Commentary on Biography of the thera Vidhūpanadāyaka

Stanzas starting with padumuttara Buddhassa constitute the biography of the venerable thera Vidhūpanadāyaka. This one also having loaded up fully himself with meritorious deeds during the dispensation of former excellent conquerors, accumulating meritorious deeds conducive towards escape from his rounds of rebirths (vaṭṭa), in this and that existence, was reborn in a family house, at the time of the Glorious One Padumuttara; on having attained the age of intelligence, he became wealthy and full of pious faith in the Glorious One;piously pleased he had a;fan made of gold, silver, pearls and gems in the hot season and offered it to the Glorious one. On account of that meritorious deed, he wandered about his rounds of rebirths among divine and human-beings, enjoyed two kinds of prosperity, was reborn in a family house at the time when our this self-enlightened Buddha arose; after having bound himself down with the house bondage, he noticed disadvantage in household life;, saw advantage in renunciation, became endowed with pious faith, became a monk in the dispensation (sāsana), and soon came to be an arahat.

1. Recollecting duly his own former deed, saying to himself thus:- "By doing what meritorious deed has this transcendental prosperity been gained by me?, he came to know it presently and uttered a stanza starting with Padumuttara Buddhassa in order to make manifest the deed done by him formerly. The meaning of it has but been aforesaid. Bījanikā mayā dinnā. the fan has been offered by me, distinctively they cause to extinguish heat of creatures burning with heat, they produce cool breeze; thus bījanī, fan; the self-same fan is bījanikā, fan; that fan made of seven kinds of gems, shining profusely have been caused to be made by me and offered by;me; thus, is the meaning.

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