343 “I ask the teacher unrivaled in wisdom,
who has cut off all doubts in this very life:
a monk has died at Aggāḷava, who was
well-known, famous, and quenched.

344 Nigrodhakappa was his name;
it was given to that brahmin by you, Blessed One.
He wandered in your honor, yearning for freedom,
energetic, a resolute Seer of Truth.

345 O Sakyan, all-seer,
we all wish to know about that disciple.
Our ears are eager to hear,
for you are the most excellent teacher.

346 Cut off our doubt, declare this to us;
your wisdom is vast, tell us of his quenching!
All-seer, speak among us,
like the thousand-eyed Sakka in the midst of the gods!

347 Whatever ties there are, or paths to delusion,
or things on the side of unknowing, or that are bases of doubt
vanish on reaching a Realized One,
for his eye is the best of all people’s.

348 If no man were ever to disperse corruptions,
like the wind dispersing the clouds,
darkness would shroud the whole world;
not even brilliant men would shine.

349 The wise are bringers of light;
my hero, that is what I think of you.
We’ve come for your discernment and knowledge:
here in this assembly, declare to us about Kappāyana.

350 Swiftly send forth your sweet, sweet voice,
like a goose stretching its neck, gently honking,
lucid-flowing, with lovely tone:
alert, we all listen to you.

351 You have entirely abandoned birth and death;
restrained and pure, I urge you to speak the Dhamma!
For while ordinary people have no wish-granter,
Realized Ones have a comprehensibility-granter.

352 Your answer is definitive, and we will adopt it,
for you have perfect understanding.
We raise our joined palms one last time,
one of unrivaled wisdom, don’t deliberately confuse us.

353 Knowing the noble teaching from top to bottom,
unrivaled hero, don’t deliberately confuse us.
As a man baking in the summer sun would long for water,
I long for your voice, so let the sound rain down.

354Surely Kappāyana did not lead the spiritual life in vain?
Did he realize quenching,
or did he still have a remnant of defilement?
Let us hear what kind of liberation he had!”

355 “He cut off craving for name and form right here,”
said the Buddha,
“the river of darkness that had long lain within him.
He has entirely crossed over birth and death.”
So declared the Blessed One, the leader of the five.

356 “Now that I have heard your words,
seventh of sages, I am confident.
My question, it seems, was not in vain,
the brahmin did not deceive me.

357 As he said, so he did—
he was a disciple of the Buddha.
He cut the net of death the deceiver,
so extended and strong.

358 Blessed One, Kappāyana saw
the starting point of grasping.
He has indeed gone far beyond
Death’s domain so hard to pass.”

343"Pucchāmi satthāramanomapaññaṁ,
Diṭṭheva dhamme yo vicikicchānaṁ chettā;
Aggāḷave kālamakāsi bhikkhu,
Ñāto yasassī abhinibbutatto.

344 Nigrodhakappo iti tassa nāmaṁ,
Tayā kataṁ bhagavā brāhmaṇassa;
So taṁ namassaṁ acari mutyapekkho,
Āraddhaviriyo daḷhadhammadassī.

345 Taṁ sāvakaṁ sakya mayampi sabbe,
Aññātumicchāma samantacakkhu;
Samavaṭṭhitā no savanāya sotā,
Tuvaṁ no satthā tvamanuttarosi.

346 Chindeva no vicikicchaṁ brūhi metaṁ,
Parinibbutaṁ vedaya bhūripañña;
Majjheva no bhāsa samantacakkhu,
Sakkova devāna sahassanetto.

347 Ye keci ganthā idha mohamaggā,
Aññāṇapakkhā vicikicchaṭhānā;
Tathāgataṁ patvā na te bhavanti,
Cakkhuñhi etaṁ paramaṁ narānaṁ.

348 No ce hi jātu puriso kilese,
Vāto yathā abbhaghanaṁ vihāne;
Tamovassa nivuto sabbaloko,
Na jotimantopi narā tapeyyuṁ.

349 Dhīrā ca pajjotakarā bhavanti,
Taṁ taṁ ahaṁ vīra tatheva maññe;
Vipassinaṁ jānamupāgamumhā,
Parisāsu no āvikarohi kappaṁ.

350 Khippaṁ giraṁ eraya vaggu vagguṁ,
Haṁsova paggayha saṇikaṁ nikūja;
Bindussarena suvikappitena,
Sabbeva te ujjugatā suṇoma.

351 Pahīnajātimaraṇaṁ asesaṁ,
Niggayha dhonaṁ vadessāmi dhammaṁ;
Na kāmakāro hi puthujjanānaṁ,
Saṅkheyyakāro ca tathāgatānaṁ.

352 Sampannaveyyākaraṇaṁ tavedaṁ,
Samujjupaññassa samuggahītaṁ;
Ayamañjalī pacchimo suppaṇāmito,
Mā mohayī jānamanomapañña.

353 Parovaraṁ ariyadhammaṁ viditvā,
Mā mohayī jānamanomavīra;
Vāriṁ yathā ghammani ghammatatto,
Vācābhikaṅkhāmi sutaṁ pavassa.

354 Yadatthikaṁ brahmacariyaṁ acarī,
Kappāyano kaccissa taṁ amoghaṁ;
Nibbāyi so ādu saupādiseso,
Yathā vimutto ahu taṁ suṇoma".

355 "Acchecchi taṇhaṁ idha nāmarūpe,
Kaṇhassa sotaṁ dīgharattānusayitaṁ;
Atāri jātiṁ maraṇaṁ asesaṁ",
Iccabravī bhagavā pañcaseṭṭho.

 

356 "Esa sutvā pasīdāmi,
Vaco te isisattama;
Amoghaṁ kira me puṭṭhaṁ,
Na maṁ vañcesi brāhmaṇo.

357 Yathāvādī tathākārī,
Ahu buddhassa sāvako;
Acchidā maccuno jālaṁ,
Tataṁ māyāvino daḷhaṁ.

358 Addasā bhagavā ādiṁ,
Upādānassa kappiyo;
Accagā vata kappāyano,
Maccudheyyaṁ suduttaran"ti.