Commentary on Biography of the thera Pañcasīlasamādāniya

Stanzas, starting with Nagare Candavatiyā constitute the biography of the venerable thera Pañcasīlasamādāniya. This one also, having done devoted deeds of service toward former buddhas, accumulation meritorious deeds conducive towards escape from rounds of repeated rebirths (vāṭṭa), in this and that existence was reborn in a certain family at the time of the Glorious One Anomadassī, became poverty-stricken commensurate with the evil deed done in a former existence, and not getting food and drink for his nourishment, led his life by doing work on wage basis, came to know the disadvantage in the rounds of rebirths (samsāra), become desirous of becoming a monk, but not gaining monkhood, took upon himself the five kinds of basic discipline (sikkhāpada), in the presence of the thera nisabha, the disciple of the Glorious One, Anomadassī. Because he sprang up in the period of longevity of life, he all-round maintained his moral precepts for a hundred thousand years. Due to that good deed, he wandered about his rounds of repeated rebirths among divine and human beings, and was reborn in the family of immense prosperity in Vesālī at the time of the arising of this Buddha. having seen his parents taking upon themselves the moral precepts, he remembered his own moral precept, developed spiritual insight (vipassanā), attained arahatship and became a monk.

134. Having remembered his own former deed, he became delighted and uttered a stanza starting with nagare Candavatiyā, in order to make manifest his former deeds done by him, by way of solemn utterance (udāna). Bhatako āsaham tadā (I was then a wage-earner) then, at the time of my making merit I was a worker for wages, a wage-earner;parakammāyane yutto (being yoked to work for others) I did not gain monkhood, for the purpose of release from rounds of repeated rebirths (samsāra), due to absence of opportunity, being engaged in and yoked to doing the work of others for wages.

135. Mahandhakārapihitā (covered by dense darkness), being shut off, hindered and covered up by dense darkness of depravity (kilesa); tividhaggīhi ̄dayhare, they were burnt by three kinds of fire, reckoned as: purgatory fire, peta fire, and samsāra fire;however, by what means, under what circumstances, would I become clearly unconnected; thus, is the meaning.

136. Deyyadhammo (charitable offering), I have nothing befitting to offer, such offering as food, drink, and so on; because of its absence, I, varāko, being poverty-stricken, bhatako (a wage-earner), a leader of wage-getting life; yannūnaham pañcasīlam rakkheyyam paripūrayam (what if I were to observe and all-round fulfil the five moral precepts), it would be good if after taking upon myself the observance of the five moral precepts, and all-round fulfilling them, and if I were to all round look after, having made them well and good and I would protect them properly;thus, is the meaning.

148. Svāham yasamanubhavim (that I enjoyed the reputation), due to the power of bearing those moral precepts that I enjoyed immense repute amongst divine and human beings; thus, is the meaning. Kittaye (might announce), in announcing the fruition of those moral precepts even for crores of aeons (kappa), a portion only might be made manifest; thus, is the meaning. The rest is but easily comprehensible.

The commentary on the biography of the thera Pañcasīlasamādaniya has ended