1At Sāvatthī.

Standing to one side, the god Māgadha addressed the Buddha in verse:

2“How many lamps are there,
to shine their light on the world?
We’ve come to ask the Buddha;
how are we to understand this?”

3“There are four lamps in the world,
a fifth is not found.
The sun shines by day,
the moon glows at night,

4while a fire burns both
by day and by night.
But a Buddha is the best of lights:
this is the supreme radiance.”

1Sāvatthinidānaṁ.

Ekamantaṁ ṭhito kho māgadho devaputto bhagavantaṁ gāthāya ajjhabhāsi: 

2"Kati lokasmiṁ pajjotā,
yehi loko pakāsati;
Bhavantaṁ puṭṭhumāgamma,
kathaṁ jānemu taṁ mayan"ti.

3"Cattāro loke pajjotā,
pañcamettha na vijjati;
Divā tapati ādicco,
rattimābhāti candimā.

4Atha aggi divārattiṁ,
tattha tattha pakāsati;
Sambuddho tapataṁ seṭṭho,
esā ābhā anuttarā"ti.