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33. Mahā-Kaccāna

Tha-ap 35

A small clear wave washes across smooth shoreline pebbles.

Walt 1033 Covering it over with gold,
I had a lion-throne fashioned
at the shrine known as “Paduma”
of the Lord Padumuttara. Verse 1

Walt 1034 Taking an umbrella of gems
and a fan made out of ox-tail,
I placed them there for that Buddha,
the World’s Kinsman, the Neutral One. Verse 2

Walt 1035 Throughout the earth the lesser gods
all gathered together there then.
“He’ll relate the karmic results
of umbrellas and seats of gems. Verse 3

Walt 1036 We will listen to all that’s said
when the Teacher is speaking thus.
We will produce great happiness
in the Buddha’s dispensation.” Verse 4

Walt 1037 Sitting down on the throne of gold,
the Self-Become One, Top Person,
encompassed by the Assembly
then spoke these verses about me: Verse 5

Walt 1038 “I shall relate details of him
who has given this throne to me,
made of gold and also of gems;
all of you listen to my words: Verse 6

Walt 1039 For thirty aeons, king of gods,
he will exercise divine rule.
A hundred leagues surrounding him
he will conquer with his bright light. Verse 7

Walt 1040 Having come to the human world
he will be a wheel-turning king.
His name will be Pabhassara
and he will possess great power. Verse 8

Walt 1041 Like the risen hundred-rayed sun,
whether it is day or it’s night,
that Kṣatriyan will shine forth there
eight cubits all around himself. Verse 9

Walt 1042 In one hundred thousand aeons,
arising in Okkāka’s clan,
the one whose name is Gotama
will be the Teacher in the world. Verse 10

Walt 1043 Falling from Tusitā heaven,
incited by his wholesome roots,
he’ll be born as Brahma’s kinsman;
his name will then be Kaccāna. Verse 11

Walt 1044 After he renounces the world,
he’ll be an arahant, undefiled.
Gotama, the Lamp of the World
will place him in a foremost place. Verse 12

Walt 1045 He’ll explicate in great detail
the problems that are posed in brief.
Explicating thus that problem
he will fulfill all their desires.” Verse 13

Walt 1046 Being born in a wealthy clan,
a brahmin master of mantras,
giving up my wealth and grain I
then went forth into homelessness. Verse 14

Walt 1047 I explicate in great detail
the problems posed only in brief.
Fulfilling all of their desires
I satisfy the Best Biped. Verse 15

Walt 1048 Satisfied by me, the Hero,
the Self-Become One, Top Person,
seated in the monks’ Assembly
did place me in that foremost place. Verse 16

Walt 1049 The four analytical modes,
and these eight deliverances,
six special knowledges mastered,
I have done what the Buddha taught! Verse 17

Thus indeed Venerable Mahākaccāna Thera spoke these verses.

The legend of Mahākaccāna Thera is finshed.

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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.