Recounting the miraculous passing of venerable Dabba Mallaputta, the Buddha shares an inspired verse comparing the untraceable destination of a fully liberated being to the vanishing glow of a fire struck by an iron hammer.
Evaṁ me sutaṁ— ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme. Tatra kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi: “bhikkhavo”ti.
Thus have I heard—At one time, the Blessed One was dwelling at Sāvatthi, in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s Park. There, he addressed the bhikkhus thus: “Bhikkhus.”
“Bhadante”ti te bhikkhū bhagavato paccassosuṁ. Bhagavā etadavoca:
“Venerable sir,” those bhikkhus replied to the Blessed One. The Blessed One said this:
“Dabbassa, bhikkhave, mallaputtassa vehāsaṁ abbhuggantvā ākāse antalikkhe pallaṅkena nisīditvā tejodhātuṁ samāpajjitvā vuṭṭhahitvā parinibbutassa sarīrassa jhāyamānassa ḍayhamānassa neva chārikā paññāyittha na masi. Seyyathāpi nāma sappissa vā telassa vā jhāyamānassa ḍayhamānassa neva chārikā paññāyati na masi; evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, dabbassa mallaputtassa vehāsaṁ abbhuggantvā ākāse antalikkhe pallaṅkena nisīditvā tejodhātuṁ samāpajjitvā vuṭṭhahitvā parinibbutassa sarīrassa jhāyamānassa ḍayhamānassa neva chārikā paññāyittha na masī”ti.
“Bhikkhus, when the body of |Dabba::name of an arahant monk; lit. competent; able [dabba]| |Mallaputta::lit. son of the Mallans [mallaputta]|—who had risen up into the air, sat cross-legged hovering in the open sky, entered the fire element and then emerged from it, and attained final Nibbāna—was burning and being consumed by fire, neither ashes nor soot could be seen. Just as when ghee or oil is burning and being consumed, neither ashes nor soot can be seen; even so, bhikkhus, when the body of Dabba Mallaputta—who had risen up into the air, sat cross-legged hovering in the open sky, entered the fire element and then emerged from it, and attained final Nibbāna—was burning and being consumed by fire, neither ashes nor soot could be seen.”
Atha kho bhagavā etamatthaṁ viditvā tāyaṁ velāyaṁ imaṁ udānaṁ udānesi:
Then, understanding the significance of this, the Blessed One at that time expressed this inspired utterance:
“Ayoghanahatasseva,
jalato jātavedaso;
Anupubbūpasantassa,
yathā na ñāyate gati.
“Just as the glow of blazing fire,
struck by an iron hammer,
gradually calms and subsides,
its destination unknown;
Evaṁ sammāvimuttānaṁ,
kāmabandhoghatārinaṁ;
Paññāpetuṁ gati natthi,
pattānaṁ acalaṁ sukhan”ti.
Even so, for those completely liberated,
who have crossed the flood of sensual bonds,
and attained unshakeable bliss—
there is no destination to point out.”
Thus have I heard—At one time, the Blessed One was dwelling at Sāvatthi, in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s Park. There, he addressed the bhikkhus thus: “Bhikkhus.”
“Venerable sir,” those bhikkhus replied to the Blessed One. The Blessed One said this:
“Bhikkhus, when the body of |Dabba::name of an arahant monk; lit. competent; able [dabba]| |Mallaputta::lit. son of the Mallans [mallaputta]|—who had risen up into the air, sat cross-legged hovering in the open sky, entered the fire element and then emerged from it, and attained final Nibbāna—was burning and being consumed by fire, neither ashes nor soot could be seen. Just as when ghee or oil is burning and being consumed, neither ashes nor soot can be seen; even so, bhikkhus, when the body of Dabba Mallaputta—who had risen up into the air, sat cross-legged hovering in the open sky, entered the fire element and then emerged from it, and attained final Nibbāna—was burning and being consumed by fire, neither ashes nor soot could be seen.”
Then, understanding the significance of this, the Blessed One at that time expressed this inspired utterance:
“Just as the glow of blazing fire,
struck by an iron hammer,
gradually calms and subsides,
its destination unknown;
Even so, for those completely liberated,
who have crossed the flood of sensual bonds,
and attained unshakeable bliss—
there is no destination to point out.”
Evaṁ me sutaṁ— ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme. Tatra kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi: “bhikkhavo”ti.
“Bhadante”ti te bhikkhū bhagavato paccassosuṁ. Bhagavā etadavoca:
“Dabbassa, bhikkhave, mallaputtassa vehāsaṁ abbhuggantvā ākāse antalikkhe pallaṅkena nisīditvā tejodhātuṁ samāpajjitvā vuṭṭhahitvā parinibbutassa sarīrassa jhāyamānassa ḍayhamānassa neva chārikā paññāyittha na masi. Seyyathāpi nāma sappissa vā telassa vā jhāyamānassa ḍayhamānassa neva chārikā paññāyati na masi; evamevaṁ kho, bhikkhave, dabbassa mallaputtassa vehāsaṁ abbhuggantvā ākāse antalikkhe pallaṅkena nisīditvā tejodhātuṁ samāpajjitvā vuṭṭhahitvā parinibbutassa sarīrassa jhāyamānassa ḍayhamānassa neva chārikā paññāyittha na masī”ti.
Atha kho bhagavā etamatthaṁ viditvā tāyaṁ velāyaṁ imaṁ udānaṁ udānesi:
“Ayoghanahatasseva,
jalato jātavedaso;
Anupubbūpasantassa,
yathā na ñāyate gati.
Evaṁ sammāvimuttānaṁ,
kāmabandhoghatārinaṁ;
Paññāpetuṁ gati natthi,
pattānaṁ acalaṁ sukhan”ti.