Sutta Piṭaka
Gayākassapattheragāthā
Gayākassapattheragāthā
“Pāto majjhanhikaṁ sāyaṁ, tikkhattuṁ divasassahaṁ; Otariṁ udakaṁ sohaṁ, gayāya gayaphagguyā.
Gayākassapa
Three times a day— morning, midday, and evening— I plunged into the water at Gayā for the Gayā spring festival.
‘Yaṁ mayā pakataṁ pāpaṁ, pubbe aññāsu jātisu; Taṁ dānīdha pavāhemi’, evaṁdiṭṭhi pure ahuṁ.
“Any bad things I’ve done in previous lives, I’ll now rinse away right here”— such was the view I used to hold.
Sutvā subhāsitaṁ vācaṁ, dhammatthasahitaṁ padaṁ; Tathaṁ yāthāvakaṁ atthaṁ, yoniso paccavekkhisaṁ.
Having heard the fine words, a passage meaningful and principled, I rationally reflected on the true, essential goal.
Ninhātasabbapāpomhi, nimmalo payato suci; Suddho suddhassa dāyādo, putto buddhassa oraso.
I’ve washed away all bad things; I’m stainless, clean, pristine; the pure heir of the pure one, a bosom son of the Buddha.
Ogayhaṭṭhaṅgikaṁ sotaṁ, sabbapāpaṁ pavāhayiṁ; Tisso vijjā ajjhagamiṁ, kataṁ buddhassa sāsanan”ti.
When I plunged into the eightfold stream, all bad things were rinsed away. I’ve attained the three knowledges and fulfilled the Buddha’s instructions.