Sutta Piṭaka
Ghaṭīkārasutta
Ghaṭīkārasutta
Ekamantaṁ ṭhito kho ghaṭīkāro devaputto bhagavato santike imaṁ gāthaṁ abhāsi:
With Ghaṭīkāra
Standing to one side, the godling Ghaṭīkāra spoke this verse in the Buddha’s presence:
“Avihaṁ upapannāse, vimuttā satta bhikkhavo; Rāgadosaparikkhīṇā, tiṇṇā loke visattikan”ti.
“Seven mendicants reborn in Aviha have been freed. With the complete ending of greed and hate, they’ve crossed over clinging to the world.”
“Ke ca te ataruṁ paṅkaṁ, maccudheyyaṁ suduttaraṁ; Ke hitvā mānusaṁ dehaṁ, dibbayogaṁ upaccagun”ti.
“Who are those who’ve crossed the bog, Death’s dominion so hard to pass? Who, after leaving behind the human body, have risen above celestial yokes?”
“Upako palagaṇḍo ca, pukkusāti ca te tayo; Bhaddiyo khaṇḍadevo ca, bāhuraggi ca saṅgiyo; Te hitvā mānusaṁ dehaṁ, dibbayogaṁ upaccagun”ti.
“Upaka and Palagaṇḍa, and Pukkusāti, these three; Bhaddiya and Bhaddadeva, and Bāhudantī and Piṅgiya. They, after leaving behind the human body, have risen above celestial yokes.”
“Kusalī bhāsasī tesaṁ, mārapāsappahāyinaṁ; Kassa te dhammamaññāya, acchiduṁ bhavabandhanan”ti.
“You speak well of them, who have let go the snares of Māra. Whose teaching did they understand to cut the bonds of rebirth?”
“Na aññatra bhagavatā, nāññatra tava sāsanā; Yassa te dhammamaññāya, acchiduṁ bhavabandhanaṁ.
“None other than the Blessed One! None other than your instruction! It was your teaching that they understood to cut the bonds of rebirth.
Yattha nāmañca rūpañca, asesaṁ uparujjhati; Taṁ te dhammaṁ idhaññāya, acchiduṁ bhavabandhanan”ti.
Where name and form cease with no residue left behind; understanding this teaching, they cut the bonds of rebirth.”
“Gambhīraṁ bhāsasī vācaṁ, dubbijānaṁ sudubbudhaṁ; Kassa tvaṁ dhammamaññāya, vācaṁ bhāsasi īdisan”ti.
“The words you say are deep, hard to understand, so very hard to wake up to. Whose teaching did you understand to be able to say such things?”
“Kumbhakāro pure āsiṁ, vekaḷiṅge ghaṭīkaro; Mātāpettibharo āsiṁ, kassapassa upāsako.
“In the past I was a potter in Vebhaliṅga named Ghaṭīkāra. I took care of my parents as a lay follower of Buddha Kassapa.
Virato methunā dhammā, brahmacārī nirāmiso; Ahuvā te sagāmeyyo, ahuvā te pure sakhā.
I refrained from sexual intercourse, I was chaste, spiritual. We lived in the same village; in the past I was your comrade.
Sohamete pajānāmi, vimutte satta bhikkhavo; Rāgadosaparikkhīṇe, tiṇṇe loke visattikan”ti.
I am the one who understands that these seven mendicants have been freed. With the complete ending of greed and hate, they’ve crossed over clinging to the world.”
“Evametaṁ tadā āsi, yathā bhāsasi bhaggava; Kumbhakāro pure āsi, vekaḷiṅge ghaṭīkaro.
“That’s exactly how it was, just as you say, Bhaggava. In the past you were a potter in Vebhaliṅga named Ghaṭīkāra.
Mātāpettibharo āsi, kassapassa upāsako; Virato methunā dhammā, brahmacārī nirāmiso; Ahuvā me sagāmeyyo, ahuvā me pure sakhā”ti.
You took care of your parents as a lay follower of Buddha Kassapa. You refrained from sexual intercourse, you were chaste, spiritual. We lived in the same village; in the past you were my comrade.”
“Evametaṁ purāṇānaṁ, sahāyānaṁ ahu saṅgamo; Ubhinnaṁ bhāvitattānaṁ, sarīrantimadhārinan”ti.
“That’s how it was when those friends of old met again. Both of them are evolved, and bear their final body.”