English
He crossed over birth and death completely,’ thus spoke the Blessed One, chief of the five. 1285. “Having heard this, I am pleased, your word, O best of sages; My question was indeed not in vain, the brahmin did not deceive me. 1286. “As he spoke, so he acted, the disciple of the Buddha; He cut off the net of Death, the strong net spread by the illusionist. 1287. “The Blessed One saw the origin of clinging, O Kappiya; Kappāno indeed transcended the realm of Death, so hard to cross. 1288. “I venerate that God of gods, your son, O best of bipeds; The great hero, born after you, the Nāga, offspring of the Nāga.” Thus indeed did the Venerable Vangīsa Thera utter these verses. The Great Collection is finished. Here is the summary: In the seventieth collection, Vangīsa, the eloquent one; He is the only elder, there is no other, seventy-one verses. The Thera-gāthā are finished. Here is the summary: There are a thousand verses, and three hundred and sixty; Two hundred and sixty-four elders are proclaimed. Having roared the lion's roar, the Buddha's sons, taintless; Having reached the peaceful state, they are extinguished like a mass of fire. The Pāli of the Thera-gāthā is finished.