I know that sort of desire-worthy) you as my refuge, protection, shelter and destination; thus, is the meaning.

134. The Glorious One Piyadassī, the eldest in the world, the big bull of men, seated in the midst of the clergy of bhikkhus preached and recited these stanzas of prophecy; thus, is the meaning; the rest is easily comprehensible.

The Commentory on the biography of the thera Sumaṅgala has ended.

The Commentary of the second Lion-Seat chapter has ended.