143. Vedikāraka

Tha-ap 145

Amber leaves floating along a clear woodland stream over smooth stones.

Walt 1950 When the World’s Lord reached nirvana,
Piyadassi, Ultimate Man,
with a pleased heart and happy mind,
I made the Buddha a railing. Verse 1

Walt 1951 Having surrounded it with gems
I made that ultimate rail then,
and having made that great railing
I passed away right on the spot. Verse 2

Walt 1952 In whichever womb I’m reborn,
whether it’s human or divine,
gemstones are carried in the sky:
that is the fruit of good karma. Verse 3

Walt 1953 In the sixteenth aeon ago
there were thirty-two different kings,
all wheel-turners with great power,
and they were named Maṇippabhā. Verse 4

Walt 1954 The four analytical modes,
and these eight deliverances,
six special knowledges mastered,
I have done what the Buddha taught! Verse 5

Thus indeed Venerable Vedikāraka Thera spoke these verses.

The legend of Vedikāraka Thera is finished.

Connections

Collection & context

TherāpadānaThe collection containing this text
The Pāli canonCanonical collection in which this edition is preserved
Theravāda traditionsTransmission and study context
The early Buddhist communityHistorical and traditional setting

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.