Mahākhandhako The Great Chapter - Ancient Buddhist Texts

Vidhūpayaṁ tiṭṭhati Mārasenaṁ,
He stands dispelling Māra’s army,
I. The First Teachings - 21
Suriyo va obhāsayam-antalikkhan”-ti.
Just like the sun lighting up the firmament.” 32
Bodhikathā Niṭṭhitā
The Story about the Bodhi (tree) is Finished
Ajapālakathā
2: The Story about the Goatherd’s (Tree) 33
(The Grumbling Brāhmaṇa) 34
Atha kho Bhagavā sattāhassa accayena,
Then with the passing of seven days, the Gracious One, 35
tamhā samādhimhā vuṭṭhahitvā,
after arising from that concentration,
Bodhirukkhamūlā yena Ajapālanigrodho tenupasaṅkami,
approached the Goatherd’s Banyan (tree) 36 from the root of the Awakening tree,
upasaṅkamitvā Ajapālanigrodharukkhamūle
o and after approaching the root of the Goatherds’ Banyan tree
32 Comm: Evam-ettha paṭhamaṁ udānaṁ paccayākārapaccavekkhaṇavasena, dutiyaṁ
Nibbānapaccavekkhaṇavasena, tatiyaṁ Maggapaccavekkhaṇavasena uppannanti veditabbaṁ;
thus in this it is to be understood that the first exalted utterance refers to reflection on
causality, the second to reflection on Emancipation, and the third to reflection on how the
Path arises.
33 Cf. Udāna 1.4.
34 The story of the grumbling brāhmaṇa is placed later in Mahāvastu, on the journey between
Uruvelā and Isipatana, see the Text and Translation Uruvilvā to Ṛṣipatana elsewhere on this
website.
35 Jā Nid places the temptation by Māra’s daughters during this week, but it goes completely
unnoticed in the earlier text. On the other hand Jā Nid does not mention the encounter with
the brāhmaṇa recorded here.
36 Comm: tassa kira Nigrodhassa chāyāya ajapālakā gantvā nisīdanti, tenassa
Ajapālanigrodho tveva nāmaṁ udapādi; it seems that the goat-herders, having gone to the
shade of that Banyan tree, would sit down (there), therefore the name Goatherds’ Banyan
tree arose. According to the commentary this was east of the Awakening tree.