Jinacaritaṁ
The Life of the Victorious Buddha
[Acchariyakathā]
[The Story of the Wonders]
anaññasādhāraṇanādam-uttamaṁ
surāsurabrahmanarindapūjitaṁ
narindam-ādāya gato mahājano
susajjitaṁ taṁ kapilavhayaṁ puraṁ [97]
Uttamaṁ anañña-asādhāraṇa-nādaṁ Sura-Asura-Brahma-Nara-inda-pūjitaṁ Nara-indaṁ ādāya mahā-jano, taṁ susajjitaṁ Kapila-vhayaṁ puraṁ gato.
At this supreme, rare and extraordinary sound the Suras, Asuras, The
bhārātibhāranagapādapamerurājaṁ
sabbam-pi sāgarajalaṁ vahituṁ samatthā
jātakkhaṇe pi guṇabhāram-asayhamānā
saṅkampayīva paṭhavī pavarassa tassa [98]
Paṭhavī bhāra-atibhāra-naga-pādapa-Meru-Rājaṁ pi, sabbaṁ sāgara-jalaṁ pi, vahituṁ samatthā, tassa pavarassa guṇa-bhāraṁ asayhamānā iva, jāta-kkhaṇe saṅkampayi.
The Earth, though strong enough to bear the weight, the very great weight, of the forests of trees, Meru the King (of mountains), and also all the waters of the ocean, as though unable (to bear) the weight of the virtues of that most excellent (being), at the moment of his birth trembled.
ramiṁsu soṇā hariṇehi saddhiṁ
kākā ulūkehi udaggudaggā
supaṇṇarājūhi mahoragā ca
majjārasaṅghā pi ca undurehi [99]
Ramiṁsu soṇā hariṇehi saddhiṁ, kākā ulūkehi udaggudaggā, Supaṇṇa-Rājūhi mahoragā ca, majjārasaṅghā pi ca undurehi.
1) Dogs sported with deer, crows gleefuly (sported) with owls, snakes Synonymous for the
migā migindehi samāgamiṁsu
puttehi mātāpitaro yatheva
nāvā videsam-pi gatā sadesaṁ
gatā va kaṇḍaṁ sarabhaṅgasatthu [100]
Mātā-pitaro puttehi yathā iva, migā miga-indehi samāgamiṁsu; Sarabhaṅga-satthu kaṇḍaṁ va, nāvā videsaṁ gatā pi sadesaṁ gatā.
Just as parents with their children, so animals associated with (lions, known as) the Lord of Animals; This is the first of 32 signs which occurred at the birth of the Bodhisatta. According to Jā Nid they also occurred at his conception. The list here differs somewhat from that given in the Jā Nid. Nor is it exactly clear how we should number the wonders, though I have, in fact, managed to bring the number to 32 here. 2) and just as the teacher Sarabhaṅga’s arrow (returned to him), See Sarabhaṅgajātaka (522), where the Bodhisatta in his life as Sarabhaṅga was an unrivalled bowman. One of his skills was to shoot with one arrow four bananas placed at each of the four quarters and retrieve the arrow which returned to him afterwards! so ships which had gone to foreign lands returned to their home lands. This wonder is not found in Jā Nid.
nānāvirāgujjalapaṅkajehi
vibhūsito santataraṅgamālo
mahaṇṇavo āsi tahiṁ jalam-pi
accantasātattam-upāgamāsi [101]
Mahā-aṇṇavo nānā virāga-ujjala-paṅkajehi vibhūsito; santa-taraṅga-mālo āsi; tahiṁ jalaṁ pi accanta-sātattam-upāgamāsi.
3) The great ocean was decorated with variously coloured glorious lotuses; 4) the foaming waves became peaceful, and its waters approached exceeding sweetness.
suphulla-olambakapaṅkajehi
samākulattaṁ gaganaṁ agañchi
jahiṁsu pakkhī gamanaṁ nabhamhi
ṭhitā va sindhū pi asandamānā [102]
Gaganaṁ suphulla-olambaka-paṁkajehi samākulattaṁ agañchi; pakkhī nabhamhi gamanaṁ jahiṁsu, sindhū pi asandamānā ṭhitā va.
5) The sky became overcrowded with hanging lotuses in full bloom; 6) the birds abandoned their flight through the air, 7) and the rivers stood still, and did not flow. The point of these two similies is that all signs of restlessness were put aside.
akālameghappiyasaṅgamena
mahīvadhū sommatamā ahosi
marūhi vassāpitanekapuppha
vibhūsitenātivibhūsitā va [103]
Mahī-vadhū akāla-megha-ppiya-saṅgamena somma-tamā ahosi, Marūhi vassāpita-neka-puppha vibhūsitena-ativibhūsitā va.
8) As a bride becomes supremely beautiful through loving intercourse, so the Earth (became supremely beautiful) through a meeting with an out-of-season cloud, being adorned with the great adornment of countless flowers rained down as it were by the Maruts. The
suphullamālābharaṇābhirāmā
lataṅganāliṅgitapādapindā
sugandhakiñjakkhavarambarehi
disaṅganāyo atisobhayiṁsu [104]
Suphulla-mālā-bharaṇa-abhirāmā latā-aṅganā-āliṅgita-pādapa-indā; su-gandha-kiñjakkha-vara-ambarehi disa-aṅganāyo atisobhayiṁsu.
9) Lordly trees were surrounded by creepers and slender women bearing delightful blooming flowers; 10) and the clearings (in all) directions were very resplendent, having the sky filled with excellent fragrant blossoms.
sugandhadhūpehi nabhaṁ asesaṁ
pavāsitaṁ rammataraṁ ahosi
surāsurindā chaṇavesadhārī
saṅgītiyuttā vicariṁsu sabbe [105]
Su-gandha-dhūpehi pavāsitaṁ asesaṁ nabhaṁ ramma-taraṁ ahosi; chaṇa-vesa-dhārī sabbe Sura-Asura-Indā saṅgīti-yuttā vicariṁsu.
11) The whole sky, being scented with very fragrant perfumes was most delightful; 12) and the Sura and Asura Lords clad in festive clothes went about joined together in song. Neither of these wonders are found in Jā Nid.
piyaṁvadā sabbajanā ahesuṁ
disā asesā pi ca vippasannā
gajātigajjiṁsu nadiṁsu sīhā
hesāravo cāsi turaṅgamānaṁ [106]
Sabba-janā piyaṁ-vadā ahesuṁ; asesā disā pi ca vippasannā; gajā-atigajjiṁsu, sīhā nadiṁsu, turaṅgamānaṁ hesāravo ca-āsi.
13) All people spoke kindly; 14) it was clear in all directions; 15) elephants trumpeted, lions roared, and there was the neighing of horses.
saveṇuvīṇā suradundubhī nabhe
sakaṁ sakaṁ cārusaram-pamocayuṁ
sapabbatindapputhulokadhātuyā
uḷāra-obhāsacayo manoramo [107]
Sa-veṇu-vīṇā Sura-dundubhī nabhe sakaṁ sakaṁ cāru-saram-pamocayuṁ; sa-pabbata-inda-pputhu-loka-dhātuyā uḷāra-obhāsa-cayo mano-ramo.
16) Flutes, vīṇās, and the drum of the Suras in the sky each let loose their charming sounds; 17) and the various world-elements with their lordly mountains were pervaded by delightful and great rays of light.
manuññagandho mudusītalānilo
sukhappadaṁ vāyi asesajantuno
anekarogādupapīḷitaṅgino
tato pamuttā sukhino siyuṁ janā [108]
Manuñña-gandho mudu-sītala-anilo asesa-jantuno sukha-ppadaṁ vāyi; aneka-roga-ādi-upapīḷita-aṅgino janā tato pamuttā sukhino siyuṁ.
18) A pleasing, fragrant, soft, cool breeze blew pleasantly over all the people; 19) people oppressed in their limbs with countless diseases and so on were freed therefrom and became happy.
vijambhamānāmitavālavījani-
ppabhābhirāmaṁ bhuvanaṁ ahosi
mahimhi bhetvā cudakāni sandayuṁ
gamiṁsu khujjā ujugattataṁ janā [109]
Bhuvanaṁ vijambhamāna-amita-vāla-vījani-ppabha-abhirāmaṁ ahosi; udakāni ca mahiṁ hi bhetvā sandayuṁ; khujjā janā uju-gattataṁ gamiṁsu.
20) The worlds The three worlds: the sensual realm, the form realm, and the formless realm. were aroused and became delightful with an immeasureable covering Lit: chowrie, a fan made out of a yak’s tail. of light; 21) the waters having broken free from the earth flowed along; 22) and the limbs of cripples were straightened out.
andhā paṅgulanaccāni līlopetāni pekkhayuṁ
suṇiṁsu badhirā mūgagītiyo pi manoramā [110]
Andhā līlā-upetāni paṅgula-naccāni pekkhayuṁ; badhirā mano-ramā mūga-gītiyo pi suniṁsu.
23) The blind saw the lame dancing and sporting; 24) and the deaf heard the delightful songs of the dumb. This appears to be three wonders in Jā Nid.
sītalattam-upāgañchi avīcaggi pi tāvade
modiṁsu jalajā tasmiṁ jantavo pahasiṁsu ca [111]
Tāvade Avīci-aggi pi sītalattaṁ upāgañchi, tasmiṁ jalajā modiṁsu jantavo pahasiṁsu ca.
25) Even as far as the fires of Avīci hell (all) became cool, therefore those born in water rejoiced, and creatures of the earth
khuppipāsābhibhūtānaṁ petānaṁ āsi bhojanaṁ
lokantare pi āloko andhakāranirantare [112]
Khuppipāsā-abhibhūtānaṁ Petānaṁ bhojanaṁ āsi; andha-kāra-nirantare lokantare pi āloko.
26) For Petas who were overwhelmed with hunger and thirst there was food; 27) and in the unbroken darkness of space (there was) light.
atirekatarā tārāvalicandadivākarā
virociṁsu nabhe bhūmigatāni ratanāni ca [113]
Nabhe tārā-āvali-canda-divākarā atireka-tarā virociṁsu, bhūmi-gatāni ratanāni ca.
28) In the sky the multitude of stars, the moon, and the sun shone surpassingly bright, as also the treasures hidden in the earth.
mahītalādayo bhetvā nikkhamma uparūpari
vicittapañcavaṇṇāsuṁ suphullavipulambujā [114]
Vicitta-pañca-vaṇṇā suphulla-vipula-ambujā, mahī-tala-ādayo bhetvā, nikkhamma upari-upari āsuṁ.
29) Large blossoming lotuses, having the five variegated colours, after breaking through the surface of the earth, sprang up one on top of the other.
dundubhādi calaṅkārā avādita aghaṭṭitā
accantamadhuraṁ nādaṁ pamuñciṁsu mahītale [115]
Avādita aghaṭṭitā dundubhi-alaṅkārā ādi ca mahī-tale accanta-madhuraṁ nādaṁ pamuñciṁsu.
30) Without being played upon, without being struck, kettle-drums, ornaments and so on let loose an endlessly sweet sound on earth.
baddhā saṅkhalikādīhi muñciṁsu manujā tato
bhuvane bhavanadvārakavāṭā vivaṭā sayaṁ [116]
Saṅkhalika-ādīhi baddhā manujā tato muñciṁsu; bhuvane bhavana-dvāra-kavāṭā sayaṁ vivaṭā.
31) Men bound with chains and so forth were loosened therefrom; 32) the doors and windows in the (various) abodes in the world opened by themselves. This wonder is not found in Jā Nid.
celukkhepādayo cāpi pavattentā pamoditā
kīḷiṁsu devasaṅghā te tāvatiṁsālaye tadā [117]
Tadā te Tāvatiṁsa-Ālaye pamoditā Deva-saṅghā cela-ukkhepa-ādayo ca api pavattentā kīḷiṁsu.
Because of that the rejoicing hosts of Devas in the Tāvatiṁsa Abode went around sporting, throwing up their clothes and so forth.