1124 Ajita, Tissametteyya,
Puṇṇaka and Mettagū,
Dhotaka and Upasiva,
Nanda and then Hemaka,

1125 both Todeyya and Kappa,
and Jatukaṇṇī the astute,
Bhadrāvudha and Udaya,
and the brahmin Posāla,
Mogharājā the intelligent,
and Piṅgiya the great hermit:

1126 they approached the Buddha,
the hermit of consummate conduct.
Asking their subtle questions,
they came to the most excellent Buddha.

1127 The Buddha answered their questions
in accordance with truth.
The sage satisfied the brahmins
with his answers to their questions.

1128 Those who were satisfied by the all-seer,
the Buddha, kinsman of the Sun,
led the spiritual life in his presence,
the one of such splendid wisdom.

1129 If you practice in accordance
with each of these questions
as taught by the Buddha,
you’ll go from the near shore to the far.

1130 Developing the supreme path,
you’ll go from the near shore to the far.
This path is for going to the far shore;
that’s why it’s called “The Way to the Far Shore”.

1131 “I shall keep reciting the Way to the Far Shore,”
said Venerable Piṅgiya,
“which was taught as it was seen
by the immaculate one of vast intelligence.
He is desireless, unentangled, a spiritual giant:
why would he speak falsely?

1132 Come, let me extol
in sweet words of praise
the one who’s given up stains and delusions,
conceit and contempt.

1133 The Buddha, all-seer, dispeller of darkness,
has gone to world’s end, beyond all rebirths;
he is free of defilements, and has given up all pain,
the rightly-named one, brahmin, is revered by me.

1134 Like a bird that flees a little copse,
to roost in a forest abounding in fruit,
I’ve left the near-sighted behind,
like a swan come to a great river.

1135 Those who explained to me previously,
before I encountered Gotama’s teaching,
said ‘thus it was’ or ‘so it shall be’.
All that was just the testament of hearsay;
all that just fostered speculation.

1136 Alone, the dispeler of darkness
is splendid, a beacon:
Gotama, vast in wisdom,
Gotama, vast in intelligence.

1137 He is the one who taught me Dhamma,
visible in this very life, immediately effective,
the untroubled, the end of craving,
to which there is no compare.”

1138Bāvari: “Why would you dwell apart from him
even for an hour, Piṅgiya?
From Gotama, vast in wisdom,
from Gotama, vast in intelligence?

1139 He is the one who taught you Dhamma,
visible in this very life, immediately effective,
the untroubled, the end of craving,
to which there is no compare.”

1140 “I never dwell apart from him,
not even for an hour, brahmin.
From Gotama, vast in wisdom,
from Gotama, vast in intelligence.

1141 He is the one who taught me Dhamma,
visible in this very life, immediately effective,
the untroubled, the end of craving,
to which there is no compare.

1142 Being diligent, I see him
in my mind’s eye day and night.
I spend the night in homage to him,
hence I think I dwell with him.

1143 My faith and joy and intent and mindfulness
never stray from Gotama’s teaching.
I bow to whatever direction
the one of vast wisdom heads.

1144 I’m old and feeble,
so my body cannot go there,
but I always travel in my thoughts,
for my mind, brahmin, is bound to him.

1145 Lying floundering in the mud,
I drifted from island to island.
Then I saw the Buddha,
the undefiled one who has crossed the flood.”

1146The Buddha said: “Just as Vakkali was committed to faith—
Bhadrāvudha and Gotama of Āḷavī too—
so too you should commit to faith.
You will go, Piṅgiya, beyond the domain of death.”

1147 “My confidence grows
as I hear the word of the sage,
the Buddha with veil drawn back,
so kind and eloquent.

1148 Having directly known all about the gods,
he understands all top to bottom,
the teacher who settles all questions
for those who admit their doubts.

1149 Unfaltering, unshakable;
that to which there is no compare.
For sure I will go there, I have no doubt of that.
Remember me as one whose mind is made up.”

1124Ajito tissametteyyo,
puṇṇako atha mettagū;
Dhotako upasīvo ca,
nando ca atha hemako.

1125Todeyya-kappā dubhayo,
jatukaṇṇī ca paṇḍito;
Bhadrāvudho udayo ca,
posālo cāpi brāhmaṇo;
Mogharājā ca medhāvī,
piṅgiyo ca mahāisi.

1126Ete buddhaṁ upāgacchuṁ,
sampannacaraṇaṁ isiṁ;
Pucchantā nipuṇe pañhe,
buddhaseṭṭhaṁ upāgamuṁ.

1127Tesaṁ buddho pabyākāsi,
pañhe puṭṭho yathātathaṁ;
Pañhānaṁ veyyākaraṇena,
tosesi brāhmaṇe muni.

1128Te tositā cakkhumatā,
buddhenādiccabandhunā;
Brahmacariyamacariṁsu,
varapaññassa santike.

1129Ekamekassa pañhassa,
yathā buddhena desitaṁ;
Tathā yo paṭipajjeyya,
gacche pāraṁ apārato.

1130Apārā pāraṁ gaccheyya,
bhāvento maggamuttamaṁ;
Maggo so pāraṁ gamanāya,
tasmā pārāyanaṁ iti.

1131 "Pārāyanamanugāyissaṁ,
Yathāddakkhi tathākkhāsi;
Vimalo bhūrimedhaso,
Nikkāmo nibbano nāgo;
Kissa hetu musā bhaṇe.

1132Pahīnamalamohassa,
mānamakkhappahāyino;
Handāhaṁ kittayissāmi,
giraṁ vaṇṇūpasañhitaṁ.

1133Tamonudo buddho samantacakkhu,
Lokantagū sabbabhavātivatto;
Anāsavo sabbadukkhappahīno,
Saccavhayo brahme upāsito me.

1134Dijo yathā kubbanakaṁ pahāya,
Bahupphalaṁ kānanamāvaseyya;
Evampahaṁ appadasse pahāya,
Mahodadhiṁ haṁsoriva ajjhapatto.

1135Ye me pubbe viyākaṁsu,
Huraṁ gotamasāsanā;
Iccāsi iti bhavissati,
Sabbaṁ taṁ itihītihaṁ;
Sabbaṁ taṁ takkavaḍḍhanaṁ.

1136Eko tamanudāsino,
jutimā so pabhaṅkaro;
Gotamo bhūripaññāṇo,
gotamo bhūrimedhaso.

1137Yo me dhammamadesesi,
Sandiṭṭhikamakālikaṁ;
Taṇhakkhayamanītikaṁ,
Yassa natthi upamā kvaci".

1138"Kiṁ nu tamhā vippavasasi,
muhuttamapi piṅgiya;
Gotamā bhūripaññāṇā,
gotamā bhūrimedhasā.

1139Yo te dhammamadesesi,
Sandiṭṭhikamakālikaṁ;
Taṇhakkhayamanītikaṁ,
Yassa natthi upamā kvaci".

1140"Nāhaṁ tamhā vippavasāmi,
Muhuttamapi brāhmaṇa;
Gotamā bhūripaññāṇā,
Gotamā bhūrimedhasā.

1141Yo me dhammamadesesi,
Sandiṭṭhikamakālikaṁ;
Taṇhakkhayamanītikaṁ,
Yassa natthi upamā kvaci.

1142Passāmi naṁ manasā cakkhunāva,
Rattindivaṁ brāhmaṇa appamatto;
Namassamāno vivasemi rattiṁ,
Teneva maññāmi avippavāsaṁ.

1143Saddhā ca pīti ca mano sati ca,
Nāpentime gotamasāsanamhā;
Yaṁ yaṁ disaṁ vajati bhūripañño,
Sa tena teneva natohamasmi.

1144Jiṇṇassa me dubbalathāmakassa,
Teneva kāyo na paleti tattha;
Saṅkappayantāya vajāmi niccaṁ,
Mano hi me brāhmaṇa tena yutto.

1145Paṅke sayāno pariphandamāno,
Dīpā dīpaṁ upaplaviṁ;
Athaddasāsiṁ sambuddhaṁ,
Oghatiṇṇamanāsavaṁ".

1146"Yathā ahū vakkali muttasaddho,
Bhadrāvudho āḷavigotamo ca;
Evamevaṁ tvampi pamuñcassu saddhaṁ,
Gamissasi tvaṁ piṅgiya maccudheyyassa pāraṁ".

1147"Esa bhiyyo pasīdāmi,
Sutvāna munino vaco;
Vivaṭṭacchado sambuddho,
Akhilo paṭibhānavā.

1148Adhideve abhiññāya,
Sabbaṁ vedi varovaraṁ;
Pañhānantakaro satthā,
Kaṅkhīnaṁ paṭijānataṁ.

1149Asaṁhīraṁ asaṅkuppaṁ,
Yassa natthi upamā kvaci;
Addhā gamissāmi na mettha kaṅkhā,
Evaṁ maṁ dhārehi adhimuttacittan"ti.