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427. {430.} Sovaṇṇakattarika

Tha-ap 432

A pale fallen petal beside a small woodland rain puddle.

Walt 4617 The Self-Composed One, the Buddha,
the Self-Tamer, Attentive One,
Wandering the Path of Brahmā,
Delighting in Mental Relief, Verse 1

Walt 4618 the Flood-Crosser, the Sambuddha,
Who Loves Meditation and Trance,
the Sage, the Seated One, Attainer,
Brilliant as Blue Lotus Petals: Verse 2

Walt 4619 I approached him, the Best Buddha,
taking a gourd to hold water.
After washing the Buddha’s feet,
I gave that water-gourd to him. Verse 3

Walt 4620 The Sambuddha then had it fetched,
the Leader, Padumuttara,
“Bringing more water with this gourd,
place it at the soles of my feet.” Verse 4

Walt 4621 Agreeing, saying, “Excellent,”
and with respect for the Teacher,
carrying water with the gourd,
I brought it to the Best Buddha. Verse 5

Walt 4622 The Great Hero gave thanks for that,
quenching the anguish in my heart,
“Because of giving me this gourd,
let what you think be accomplished.” Verse 6

Walt 4623 For fifteen aeons after that,
I delighted in the gods’ world,
and thirty times I was a king,
a king who turns the wheel of law. Verse 7

Walt 4624 Whether by day or else by night,
walking back and forth or standing,
a water pot made out of gold
is standing right in front of me. Verse 8

Walt 4625 Giving a gourd to the Buddha,
I receive a gold water-pot:
the deed done with little trouble
becomes huge like that later on. Verse 9

Walt 4626 In the hundred thousand aeons
since I gave him that gourd back then,
I’ve come to know no bad rebirth:
that’s the fruit of giving a gourd. Verse 10

Walt 4627 My defilements are now burnt up;
all new existence is destroyed.
Like elephants with broken chains,
I am living without constraint. Verse 11

Walt 4628 Being in Best Buddha’s presence
was a very good thing for me.
The three knowledges are attained;
I have done what the Buddha taught! Verse 12

Walt 4629 The four analytical modes,
and these eight deliverances,
six special knowledges mastered,
I have done what the Buddha taught! Verse 13

Thus indeed Venerable Sovaṇṇakattarika Thera spoke these verses.

The legend of Sovaṇṇakattarika Thera is finished.

The Summary:

Sakiṁsammajjaka Thera,
Ekadussī, thus Āsanī,
then Kadamba and Koraṇḍa,
Ghataṅ, also Savanika,
Sucintita, Kiṇkhanika,
and Soṇṇa-Kattarika too:
there are a hundred verses here
plus seventy-one more verses

The Sakiṁsammajjaka Chapter, the Forty-Third

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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.