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In this fortunate aeon (bhaddaka kappa) there arose the kinsman of Brahmā, of great fame,
Kassapa by name, the best of speakers.
Endowed with the secondary marks (anubyañjana), bearing the thirty-two excellent characteristics,
encompassed by a fathom-wide radiance, enveloped in an arisen net of rays;
a bringer of solace like the moon, a maker of light like the sun,
a quencher like the rain-cloud, a mine of virtues like the sea;
like the earth in virtue, like Himavant in concentration (samādhi),
like the sky in wisdom, unattached like the wind.
Lacking nothing in his manner of abiding, confident amid the assemblies,
he proclaims the truths in full, lifting up the great multitude.
At that time I was a merchant's son of great fame in Bārāṇasī,
a lord of abundant wealth and grain — much indeed was mine.
Wandering about on foot, I came to Migadāya, the Deer Park,
and saw the Teacher, the protector, teaching the deathless (amata) state,
his speech fluent and lovely, his voice like the karavīka bird's,
resonant as the swan and the drum, instructing the great multitude.
Having seen him, god above gods, and having heard his sweet voice,
I abandoned wealth not small and went forth into homelessness.
Thus gone forth, in no long time I became learned,
a speaker on the Dhamma, possessed of brilliant and varied inspiration (paṭibhāṇa).
Skilled in praise, in the midst of the great assembly, again and again,
I praised the splendour of the Teacher himself, whose hue was of gold:
"This is the Buddha whose taints (āsava) are destroyed, untroubled, his doubts cut away;
he has reached the destruction of all kamma, liberated in the extinction of the acquisitions (upadhi).
This is the Blessed One, the Buddha; this is the lion unsurpassed.
For the world with its gods he set rolling the wheel of Brahmā (brahmacakka);
tamed, he is a tamer; at peace, a bringer of peace; a seer quenched, and a quencher of others;
comforted, and a comforter of the great multitude.
A hero, valiant, intrepid, wise, compassionate, a master of himself;
a victor and a conqueror, free from insolence, without attachment;
imperturbable, unshaken, steadfast, undeluded, unequalled, a sage;
a bearer of the yoke, a bull, a nāga, a lion, capable even among the teachers;
free of lust, stainless, a Brahmā, a champion of speakers, an abandoner of strife;
free of barrenness, dart-free, unequalled, a bull, pure;
a brahmin, an ascetic, a protector, a physician, a remover of the dart;
a warrior, awakened, knower of the heard and the unheard, unshaken, joyful, smiling;
one who has perfected taming, a bearer, a doer, a leader, a proclaimer;
a gladdener, one who bails out, a cutter, a hearer, one who praises;
unclouded and dart-free, untroubled, without perplexity;
unstirred, dustless, a digger, a destroyer, a speaker, a proclaimer;
one who brings across, who causes welfare to be wrought, who sets (beings) to work, who cleaves asunder;
who brings them to the goal, an endurer, a slayer, a scorcher and a witherer (of the defilements);
established in truth, the equal of the unequalled, companionless, an abode of tenderness;
possessed of wondrous counsel, no deceiver, his task accomplished, the seventh of seers;
his doubt fully crossed, free of conceit, immeasurable, incomparable,
passed beyond every path of speech, gone to the end of all that is to be known — the Victor (jina).
Confidence (pasāda) in him, that excellent one of a hundred rays, is a bringer of the Deathless;
therefore faith (saddhā) in the Buddha, in the Dhamma, and in the Saṅgha is of great avail."
Extolling with qualities such as these the supreme refuge of the three worlds,
I spoke the talk on Dhamma in the midst of the assembly.
Fallen away thence, having enjoyed great happiness in Tusita,
fallen away thence I was born among human beings as one of sweet fragrance.
My out-breath and the fragrance of my mouth, and even so the fragrance of my body —
that fragrance persisting constantly, my every scent was fragrance itself.
The fragrance of my mouth, ever as of lotus, water-lily, and campaka,
exceedingly lovely, wafts at all times; and my body is even so.
All of that is the fruit of the praise of his virtues, a fruit supremely marvellous:
with one-pointed mind, all of you, listen to what I declare.
Having told the virtue of the Buddha, which conduces to welfare and brings happiness,
I became pure-hearted in every circumstance, renowned in the Saṅgha as the Hero's peer:
famous, happy, charming, radiant, pleasing to behold,
a speaker undespised, faultless, and likewise wise.
When life is spent, Nibbāna is easily gained by those devoted to the Buddha:
I shall declare the cause of these things — hear it as it really is.
Doing homage with discernment to the real glory of the Blessed One,
wherever I was reborn, thereby I was famous.
Praising the Buddha, who makes an end of suffering (dukkha), and the Dhamma, peaceful and unconditioned (asaṅkhata),
I was a giver of happiness to beings; thereby I was happy.
Telling the virtue of the Buddha, imbued with rapture (pīti) in the Buddha,
mine was charm of my own and charm in others' regard; thereby I was endowed with grace.
The Victor who has passed beyond the sectarians (titthiya), having vanquished the false sectarians —
telling his virtue, I extolled the Leader; thereby I was radiant.
Telling the virtue of the Fully Awakened One, which makes him dear even to the people,
I was thereby — like the moon in autumn — pleasing to behold.
According to the measure of my strength I lauded the Sugata with every manner of speech;
thereby I was a vaṅgīsa, a master of words, possessed of brilliant and varied inspiration.
Those fools who, fallen into perplexity, treat the Great Sage with contempt —
I refuted them by means of the true Dhamma; thereby I was not despised.
By praises of the Buddha I dispelled the defilements (kilesa) of beings;
by the power of that kamma I am one whose mind is rid of defilements.
Teaching the recollection of the Buddha (buddhānussati), I begot understanding in my hearers;
thereby too I was possessed of wisdom, one who sees the subtle meaning.
With all taints utterly destroyed, the ocean of saṃsāra crossed over,
a master, free of clinging, I shall attain the quenching (nibbuti).
In this very aeon I lauded the Victor;
I know of no bad destination (duggati) — this is the fruit of the worship of the Buddha.
My defilements are burnt up; all existences are extirpated;
like a nāga that has burst its bonds, I dwell without taints.
Welcome indeed was my coming into the presence of my Buddha:
the three true knowledges (vijjā) have been attained; the Buddha's teaching has been done.
The four analytic insights (paṭisambhidā), and these eight liberations (vimokkha) as well,
and the six superknowledges (abhiññā) have been realized; the Buddha's teaching has been done.
Thus indeed the venerable elder Sugandha uttered these verses.
The Apadāna of the Elder Sugandha is concluded.
Summary (uddāna):
The giver of grass, and the giver of a privy, the going for refuge, and the giver of unguent;
Supaṭa, and the giver of a staff, and likewise the worshipper with nela-flowers;
the sweeper of the Bodhi, the (giver of) āmaṇḍa-fruit, and Sugandha the tenth, the twice-born:
one hundred verses and twenty-three besides are reckoned here in all.
The Tiṇadāyaka Chapter, the Fifty-third.
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The Fifty-fourth Chapter: the Kaccāyana Chapter
1. The Apadāna of the Elder Mahākaccāyana (531)
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.