After getting enlightenment at Bodhgaya Buddha started journey to Varanasi for preaching his Dhamma to enlighten the suffering world. In the way a sage asked him that you looks like the shining moon. Please say me that who is you master?
Answering this question Buddha says that I am unsurpassed.
According to Buddhacharita by Ashvaghosha this question is answered by Buddha in this way: (canto: 15, verses: 4 and 5 in Tibetan version)
Unfortunately, the original portion in Sanskrit is broken in available editions of Buddhachatitam. Only English translations from Chinese and Tibetan sources are now available. Bhavanath Jha has restored this portion on the basis of these available translations in Sanskrit text as follows:
Translation in Sanskrit by Bhavanath Jha
कश्चिद् गुरुर्मे न च मान्य एव निन्द्यस्तु नैवास्ति जनेषु भिक्षुक।
जानीहि धर्मे च स्वयम्भुवं मनागवाप्तनिर्वाणमनन्यसम्मितम्।।4।।
बुद्धोऽस्मि निःशेषतयावबोधाननन्यवद् भिक्षुक तान् विदित्वा।
मया जिता क्लेशगणा प्रतीपाः जानीहि मां तेन शमात्मकञ्च।।5।।
Roman transliteration:
Kaścid gururmē na ca mān’ya ēva nindyastu naivāsti janēṣu bhikṣuka.
Jānīhi dharmē ca svayambhuvaṁ mãmanāgavāptanirvāṇamanan’yasam’mitam..4..
Bud’dhōsmi niḥśēṣatayāvabōdhānanan’yavad bhikṣuka tān viditvā. Mayā jitā klēśagaṇā pratīpāḥ jānīhi māṁ tēna śamātmakañca..5..
Sanskrit wors and its meaning
- Kaścid= anyone, gururmē= my master, na= no
- Ca= and mān’ya= honorable ēva= only
- Nindyas-tu= Condemnable, naivāsti (na-eva-asti)= is not, janēṣu= in mankind bhikṣuka= O sage!
- Jānīhi= know me, dharmē= in the religion, ca= and svayambhuvaṁ= selfmade, selfborn, maṁ= me
- Manāg=merely, avāptanirvāṇam= who has obtained the peacefulness, anan’yasam’mitam= what others could not.
- Bud’dhōsmi= I am conscious
- niḥśēṣatayā-avabōdhān= absolutely, which is to be known
- anan’yavad= what others could not, bhikṣuka= O sage, tān= those, viditvā= after perceiving
- Mayā= by me, jitā= conquered, klēśagaṇā= sufferings, pratīpāḥ= enemies
- Jānīhi= you should know, māṁ= me, tēna= therefore, śamātmakañ-ca= and peaceful.
Translated from the Chinese by Charles Willemen, Numata Center
6. The Tathāgata answered, “I have no teacher nor any teaching. I am unsurpassed. I have my own insight into the very profound Law. I have obtained what others could not obtain.
7. “I now have complete understanding of what others should understand but that no one in the whole world has understood. So I am called one with right awakening.
8. “Afflictions are like enemies. I have subdued them with the sword of my knowledge. And so, extolled in the world, I am called superior.
Translated from Chinese version by Samual Beal
Answering he said, ‘I have no master; no honourable tribe; no point of excellence; self taught in this profoundest doctrine, I have arrived at superhuman wisdom. 1205
‘That which behoves the world to learn, but through the world no learner found, I now myself and by myself have learned throughout; ‘tis rightly called Sambodhi (king kioh); 1206
‘That hateful family of griefs the sword of wisdom has destroyed; this then is what the world has named, and rightly named, the “chiefest victory.” 1207
The end
Next>> The oath of Lord Buddha described in Buddhacharita >>