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133. Candanapūjaka

Tha-ap 135

A small wildflower thriving in a narrow crack in stone.

Walt 1886 On Candabhāgā River’s bank,
I was a kinnara back then.
I lived on flowers as my food
and dressed in clothes made of flowers. Verse 1

Walt 1887 But Atthadassi, Blessed One,
the World’s Best One, the Bull of Men,
departed through the forest’s roof,
like a swan-king flies through the air. Verse 2

Walt 1888 “Praise to you, O Well-Bred Person;
your heart is so well-purified.
Your complexion shows your pleasure;
your face shows your senses are clear.” Verse 3

Walt 1889 The Wise One, Great Intelligence,
having descended from the sky,
and spreading out his upper robe
sat on it, legs crossed together. Verse 4

Walt 1890 Carrying some sandalwood oil,
I went to the Victor's presence.
Happy, with pleasure in my heart,
I gave that oil to the Buddha. Verse 5

Walt 1891 Having worshipped the Sambuddha,
the World’s Best One, the Bull of Men,
experiencing great delight,
I departed facing the north. Verse 6

Walt 1892 In the eighteen hundred aeons
since I did sandalwood-pūjā,
I’ve come to know no bad rebirth:
that’s the fruit of Buddha-pūjā. Verse 7

Walt 1893 In the fourteenth aeon ago
there were three people who lived then,
all known by the name Rohiṇi,
wheel-turning kings with great power. Verse 8

Walt 1894 The four analytical modes,
and these eight deliverances,
six special knowledges mastered,
I have done what the Buddha taught! Verse 9

Thus indeed Venerable Candanapūjaka Thera spoke these verses.

The legend of Candanapūjaka Thera is finished.

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About this edition

Translation by Jonathan S. Walters · SuttaCentral · CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 US

Noncommercial reuse with attribution and the same license. Original publication and digitization credits are preserved below.

Translated by Jonathan S. Walters.

Whitman College, 2017

Legends of the Buddhist Saints (Apadāna) is released under the Attribution, Non-Commercial, Share Alike license.

This is the first-ever complete translation of Apadāna into a Western language.

For more information, visit apadanatranslation.org

Prepared for SuttaCentral by Ayya Vimala.

Published source. Translation wording and order are preserved; source headings and notes are retained, with navigation and formatting adapted for this reader.

The opening image is AI-generated nature artwork for Buddhist Atlas, an evocative companion rather than a historical depiction.