17b: The Chronicles of the Buddhas – 619
severe austerities (
dukkara-cariyā
) that were beyond the capability of
ordinary persons.
17. Bārāṇasiyaṁ Isipatane, Cakkaṁ pavattitaṁ mayā,
ahaṁ Gotama-sambuddho, saraṇaṁ sabba-pāṇinaṁ.
Dear son, Sāriputta, in the Deer Park at Isipatana, near Bārāṇasī, I had
turned the Dhamma Wheel; indeed I have become the refuge of all beings,
the Perfectly Awakened Buddha with the family name of Gotama.
18. Kolito Upatisso ca, dve bhikkhū agga-sāvakā,
Ānando nāmupaṭṭhāko, santikāvacaro mama,
Khemā Uppalavaṇṇā ca, bhikkhunī agga-sāvikā.
Dear son, Sāriputta, my chief disciples are the pair of monastics, Kolita or
Moggallāna and Upatissa or Sāriputta; my permanent monastic attendant,
who is always close at hand for more than 20 years to attend to my needs,
is Ānanda. The female chief disciples are the pair of female monastics, the
elders Khemā and Uppalavaṇṇā.
19. Citto Hatthāḷavako ca, aggupaṭṭhākupāsakā,
Nandamātā ca Uttarā, aggupaṭṭhikupāsikā.
Dear son, Sāriputta, noble lay devotees rendering me close service are
Citta, a wealthy householder residing at Macchikāsaṇḍa in the Kosala
country, and Hattha Āḷavaka, the pious son of King Āḷavī of Āḷavī
country; female
[470]
attendants closely attending upon me are the female
devotee Nandamātā, a Non-returner (
Anāgāmī
) resident of Veḷukaṇḍaka,
a town in Dakkhiṇagiri province near Rājagaha and the noble lay devotee
Khujjuttarā, a Stream-enterer (
Sotāpanna
), and bearer of the Three
Baskets (
Piṭaka
), possessor of the title of pre-eminence (
etad-agga
) who
was conceived in the womb of a maid servant of a rich man, Ghosaka of
Kosambī, and who became, when she came of age, a female attendant of
Queen Sāmāvatī.
20. Ahaṁ Assattha-mūlamhi, patto Sambodhim-uttamaṁ,
byāmappabhā sadā mayhaṁ, soḷasa-hattham-uggatā.
Dear son, Sāriputta, I attained the knowledge of the Arahat path
(
Arahatta-magga-ñāṇa
) and achieved omniscience, at the foot of the 100
cubits tall Bodhi tree. Light radiance from my body spreading over a
radius of 80 hand-lengths shines brilliantly at all times. My height is
sixteen hand-lengths.