English
And taking that by the tip, When pulled, it is half a fathom long. When released, it coils to the right, stands upright. It shines with an exceedingly lovely splendor, like a silver bubble placed in the middle of a golden plate, like a stream of milk issuing from a golden pot, and like a medicinal star in the sky tinged with the light of dawn. Therefore, it is praised as "having a soft, white, downy hair." "Athamapīti" means also other. "Sugatoti" is the Buddha. He is called Sugata because he speaks beautiful words. "Brahmujuggattabhāvoti" is the division of words into "brahmaujuuggataattabhāvo." The meaning is: like the straight and elevated self-existence of Brahmā, a straight and elevated self-existence, meaning a tall body. However, in the Brahmāyu Sutta, the reading is "brahmujugatto." And in its commentary, "brahmujugatto" is explained as "like Brahmā, straight-bodied, straight and elevated, a tall body." It is with reference to that that "brahmujuggattabhāvoti" is said. This is the meaning of the word here. "Brahmā" is one who grows and increases higher and higher with qualities like jhāna. The root "brūh" means to grow, with "ma." "Uju" means straight, not crooked, because it proceeds without crookedness. The root "ara" means to go, with the suffix "ju." "Ari" becomes "u." "Uggato" means one who goes up, reaches. The root "gam" preceded by "upa" means to go, with "to." "Attā" (self, body) is that in which "ahaṃ māno" (I-conceit) is placed, established. The root "dhā" preceded by "ā" means to place, with the suffix "mani" or "tu." "Dha" becomes "ta." "Ma" becomes "ta." Or, "attā" is that which experiences pleasure and pain. The root "ada" means to experience, with the suffix "mani." However, in Kaccāyana's Saddasattha, it is said: "Attā" is that which eats, experiences pleasure and pain, or "attā" is that which is eaten, experienced by birth, old age, death, etc. "Ātumā." The formation of the word should be understood by the Sutta "khyādīhi manimaca tovā." "Attabhāvo" (self-existence, physical body) is that from which "attā" (designation) and "buddhi" (intellect) arise. In the Anuṭīkā, however, it says: "Attā" is that in which "ahaṃ māno" is placed. That very self-existence arises, is produced, not like what is conceived by others as permanent. Or "attā" is grasped by those with wrong views. "That which exists, that which comes into being, is one's own being," thus it is said. Just as Brahma's being arose straight, so too, one whose being arose straight, is the one with a Brahma-like upright being, the Fortunate One. For most beings, their bodies bend at three places: the waist, the knees, and the ankles. Those who bend slightly at the waist, bend backward. At the other two places, they bend forward. Some with long bodies are crooked at the sides. Some walk as if counting stars, with their faces uplifted. Some are thin, like stakes, with little flesh and blood, and they walk trembling. But the Tathāgata, having arisen straight, is of perfect stature, like a raised golden archway in a city of devas. Therefore, he is praised as "one with a Brahma-like upright being." "Nīlakkhi" is parsed as "nīla akkhi." The meaning is: endowed with very blue eyes. "Akkhi" (eye) is that by which one sees, the visible object, whether even or uneven. The root "ikkh" means "to see." The "i" becomes "a." "Nīlakkhi" (blue-eyed) is one whose eyes are blue, very blue, the Fortunate One. For the Blessed One, his entire eye is not blue. But in the parts that should be blue, his eyes are endowed with a very pure blue color, like a nīla flower. In the parts that should be yellow, they are like a kaṇikāra flower. In the parts that should be red, they are like a bandhujīvaka flower. In the parts that should be white, they are like the star of the morning, white. In the parts that should be black, they are like a black brick. They appear like jewel-studded lion cages opened in a golden palace. Indeed, it is said in the Mahāniddesa: "In the Blessed One's physical eye, five colors are present: blue, yellow, red, black, and white. And the Blessed One's eyelashes, and where the eyelashes are rooted, that is blue, very blue, pleasing, beautiful to behold, like a nīla flower. Beyond that, it is yellow, very yellow, golden-colored, pleasing, beautiful to behold, like a kaṇikāra flower." Both of the Blessed One's eye-sockets are reddish, beautifully red, pleasing, delightful, like an Indagopaka insect. In the middle, it is black, beautifully black, not dull, pure, pleasing, delightful, like a polished sapphire. Beyond that, it is white, beautifully white, bright, clear, pleasing, delightful, like a medicinal star. And the Blessed One, with that fleshly eye, sees for a yojana all around, even in darkness complete with four factors, by day and by night. For it is said in the Mahāniddesa: "With that ordinary fleshly eye, which belongs to his own being, produced by good conduct in previous lives, the Blessed One sees for a yojana all around, by day and by night. Even when there is darkness complete with four factors, and the sun has set, and it is the Uposatha of the dark fortnight, and there is a dense forest, and a great dark cloud has arisen, even in such darkness complete with four factors, he sees for a yojana all around. There is no wall, no door, no rampart, no mountain, no bush, no creeper, that obstructs the sight of forms." Therefore, by way of characteristic, he is praised as "blue-eyed." "Long-heeled" means having a long heel. The meaning is "perfect-heeled." "Paṇhi" is that by which one presses or obstructs others; it is the back part of the foot. The root "pas" means to obstruct, with the suffix "ṇi." "S" becomes "h." However, in the Ṇvādimoggallāna, it is said: "The root 'paṇa' is for 'dealing' and 'praising'; 'paṇhi' is that which is dealt with or praised, the back part of the foot." He whose heel is long is "long-heeled," the Sugata. Just as for others, the front part of the foot is long, the calf rests on the heel-top, as if placed by cutting the heel. It is not so for the Tathāgata. For the Tathāgata, two parts out of four are the front part of the foot. The calf rests on the third part. In the fourth part, the heel is like a ball on a red blanket, as if rounded and placed at the very end. Therefore, he is praised as "long-heeled." "Having subtle, clean skin" means subtle "Delicate, immaculate skin" is the word division. It means: having skin delicate and pure, having skin delicate and free from impurities. Here, the word "delicate" is a synonym for "fine," not derived from a root word. Or, it is "delicate" because it is fine, it is fine. The root "sukha" (pleasure) is the action, the suffix "uma." "Impurity" is that which holds and stains the person possessing it, like dust and dirt. The root "mala" (impurity) is for holding, with "a." "Immaculate" means there is no impurity in it, it is skin. "Skin" covers the flesh. The root "chada" (to cover) is for concealing, with the suffix "rava" and the suffix "ī." One who has delicate, fine, immaculate, impurity-free skin is the Fortunate One. For the Blessed One, whose body is golden, smooth, and fine, whose skin is like gold, dust, dirt, or impurity does not cling to his body, just as a drop of water does not cling to a lotus leaf. Indeed, it is said in the Majjhima Paṇṇāsa, in the Brahmāyu Sutta: "Indeed, the Venerable Gotama has delicate skin, and because of the delicacy of his skin, dust and dirt do not cling to his body." Therefore, he is praised as "delicate, immaculate skin." "Praised, essence-absorbing, foremost" is the word division. It means: the seven thousand sinews that absorb essence, worthy of praise, are uplifted. "Praised" means worthy of praise, sinews. The root "thoma" (to praise) with "ṇya" for commendation. "Essence-absorbing" means they absorb and take in essences of various kinds, like sweet ones, sinews. The word "rasa" (essence) as a prefix, the root "gasa" (to eat) with "a." Or, "essence-absorbing" means they absorb and carry the essence through them, sinews. The root "gasa" (to carry) with "a." For a root word has many meanings. "Foremost of the essence-absorbing" is "essence-absorbing, foremost." "Essence-absorbing, foremost" means they are present there, sinews. The suffix "ī" denotes possession. One who has praised, essence-absorbing, foremost sinews is the Fortunate One. Indeed, for the Tathāgata, seven thousand essence-absorbing sinews are uplifted and attached to his neck. Even a sesame-seed-sized amount of food placed on the tip of his tongue pervades his entire body. That is why, when he was striving in the great exertion, even with a single grain of rice or a hundred measures of pea soup, his body was sustained. For others, however, because it is not so, it is not. The essence spreads throughout the body. Because of that, they have many illnesses. This characteristic becomes evident by means of the resultant fruit called freedom from illness, therefore he praises him as "one whose taste is the best of the best." The description of the twenty-third verse of homage is finished. 24. In the second verse, the Buddha is the Victor, who has conquered the five Māras. The word "jino" (Victor) is connected to phrases like "samacattālīsaggadanto" (forty-four excellent teeth) by having the same gender. "Cattālīsaggadanto" is "cattālīsa agga danto" (forty excellent teeth) when the words are separated. The meaning is "forty excellent teeth." Here, the word "agga" (excellent) is a word meaning "supreme" and is not a derived nominal stem. Or, "agga" means "that which goes to, or attains, supremacy," and "danto" means "tooth." "Danto" is that by which food is bitten and chewed. The root "daṃs" is in the sense of biting. Its "nto" has the root-ending dropped. "Cattālīsaggadanto" means "the Victor, whose excellent, supreme teeth are forty." The meaning is that there are twenty teeth fixed in the upper jaw and twenty in the lower,