1.1Ekamantaṁ ṭhito kho ghaṭīkāro devaputto bhagavato santike imaṁ gāthaṁ abhāsi:Standing to one side, the godling Ghaṭīkāra spoke this verse in the Buddha’s presence:¹

2.1“Avihaṁ upapannāse,“Seven mendicants reborn in Aviha2.2vimuttā satta bhikkhavo;have been freed.2.3Rāgadosaparikkhīṇā,With the complete ending of greed and hate,2.4tiṇṇā loke visattikan”ti.they’ve crossed over clinging to the world.”

3.1“Ke ca te ataruṁ paṅkaṁ,“Who are those who’ve crossed the bog,3.2maccudheyyaṁ suduttaraṁ;Death’s dominion so hard to pass?3.3Ke hitvā mānusaṁ dehaṁ,Who, after leaving behind the human body,3.4dibbayogaṁ upaccagun”ti.have risen above celestial yokes?”

4.1“Upako palagaṇḍo ca,“Upaka and Palagaṇḍa,4.2pukkusāti ca te tayo;and Pukkusāti, these three;4.3Bhaddiyo khaṇḍadevo ca,Bhaddiya and Bhaddadeva,4.4bāhuraggi ca saṅgiyo;and Bāhudantī and Piṅgiya.4.5Te hitvā mānusaṁ dehaṁ,They, after leaving behind the human body,4.6dibbayogaṁ upaccagun”ti.have risen above celestial yokes.”

5.1“Kusalī bhāsasī tesaṁ,“You speak well of them,5.2mārapāsappahāyinaṁ;who have let go the snares of Māra.5.3Kassa te dhammamaññāya,Whose teaching did they understand5.4acchiduṁ bhavabandhanan”ti.to cut the bonds of rebirth?”

6.1“Na aññatra bhagavatā,“None other than the Blessed One!6.2nāññatra tava sāsanā;None other than your instruction!6.3Yassa te dhammamaññāya,It was your teaching that they understood6.4acchiduṁ bhavabandhanaṁ.to cut the bonds of rebirth.

7.1Yattha nāmañca rūpañca,Where name and form7.2asesaṁ uparujjhati;cease with no residue left behind;7.3Taṁ te dhammaṁ idhaññāya,understanding this teaching,7.4acchiduṁ bhavabandhanan”ti.they cut the bonds of rebirth.”

8.1“Gambhīraṁ bhāsasī vācaṁ,“The words you say are deep,8.2dubbijānaṁ sudubbudhaṁ;hard to understand, so very hard to wake up to.8.3Kassa tvaṁ dhammamaññāya,Whose teaching did you understand8.4vācaṁ bhāsasi īdisan”ti.to be able to say such things?”

9.1“Kumbhakāro pure āsiṁ,“In the past I was a potter9.2vekaḷiṅge ghaṭīkaro;in Vebhaliṅga named Ghaṭīkāra.9.3Mātāpettibharo āsiṁ,I took care of my parents9.4kassapassa upāsako.as a lay follower of Buddha Kassapa.

10.1Virato methunā dhammā,I refrained from sexual intercourse,10.2brahmacārī nirāmiso;I was chaste, spiritual.10.3Ahuvā te sagāmeyyo,We lived in the same village;10.4ahuvā te pure sakhā.in the past I was your comrade.

11.1Sohamete pajānāmi,I am the one who understands11.2vimutte satta bhikkhavo;that these seven mendicants have been freed.11.3Rāgadosaparikkhīṇe,With the complete ending of greed and hate,11.4tiṇṇe loke visattikan”ti.they’ve crossed over clinging to the world.”

12.1“Evametaṁ tadā āsi,“That’s exactly how it was,12.2yathā bhāsasi bhaggava;just as you say, Bhaggava.12.3Kumbhakāro pure āsi,In the past you were a potter12.4vekaḷiṅge ghaṭīkaro.in Vebhaliṅga named Ghaṭīkāra.

13.1Mātāpettibharo āsi,You took care of your parents13.2kassapassa upāsako;as a lay follower of Buddha Kassapa.13.3Virato methunā dhammā,You refrained from sexual intercourse,13.4brahmacārī nirāmiso;you were chaste, spiritual.13.5Ahuvā me sagāmeyyo,We lived in the same village;13.6ahuvā me pure sakhā”ti.in the past you were my comrade.”

14.1“Evametaṁ purāṇānaṁ,“That’s how it was14.2sahāyānaṁ ahu saṅgamo;when those friends of old met again.14.3Ubhinnaṁ bhāvitattānaṁ,Both of them are evolved,14.4sarīrantimadhārinan”ti.and bear their final body.”