143. Vedikāraka (THA-AP145)

When the World’s Lord reached nirvana,
Piyadassi, Ultimate Man,
with a pleased heart and happy mind,
I made the Buddha a railing.

Having surrounded it with gems
I made that ultimate rail then,
and having made that great railing
I passed away right on the spot.

In whichever womb I’m reborn,
whether it’s human or divine,
gemstones are carried in the sky:
that is the fruit of good karma.

In the sixteenth aeon ago
there were thirty-two different kings,
all wheel-turners with great power,
and they were named Maṇippabhā.

The four analytical modes,
and these eight deliverances,
six special knowledges mastered,
I have done what the Buddha taught!

Thus indeed Venerable Vedikāraka Thera spoke these verses.

The legend of Vedikāraka Thera is finished.

Translated by Jonathan S. Walters.

Whitman College, 2017

Legends of the Buddhist Saints (Apadāna) is released under the Attribution, Non-Commercial, Share Alike license.

This is the first-ever complete translation of Apadāna into a Western language.

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Prepared for SuttaCentral by Ayya Vimala.