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16. Rāhula

Tha-ap 18

A narrow trail opens into a spacious meadow under a silver sky.

Walt 741 I gifted a mirrored surface
in the seven-story palace
of Blessed Padumuttara
the World’s Best One, the Neutral One. Verse 1

Walt 742 The Biped-Lord, the Bull of Men,
the Great Sage then surrounded by
a thousand arahants undefiled
proceeded to his perfumed hut. Verse 2

Walt 743 Standing in the monks’ Assembly,
and lighting up that perfumed hut,
the God of Gods, the Bull of Men,
the Teacher, spoke these verses then: Verse 3

Walt 744 “I shall relate details of him
who would cause this palace to shine
with a mirror well spread out here;
all of you listen to my words: Verse 4

Walt 745 Things made of gold, things of silver,
things made of lapis lazuli;
whatever things he wishes for
will arise in the sky for him. Verse 5

Walt 746 Sixty-four times the king of gods
he will exercise divine rule;
a thousand times he’s going to be
a wheel-turner, without a break. Verse 6

Walt 747 In the twenty-first aeon hence
the Kṣatriyan named Vimala
victorious on all four sides
will be a wheel-turning monarch. Verse 7

Walt 748 His city, called Reṇuvatī,
will be well-fashioned out of tile.
Each side three hundred leagues in length
will be joined rectangularly. Verse 8

Walt 749 His palace named Sudassana
constructed by Vissakamma
will be furnished with gabled cells
studded with seven kinds of gems. Verse 9

Walt 750 Filled with divine musicians,
and never lacking the ten sounds;
it will be like Sudassana,
the city where the gods reside. Verse 10

Walt 751 Even when its radiance dims,
as though the sun were rising then
it will be made to shine brightly
eight leagues in every direction. Verse 11

Walt 752 In one hundred thousand aeons,
arising in Okkāka’s clan,
the one whose name is Gotama
will be the Teacher in the world. Verse 12

Walt 753 Falling from Tusitā heaven,
incited by his wholesome roots,
he’ll be the legitimate son
of Gotama the Blessed One. Verse 13

Walt 754 If he should remain in the house
then he would be a wheel-turner.
For that reason an arahant can’t
obtain pleasure within the house. Verse 14

Walt 755 Being well-trained he will renounce
after going forth from the house.
He will be known as Rāhula
and he will become an arahant.” Verse 15

Walt 756 “As a blue jay protects its eggs
and as an ox protects its tail,
so too, Great Sage, I being wise
and moral did protect virtue. Verse 16

Walt 757 Understanding his Teaching, I
lived loving his dispensation.
Knowing well all the defilements,
without defilements I now live. Verse 17

Walt 758 The four analytical modes,
and these eight deliverances,
six special knowledges mastered,
I have done what the Buddha taught! Verse 18

Thus indeed Venerable Rāhula Thera spoke these verses.

The legend of Venerable Rāhula Thera is finished.

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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.