Jinacaritaṁ
The Life of the Victorious Buddha

[2: Avidurekathā]
[The Story of the Not-So-Distant Past]

[Paṭisandhikathā]
[The Story of the Conception]

katañjalīhi devehi yācito dipaduttamo
sambodhāya mahāvīra kālo tuyhan-ti ādinā [70]

“Mahā-Vīra tuyhaṁ Sambodhāya kālo” ti ādinā katañjalīhi Devehi yācito Dipada-Uttamo.

The Devas, with their hands held in reverential salutation, begged the Supreme Man, The epithet sounds a bit strange here, as the Bodhisatta is a deva at this point. Literally, dipaduttama means: the one supreme on two feet. saying: “Great Champion, it’s time for your Complete Awakening”, and so forth.

viloketvāna kālādiṁ ñatvā kālan-ti bodhiyā
paṭiññaṁ devasaṅghassa datvā nandanakānanaṁ [71]

gantvāna devasaṅghehi sugatiṁ gacchito cuto
abhitthuto mahāpañño cavitvāna tato idha [72]

Kāla-ādiṁ viloketvāna, “Bodhiyā kālaṁ” ti ñatvā, Deva-saṅghassa paṭiññaṁ datvā, deva-saṅghehi Nandana-Kānanaṁ gantvāna, “Ito cuto sugatiṁ gaccha,” abhitthuto Mahā-Pañño tato cavitvāna, idha

After examining the time and so forth, The five considerations are: the time, the country, the family, the mother, and her life span. and understanding “This is the time for Awakening,” after giving his promise to the assembly of Devas, and going to the Nandana Grove with the Devas (he heard): “Having passed away from here, pass on to a good state of being,” According to Jā Nid the devas in Nandana Grove are always giving this advice. the Greatly Wise One, very satisfied, after passing away from there, in this existence

susajjitaṅgoruturaṅgam-ākule
vicittanānāpaṇapaṇyasampade
manoramuttuṅgagajindarājite
vibhūsite toraṇaketurāsihi [73]

alaṅkataṭṭālavisālamālaye
sugopure sundarasundarālaye
sudassanīye kapilavhaye pure
purindadassāpi purassa hāsake [74]

su-sajjita-aṅga-uru-turaṅgama-ākule vicitta-nānā-āpaṇa-paṇya-sampade, mano-rama-uttuṅga-gaja-inda-rājite, toraṇa-ketu-rāsihi vibhūsite, alaṅkata-aṭṭāla-visāla-m-ālaye, su-go-pure, sundara-sundara-ālaye, Purindadassa-api purassa hāsake sudassanīye Kapila-vhaye pure,

(arose) in the very beautiful city called Kapila, i.e. Kapilavatthu; names are often shortened or changed around in one way or another in the verse texts, possibly because their familiarity assures there will be no confusion. (which was) crowded with great horses with decorated limbs, had various beautiful shops rich in wares, was resplendent with delightful tall lordly elephants, having towers adorned with a mass of flags, great houses decorated with watchtowers, lovely city gates, beautiful women’s houses, a city more joyful than Purindada’s city, Purindada is Sakka, so called because he is said to have gone from city to city, giving gifts: pure pure dānaṁ adāsi.

bhūpālamoḷiratanālinisevitaṅghi-
paṅkeruhaṁ vimalanekaguṇādhivāsaṁ
okkākarājakulaketum-anāthanāthaṁ
suddhodanaṁ narapatiṁ pavaraṁ paṭicca [75]

bhū-pāla-moḷi-ratana-alini-sevita-aṅghi-paṅke-āruhaṁ vimala-neka-guṇa-adhivāsaṁ Okkāka-Rāja-kula-ketuṁ anātha-nāthaṁ pavaraṁ Nara-Patiṁ Suddhodanaṁ paṭicca.

by way of Suddhodana, an excellent Master of Men, protector of those without protection, who was the pride of the family (descended from) King Okkāka, a pure dwelling place of countless virtues, whose lotus-like feet were served by bejewelled princes, Lit: protectors of the earth. (as many as) a swarm of bees.

so sajjhudāmadhavalāmaladassanīya-
soṇḍāya saṅgahitasetavarāravindaṁ
candāvadātavaravāraṇarājavaṇṇaṁ
sandassayitva supinena visālapañño [76]

So Visāla-Pañño sajjhu-dāma-dhavala-amala-dassanīya-soṇḍāya saṅgahita-seta-vara-aravindaṁ canda-avadāta-vara-vāraṇa-rāja-vaṇṇaṁ supinena sandassayitvā,

That One of Broad Wisdom, after showing himself in a dream as a beautiful, kingly, noble elephant as white as the moon, with an excellent white lotus he had picked in his lovely pure white trunk, which was like a silver chain,

bimbādharāya vikacuppalalocanāya
devindacāparativaḍḍhanabhūlatāya
sampuṇṇasommavimalinduvarānanāya
sovaṇṇahaṁsayugacārupayodharāya [77]

pādāravindakarapallavasundarāya
sovaṇṇavaṇṇatanuvaṇṇavirājitāya
sīlādinekaguṇabhūsanabhūsitāya
māyāya rājavanitāyupagañchi kucchiṁ [78]

Bimba-adharāya, vikaca-uppala-locanāya, deva-inda-cāpa-rati-vaḍḍhana-bhū-latāya, sampuṇṇa-somma-vimala-indu-vara-ānanāya, sovaṇṇa-haṁsa-yuga-cāru-payodharāya, pāda-kara-aravinda-pallava-sundarāya, sovaṇṇa-vaṇṇa-tanu-vaṇṇa-virājitāya, sīla-ādi-neka-guṇa-bhūsana-bhūsitāya, Rāja-vanitāya Māyāya kucchiṁ upagañchi.

descended to the womb of Queen Lit: the King’s woman, the expression is apparently not used elsewhere. Māyā, who had lips as red as the Bimba fruit, eyes like a blossoming lotus, eyebrows like a delightful rainbow, Lit: latā = a creeper, used figuratively for the eyebrows; devindacāpa = the lord of the devas' bow, a figure for a rainbow. with a noble face like a pure and pleasing full moon, with breasts as charming as a pair of golden swans, whose hands and feet were as lovely as lotus shoots, with resplendently beautiful skin and body, and was adorned with the adornment of countless good qualities such as virtue and so forth.

paṭisandhikkhaṇe tassa jātānekavidhabbhutā
athāyaṁ gahitārakkho narehi amarehi ca [79]

Tassa paṭisandhi-kkhaṇe neka-vidha-abbhutā jātā, atha-ayaṁ narehi amarehi ca ārakkho gahita.

At the moment he was conceived countless wonders arose, and after this he was taken care of by gods and men. It is told in Jā Nid that from the time of his conception four dieties stood guard over him and his mother to ward off any danger; but no mention is made there of men performing similar duties.

manuññarattambujakaṇṇikāya
āsīnasiṅgīpaṭimā va rammā
suvaṇṇavaṇṇo dipadānam-indo
pallaṅkam-ābhuñjiya mātugabbhe [80]

Manuñña-ratta-ambuja-kaṇṇikāya rammā āsīna-siṅgī-paṭimā va, suvaṇṇa-vaṇṇo Dipadānaṁ Indo mātu-gabbhe pallaṅkaṁ ābhuñjiya,

Like a delightful golden image sitting in a pleasing red lotus, the golden-skinned Lord of Men sat cross-legged in his mother’s womb,

maṇimhi vippasannamhi rattasuttam-ivāvutaṁ
mātucittambujaṁ dhīro bodhayanto padissati [81]

vippasannamhi maṇimhi ratta-suttaṁ āvutaṁ iva, Dhīro mātu-citta-ambujaṁ bodhayanto padissati.

like a red thread strung through a clear jewel, the Hero was to be seen enlightening his mother’s lotus-like mind.

last updated: October 2006