At the moment of the attainment of Buddhahood, the Buddha uttered the following two verses:
Dhammapada Verses 153 and 154 Udana Vatthu
Anekajatisamsaram sandhavissam anibbisam gahakaram gavesanto 2 dukkha jati punappunam 3
Gahakaraka ditthosi 4 puna geham na kahasi 5 sabba te phasuka bhagga 6 gahakotam visankhatam 7 visankharagatam cittam 8 tanhanam khayamajjhaga 9
Verse 153: I, who have been seeking the builder of this house (body), failing to attain Enlightenment (Bodhi nana or Sabbannuta nana) which would enable me to find him, have wandered through innumerable births in samsara. To be born again and again is, indeed, dukkha!
Verse 154: Oh house-builder! You are seen, you shall build no house (for me) again. All your rafters are broken, your roof-tree is destroyed. My mind has reached the unconditioned (i.e., Nibbana); the end of craving (Arahatta Phala) has been attained.
Listen here:
_______________________________________________________________________________
1. Footnotes to Verses 153 and 154: These two verses are expressions of intense and sublime joy the Buddha felt at the very moment of his attainment of Enlightenment; as such, they are replete with a wealth of sublime meaning and deep feeling.
2. gahakaram gavesanto: lit., “I who have tried to find the builder of the house” The house is the body, the builder is Craving (Tanha). The meaning of Verse (153) as given in the Commentary is as follows:
I who have been seeking the builder of this house, knowing that he could be seen only with a certain wisdom, have been trying to attain such wisdom (Bodhi nana) ever since Dipankara Buddha prophesied that I would, one day, become a Buddha like him. But failing to attain Bodhi nana, I have wandered through this course of hundreds of thousands of existences in the endless round of rebirths.
3. dukkha jati punappunam: To be born again and again is dukkha. This is the reason for trying to find the builder of this house, the Carpenter Craving.
Birth which comes together with aging, disease and death is dukkha; that is why I have been incessantly looking for the Householder Craving.
4. ditthosi: You are seen: I have seen you now that I have attained Enlightenment or Bodhi nana, the all comprehending wisdom, with my own Insight.
5. puna geham na kahasi: No house shall be built again: You shall not build another house (for me) in this round of rebirths.
6. sabba te phasuka bhagga: All your rafters are broken: I have destroyed all the remaining defilements.
7. gahakutam visankhatam The roof-tree has been destroyed: I have dispelled Ignorance.
8. visankharagatam cittam: lit., my mind has reached the Unconditioned, having Nibbana as its object, my mind has realized Nibbana.
9. tanhanam khayamajjhaga: The end of craving has been attained. I have attained Arahatta Fruition.
(Source URL – https://www.tipitaka.net/tipitaka/dhp/verseload.php?verse=153)
Comments