English
Homage to that Blessed One, the Arahant, the Perfectly Enlightened One. 1. Whose fame is ever widespread, who has crushed the pride of desire, Who arranges for the welfare of the three realms, the unique banner of all the world, Whose wisdom is immeasurable and priceless, who gives peace, the essence of Mount Meru, The great and noble Buddha, the essence of form, I salute. 2. Who destroys the frost of evil deeds, the torment of the mud of delusion, Who blossoms the lotus of the minds of all beings, Who destroys the lilies of false doctrines, the sun risen on the eastern mountain of the Buddha, The great and noble one arisen, the Dharma's sun, I salute. 3. Whose virtue is wholly pure, who has shaken off the net of evil, Worthy of offerings from gods and humans, worthy of gifts and hospitality, Who has walked the straight path, the field of merit for beings, The community, great and pure, I respectfully venerate. 4. Thus, having made obeisance, destroying all obstacles, Purified by the touch of the Buddha's immaculate lotus feet, I will describe the king of mountains, Sumanakūṭa, the incomparable Abode of the gods; may good beings listen. 5. By hearing, speaking, and mindfully venerating him, One becomes truly happy and attains Nibbana. 6. Therefore, those good people who desire threefold prosperity, Should listen with a clear and attentive mind. 7. The Lord, the crest jewel of the world, having fulfilled the ten perfections, Was born in the Tusita heaven, known as Santusita. 8. The gods and others entreated him, "Now is your time, O Master, To cross over and deliver the world, many with little dust in their eyes." 9. "For this purpose, O Hero, you have fulfilled the ten perfections, Like a son to his father's arm, the world clings to you." 10. Hearing their words, the great being, the wise one, Looked around with his five pure eyes. 11. Like the beautiful pistil in the lotus heart of Jambudipa, Was the city of Kapilavatthu, like a tusk of pure white. 12. Shining like gold, adorned with lofty peaks, Adorned with palaces filled with jeweled lion windows. 13. Where golden banners, like hundreds of stars in the dense sky, Were always moved by the wind. 14. That city, with the blue eyes and faces of its people, Resembled a lotus pond crowded with honeybees, bringing prosperity. 15. That city, with its resounding horses, Resembled the ocean, with its loud, high, playful waves. 16. Its tall, multi-colored flags, Waved by gentle breezes, seemed to beckon the gods, like outstretched arms. 17. In it, people in various garbs, Adorned with diverse ornaments, Abundant in various riches, Were masters of various arts. 18. Ever youthful and exuberant, Delightful in appearance, Always devoted to truth, Were the families of unblemished lineage. 19. That city, constantly frequented By men and women skilled in sports, Was beautiful and virtuous, And full of sweet-voiced people. 20. There, endowed with faith and other virtues, A scion of the Okkāka lineage, Named Suddhodana, lived, Renowned throughout the three worlds. 21. On whose lotus-like feet, The jewels of the crowns of all the kings On earth, seemed to dance incessantly. 22. Whose pervasive splendor, Made the sun, leader of the day, Appear to move slowly in the sky, Like the moon during the day. 23. Whose stream of generosity, Constantly overflowed the minds Of various supplicant beings, Like a sea without bounds. 24. In wisdom, he was like the king of gods; In wealth, like the god of wealth; In beauty, like the god of love; He shone on earth. 25. His queen, consecrated to the kingdom, Known as Mahāmāyā, Was like moonlight to the moon, Or Mount Meru to the earth. 26. Like Lakshmi to Vishnu, Or Sita to Rama, She was a noble queen, Beautiful and with lovely lips. 27. In her womb's casket, Like a priceless jewel, Astonishing the world with thirty-two signs, 28. With lotus-like hands, serene, Like a white elephant calf, He circumambulated his mother, And took rebirth. 29. After ten months, She had this thought: "Having gone to my relatives' city, I will see my kinsfolk." 30. Having informed the king of this, She, with her retinue, Well-prepared by him, Set out on the road. 31. Seeing the Lumbini garden, Delighting the minds of the gods, Like a grove of delight, And pleasing to the mind, 32. Eager to play there, She entered that grove. Approaching, they play at the auspicious Sāla tree. 33. Thick with swaying leaves, bowing with full-blown flowers, Taking a Sāla branch, with her red, tender hand, 34. Guarded by gods, honored greatly with the gods, Māyā bore a son there, the world's eye, standing. 35. Brahmās, world-guardians, and humans then in order, With golden nets and deerskins, took the joy of birth. 36. Firmly established on the earth, the wise one, looking then at the directions, Facing north, having gone seven steps, he stood on a lotus. 37. Looking at the directions, with eyes like full-blown lotuses, He uttered a lion's roar, "I am the highest, the best," and so on. 38. Worshipped and revered by Brahmās, immortals, humans, and others, Gradually growing, like the moon in the waxing fortnight. 39. Under the umbrella of Brahmās, amidst Mandāra flowers, Amidst joyful, delighted gods, waving chowries, 40. With divine sights and sounds, scents, and tastes, And divine touches, rejoicing in many ways. 41. With divine, delightful dances and music, With thousands of verses, the mine of virtues being praised. 42. Reaching sixteen years, amidst the assembly of relatives, Showing all the skills that existed in the world then. 43. Delighting the assembly of relatives, gods and humans too, Obtaining Yasodharā the queen, favorable in every birth. 44. Adorned with a face like a golden mirror, With wide, long eyes like blue lotuses, 45. With eyebrows like banners at the entrance to the love-bower, With a nose like a golden trumpet, marked by beauty, 46. With dark, wavy tresses at the edge of the cloud-like hips, With lovely ear-lobes like constantly flashing lightning, 47. With a pair of breasts shining like refined gold, With a necklace like a waterfall extending from the golden upper garment, 48. With a pair of arms hanging like divine wish-fulfilling trees, With a row of beautiful nails like tender shoots with dew drops, 49. Adorned with a line of hair like a garland of bees on a body, With three beautiful folds like waves of beauty, 50. S With thighs like plantain stalks, Beautiful, round and well-formed; 51. Adorned with lovely shanks, Shaped like unopened lotus buds; 52. A mine of virtues, Like the shore of the ocean of delight; 53. Lovely as the king of spring, Or like a beautiful god of love, 54. Unwavering as Mount Meru, Profound as the ocean, 55. That great hero, in Kapilavatthu, Seeing the four omens, 56. Delighted in renunciation, the Lord Went to the pleasure garden, 57. Adorned with blooming champak, Asoka, and nāga trees; 58. Filled with blooming lotuses, Lilies, and various water birds, 59. Fragrant with various scents Borne by the gentle breeze; 60. Resounded with the humming Of bees drawn to the pollen, 61. Echoed with the cooing Of flocks of birds amidst the fruit, 62. Like a pavilion always, With dancing intoxicated peacocks, 63. Like a playground, With frolicking herds of deer; 64. Delighting people with rows Of water pavilions, 65. Arriving at the pleasure garden, Like the king of gods in Nandana, 66. Playing, hearing the news Of the birth of his son; 67. Returning, adorned by Vissakamma, Like thousand-eyed Sakka, 68. Entering the city, he heard Kisā Gotami speak; 69. Hearing the word "Nibbāna," So pleasing to his mind, 70. Pleased and delighted, He gave a necklace worth a hundred thousand, 71. Sending the star-bright necklace To Tissā, he went to his palace, 72. With the splendor of a god, He sat on his excellent throne; 73. Then many dancers came, Surrounding him; 74. Drums were beaten, Some women danced; 75. Some sang songs Filled with various rhythms, 76. Some blew wind instruments, Some played stringed instruments; 77. With lovely, red lips, Beautiful with full breasts, 78. With wide, long, dark eyes, With lovely faces, 79. They danced before him, In the midst of the drum circle. Like a celestial maiden in a theater, Constantly filled with delightful emotions; 68. Seeing that wonder, he then became detached from pleasures, He also saw the chest and the entire drum beating; 69. Lamenting arose, a song in the ocean of existence, Like the change of wind's force, the leader pondered the dance; 70. "When shall I abandon the household and embrace the glory of renunciation?" Thus thinking, he lay there as if in a deep sleep; 71. "Depending on whom we are engaged here in dance and song, Now she is asleep, what shall we do with her?" 72. Thus thinking, those maidens there, on their respective instruments, Lay down, without awareness, devoid of mindfulness; 73. Some were chewing their teeth, some were drooling, Some were weeping there, while others were lamenting; 74. Some were coughing, some swallowing phlegm, some vomiting, Some were making sounds through their noses, snoring and twitching; 75. Some were muttering secrets, some wandering around, A foul odor pervaded the place, like a charnel ground; 76. Awakening at midnight, he sat there, He saw their various disfigurements there then; 77. As he was looking thus, his mind agitated by existence, The triple world arose in his mind as if ablaze; 78. As a wild elephant escapes from a great forest Consumed by a forest fire, So was the king's mind set on leaving the household; 79. Then rising from his bed, making his departure, The great king considered seeing his own son; 80. Entering the chamber then, quietly, with a calm mind, He saw Yasodhara sleeping with his son; 81. Holding a long-cherished great love in his mind,