Tipitaka >> Sutta Pitaka >> Khuddaka Nikaya >> Theragatha >> Thera(164):Mogharajan
Adapted from the Archaic Translation by Mrs. C.A.F. Rhys Davids.
Commentary (Atthakatha) By Acariya Dhammapala
Note: 'C' in Pali text is pronounced as 'ch' as in 'China'.
Chapter II.
Two Verses[]
164. Mogharājan[]
Reborn in this Buddha-age in a brahmin's family, and named Mogharājan,[1] he studied under the brahmin(priest) Bāvariya. Growing distressed, he became an ascetic. He was one of the sixteen, Ajita and others, who was sent by Bāvariya to the Lord(Buddha) to interview him.[2] When Mogharājan had asked his question and been answered, he attained arahantship(enlightenment).
Thereafter he acquired distinction by wearing rough cloth which caravaners, tailors and dyers had thrown away. For that reason the Lord(Buddha) assigned him the first place among those who wore such rough clothing [he by that realizing his aspiration made many ages ago].[3]
At another time, from want of care and through former karma, pimples and the like broke out and increased on his body. Judging that his lodging was infected, he spread out a couch of straw in the Magadha fields, and there, though it was winter, he lodged. Of him, waiting one day [152] upon the Lord(Buddha), and paying his respects, the latter of his courtesy inquired in the following verse:
[207] Chavipāpaka [27] cittabhaddaka||
Mogharāja satataɱ samāhito,||
Hemantikasītakālarattiyo||
Bhikkhu tvaɱsi kathaɱ karissasi.|| ||
[208] Sampannasassā magadhā kevalā iti me sutaɱ,||
Palālacchannako seyyaɱ yathaññe sukhajīvino' ti.|| ||
[207] Well, Mogharājan, you skin-sufferer,
You blessed of heart and constantly serene,
Comes the time when winter nights are cold,
And you a Monk poor - how will you manage?
[208] Thus asked, the Thera explained the matter to the Lord(Buddha):
Rich are the cornfields of the Magadhese,[4]
And thriving, every one, I have heard it said.
My little straw-built canopy did please
Better than others' way of finding comfort.
[1] This curious name (= futile king) seems to be nowhere explained. The one so named in Saɱy. Nik., i. 23, seems to be a deva, but a verse by a Mogharāja-Thera in Milinda, ii. 359, is one of those not incorporated in this Canon.
[2] See Sutta-Nipata, verses 976 1031, 1116-1119. Cf. also XX (Ajita), and the varied 'Bāvarī,' 'Bāvariya-brahmano.'
[3] Ang. Nik., i. 25.
[4] On the large fields of Magadha see my 'Early Economic Conditions in Northern India,' JRAS, 1901, p. 860. Khetta, the collective singular, has here become khettāni, but cf. p. 153.
2.5-4 [164] Commentary on the stanza of Mogharājatthera[]
The stanza starting Chavipāpakacittabhaddakā constitutes that of the venerable Thera Mogharāja. What is the origin? This one also having done devoted deeds of service toward former Buddhas, was reborn in a family home at the time of the Blessed One Padumuttara; on having attained the age of intelligence, he kept listening to the teaching of truth (dhamma), one day, in the presence of the Master, when he saw the Master placing a monk in the foremost position of those who wear shabby robes (lūkha cīvara); desiring that ranking position, he made his resolution, kept on performing acts of merit in this and that existence, was reborn in the family of a brahmin, at the time of the Blessed One Atthadassī, reached proficiency in the arts and sciences of the brahmins, and was teaching the brahmin youths arts and sciences when, one day, he saw the Blessed One Atthadassī on His move (gacchantaṃ) surrounded by the clergy of monks, became pious-minded, paid his homage with his posture of five earth-touchings (pañcapatiṭṭhita), placed his clasped hands on his head, particularly praised the Master by means of six stanzas starting with “Yāvatārūpino satthā,” filled the bowl (bhājanaṃ) and offered honey to Him.
On account of that act of merit, he wandered about his rounds of repeated rebirths amongst divine and human beings and became a minister of the king named Kaṭṭhavāhana at the time of the Blessed One Kassapa; on being sent by that king with a thousand men to bring the Master, he went to the presence of the Master, listened to the truth (dhamma), aptly gained pious faith, became a monk, did his duties of a monk for twenty thousand years, passed away thence, wandered about his rounds of repeated rebirths but in excellent existences, for an intervening period between one Buddha and another (Buddhantara), and was reborn in a brahmin family, when this Buddha arose; having gained the name Mogharājā he had himself trained to be learned in the brahmin lore (ugghitasippo) in the presence of the brahmin Bāvarī, became remorseful, renounced the world by becoming a hermit-recluse, and being sent to the presence of the Master together with Ajita and so on, surrounded by a thousand hermits, he asked questions as the fifteenth of them and attained Arahantship at the all-round end of answering the questions. Hence has it been said in the Apadāna:–
“The Blessed One Atthadassī, the self-
dependant and invincible, surrounded by
(paribyūḷho) clergy of monks, entered
upon the chariot road.
I, well surrounded by my pupils,
specially came out of my house;
having come out there, I saw the
leader of the world.
Having paid my homage to the self-
awakened Buddha, I placed my clasped
hands on my head; having made my mind
piously pleased, I made my praise of
the leader of the world.
All the living beings as many and
varied as they comprise creatures with
from (rūpī) or without form (arūpī) or
without perception (asaññī) are well
merged (samogadhā) within (anto)
your knowledge. Whoever might surround
the water with a fine-meshed (sukhumacchika)
net, whatever aquatic creatures there may
be, they all get into your net.
Whoever have awareness (cetanā) whether
they are with form (rūpino) or formless
(arūpino), all of them well merged
(samogadhā) within your knowledge.
You well pull our (samuddharasi) this
world, well disturbed (samākulaṃ) with
darkness; having listened to the truth
(dhamma) taught by you, they do cross
over the stream of doubt.
When your knowledge shines bright in
the world which is enveloped by ignorance
and hidden (otthaṭe) by darkness, the
blinding darkness becomes dispelled.
You are the eye of all, the dispeller
of deep darkness; having heard your
teaching of the truth (dhamma), the
multitude of men, enter nibbāna.
Having filled a small container with
soe clear honey, I lifted it up with
both of my hands and offered the same
to the great Sage.
The great heroic Sage accepted my offering
with His own hand; the Omniscient Buddha
enjoyed that honey and went up through
the air into the sky.
The Master Atthadassī, the Bull among
men, having stood in the sky, spoke these
stanzas making my mind piously pleased.
He, by whom my knowledge had been praised
and Buddha, the best, eulogised, never goes
to evil existence on account of that piously
pleased mind (of his).
For fourteen times, he will exercise divine
sovereignty; for eight hundred times as the
monarch of the earth, he will inhabit the
earth (vasudhaṃ āvasissati).
For five hundred times, he will become
a world-king and he will make himself on
earth a regional ruler for innumerable
occasions.
As a reciter and bearer of charms (manta)
proficient in the three vedas, he will
become a monk in the dispensation of the
Blessed One Gotama.
He will, by means of his knowledge,
scrutinise (vicinissati) the deep and
subtle meaning and become a disciple
of the Master known by the name of
Moghanājā.
Gotama, foremost caravan-leader will
place, at the foremost position, him,
endowed with threefold super-science
(vijjā), an Arahant free from cankers
with his duty done.
Having forsaken human fetters (yoga)
and cut off the bondage of existence,
I dwell free from cankers (anāsavo)
after having all round understood all
the cankers.
My depravity had been burnt. …
Buddha’s instruction had been carried
out.”
Having, however, attained Arahantship, he wore a pair of robes made of raga (paṃsukūla) endowed with three kinds (vidha) of meagreness in such a variety as: meagre knife (sattha), meagre thread (sutta) and meagre dye (rajana). On that account, the Master placed him in the foremost position of those who wear meagre pair of robes. Subsequently, the Thera developed eruptions, boils and so on, on his body for not doing the looking after, owing to (paccaya) the deeds (kamma) to be done previously (purima). Saying to himself: “The monastery is being offended (dussati)” he slept (seti) after having spread straw-spreads in the fields of Magadha even in the cold season (hemante). One day the Master, by means of first stanza, starting with “Chavipāpaka” etc., in the way of welcoming conversation (paṭisanthārevasena) asked him, who was seated on one side, after he had approached Him and paid Him his homage, in order to attend upon Him.
207. There, chavipāpaka means: O monk of spoilt skin (duṭṭhachavika), contemptible skin, because of the skin having become broken by marshy eruptions, boils and so on. Cittabhaddaka means: O well-minded and good hearted! By abandonment of depravity totally. Mogharāja means the address made to him. Satataṃamāhito means: with your mind well-composed, ever permanently and constantly by means of your concentration (samādhi) on the foremost fruition (aggaphala). Hemantikasītakālarattiyo means (in) cold night periods of time in the cold season; this is a word in the accusative case (upayogavacanaṃ) in absolute (accenta) construction (saṃyoga). There is such a test (pāḷi) also as: “Hemantikā sītakālarattiyo). There, hemantika means; merging into the cold season, included into the cold season; thus, is the meaning. bhikkhu(monk) twaṃ’si means: O monk! Who are you? Having become in this manner, when other people, having made a monastery, did not offer you and you were not entering the monastery common to the congregation of monks (saṃghikaṃ senāsanaṃ). Kathaṃ karissasi means: how did you make your body survive in such cold climate as has been said? Thus, the Master asked. Having been asked, however, in this manner, the Thera spoke this stanza in order to speak about that matter to the Master:–
208. “All the people of Magadha are wholly
well-provided with crops; thus have I
heard; I sleep covered with straw,
according as others with easy life.
There, sampannassassā means: people with completed crops. Magadhā means: he says of the kingdom of Magadha; royal princes who live in the district named Magadha; although their abode is a single district, it has been said in the plural as but “Magadhā” by way of tradition (ruḷhī). Kevala means: without remainder. Iti me sutaṃ means: it was heard by me in this manner. There, whatever region has not been seen, by way of that it has been heard; thus, it has been said. By that statement the Thera shows thus: “I am able to dwell any and every where in such a time as this.” Pelālacehannako seyyaṃ, yathaññe sukhajīvuno means: according as other monks who were leading easy lives (sukhajīvino), having gained suitable monastery (senā sanasappāya) slept blissfully with excellent spreads and cloaks; in the same manner, I also lay down and slept covered over with straw, because of my body being covered but by the cover of straw both above and across after having spread the straw-spread below me; I made my bed for sleeping; thus, he made manifest his own contentment in whatever is obtained accordingly.
The Commentary on the stanza of the Thera Mogharājā is complete.