Verses on Dhamma 7.1: 1. Jīvakapañhavatthu

7.1.p1

Gataddhinoti imaṃ dhammadesanaṃ satthā jīvakambavane viharanto jīvakena puṭṭhapañhaṃ ārabbha kathesi. Jīvakavatthu khandhake (mahāva. 326 ādayo) vitthāritameva.

For him who has completed his journey. This religious instruction was given by the Teacher while he was in residence at Jīvaka's Mango-grove with reference to a question asked by Jīvaka. The Story of Jīvaka is related in detail in the Khandhaka.

7.1.p2

Ekasmiṃ pana samaye devadatto ajātasattunā saddhiṃ ekato hutvā gijjhakūṭaṃ abhiruhitvā paduṭṭhacitto ‘‘satthāraṃ vadhissāmī’’ti silaṃ pavijjhi. Taṃ dve pabbatakūṭāni sampaṭicchiṃsu. Tato bhijjitvā gatā papaṭikā bhagavato pādaṃ paharitvā lohitaṃ uppādesi, bhusā vedanā pavattiṃsu. Bhikkhū satthāraṃ maddakucchiṃ nayiṃsu. Satthā tatopi jīvakambavanaṃ gantukāmo ‘‘tattha maṃ nethā’’ti āha. Bhikkhū bhagavantaṃ ādāya jīvakambavanaṃ agamaṃsu. Jīvako taṃ pavattiṃ sutvā satthu santikaṃ gantvā vaṇapaṭikammatthāya tikhiṇabhesajjaṃ datvā vaṇaṃ bandhitvā satthāraṃ etadavoca – ‘‘bhante, mayā antonagare ekassa manussassa bhesajjaṃ kataṃ, tassa santikaṃ gantvā puna āgamissāmi, idaṃ bhesajjaṃ yāva mamāgamanā baddhaniyāmeneva tiṭṭhatū’’ti. So gantvā tassa purisassa kattabbakiccaṃ katvā dvārapidahanavelāya āgacchanto dvāraṃ na sampāpuṇi. Athassa etadahosi – ‘‘aho mayā bhāriyaṃ kammaṃ kataṃ, yvāhaṃ aññatarassa purisassa viya tathāgatassa pāde tikhiṇabhesajjaṃ datvā vaṇaṃ bandhiṃ, ayaṃ tassa mocanavelā, tasmiṃ amuccamāne sabbarattiṃ bhagavato sarīre pariḷāho uppajjissatī’’ti. Tasmiṃ khaṇe satthā ānandattheraṃ āmantesi – ‘‘ānanda, jīvako sāyaṃ āgacchanto dvāraṃ na sampāpuṇi, ‘ayaṃ vaṇassa mocanavelā’ti pana cintesi, mocesi na’’nti. Thero mocesi, vaṇo rukkhato challi viya apagato. Jīvako antoaruṇeyeva satthu santikaṃ vegena āgantvā ‘‘kiṃ nu kho, bhante, sarīre vo pariḷāho uppanno’’ti pucchi. Satthā ‘‘tathāgatassa kho, jīvaka, bodhimaṇḍeyeva sabbapariḷāho vūpasanto’’ti anusandhiṃ ghaṭetvā dhammaṃ desento imaṃ gāthamāha –

Now on a certain occasion Devadatta joined forces with Ajātasattu, climbed Vulture Peak, and out of the wickedness of his heart, saying to himself, "I will kill the Teacher," hurled down a rock. Two mountain crags caught the rock and splintered it; but one of the flying pieces struck the foot of the Exalted One and caused blood to flow. The Teacher suffered intense pains and was removed by the monks to Maddakucchi. Desiring to go on to Jīvaka's Mango-grove, the Teacher said to the monks, "Carry me thither." So the monks took the Teacher and carried him to Jīvaka's Mango-grove.

When Jīvaka heard the news, he immediately went to the Teacher and to heal the wound applied an astringent. Then he bound up the wound and said to the Teacher, "Reverend Sir, I have a patient in the city. As soon as I have visited him, I will return. Let this dressing remain exactly as it is until I return." So saying, Jīvaka went and treated his patient. But the gate was closed when he returned, and he was therefore unable to enter. Thereupon the following thought occurred to him, "I have committed a grievous fault. I applied an astringent to the foot of the Tathāgata and bound up his wound, just as I should have bound up the wound of any other man. It is now time to remove the bandage. For if the bandage remains unbound all night long, the Exalted One will suffer intense pain."

At that moment the Teacher addressed the Elder Ānanda, "Ānanda, Jīvaka returned late in the evening and was unable to enter the gate. This was the thought in his mind, 'Now it is time to remove

the bandage.’ Therefore remove the bandage.” The Elder removed the bandage, whereupon the scar disappeared like bark from a tree. At early dawn Jīvaka hastened to the Teacher’s side and asked, “Reverend Sir, did you suffer intense pain?” Said the Teacher, “Jīvaka, all suffering is extinguished for the Tathāgata, even as when he sat on the Throne of Enlightenment.” And joining the connection and preaching the Law, he pronounced the following Stanza,

7.1.90

‘‘Gataddhino visokassa, vippamuttassa sabbadhi;
Sabbaganthappahīnassa, pariḷāho na vijjatī’’ti.

90. For him who has completed his journey, for him who is free from sorrow,
For him who has freed himself from the bonds which beset him on all sides,
For him who has shaken off all the fetters, for such a one, no suffering is possible.

7.1.90_2

Tattha gataddhinoti gatamaggassa kantāraddhā vaṭṭaddhāti dve addhā nāma. Tesu kantārapaṭipanno yāva icchitaṭṭhānaṃ na pāpuṇāti, tāva addhikoyeva, etasmiṃ pana patte gataddhi nāma hoti. Vaṭṭasannissitāpi sattā yāva vaṭṭe vasanti, tāva addhikā eva. Kasmā? Vaṭṭassa akhepitattā. Sotāpannādayopi addhikā eva, vaṭṭaṃ pana khepetvā ṭhito khīṇāsavo gataddhi nāma hoti. Tassa gataddhino. Visokassāti vaṭṭamūlakassa sokassa vigatattā visokassa. Vippamuttassa sabbadhīti sabbesu khandhādidhammesu vippamuttassa, sabbaganthappahīnassāti catunnampi ganthānaṃ pahīnattā sabbāganthappahīnassa. Pariḷāho na vijjatīti duvidho pariḷāho kāyiko cetasiko cāti. Tesu khīṇāsavassa sītuṇhādivasena uppannattā kāyikapariḷāho anibbutova, taṃ sandhāya jīvako pucchati. Satthā pana dhammarājatāya desanāvidhikusalatāya cetasikapariḷāhavasena desanaṃ vinivattento, ‘‘jīvaka, paramatthena evarūpassa khīṇāsavassa pariḷāho na vijjatī’’ti āha.

7.1.90_3

Desanāvasāne bahū sotāpattiphalādīni pāpuṇiṃsūti.

7.1.90_4

Jīvakapañhavatthu paṭhamaṃ.