5.11. Kappa’s Question

“Majjhe sarasmiṁ tiṭṭhataṁ,

(iccāyasmā kappo)

Oghe jāte mahabbhaye;

Jarāmaccuparetānaṁ,

Dīpaṁ pabrūhi mārisa;

Tvañca me dīpamakkhāhi,

Yathāyidaṁ nāparaṁ siyā”.

“Majjhe sarasmiṁ tiṭṭhataṁ,

(kappāti bhagavā)

Oghe jāte mahabbhaye;

Jarāmaccuparetānaṁ,

Dīpaṁ pabrūmi kappa te.

Akiñcanaṁ anādānaṁ,

etaṁ dīpaṁ anāparaṁ;

Nibbānaṁ iti naṁ brūmi,

jarāmaccuparikkhayaṁ.

Etadaññāya ye satā,

Diṭṭhadhammābhinibbutā;

Na te māravasānugā,

Na te mārassa paddhagū”ti.

Kappamāṇavapucchā dasamā.

SC 1SC Verse 1099Kappa
In midstream standing there,
in flood’s fearsome surge—
oppressed by age and death,
of the island tell me, sir,
do tell me of this isle,
where this will be no more.

SC 2SC Verse 1100Buddha
In midstream standing there,
in flood’s fearsome surge
oppressed by age and death, Kappa,
of the island I shall tell.

SC 3SC Verse 1101“Owning nothing and unattached”
that’s the isle of no-beyond,
Nirvāṇa do I call it
death-decay destroyed.

SC 4SC Verse 1102With Final Knowledge these mindful ones,
Now-seen the Dharma, cool-become,
they’re neither under Māra’s sway
nor Māra’s followers.