The Victor, Padumuttara,
the Sage, Knower of Every World,
the One who had Five Eyes, arose
a hundred thousand aeons hence.The Admonisher, Instructor,
Crosser-Over of all that breathe,
Skilled at Preaching, he, the Buddha,
caused many folks to cross the flood.Merciful, Compassionate One,
Well-Wisher of all that breathe, he
established in the five precepts
all the rivals who had arrived.In this way he was Unconfused
and Very Well-Known by rivals,
Ornamented by arahants
who were masters and neutral ones.The body of the Sage So Great
rose up fifty-eight cubits tall;
he was Valuable Like Gold,
Bearing the Thirty-Two Great Marks.People’s lifespan at that time was
fully one hundred thousand years.
Remaining in the world so long,
he ferried many folks across.I was then in Haṁsavatī;
I was born in a certain clan.
Bound to working for others, I
did not have any possessions.Living on the unfinished floor
of a storeroom for special seats,
I lit a fire there on that floor;
the earth became hard and blackened.Then the Lord, explaining the Four
Noble Truths to the retinue,
lavished praise on a follower
who wore inferior cloth robes.Then thrilled at that virtue of his,
falling before the Thus-Gone-One,
I aspired to that supreme place,
foremost among those with rough robes.Then Buddha Padumuttara
said this to all his followers:
“All of you look at that person,
with bad clothes, a skinny body,
with joy and pleasure in his face,
possessing a great wealth of faith,
happy, body hair grown upward,
steadfast, eating food in a hall.He’s wishing to attain the place
of this monk named Saccasena;
his hope’s for the appearance of
this monk wearing robes of rough cloth.”After hearing that, being thrilled,
bowing my head to the Victor,
doing good karma my whole life
in the Victor’s dispensation,
due to that karma done very well,
with intention and firm resolve,
discarding my human body,
I was gone to Tāvatiṁsa.Through the deed of burning the floor
in the storeroom for special seats,
for all of a thousand years, I
burned in hell, remaining in pain.Due to that karma’s remainder,
I had five hundred more rebirths,
being born in a human clan,
and marked with the marks of my caste.For those same five hundred rebirths,
I’m afflicted with skin disease,
I underwent great suffering,
through the power of that karma.In this present lucky aeon,
having a mind full of pleasure,
I entertained with begged alms food
Upariṭṭha, the Famous One.Through the rest of the deed I did,
with intention and firm resolve,
discarding my human body,
I went to Tāvatiṁsa then.When my last rebirth was attained,
I’m born in a warrior clan.
After the death of my father,
I possessed a large kingdom then.Afflicted with a skin disease,
I get no comfort in the night.
Due to useless royal comfort,
I was then called “King of Useless.”
Seeing the flaws of the body,
I went forth into homelessness.
I entered in the studentship
of Bāvarī, the chief brahmin.With an enormous retinue,
approaching the Leader of Men,
I asked a subtle question of
the Hero, Debater-Crusher.“In this world or in the next world
or in Brahma’s world with its gods,
might he not know the sight of you,
of Gotama, the Famous One?Thus one with excellent knowledge
comes to the point through the question,
while looking upon what world, then,
does the King of Death not see him?”The Physician for all Disease,
the Buddha answered this to me:
“Look upon the world as empty,
Mogharāja; always mindful,
and uprooting his own false views,
in this way he’d cross beyond death.
Thusly looking upon the world,
the King of Death does not see him.”And the conclusion of that verse,
cutting off my hair and my beard,
putting on saffron-colored robes,
I became an arahant monk.Oppressed by illness I don’t live
in Assembly monasteries.
“Don’t offend the monastery”—
by that word I’m extra-oppressed.Taking cloth atop rubbish heaps,
from charnel field, on carriage roads,
having made my robe out of that,
I am wearing a rough-cloth robe.Pleased about that virtue of mine,
the Great Physician, the Leader,
then placed me in the foremost place
of those who wear robes of rough cloth.Merit and evil are all destroyed;
every illness is driven out.
Like fire, I have no attachments;
I will realize nirvana.My defilements are now burnt up;
all new existence is destroyed.
Like elephants with broken chains,
I am living without constraint.Being in Best Buddha’s presence
was a very good thing for me.
The three knowledges are attained;
I have done what the Buddha taught!The four analytical modes,
and these eight deliverances,
six special knowledges mastered,
I have done what the Buddha taught!
Thus indeed Venerable Mogharāja Thera spoke these verses.
The legend of Mogharāja Thera is finished.
The Summary:
Kaccāna, Vakkalī Thera,
the one named Mahākappina,
Dabba, and he named Kumāra,
Bāhiya, Master Koṭṭhita,
Uruvelakassapa, Rādha,
and Mogharājā the pundit.
There are three hundred verses here,
piled on another sixty-two.
The Kaccāna Chapter, the Fifty-Fourth