Preserving the Way to the Far ShorePārāyanānugītigāthā

“I shall keep reciting the Way to the Far Shore,”“Pārāyanamanugāyissaṁ, said Venerable Piṅgiya,(iccāyasmā piṅgiyo) “which was taught as it was seenYathāddakkhi tathākkhāsi; by the immaculate one of vast intelligence.Vimalo bhūrimedhaso, He is desireless, unentangled, a spiritual giant:Nikkāmo nibbano nāgo; why would he speak falsely?Kissa hetu musā bhaṇe.

Come, let me extolPahīnamalamohassa, in sweet words of praisemānamakkhappahāyino; the one who’s given up stains and delusions,Handāhaṁ kittayissāmi, conceit and contempt.giraṁ vaṇṇūpasañhitaṁ.

The Buddha, All-seer, dispeller of darkness,Tamonudo buddho samantacakkhu, has gone to world’s end, beyond all rebirths;Lokantagū sabbabhavātivatto; he is free of defilements, <j>and has given up all suffering,Anāsavo sabbadukkhappahīno, the rightly-named one, brahmin, is revered by me.Saccavhayo brahme upāsito me.

Like a bird that flees a little copse,Dijo yathā kubbanakaṁ pahāya, to roost in a forest abounding in fruit,Bahupphalaṁ kānanamāvaseyya; I’ve left the near-sighted behind,Evampahaṁ appadasse pahāya, like a swan come to a great river.Mahodadhiṁ haṁsoriva ajjhapatto.

Those who explained to me previously,Ye me pubbe viyākaṁsu, before Gotama’s teaching,Huraṁ gotamasāsanā; said ‘thus it was’ or ‘so it shall be’.Iccāsi iti bhavissati, All that was just the testament of hearsay;Sabbaṁ taṁ itihītihaṁ; all that just fostered speculation.Sabbaṁ taṁ takkavaḍḍhanaṁ.

Alone, the dispeller of darknessEko tamanudāsino, is brilliant, a beacon:jutimā so pabhaṅkaro; Gotama, vast in wisdom,Gotamo bhūripaññāṇo, Gotama, vast in intelligence.gotamo bhūrimedhaso.

He is the one who taught me Dhamma,Yo me dhammamadesesi, apparent in the present life, immediately effective,Sandiṭṭhikamakālikaṁ; the untroubled, the end of craving,Taṇhakkhayamanītikaṁ, to which there is no compare.”Yassa natthi upamā kvaci”.

“Why would you dwell apart from him“Kiṁ nu tamhā vippavasasi, even for an hour, Piṅgiya?muhuttamapi piṅgiya; From Gotama, vast in wisdom,Gotamā bhūripaññāṇā, from Gotama, vast in intelligence?gotamā bhūrimedhasā.

He is the one who taught you Dhamma,Yo te dhammamadesesi, apparent in the present life, immediately effective,Sandiṭṭhikamakālikaṁ; the untroubled, the end of craving,Taṇhakkhayamanītikaṁ, to which there is no compare.”Yassa natthi upamā kvaci”.

“I never dwell apart from him,“Nāhaṁ tamhā vippavasāmi, not even for an hour, brahmin.Muhuttamapi brāhmaṇa; From Gotama, vast in wisdom,Gotamā bhūripaññāṇā, from Gotama, vast in intelligence.Gotamā bhūrimedhasā.

He is the one who taught me Dhamma,Yo me dhammamadesesi, apparent in the present life, immediately effective,Sandiṭṭhikamakālikaṁ; the untroubled, the end of craving,Taṇhakkhayamanītikaṁ, to which there is no compare.Yassa natthi upamā kvaci.

Being diligent, I see himPassāmi naṁ manasā cakkhunāva, in my mind’s eye day and night.Rattindivaṁ brāhmaṇa appamatto; I spend the night in homage to him,Namassamāno vivasemi rattiṁ, hence I think I dwell with him.Teneva maññāmi avippavāsaṁ.

My faith and joy and intent and mindfulnessSaddhā ca pīti ca mano sati ca, never stray from Gotama’s teaching.Nāpentime gotamasāsanamhā; I bow to whatever directionYaṁ yaṁ disaṁ vajati bhūripañño, the one of vast wisdom heads.Sa tena teneva natohamasmi.

I’m old and feeble,Jiṇṇassa me dubbalathāmakassa, so my body cannot go there,Teneva kāyo na paleti tattha; but I always travel in my thoughts,Saṅkappayantāya vajāmi niccaṁ, for my mind, brahmin, is bound to him.Mano hi me brāhmaṇa tena yutto.

Lying floundering in the mud,Paṅke sayāno pariphandamāno, I drifted from island to island.Dīpā dīpaṁ upaplaviṁ; Then I saw the Buddha,Athaddasāsiṁ sambuddhaṁ, the undefiled one who has crossed the flood.”Oghatiṇṇamanāsavaṁ”.

“Just as Vakkali was committed to faith—“Yathā ahū vakkali muttasaddho, Bhadrāvudha and Gotama of Āḷavī too—Bhadrāvudho āḷavigotamo ca; so too you should commit to faith.Evamevaṁ tvampi pamuñcassu saddhaṁ, You will go, Piṅgiya, beyond the domain of death.”Gamissasi tvaṁ piṅgiya maccudheyyassa pāraṁ”.

“My confidence grows“Esa bhiyyo pasīdāmi, as I hear the word of the sage,Sutvāna munino vaco; the Buddha with veil cast off,Vivaṭṭacchado sambuddho, so kind and eloquent.Akhilo paṭibhānavā.

Having directly known all about the gods,Adhideve abhiññāya, he understands all top to bottom,Sabbaṁ vedi varovaraṁ; the Teacher who settles all questionsPañhānantakaro satthā, for those who admit their doubts.Kaṅkhīnaṁ paṭijānataṁ.

The unfaltering, the unshakable:Asaṁhīraṁ asaṅkuppaṁ, that to which there is no compare.Yassa natthi upamā kvaci; For sure I will go there, I have no doubt of that.Addhā gamissāmi na mettha kaṅkhā, Remember me as one whose mind is made up.”Evaṁ maṁ dhārehi adhimuttacittan”ti.

The Anthology of Discourses is completed.Suttanipātapāḷi samattā.