English
Therefore, they approved of this meaning: ‘one with the marks of a hundred merits’.’’ However, the thirty-two marks of a Great Man will appear above. ‘Viraja’ (stainless) means due to the absence of the dust of passion and so on, having gone beyond dust. It stains, it clings to objects like forms, thus ‘rajo’ (dust), the dust of passion and so on. The root ‘rañj’ is in the sense of ‘to stain/to be passionate’. One from whom dust has gone is ‘virajo’ (stainless), the Conqueror. That ‘viraja’. Indeed, the Conqueror, having conquered the dust of all defilements and Māra right at the Bodhi-seat, is ‘vigataraja’ (dustless) – this is the meaning. In ‘Gaganūpamadhi’ (wisdom like the sky), here ‘dhī’ (wisdom) is called omniscience. Therefore, it means ‘one possessing omniscient knowledge like space’. Birds and so on go here, thus ‘gagana’ (sky), space. The root ‘gam’ is in the sense of ‘to go’, with suffix ‘yu’. The ‘m’ becomes ‘g’. It is compared, thus ‘upamā’ (comparison). This is a formation indicating state. The root ‘mā’ preceded by ‘upa’ is in the sense of ‘to measure’, with suffix ‘a’. It holds (dharati) all knowable phenomena, it knows, thus ‘dhī’ (wisdom), omniscience. The root ‘dhar’ is in the sense of ‘knowledge’, with suffix ‘kvi’, and the feminine-indicating suffix ‘ī’. A comparison connected with the sky, with space, is ‘gaganūpamā’ (sky-like comparison), wisdom similar to that, omniscience. Whose knowledge is like the sky, the Conqueror. That which is like the sky. This, however, is called a simile of lesser quality, due to its lack of infinite qualities. For it is said in the Subodhālaṅkāra: "The face-lotus of the sage, is like a lesser quality." Just as the sky, being said to be infinite, becomes infinite and expands, so too, the Buddha-knowledge of the Blessed One, being said to be infinite, and the omniscient knowledge having infinite objects, becomes infinite and expands. Therefore, he is praised as "like the sky in knowledge." "Whose steadfastness is like Meru," here, steadfastness means concentration. The meaning is: He possesses unshakeable concentration, like Mount Sineru. That by which associated phenomena are held and established on a single object is steadfastness (dhiti), the worldly and supramundane jhana-concentration of the Blessed One. The root "dhi" means to hold. That which measures and destroys darkness with its rays is Meru, the king of mountains. The root "mī" is in the sense of harming, with the suffix "ru." This meaning of the word is said with reference to the statement that the eastern side of Sineru is silver, the southern side is made of jewels, the western side is crystal, and the northern side is gold. Or, Meru is that which measures and harms all mountains by its greater height. Whose steadfastness (dhiti) and concentration (samādhi) are like Meru, is "dhitimerusamo," the Conqueror. That which is like Meru in steadfastness. Just as King Meru is not shaken or moved by winds coming from the eight directions, so too, the Conqueror, having abandoned sensual desire and other hindrances, and being endowed with supramundane jhana-concentration, is not shaken or moved by the eight worldly conditions and the winds of wrong views. Thus, he is praised as "whose steadfastness is like Meru." "Endowed with cool virtue like a water-born lotus," means endowed with extremely cool and innumerable virtues, like a water-born lotus. For it is said in the Apadāna Pāḷi: "His virtue is innumerable." And in its commentary: "Indeed, the virtue of the Blessed One is innumerable." That which shines and glows is "jala," water. The root "jal" is in the sense of shining. That which is born in water is "jalaja," a lotus. That which is comparable to a water-born lotus, is "jal." Incomparable, virtue. By those seeking happiness, it is practiced, therefore cool, virtue. The root "si" in the sense of serving, with the suffix "tala". Or alternatively, it takes, grasps the quality of coolness, therefore cool, virtue. With the word "sīta" as a prefix, the root "lā" in the sense of taking, with "kvi". But a lotus born in water, by water, because its heat is calmed, is cool, like. But virtue, by the wise, because its defilement-heat is calmed, becomes extremely cool. For well-guarded, pure virtue, by the abandoning of defilements, calms the defilement-fever of beings, not green sandalwood, nor pearl necklaces, nor gems, nor water, nor wind, nor moonbeams. Therefore, virtue itself is cool, is called extremely cool. Thus it is said in the Visuddhimagga – ‘‘Not those winds with clouds, nor indeed green sandalwood; Nor necklaces, nor gems, nor sprouts of moonbeams; Do they calm here the fever of beings, which (fever) this well-guarded, noble, extremely cool virtue calms.’’ But this is the meaning of those two verses. Well-guarded, very well-guarded, this noble, pure, extremely cool virtue, which calms the fever of beings in this world; that fever, winds with clouds, cool winds blowing with water-giving clouds, do not calm, and green sandalwood also does not calm. Necklaces, pearl necklaces, do not calm. Gems, such as lapis lazuli, do not calm. Sprouts of moonbeams, sprouts of the moon's rays, do not calm. It is composed, it is settled, by means of the good conduct of bodily actions and so on, it does not scatter, therefore, virtue. The root "sīl" in the sense of composure, with "a". Or alternatively, they compose, they compose the mind by this, therefore virtue; or by this they uphold wholesome states, they hold them firmly, the good ones, therefore virtue; volitional state, or wholesome mental arising is understood. The root "sīl" in the sense of upholding, with "a". And this is said in the commentary to the Visuddhimagga: "In what sense is it virtue?" "It is virtue in the sense of composing." "What is this thing called virtue? Either composure, meaning, non-scattering by means of the good conduct of bodily actions and so on. Or upholding, the foundation of wholesome states." meaning, "the basis by way of dwelling." Endowed with cool, exceedingly cool virtue, like a lotus born in water, with innumerable virtues, the Conqueror. That one endowed with cool, exceedingly cool virtue, like a lotus born in water. Just as a lotus born in water is cool by the water, so too the virtue of the Blessed One, by the abandonment of the defilements' torment, is cool, exceedingly cool. Associated with that, it is said to praise him as "endowed with cool, exceedingly cool virtue, like a lotus born in water." "Earth-enduring" means endowed with patience like the earth, or having patience. "Earth" (pathavī) is where trees and mountains stand firm, the ground. From the root "path" (to stand firm) with the suffix "vī." Or, "pathavī" means that which has become broad. From the suffix "vī" in the sense of "born" (jāta) and "taddhita." "Endurance" (sahana) is that which is endured, or that which endures, patience of forbearance. From the root "sah" (to endure) with the suffix "yu" in the sense of patience. "Earth-enduring" is he whose endurance and forbearance are like the earth, the Conqueror. That earth-enduring one. Just as the earth endures everything thrown upon it, whether pure or impure, and does not react with aversion or attachment, so too the Conqueror endures everything, whether desirable or undesirable, and does not react with aversion or attachment to it. This is the intention of praising him as "earth-enduring." Therefore it is said in the Apadāna Pāḷi: "They do not cling to gain or loss, to honor or dishonor; Buddhas are like the earth, therefore they are not to be harmed." The connection is: "I bow down to, I worship the Conqueror." This is the brief explanation here. Endowed with the marks of a hundred merits, with the thirty-two marks of a great man, born from the power of merit from innumerable perfections, "stainless" (viraja) means free from dust, due to the absence of the dust of passion and so on. "Sky-like wisdom" (gaganūpamadhi) means having omniscient knowledge like space. "Meru-like steadfastness" (dhitimerusama) means having unshakeable concentration like Mount Sineru. "Endowed with cool virtue like a lotus born in water" (jalajūpamasītalasīlayuta) means associated with exceedingly cool, innumerable virtues, like a lotus born in water. "Earth-enduring" (pathavīsahana) means endowed with patience like the earth. I respectfully bow to, I venerate that Buddha, the patient one, the Victor, the conqueror of the five Māras. The description of the twelve verses of veneration is concluded. 13. The Buddha, of excellent wisdom, like the sun in the sky, Shining, on the delightful stone seat; Seated, he taught the Dharma, giver of auspicious happiness, to the devas, that peerless one I ever salute. 13. Having thus venerated the Victor with the twelfth verse, now, desiring to praise and venerate the Buddha by the quality of being the teacher of the Abhidhamma to the devas of spontaneous birth, led by his mother, the devaputta, in the Tāvatiṃsa city, he spoke the verse beginning with "Yo buddho sumati." This verse, composed of the ma, na, ja, ra gaṇas and one guru, with three and ten caesuras, is to be understood as a Pahassiṇī verse of thirteen syllables. It is said in the Vuttodaya: "mnā jarā go tidasayatippahassiṇī sā" (If there are ma, na, ja, ra, and a guru, with three and ten caesuras, that is a Pahassiṇī). Its meaning: If in a line there are ma-gaṇa, na-gaṇa, ja-gaṇa, ra-gaṇa, and a guru, and there are caesuras at the third and tenth syllables, that verse is called a Pahassiṇī verse. In this context, "Yo buddho sumati adesi dhammaṃ devānaṃ" is the connection. "Yo" is an indefinite pronoun. Its etymological meaning should not be made. For it is said by grammarians: "In six cases— a conventional term, a verb, a particle, a prefix, an address, and a pronoun— no etymological analysis is made."