83. Nipannañjalika

Tha-ap 85

Fine exposed roots cross a forest bank beside a clear spring.

Walt 1512 Seated at the foot of a tree
I became extremely diseased.
In the forest grove I attained
an extremely pitiful state. Verse 1

Walt 1513 Having taken pity on me,
the Teacher, Tissa, approached me.
As I lay there dying I then
pressed both my hands over my head. Verse 2

Walt 1514 With a pleased heart and happy mind,
having worshipped the Sambuddha,
the Ultimate Among Beings,
I passed away right on the spot. Verse 3

Walt 1515 In the ninety-two aeons since
I worshipped him, the Best Person,
I’ve come to know no bad rebirth:
that is the fruit of worshipping. Verse 4

Walt 1516 In the fifth aeon after that
there were five named Mahāsikha,
wheel-turning kings with great power
possessors of the seven gems. Verse 5

Walt 1517 The four analytical modes,
and these eight deliverances,
six special knowledges mastered,
I have done what the Buddha taught! Verse 6

Thus indeed Venerable Nipannañjalika Thera spoke these verses.

The legend of Nipannañjalika 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.