36: King Pukkusāti and Others – 1273
doors of the lower storey and went upstairs and in order to get more light, he
opened the lion-figure supported window in the east, and sat in the airy chamber.
The king then wrote on the golden sheet: “There has arisen in this world the
master, who is the Worthy One (
Arahaṁ
), the Perfectly Self-Awakened One
(
Sammā-sambudha
) the possessor of knowledge and good conduct (
vijjā-caraṇa-
sampanna
), the noble wayfarer (
Gracious One
), the knower of the worlds (
loka-
vidū
), the peerless charioteer and trainer of men (
anuttaro-purisa-damma-
sārathi
), the teacher of men and Devas (
satthā-Deva-manussānaṁ
), the
Awakened One (
Buddha
), the Fortunate One (
Bhagavā
).”
Thus the king first wrote some high attributes of the Buddha. Then he described
how the Bodhisatta practised the ten perfections (
pāramī
); how, after his demise
in the Tusita realm, he took conception in the womb of his mother; how, at that
time, there appeared 32 great signs that seemed to open the whole world freely;
about the miracles attending his conception; how he practised asceticism and
strove for Awakening; how, sitting on the undefeated (
aparājita
) throne, he
attained omniscience; and how he acquired extraordinary supernormal powers
that made the whole world open to him.
Finally, King Bimbisāra wrote that in the living world of Devas and Brahmas
there was no jewel other than the Buddha-jewel which possessed such great
attributes. The king again described some other attributes of the Buddha in the
following verse (Khp 6, Snp 2.1):
[870]
Yaṁ kiñci vittaṁ idha vā huraṁ vā
saggesu vā yaṁ ratanaṁ paṇītaṁ
na no samaṁ atthi Tathāgatena;
idam-pi Buddhe ratanaṁ paṇītaṁ
etena saccena suvatthi hotu!
Whatever riches there are, here or hereafter or in the heavens, that
excellent treasure is not equal to the Realised One; this excellent treasure
is in the Buddha, by virtue of this truth may there be safety!
Then willing to extol the Dhamma-jewel, the king wrote down its six attributes:
“The doctrine of the Buddha is well-proclaimed (
svākkhāta
), leading to results
discernible in this very life (
sandiṭṭhika
), it is instantly beneficial (
akālika
), it
invites beings to come and see (
ehipassika
), it is worthy to be embraced
(
opanayika
), and worthy to be experienced by the wise individually (
paccattaṁ