Gavampati — The Book of the Ones · Chapter Four · Poem 8 of 10
Setting
The river Sarabhū, made to stand still
Speaker
An unnamed voice praising Gavampati by name
Form
One four-line verse
Length
under 1 minute to read
Northern parallel
This reading guide does not assert a specific matching text for this poem in other Buddhist literatures.
Difficulty
★☆☆☆☆ — a specific, named miraculous feat, honored by gods themselves
Why this text
This verse names a specific feat by a specific person: Gavampati's psychic power made the river Sarabhū stand still. ‘The gods bow to that great sage’, the verse says — an unusually high tribute, honoring a human disciple with reverence from deities themselves.
Reading guide
A named feat, not a general practice
Unlike Siṅgāla's Father's poem earlier in this book, praising an unnamed monk's general meditation practice, this verse credits a specific, named individual with a specific, singular event: making a named river, Sarabhū, stand still through psychic power.
Reverence from gods, not only from people
‘The gods bow to that great sage’ elevates the tribute beyond ordinary human praise — this verse claims recognition from deities themselves, one of this collection's highest possible forms of honor.
Two paired epithets closing the verse
Gavampati is described as having ‘slipped all chains’ and gone ‘beyond rebirth’ — two distinct closing descriptions of full liberation, phrased differently from the ‘fully quenched, steadfast’ formula recurring earlier in Chapter One.
Key terms
iddhi — “psychic power” or supernormal ability — what enabled Gavampati's feat with the river.
asita — “unbound” or “not clung to” — one of two qualities describing Gavampati directly.
aneja — “unperturbed”, free of the agitation of craving — paired with asita in this verse.
sabbasaṅgātigata — “gone beyond all ties” — describing Gavampati's liberation.
bhavassa pāragu — “one who has crossed to the far shore of existence” — the verse's closing description of his attainment.
The text
The text in full: one verse, with no separate attribution line in this chapter. Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0, SuttaCentral).
§1His psychic power made the river Sarabhū stand still; Gavampati is unbound and unperturbed. The gods bow to that great sage, who has slipped all chains, and gone beyond rebirth.
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Self-check quiz
Ten questions. Click an answer to see immediate feedback. No score is recorded — this is for your own checking.
Question 1 of 10
What specific feat does this verse credit to Gavampati?
Correct: D. A specific, singular event, not a general practice.
Question 2 of 10
Who is said to bow to Gavampati in this verse?
Correct: C. An unusually high tribute, honoring recognition from deities.
Question 3 of 10
How does this verse's praise differ from Siṅgāla's Father's poem earlier in this book?
Correct: B. Specificity of person and event, not general praise.
Question 4 of 10
What two epithets close this verse, describing Gavampati's liberation?
Correct: D. Two distinct closing descriptions of full liberation.
Question 5 of 10
What does 'iddhi' mean?
Correct: A. What enabled Gavampati's feat with the river.
Question 6 of 10
What does 'aneja' mean?
Correct: B. One of two qualities describing Gavampati directly.
Question 7 of 10
What river is named in this verse?
Correct: C. The river Gavampati's psychic power made stand still.
Question 8 of 10
How does this verse's closing epithets compare to the 'fully quenched, steadfast' formula from Chapter One?
Correct: B. Different specific compounds, same underlying attainment.
Question 9 of 10
What does 'bhavassa pāragu' mean?
Correct: A. The verse's closing description of Gavampati's attainment.
Question 10 of 10
Where does this poem fall in Chapter Four?
Correct: C. Continuing the chapter's sequence of ten poems.
