2.24. Ghatìkara

Ekamantaṁ ṭhito kho ghaṭīkāro devaputto bhagavato santike imaṁ gāthaṁ abhāsi:

“Avihaṁ upapannāse,

vimuttā satta bhikkhavo;

Rāgadosaparikkhīṇā,

tiṇṇā loke visattikan”ti.

“Ke ca te ataruṁ paṅkaṁ,

maccudheyyaṁ suduttaraṁ;

Ke hitvā mānusaṁ dehaṁ,

dibbayogaṁ upaccagun”ti.

“Upako palagaṇḍo ca,

pukkusāti ca te tayo;

Bhaddiyo khaṇḍadevo ca,

bāhuraggi ca saṅgiyo;

Te hitvā mānusaṁ dehaṁ,

dibbayogaṁ upaccagun”ti.

“Kusalī bhāsasī tesaṁ,

mārapāsappahāyinaṁ;

Kassa te dhammamaññāya,

acchiduṁ bhavabandhanan”ti.

“Na aññatra bhagavatā,

nāññatra tava sāsanā;

Yassa te dhammamaññāya,

acchiduṁ bhavabandhanaṁ.

Yattha nāmañca rūpañca,

asesaṁ uparujjhati;

Taṁ te dhammaṁ idhaññāya,

acchiduṁ bhavabandhanan”ti.

“Gambhīraṁ bhāsasī vācaṁ,

dubbijānaṁ sudubbudhaṁ;

Kassa tvaṁ dhammamaññāya,

vācaṁ bhāsasi īdisan”ti.

“Kumbhakāro pure āsiṁ,

vekaḷiṅge ghaṭīkaro;

Mātāpettibharo āsiṁ,

kassapassa upāsako.

Virato methunā dhammā,

brahmacārī nirāmiso;

Ahuvā te sagāmeyyo,

ahuvā te pure sakhā.

Sohamete pajānāmi,

vimutte satta bhikkhavo;

Rāgadosaparikkhīṇe,

tiṇṇe loke visattikan”ti.

“Evametaṁ tadā āsi,

yathā bhāsasi bhaggava;

Kumbhakāro pure āsi,

vekaḷiṅge ghaṭīkaro.

Mātāpettibharo āsi,

kassapassa upāsako;

Virato methunā dhammā,

brahmacārī nirāmiso;

Ahuvā me sagāmeyyo,

ahuvā me pure sakhā”ti.

“Evametaṁ purāṇānaṁ,

sahāyānaṁ ahu saṅgamo;

Ubhinnaṁ bhāvitattānaṁ,

sarīrantimadhārinan”ti.

Standing to one side, the godling Ghaṭīkāra spoke this verse in the Buddha’s presence:

“Seven mendicants reborn in Aviha

have been freed.

With the complete ending of greed and hate,

they’ve crossed over clinging to the world.”

“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?”

“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.”

“You speak well of them,

who have let go the snares of Māra.

Whose teaching did they understand

to cut the bonds of rebirth?”

“None other than the Blessed One!

None other than your instruction!

It was your teaching that they understood

to cut the bonds of rebirth.

Where name and form

cease with nothing left over;

understanding this teaching,

they cut the bonds of rebirth.”

“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?”

“In the past I was a potter

in Vebhaliṅga called Ghaṭīkāra.

I took care of my parents

as a lay follower of Buddha Kassapa.

I refrained from sexual intercourse,

I was chaste, spiritual.

We lived in the same village;

in the past I was your comrade.

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.”

“That’s exactly how it was,

just as you say, Bhaggava.

In the past you were a potter

in Vebhaliṅga called Ghaṭīkāra.

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.”

“That’s how it was

when those friends of old met again.

Both of them are evolved,

and bear their final body.”