English
Lokiya means that in which merits and demerits and their results occur, thus it is the world. Loka-dhātu ṇa. Or that which gathers, takes, good deeds and so on, is the world. Lā-dhātu oka-paccayo. The world of beings itself is la. Shines. The Buddha, resolute and wise, desiring to free beings immersed in the cycle of existence from the suffering of the cycle of existence, for their compassion, for more than four incalculables and a hundred thousand aeons, performing thirty very difficult perfections and five great sacrifices, for the sake of the seven worlds, experienced physical and mental suffering of the cycle of existence, it is said. Therefore, to such a Buddha, I pay homage, I worship. "A blessing for humans and gods" means a blessing for humans and gods. Here is its meaning. "Nara" means one who reaches niraya, a human. From the root 'ni' and 'aro' in 'reaching'. But a noble human, by way of past existence, is called 'nara'. Or, "nara" means one who leads to excellence, meaning one who leads to supreme renunciation. In the Vimānavatthu commentary, "nara" means one who leads to seniority. For even a person who is a son or brother stands in the place of a father for his mother and elder sisters, much more so a husband for others, it is said. In the Visuddhimagga Mahāṭīkā, "nara" means one who leads, a man. Just as a being, being of primary nature, is called 'purisa' (man) because he dwells or exists in a high place as superior to other natures, so too is he called 'nara' by way of leading. Even a person who is a son or brother stands in the place of a father for his mother and elder sisters. Much more so for others, it is said. Therefore, here, though "nara" is used generally, it is understood specifically as "man-nara" because it is appropriate to take it in the principal sense. "Devas" are those who play with sensual pleasures, jhānas, supernormal powers, mental mastery, and so on. From the root 'divu'. Or, "devas" are those who shine with the radiance of bodily adornments. And devas are of three kinds: conventional devas, rebirth devas, and purified devas. Among these, kings, queens, and princes are called conventional devas because they have been conventionally regarded as devas by the world since the time of Mahāsammata. Those reborn in the deva world are called rebirth devas. Buddhas, Paccekabuddhas, and Arahants are called purified devas. Here, however, rebirth devas are intended. Blessing. is a blessing. An adjective in the text. They increase, they grow, with all prosperity for beings by this, therefore he is a blessing, the Buddha. The root 'maṅgala' means 'to increase', 'alo' (suffix). Or 'maṅga' is said to be evil, that (evil) he cuts, he severs for those to be trained by his teaching, therefore he is a blessing, the Buddha. The word 'maṅga' with the prefix 'lu' (to cut) and the suffix 'kvi'. Humans and gods are human-gods, for them he is a blessing, the human-gods' blessing, the Buddha. And he, being worthy of veneration by humans, gods, and Brahmās, and being superior and supreme among the eight worldly blessings (conch, wheel, full pot, garland, prosperity, white parasol, goad, banner, and svastika), is therefore called 'Maṅgala'. Thus, the intention is to praise the Buddha as 'Naradevamaṅgala'. This is the brief explanation here. The resolute one, possessed of concentration, bearing knowledge, bearing the fruit of arahantship, or bearing the white parasol of the fruit of arahantship, whatever kind of Buddha he is, in transmigration, in the cycle of transmigration, the bodily suffering occurring in the body and the suffering of the cycle, and the mental suffering occurring in the mind and the suffering of the cycle, from the world, due to the world, he experienced again and again, he underwent, he felt, the blessing of human-gods, the one who is a blessing for human-gods, that such a Buddha I venerate, I bow down to. The explanation of the third verse of veneration is concluded. 4. Whose body is adorned with thirty-two marks, From whose body-radiance a blazing light emanates; A multitude of qualities like wisdom, resolve, and virtue, I venerate the sage, endowed with his final birth. 4. Having thus bowed to the Buddha with the third verse, now, desiring to venerate the sage by praising him with six qualities such as "whose body is adorned with thirty-two marks," he speaks the verse beginning "whose body is adorned with thirty-two marks." This verse, moreover, should be understood as an "Upaṭṭhitā" verse, characterized by eleven syllables, due to being composed of 'ta', 'ja', 'ja' gaṇas and two 'guru' syllables. For it is said in the Vuttodaya: "That is Upaṭṭhitā, with 't-jā', 'j-gā', and 'guru'." Its meaning is: In which, in each line, 't-jā' (ta-ja-gaṇa) and 'j-gā' (ja-gaṇa-guru) and a final 'guru' are joined, that verse is called Upaṭṭhitā. And here, with one guru Even if it has two heavy syllables, due to the similarity of characteristics, it should be understood as a verse. There, "thirty-two characteristic adorned body" means having a body adorned with the thirty-two marks of a Great Man. Here, thirty-two is thirty plus two. 'Bā' is a substitute for 'dvi'. That by which the Buddha's body is marked or should be marked is a 'lakkhaṇa' (mark). That wherein good and bad deeds accumulate, or grow, is 'deha' (body), 'sarīra' (body). The root 'dih' means to accumulate or grow. He whose body is adorned and variegated with the thirty-two marks of a Great Man is called "thirty-two characteristic adorned body," the Sage is obtained. Here is a brief showing of the nature of the thirty-two marks of a Great Man. He has well-planted feet, long heels, long fingers and toes, soft and tender hands and feet, webbed hands and feet, high insteps, legs like an antelope, standing upright, without bending, he touches and strokes his knees with both hands, his private parts are sheathed like a horse, he is golden-colored, his skin like burnished gold, he has very fine skin, each hair grows singly, his hairs stand erect, he has a divine upright body, he has seven convexities, the front part of his body is like a lion, he has full shoulders, he is proportioned like a banyan tree, he has evenly rounded shoulders, he has the best taste buds, he has a lion-like jaw, he has forty teeth, even teeth, teeth without gaps, very white fangs, a large tongue, a divine voice, speaking like a karavīka bird, very dark blue eyes, eyelashes like a cow, a tuft of hair between his eyebrows, and a head like a turban – these are the thirty-two kinds of marks of a Great Man. Therefore it is said in the Lakkhaṇa Sutta of the Pātheyya Vagga: "What, bhikkhus, are those thirty-two marks of a Great Man, with which endowed, a Great Man has two destinies, no other? If he lives in a home, he becomes a Wheel-turning Monarch... but if he goes forth from home to homelessness, he becomes an Arahant, a Fully Self-Awakened One in the world, one who has removed the veil. Here, bhikkhus, a Great Man has well-planted feet. And that, bhikkhus, a Great Man has well-planted feet... This, monks, is also a mark of a great man. And further, monks, on the soles of the great man's feet wheels are formed, with a thousand spokes, with rims, with naves, complete in every aspect. This, monks, is also a mark of a great man. And further, monks, the great man has long heels. He has long fingers and toes. He has soft and tender hands and feet. He has webbed hands and feet. He has high arches. He has legs like an antelope. Standing upright, without bending, he can touch and stroke his knees with both hands. His private parts are concealed in a sheath. He is golden-colored, his skin like burnished gold. He has very fine skin; because of its fineness, dust and dirt do not cling to his body. He has single hairs; one hair grows in each pore. He has upward-curling hairs. His upward-curling hairs are blue-black, like collyrium, curled in spirals, turning to the right. He has a body straight as Brahma. He has seven convexities. He has the forepart of a lion's body. He has a full space between his shoulders. He is proportioned like a banyan tree; as tall as his arm-span, so is his height. He has a perfectly rounded torso. He has a supreme sense of taste. He has a lion-like jaw. He has forty teeth. He has even teeth. He has no gaps between his teeth. He has very white fangs. He has a large tongue. He has the voice of Brahma, speaking with the tone of a karavīka bird. He has very deep blue eyes. He has eyelashes like a cow. A tuft of hair grows between his eyebrows, white and soft like cotton wool. That, monks, which is a tuft of hair growing between the great man's eyebrows, white and soft like cotton wool, this, monks, is also a mark of a great man. And further, monks, the great man has a head like a turban. That, monks, which is the great man having a head like a turban, this, monks, is also a mark of a great man. These, monks, are the thirty-two... The marks of a great man, of the thirty-two great men. The meaning of these thirty-two marks of a great man will become clear later. "Blazing forth with light emanating from the body" means illuminating all around with splendors, consisting of six-colored rays, issued forth from the Blessed One's physical body. "Juti" means it shines, it glows. From the root 'ju'. "Niggatā" means it goes forth, it issues forth, (referring to) a ray. From the root 'gam' with prefix 'ni'. "Pajjalantaṃ" means it burns, it shines brightly. And here, where it should be said "light issued from the body" for the sake of preserving the meter, it is said "dehajjutiniggata" by inversion of words. Therefore, the compound "light issued from the body" should be understood. He who is blazing forth with lights, with rays, issued forth, emanating from the body, from the physical form, is called the sage "blazing forth with light emanating from the body". Indeed, from the front of the Sage's body,