Tipitaka >> Sutta Pitaka >> Khuddaka Nikaya >> Theragatha >> Thera(165):Visakha the Pancali's Son
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[]
165. Visākha the Pañcālī's Son[]
Reborn in this Buddha-age in the kingdom of Magadha, as the son of a district rāja, he was named Visākha. But because he was the son of the daughter of the king of the Pañcālas,[1] he became known afterwards as the Pañcālī's son.
At his father's death he succeeded to his title, but when the Lord(Buddha) came to his neighbourhood he went to hear him, and believed, and left the world(for monkhood). Following him to Sāvatthī, he established insight, and acquired sixfold abhiññā(higher knowledge/spiritual power).
Upon that, in kindness to his own folk, he visited his native place. And as people kept coming to hear him, he was one day asked: 'How many qualities, your reverence, should a man acquire to be a preacher of the Path(Dhamma)?' The [153] Thera taught them the essential feature of such an one as follows:[2]
[209] Na ukkhipe no ca parikkhipe pare||
Na okkhipe pāragataɱ na eraye,||
Na cattavaṇṇaɱ parisāsu byāhare||
Anuddhato sammitabhāṇi subbato.|| ||
[210] Susukhumanipuṇatthadassinā||
Matikusalena nivātavuttinā,||
Saɱsevitavuddhasīlinā||
Nibbānaɱ na hi tena dullabhanti.|| ||
[209] Let him not be puffed up, nor other folk
Belittle, nor despise nor yet molest
The victor who has overcome the world.[3]
Nor let him drag the praises of himself
Before the public; let him be[4] sober, meek,
And moderate in speech and virtuous.
[210] Is there a man who can the truth discern,
Though it be very subtle and refined?
Who skilled to measure spiritual growth,
Is yet of lowly, and of gentle mind.
Who shapes his life by rule of Them that Are Awakened ones:
For him, Nibbāna is not hard to find.[5]
[1] An ancient kingdom, lying to the east of the Kurus, whose capital was where Delhi stands (Bud. India). Pronounced Panchāla.
[2] The Buddha is recorded as having assigned the first place among the dhammakathika's to Puṇṇa among the Monks (IV.), Dhammadinnā among the Sisters (Sisters, p. 17), and Citta among laymen; nevertheless, he specially praised this Thera's teaching (Saɱy. Nik., ii. 280; Ang. Nik., ii. 51).
[3] Lit., him who has gone beyond.
[4] Siyāti should here, writes the Commentary, be added as a kriyā-pada.
[5] This is Vacchapāla's saying(gatha) (LXXI.); also, be it noted, a Magadhese.
2.5-5 [165] Commentary on the stanza of Visākhapañcālaputtatthera[]
The stanza starting with Na ukkhipe no ca parikkhipe pare constitutes that of the venerable Thera Visākha Pañcālaputta. What is the origin? This one also having done devoted deeds of service toward former Buddhas, accumulating meritorious deeds conducive towards escape from rounds of repeated rebirths (vaṭṭa) in this and that existence, was reborn in a destitute family in a border village fourteen aeons (kappa) ago; on having attained the age of intelligence, he went to the forest together with people in that village who were wandering about in search of fruits; there, he saw a silent buddha, became pious-minded and offered a creeper-fruit (valliphala). On account of that merit, he wandered about his rounds of repeated rebirths among divine and human beings and was reborn in the royal family of a king’s deputy (maṇḍaḷika), in the kingdom of Magadha, when this Buddha arose; having gained the name Visākha, he was later known as Pañcālaputta because of being the son of the daughter of Pañcāla king. On the death of his father, he was exercising sovereignty, when the Master reached the neighbourhood of his own village, went to the presence of the Master, listened to the teaching of the truth (dhamma) aptly gained pious faith, became a monk, went to Sāvatthi together with the Master, placed himself in the path of developing spiritual insight (vipassanā) and became an Arahant with six sorts of higher-knowledge (abhiññā). Hence has it been said in the Apadāna:–--
“All the multitude of men came together
and went to the forest then; accordingly
in search of fruits they then obtained
fruits.
There I saw the self-awakened Buddha,
the self-dependent, the invincible;
pious-minded and good hearted, I offered
creeper fruit to Him.
It was fourteen aeons (kappa) ago, that
I then made my fruit offering; I do not
remember any evil existence; this is the
fruitful result of my offering of
fruit.
My depravity had been burnt. …
Buddha’s instruction had been carried
out.
Having, however, become an Arahant with six sorts of higher-knowledge, the Thera went to his kinsmen’s land out of compassion for his kinsmen. There, people approached the Thera and time after time, listened to his teaching the truth (dhamma) and one day they asked about the characteristic qualifications of a teacher of truth (dhamma) thus; “Venerable sir! Indeed, endowed with what qualifications, one becomes a teacher of truth (dhamma). The Thera spoke two stanzas in order to speak of the qualifications of a teacher of truth (dhamma) to them.
209. “One should not exalt (oneself);
nor should one disparage others.
One should not look down upon nor
clash with the Arahants who had
reached the further shore (pāragataṃ).
One should not speak in praise of
oneself amongst the audience (parisāsu);
one should not be snobbish (anuddhato)
but speak well measured words and should
be of good moral conduct.
210. Indeed, nibbāna is not difficult of
attainment by him who sees the extremely
delicate and subtle meaning, is clever
in knowledge, humble in behaviour, and
has the habit of serving the elderly
people well.
There, na ukkhipe connotes: one should not throw oneself up; one should not do the exalting of oneself with such qualities as birth or parentage and so on as well as much learning and so on. No ca parikkhipe pare means: one should neither throw other people all round nor throw them after having cut them completely with those self-same such qualities as birth and so on nor should one throw by way of destructiveness of qualities; one should not let down others; thus, is the connection, in this manner. Na ikkhipe means: by way of burning down (ojjhāpana) others, having made below (heṭṭhato katvā) others should not be made to be looked at; they should not be made to be burnt down; thus, is the meaning. Some scholars read; “Na ukkhipe;” that is but the meaning. Pāragataṃ means: either the Arahant, free from cankers or with threefold super-science (tevijjā) or with six sorts of higher-knowledge, who had gone to the further shore, by means of his super-science (vijjā) similar to the further shore of rounds of repeated rebirths (saṃsāra); na ereye means: one should not offend (ghaṭṭaya) nor insult (āsādeyya). Na ca’ attavaṇṇaṃ parisāsu byāhare means: one should not speak of one’s own praise and quality in such an assembly as that of the warrior princes and so on because of being desirous of gain, personal respect (sakkāka) and reputation (siloka); anuddhato means: free from flurry; indeed, they do not speak raised words; sammitabhāṇī means: speaker of measured statement but well (sammadava) is in the habit of speaking such words as are timely (kālena), with reasons (sāpadesaṃ), discriminating (pariyantavatiṃ) and but connected with benefit (atthasañhitameva); thus, is the meaning. The word of one who speaks in any other manner than this is not acceptable (aghaṇīyaṃ). Subbato means: he is of good conduct (sundsravato), endowed with moral precept. The verbal word (kiriyapadaṃ) “Siyā. (one should be)” should be brought in and thus, ought to be interpreted.
Having said about the characteristic qualification of a teacher of truth (dhamma) but in an abridged manner, the Thera spoke the second stanza starting with “susukhumanipuṇattha-dassinā,” showing thus: “Nibbāna is not difficult of gaining by a teacher of truth (dhamma) who is categorised (vidha) in this manner and who is connected with (sannisita) the field of freedom (vimuttāyatana); indeed, on the other hand, (nibbāna to him) is but easy to gain,” having come to know that the multitude had become piously pleased to a much more extent after having become clear about (adhimuccitvā) the potentiality of gaining (labbhamānataṃ) in themselves of those qualities (guṇa). Its meaning has but been said before (heṭṭhā).
The Commentary on the stanza of the Thera Visākhapañcālaputta is complete.