204. Taraṇiya (THA-AP206)

Atthadassi, the Blessed One,
the Biped Lord, the Bull of Men,
honored by his followers then
approached the bank of the Ganges.

The Ganges was quite hard to cross
with even banks full to the brim.
I took across the group of monks
and the Buddha, Supreme Biped.

In the eighteen-hundredth aeon
since I did that good karma then,
I’ve come to know no bad rebirth:
that is the fruit of ferrying.

In the thirteen-hundredth aeon
there were five named Sabhogava,
wheel-turning monarchs with great strength,
possessors of the seven gems.

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

Thus indeed Venerable Taraṇiya Thera spoke these verses.

The legend of Taraṇiya 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.