1.1Evaṁ me sutaṁ—So I have heard.1.2ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā āḷaviyaṁ viharati aggāḷave cetiye.At one time the Buddha was staying near Āḷavī, at Āḷavī’s premier shrine.1.3Tena kho pana samayena āyasmato vaṅgīsassa upajjhāyo nigrodhakappo nāma thero aggāḷave cetiye aciraparinibbuto hoti.Now at that time it was not long after Venerable Vaṅgīsa’s mentor, the senior monk named Nigrodhakappa, had become fully quenched.1.4Atha kho āyasmato vaṅgīsassa rahogatassa paṭisallīnassa evaṁ cetaso parivitakko udapādi—Then as Vaṅgīsa was in private retreat this thought came to his mind:1.5parinibbuto nu kho me upajjhāyo udāhu no parinibbutoti?“Has my mentor become quenched or not?”1.6Atha kho āyasmā vaṅgīso sāyanhasamayaṁ paṭisallānā vuṭṭhito yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho āyasmā vaṅgīso bhagavantaṁ etadavoca—Then in the late afternoon, Venerable Vaṅgīsa came out of retreat and went to the Buddha. He bowed, sat down to one side, and said to him:1.7idha mayhaṁ, bhante, rahogatassa paṭisallīnassa evaṁ cetaso parivitakko udapādi—“Just now, sir, as I was in private retreat this thought came to mind.1.8parinibbuto nu kho me upajjhāyo, udāhu no parinibbutoti.‘Has my mentor become quenched or not?’”1.9Atha kho āyasmā vaṅgīso uṭṭhāyāsanā ekaṁsaṁ cīvaraṁ katvā yena bhagavā tenañjaliṁ paṇāmetvā bhagavantaṁ gāthāya ajjhabhāsi:Then Venerable Vaṅgīsa rose from his seat, arranged his robe over one shoulder, raised his cupped palms toward the Buddha, and addressed him in verse:

2.1“Pucchāmi satthāramanomapaññaṁ,“I ask the Teacher unrivaled in wisdom,2.2Diṭṭheva dhamme yo vicikicchānaṁ chettā;who has cut off all doubts in this very life:2.3Aggāḷave kālamakāsi bhikkhu,a monk has died at Āḷavī’s premier shrine,2.4Ñāto yasassī abhinibbutatto.who was well-known, famous, and quenched.

3.1Nigrodhakappo iti tassa nāmaṁ,Nigrodhakappa was his name;3.2Tayā kataṁ bhagavā brāhmaṇassa;it was given to that brahmin by you, Blessed One.3.3So taṁ namassaṁ acari mutyapekkho,He wandered in your honor, yearning for freedom,3.4Āraddhaviriyo daḷhadhammadassī.energetic, a resolute Seer of Truth.

4.1Taṁ sāvakaṁ sakya mayampi sabbe,O Sakyan, All-seer,4.2Aññātumicchāma samantacakkhu;we all wish to know about that disciple.4.3Samavaṭṭhitā no savanāya sotā,Our ears are eager to hear,4.4Tuvaṁ no satthā tvamanuttarosi.for you are the most excellent teacher.

5.1Chindeva no vicikicchaṁ brūhi metaṁ,Cut off our doubt, declare this to us;5.2Parinibbutaṁ vedaya bhūripañña;your wisdom is vast, tell us of his quenching!5.3Majjheva no bhāsa samantacakkhu,All-seer, speak among us,5.4Sakkova devāna sahassanetto.like the thousand-eyed Sakka <j>in the midst of the gods!

6.1Ye keci ganthā idha mohamaggā,Whatever ties there are, or paths to delusion,6.2Aññāṇapakkhā vicikicchaṭhānā;or things on the side of unknowing, <j>or that are bases of doubt6.3Tathāgataṁ patvā na te bhavanti,vanish on reaching a Realized One,6.4Cakkhuñhi etaṁ paramaṁ narānaṁ.for his eye is the best of all people’s.

7.1No ce hi jātu puriso kilese,If no man were ever to disperse corruptions,7.2Vāto yathā abbhaghanaṁ vihāne;like the wind dispersing the stormclouds,7.3Tamovassa nivuto sabbaloko,darkness would shroud the whole world;7.4Na jotimantopi narā tapeyyuṁ.not even brilliant men would shine.

8.1Dhīrā ca pajjotakarā bhavanti,The attentive are bringers of light;8.2Taṁ taṁ ahaṁ vīra tatheva maññe;my hero, that is what I think of you.8.3Vipassinaṁ jānamupāgamumhā,We’ve come for your discernment and knowledge:8.4Parisāsu no āvikarohi kappaṁ.here in this assembly, declare to us about Kappāyana.

9.1Khippaṁ giraṁ eraya vaggu vagguṁ,Swiftly send forth your sweet, sweet voice,9.2Haṁsova paggayha saṇikaṁ nikūja;like a goose stretching its neck, gently honking,9.3Bindussarena suvikappitena,lucid-flowing, with lovely tone:9.4Sabbeva te ujjugatā suṇoma.alert, we all listen to you.

10.1Pahīnajātimaraṇaṁ asesaṁ,You have entirely abandoned birth and death;10.2Niggayha dhonaṁ vadessāmi dhammaṁ;curbed and pure, I urge you, speak the Dhamma!10.3Na kāmakāro hi puthujjanānaṁ,For ordinary people <j>have no wish-granter,¹10.4Saṅkheyyakāro ca tathāgatānaṁ.but Realized Ones <j>have a comprehensibility-granter.²

11.1Sampannaveyyākaraṇaṁ tavedaṁ,Your answer is definitive, and we will adopt it,11.2Samujjupaññassa samuggahītaṁ;for you have perfect understanding.11.3Ayamañjalī pacchimo suppaṇāmito,We raise our cupped palms one last time,11.4Mā mohayī jānamanomapañña.one of unrivaled wisdom, <j>don’t deliberately confuse us.

12.1Parovaraṁ ariyadhammaṁ viditvā,Knowing the teaching of the noble ones <j>from top to bottom,12.2Mā mohayī jānamanomavīra;one of unrivaled energy, <j>don’t deliberately confuse us.³12.3Vāriṁ yathā ghammani ghammatatto,As a man baking in the summer sun <j>would long for water,12.4Vācābhikaṅkhāmi sutaṁ pavassa.I long for your voice, so let the sound rain forth.

13.1Yadatthikaṁ brahmacariyaṁ acarī,Surely Kappāyana did not <j>lead the spiritual life in vain?13.2Kappāyano kaccissa taṁ amoghaṁ;Did he realize quenching,13.3Nibbāyi so ādu saupādiseso,or did he still have a residue?13.4Yathā vimutto ahu taṁ suṇoma”.Let us hear what kind of liberation he had!”

14.1“Acchecchi taṇhaṁ idha nāmarūpe,“He cut off craving for name and form right here,”14.2(iti bhagavā)said the Buddha,14.3Kaṇhassa sotaṁ dīgharattānusayitaṁ;“the river of darkness that had long lain within him.14.4Atāri jātiṁ maraṇaṁ asesaṁ”,He has entirely crossed over birth and death.”14.5Iccabravī bhagavā pañcaseṭṭho.So declared the Blessed One, the leader of the five.

15.1“Esa sutvā pasīdāmi,“Now that I have heard your words,15.2Vaco te isisattama;seventh of seers, I am confident.15.3Amoghaṁ kira me puṭṭhaṁ,My question, it seems, was not in vain,15.4Na maṁ vañcesi brāhmaṇo.the brahmin did not deceive me.

16.1Yathāvādī tathākārī,As he said, so he did—16.2Ahu buddhassa sāvako;he was a disciple of the Buddha.16.3Acchidā maccuno jālaṁ,He cut the net of death the deceiver,16.4Tataṁ māyāvino daḷhaṁ.so extended and strong.

17.1Addasā bhagavā ādiṁ,Blessed One, Kappāyana saw17.2Upādānassa kappiyo;the starting point of grasping.17.3Accagā vata kappāyano,He has indeed gone far beyond17.4Maccudheyyaṁ suduttaran”ti.Death’s dominion so hard to pass.”

17.5Nigrodhakappasuttaṁ dvādasamaṁ.