Mahaparinibbanasuttam (DN 16) - Ancient Buddhist Texts

The First Chapter for Recitation - 58
sammiñjitaṁ vā bāhaṁ pasāreyya, pasāritaṁ vā bāhaṁ sammiñjeyya, 84
might stretch out a bent arm, or bend in an outstretched arm,
evam-eva Gaṅgāya nadiyā orimatīre antarahito,
so did he vanish from the near bank of the river Ganges,
pārimatīre paccuṭṭhāsi saddhiṁ Bhikkhusaṅghena.
and reappeared on the far bank, 85 together with the Community of monks.
Addasā kho Bhagavā te manusse, appekacce nāvaṁ pariyesante,
The Gracious One saw those people, some seeking boats,
appekacce uḷumpaṁ pariyesante,
some seeking floats,
appekacce kullaṁ bandhante, apārāpāraṁ gantukāme.
and some binding rafts, desiring to go from this shore to the shore beyond.
Atha kho Bhagavā, etam-atthaṁ viditvā,
Then the Gracious One, having understood the significance of it,
tāyaṁ velāyaṁ imaṁ udānaṁ udānesi:
on that occasion uttered this exalted utterance:
“Ye taranti aṇṇavaṁ saraṁ,
“Those who cross over a sea or a river, 86
Setuṁ katvāna, visajja pallalāni.
(Do so) after making a bridge, and leaving the marshes behind.
Kullaṁ hi jano pabandhati,
(While) people are still binding together a raft,
Tiṇṇā medhāvino janā.” ti
Intelligent people have crossed over.”
Paṭhamabhāṇavāraṁ
The First Chapter for Recital (is Finished)
84 ChS: samiñjeyya, similarly throughout. Although there is no historical reason for the doubling
of the consonant it appears this is the normal way the form is written in Pāḷi.
85 This would have been in Vajjian territory probably near to Ukkācelā which was just across the
waters from Pāṭaligāma.
86 Comm: Saran-ti idha nadī adhippetā; sara here is a designation for a river. It normally means
lake.