English
Here, however, it should be understood as the Dhamma-wheel. For it is called the Dhamma-wheel because it "wheels" or sets in motion the Dhamma such as mindfulness foundations. Or it "wheels" or sets in motion the Dhamma such as the Noble Truths, therefore it is a wheel. Or, because it is not separate from the Dhamma, it is the Dhamma and it is a wheel of command, thus a Dhamma-wheel. A wheel by Dhamma, by justice, is a Dhamma-wheel. Therefore it is said in the Paṭisambhidā: "Why is it called a Dhamma-wheel? It sets in motion the Dhamma and it is a wheel, thus a Dhamma-wheel. It sets in motion a wheel and it is Dhamma, thus a Dhamma-wheel. It sets in motion by Dhamma, thus a Dhamma-wheel. It sets in motion by Dh righteous conduct, thus a Dhamma-wheel. It sets in motion while standing in Dhamma, thus a Dhamma-wheel," and so on. Moreover, the Dhamma-wheel is both the knowledge of penetration and the knowledge of teaching. Therein, the knowledge of penetration is that knowledge by which, seated on the Bodhi-seat, he penetrated the Four Truths in sixteen aspects and sixty thousand ways. The knowledge of teaching is that knowledge by which he set in motion the Dhamma-wheel of three revolutions and twelve aspects. Both of these are indeed the knowledge born in the breast of the Ten-Powered One. Among these, the knowledge of Dhamma-teaching is intended. But the Sutta is called the Dhamma-wheel by way of transference of meaning. "Set in motion" means for the group of five monks, two "These two extremes, monks, should not be resorted to by one who has gone forth," and so on, he taught. "Tamatulamabhikantanti" is broken down as "taṃ atulaṃ abhikantaṃ." Here, "taṃ" refers to the Sage. "Atulaṃ" means unequaled by anyone in virtues such as sīla. "Atulo" means there is no one equal or similar to him, the Sage. For there is no one in the immeasurable world-systems who is equal to him in virtues such as sīla. The meaning is, he is equal to the unequaled Buddhas. "Abhikantaṃ" means exceedingly pleasing and lovely to all devas and humans, possessing a beautiful bodily form. Or, possessing an exceedingly beautiful bodily form, surpassing that of Tusita. Indeed, where it should be said "abhikkantavaṇṇaṃ," for the sake of preserving the meter, by dropping the letter "ka" and the word "vaṇṇa," it is said "abhikantaṃ" according to the resulting sandhi. Or, by way of elision of the latter word. The bodily form of the Sage is exceedingly pleasing or exceedingly delightful to all devas and humans, thus it is called "abhikantaṃ." The root "mudhātu" with "abhipubba" is in the sense of desire and pleasing. "Abhikanto" is the Sage, whose bodily form is pleasing. For, being endowed with the thirty-two marks of a great man, the eighty minor characteristics, the six-colored rays, and a golden hue, having attained bodily beauty, he has a bodily form that is exceedingly pleasing and delightful to all devas and humans, thus he is praised as "abhikantaṃ." "Taṃ abhikantaṃ" means that pleasing one. "Vandaneyyaṃ" means worthy of veneration by devas and humans. Or, to be venerated by them, or veneration is that by which one is venerated or praised. This is a noun derived from a verb. The root "vanda" or "vadi" is in the sense of salutation and praise. "Vandaneyyo" is the Sage, who is worthy of that. The word "vanda" takes the suffix "ṇeyya" in the sense of "worthy of." Alternatively, "vandaneyyo" is the Sage, meaning to be venerated or praised by devas and humans. For, being endowed with virtues at the beginning, middle, and end, he is worthy of veneration by all devas and humans, or he should be venerated by them. Among these, the initial virtue is sīla, which is rooted in compassion, arising from abstention from killing and so on. The middle virtue is samādhi, due to the practice of the three jhānas. The end Wisdom is named the quality of cessation, because there is nothing further to be done beyond that. Thus, he praises the Exalted One as especially worthy of veneration. The connection is: "I bow, I venerate with the three doors." This is a brief explanation here. The Sage-King, the Exalted One, who is the lord and master of the five sages, the complete foundation, the foundation of all groups of qualities such as morality, concentration, and wisdom, both mundane and supramundane; having approached and gone to the forest, the Deer Park forest, called Isipatana, which is a dwelling place, a pleasant place for the good ones who are restrained in body, speech, and mind; there, in that Deer Park forest named Isipatana, he turned the Wheel of Dhamma, the Discourse on the Turning of the Wheel of Dhamma, which is the eradication of unwholesome things, and taught it to the group of five bhikkhus; that Sage-King, who is incomparable by qualities such as morality, not equal to anyone, exceedingly lovely, desired by all devas and humans, charming, satisfying, possessing a beautiful bodily form, worthy of veneration by devas and humans, or to be venerated by them—that Sage-King, I bow, I venerate with the three doors. The commentary on the sixteen veneration verses is finished. 17. Surrounded by purity, Reddened by very beautiful splendors, The abode of vast glory, Endowed with guarded faculties; Adorned with marks like the splendor of the sun and moon, Worshipped by devas and humans, I respectfully bow to the Sugata. 17. Thus, having venerated the Sage-King with the sixteen verses, now, wishing to venerate by praising with seven qualities, beginning with "surrounded by purity," he speaks the verse beginning with "surrounded by purity." This, however, being composed of 'na', 'ja', 'bha', 'ja', 'ra' gaṇas and one long syllable, is to be understood as a Vāṇinī verse endowed with sixteen syllables. For it is said in the Vuttodaya: "When 'na', 'ja', 'bha', 'ja', 'ra' are present, Vāṇinī is endowed with a long syllable." Its meaning is this: When in each line, the 'na', 'ja', 'bha', 'ja', 'ra' gaṇas, when combined with a long syllable at the end of the line, then that is called a Vāṇinī verse. Therein, "surrounded by purity" by the pure ones, free from defilements like lust, by the assemblies of noble disciples and others, surrounded, free from the defilement of klesa, or having such a surrounding. That which is pure, or purified from defilements like lust, is called suci, the assembly. The root suc is in the sense of purity. That which is surrounded, or attended on all sides by noble bhikkhus and others, or by devas and humans, is called parivāra, the Fortunate One. The root var with pari prefix is in the sense of covering or surrounding. Surrounded by pure assemblies, suciparivārito, the Fortunate One. This is a third tappurisa compound. For the meaning is that the Blessed One is always surrounded by the four assemblies, or by the eight assemblies, who are pure from defilements like lust. Or, he who has a pure, surrounding, is suciparivārito, the Fortunate One. By very beautiful rays: by the very beautiful, lustrous, body-emanating, fathom-long rays, as the cause, that which is very beautiful, desired, pleasing, is surucirā, the ray. The root ruc with su prefix is in the sense of shining. That which shines forth, or illuminates, is pabhā, the ray. The root bhā with pa prefix is in the sense of shining. That which is very beautiful and that ray is surucirappabhā, by those surucirappabhā. Ratta means the body that is always to be colored. That which is colored is ratta, the body. The root ranj is in the sense of coloring. He whose body is colored is ratta, the Fortunate One. This is a compound with the elision of the latter part. Like the existence of form is rūpa, that is ratta. It is said that the Blessed One has a physical body that is always to be colored by the fathom-long rays emanating from his body. Sirivisarālaya means the abode of the groups of fortune, which are wisdom and merit. Here, sirī is a designation for wisdom and merit. Or, it is the attainment of bodily beauty and other blessings born of merit. For it clings to, or depends on, those who have done merit, or is clung to, or depended on, by those who have done merit, thus it is called sirī, wisdom and merit, or sovereignty. Or, the attainment of bodily beauty and other blessings is obtained. For it is said in the Vimānavatthu Commentary and other texts: "sirī is a designation for wisdom and merit," and "sirī is sovereignty," and "sirī is the attainment of the physical body." The root sidh in the sense of serving, and the suffix -a, and the suffix -ī indicating the feminine gender. Indeed, "Sirī" should be spoken with a long vowel, but due to the poetic meter, to preserve the rhythm, it is spoken with a short vowel. "Visarālaya" is parsed as "visara" and "ālaya". "Visara" means a collection. "Visanti" (enter) the components into which collection, that is "visara", a collection. From the root "vis" (to enter) with the suffix -a. Or, "visaranti" (come together) the components into which, that is "visara". From the root "sar" (to come together) preceded by "vi", with the suffix -a. However, in books, the reading "visayālaya" with a "y" is seen. That is not correct. Why? Because the word "visara" itself means a collection. As it is said in the Abhidhānappadīpikā: "A collection is a gaṇa, saṅghāta, Samudāya and sañcaya; Sandoha, nivaha, ogha, Visara, nikara, caya," and so on. "Ālaya" means a foundation. "Ālayanti" (they dwell) in which, that is "ālaya", the Fortunate One. From the root "li" (to cling) preceded by "ā", with the suffix -a. "Sirīnaṃ" (of glories), of the auspicious signs called wisdom, "visaro" (a collection) is "sirīvisaro". Their "ālayo" (abode) is "sirīvisarālayo", the Fortunate One. That "sirīvisarālayaṃ". "Gupitamindriyehupetaṃ" means endowed with the guarded senses, endowed, possessed, furnished with the six senses like the eye, which are to be guarded, to be restrained. "Gupiyanti" (they are guarded), "rakkhiyanti" (they are protected), thus "gupitāni".