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Homage to that Blessed One, the Worthy One, the Perfectly Self-Enlightened One. The Ornament of the Conqueror Verses Illuminating Homage 1. He, the Buddha, for the welfare of the world, abandoning wealth, sons, wife, and life itself, fulfilled the incomparable Bodhipakkhiya-dhamma, which are dear to the thirty (devas). Having attained pure enlightenment, the giver of all virtues, the foremost in the three worlds, he made an end to suffering, and liberated the fortunate people from suffering. 2. Having paid homage to the Conqueror, who accumulated merit, the sole kinsman of all worlds, who has no equal in the world in the greatness of his skill, this very vast and pure Bodhisambhāra (requisites for enlightenment) of his, the cause leading to the fruit attained by the Sugata, listen to me as I expound it. Verses Illuminating the Attainment of the Practitioner 3. He who is born at the opportune moment, a holder of the Dhamma, pure in his senses through virtue, seeing the cycle of existence as leading to the end of becoming, and Nibbana as peace and security, worshipping that sage, the guide to the path of attainment, then through the method of mindfulness of the Uddhāna and meditation, he should achieve that peace. Verses Clarifying the Subject Matter 4. Who is the Buddha? What are the Buddha's qualities? He who attained the inconceivable beginning, What unique thing did he do? What did the Buddha say? 5. The Buddha is defined as one whose aggregates' continuum is pure. The purity of the aggregates' continuum, that is defined as his quality. 6. He performed five duties daily, and by his psychic power, he gladdened all people according to their conduct, and knowing, he taught the abandonment of latent defilements. Verses Illuminating the Uniqueness 7. Whose infinite qualities have arisen, like a single sun in the three Buddha-fields; He knows this world and the other, both animate and inanimate; What is in his own continuum, and in others', what is past, not yet arrived, and what is present. 8. Among infinite beings and world-systems, he alone is unequalled by all; In the eastern and other directions, there are countless thousands of world-systems; Even if the devas, humans, and Brahmas in them were to gather in one place and consult. 9. Of mind-and-matter, which has come from beginningless time, and whose existence is according to its own causes and effects; Unable to grasp that state of being, They entered into various perversions. 10. The arising of kamma and the arising of results, The nature of oneness and manifoldness, And the inactive state; Because they were obscured by the dense continuity of consciousness, They were unable to speak of the straight path to peace. 11. He alone, the peace-maker, the light-bringer, Having fully comprehended all things to be known; Among them, the supreme, the incomparable, He was able to illuminate the straight path to peace. 12. That Gotama, son of the Sakyas, chief of sages, Became a lamp for the entire world; He released countless beings From the bonds of existence, Looking to the fruit of compassion. Verses Illuminating the Requisites of Bodhi 23. He, wearied by the sight of people wearied by suffering, Always showed compassion to humanity; Knowing that this was the means to their liberation, He even took upon himself the faults of others. 24. Even though plunged into the oceans of various supreme perfections like giving, Any suffering, even very great, Given by wicked people, He did not recognize, Seeking only the welfare of beings. 25. Cutting off his own head, giving it, Cooking his own flesh, giving it; He, having abandoned his body at the time of aspiration, What harm could cutting do to him from the wicked? 26. Thus, endless suffering Through hundreds of births, having undergone, Seeking only the welfare of beings; The morality, concentration, and wisdom Undertaken before Dīpaṅkara, he protected, Until perfected at his own Bodhi tree. 27. When Sumedha made his aspiration, And when the Lord of Peace gave Maddī; Between these, in his births, Not even one thing Went to waste for him. 28. Even a drop of water in the great ocean, Compared to his births in between, was not much; For him who continuously fulfilled the perfections, What measure, what comparison, where is it? 29. He who planted a sweet mango seed by the roadside, For the shade and fruit of many people; At that very moment, by that act, He gained the merit of shade and fruit. 30. Just so, on the path of saṃsāra, for the welfare of people, At the moment he dedicated himself; His merit was as if already accomplished, Even by those who took his wealth, limbs, or life. 31. He gave blood more than the ocean, He gave flesh as much as the earth, He gave his head more than Mount Meru, He gave eyes more than the stars in the sky. Verses Illuminating the Requisites of Awakening 23. He, distressed by the sight of people distressed by suffering, Always showed compassion to humanity; Knowing that this was the way to liberate them, He even took the blame for others' faults upon himself. 24. Even when immersed in the oceans of various excellent perfections like giving, Any suffering, however great, given by wicked people, He did not recognize, as he sought only the welfare of beings. 25. Cutting off his own head and giving it, Cooking his own flesh and giving it, He, having abandoned his body at the time of his aspiration, What harm is there to the wicked by cutting? 26. Thus, having experienced endless suffering for hundreds of births, Seeking only the welfare of beings, He protected the virtue, concentration, and wisdom he had undertaken before Dīpaṅkara, Until he was perfected at the foot of his Bodhi tree. 27. When Sumedha made his aspiration, And when Sivī gave Maddī, Between these, not a single birth Of his went in vain. 28. Even compared to a drop of water in the great ocean, His births within it were not few; How can there be a measure or a comparison For his continuously fulfilled perfections? 29. He who planted a sweet mango seed by the roadside For the shade and fruit of the multitude, At that very moment, by that act, He obtained the merit of shade and fruit. 30. Likewise, at the moment he planted himself On the path of transmigration for the welfare of beings, His merit was accomplished, and upon that, Whoever takes his wealth, limbs, or life. 31. He gave blood more than the ocean, He gave flesh as much as the earth, He gave his head more than Mount Meru, He gave eyes more than the stars in the sky. Verses Illuminating the Conception 32. Having crossed with strength the deep oceans of giving and other virtues; Having completed the perfections by giving Maddī. 33. Dwelling in the Tusita realm, having reached the maturity of awakening; He was implored and entered the womb of the mother of the gods. 34. Mindful and fully aware, he entered his mother's womb; At his entry, the entire ten-thousandfold world system trembled. 35. Then thirty-two auspicious signs appeared; The mother, delighted and joyful, saw her son in her womb. Verses describing the auspicious birth 36. She, with a full womb, after ten months, Went to the blooming, excellent Lumbinī grove; Standing, holding a branch of a noble Sal tree, She gave birth to that excellent son with ease. 37. Then, in the ten-thousandfold world systems, Gods, nāgas, asuras, and yakkhas, From various directions, to the auspicious cosmos, Came for the great auspiciousness, the auspicious event. 38. Many-branched and thousand-circled, A parasol the devas held in the sky; Golden-handled whisks waved, Drums were beaten, and conch shells sounded. 39. Not stained by any impurity, He stood, stretching out his feet; Like a preacher descending from the Dharma seat, He was born like the excellent sun from the sky. 40. Arahants, a company of Brahmās, came near, And received him in a golden net; Then the devas with a deer-skin cloth, Then humans with a fine linen cloth. 41. From their hands, he stood on the excellent ground, He surveyed all directions all around; The devas, too, and the Brahmā-bodied ones, said, "There is none equal to you, nor superior." 42. Going north, he took seven steps, He roared a lion's roar, making it heard by those deities. 43. Then, taking her son, the mother went to her own home; The mother, on the seventh day, went and attained the state of a deva-son. 44. Those Brahmins, having eaten well on the fifth day, To take his name, seeing the excellent marks, Raised one finger and declared, "This one will be a Buddha, free from passion." 45. Seeing the old, the sick, and the dead, And seeing the called-forth renunciant, He will abandon desires and go forth, This one will be a Buddha, free from passion. Verses describing the householder's prosperity 46. In due course, like the moon, growing in a growing family, By the arising of merit, he arose. Oh, he, like the sun in the sky. 47. Indeed, Siddhartha, the accomplished one, having obtained Queen Yasodhara, By forty thousand women he was surrounded. 48. In delightful, beautiful, and pleasant houses, suitable for the three seasons; Like divine pleasure he enjoyed happiness, a wondrous and amazing royal splendor. Homage to him from whom is greatness, whose darkness is not. 49. Having seen the signs that cut off intoxication, the deformities of women that cut off delight; Evil deeds that cut off happiness, he gained knowledge that cuts off existence. 50. Like a burning house with a terrible roar, having arisen with a roar, the Great Seer went; The Great Seer, seeing his own son, did not extend his own great flood of love. 51. Having lifted his foot from threshold to threshold, step by step, from the burden of suffering; Enough, enough of going with adornments, the mind, the mind overcomes the breaking of desire. 52. Having gone from threshold to threshold, the Great Seer, the breaking of desire he contemplated;