Dighanikaya 3.255_2

3.255_2

Ayaṃ pana kassapasammāsambuddhakāle tiṇṇaṃ vedānaṃ pāragū dasabalassa dānaṃ datvā dhammadesanaṃ sutvā devaloke nibbatti. So tato manussalokamāgacchanto mātukucchivāsaṃ jigucchitvā himavantapadese mahāsare padumagabbhe nibbatti. Tassa ca sarassa avidūre tāpaso paṇṇasālāya vasati. So tīre ṭhito taṃ padumaṃ disvā – ‘‘idaṃ padumaṃ avasesapadumehi mahantataraṃ. Pupphitakāle naṃ gahessāmī’’ti cintesi. Taṃ sattāhenāpi na pupphati. Tāpaso kasmā nu kho idaṃ sattāhenāpi na pupphati. Handa naṃ gahessāmīti otaritvā gaṇhi. Taṃ tena nāḷato chinnamattaṃyeva pupphitaṃ. Athassabbhantare suvaṇṇacuṇṇapiñjaraṃ viya rajatabimbakaṃ padumareṇupiñjaraṃ setavaṇṇaṃ dārakaṃ addasa. So mahāpuñño esa bhavissati. Handa naṃ paṭijaggāmīti paṇṇasālaṃ netvā paṭijaggitvā sattavassakālato paṭṭhāya tayo vede uggaṇhāpesi. Dārako tiṇṇaṃ vedānaṃ pāraṃ gantvā paṇḍito byatto jambudīpe aggabrāhmaṇo ahosi. So aparena samayena rañño kosalassa sippaṃ dassesi. Athassa sippe pasanno rājā ukkaṭṭhaṃ nāma mahānagaraṃ brahmadeyyaṃ adāsi. Iti naṃ pokkhare sayitattā pokkharasātīti sañjānanti.

In the time of the fully awakened Buddha Kassapa, having mastered the three Vedas, he gave gifts to the Ten-Powered One, heard the teaching of the Dhamma, and was reborn in the deva world. Coming from there to the human world, feeling revulsion toward dwelling in a mother's womb, he was born in the womb of a lotus in a great lake in the Himalayan region. Not far from that lake an ascetic lived in a leaf hut. Standing on the bank and seeing that lotus, he thought: “This lotus is larger than the rest of the lotuses. When it blooms, I will take it.” Even after seven days, it did not bloom. The ascetic thought: “Why does this not bloom even after seven days? Come, let me take it.” Having waded in, he took it. As soon as it was cut from the stalk by him, it bloomed. Then inside it he saw a white-complexioned boy, smeared with lotus pollen, like a silver statue in a cage of gold dust. He thought: “He must be one of great merit. Come, let me look after him.” Taking him to his leaf hut and looking after him, from the age of seven he had him learn the three Vedas. Having reached the far shore of the three Vedas, the boy became wise, accomplished, and the foremost brahmin in Jambudīpa. At a later time, he displayed his skill to the King of Kosala. Then, delighted with his skill, the king gave him the great city named Ukkaṭṭhā as a royal fief. Thus they recognized him as “Pokkharasāti” because he had lain in a lotus (pokkhare sayita).