1Thus have I heard.[n.1093] In Sri Lanka this sutta is regularly recited as a protective discourse and is included in the medieval compilation, Mahā Pirit Pota, "The Great Book of Protection." On one occasion the Blessed One was living at Rājagaha, at Isigili — the Gullet of the Seers. There he addressed the bhikkhus thus: "Bhikkhus." — "Venerable sir," they replied. The Blessed One said this:

1Evaṁ me sutaṁ — ​ ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā rājagahe viharati isigilismiṁ pabbate. Tatra kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi: "bhikkhavo"ti. "Bhadante"ti te bhikkhū bhagavato paccassosuṁ. Bhagavā etadavoca: 

2"Passatha no tumhe, bhikkhave, etaṁ vebhāraṁ pabbatan"ti? "Evaṁ, bhante".

2"You see, bhikkhus, do you not, that mountain Vebhāra?"[n.1094] This and the following are mountains surrounding Rājagaha. — "Yes, venerable sir."

"Etassapi kho, bhikkhave, vebhārassa pabbatassa aññāva samaññā ahosi aññā paññatti.

"There used to be another name, another designation, for that mountain Vebhāra.

3Passatha no tumhe, bhikkhave, etaṁ paṇḍavaṁ pabbatan"ti? "Evaṁ, bhante".

3You see, bhikkhus, do you not, that mountain Paṇḍava?" — "Yes, venerable sir."

"Etassapi kho, bhikkhave, paṇḍavassa pabbatassa aññāva samaññā ahosi aññā paññatti.

"There used to be another name, another designation, for that mountain Paṇḍava.

4You see, bhikkhus, do you not, that mountain Vepulla?" — "Yes, venerable sir."

4Passatha no tumhe, bhikkhave, etaṁ vepullaṁ pabbatan"ti? "Evaṁ, bhante".

"Etassapi kho, bhikkhave, vepullassa pabbatassa aññāva samaññā ahosi aññā paññatti.

"There used to be another name, another designation, for that mountain Vepulla.

5Passatha no tumhe, bhikkhave, etaṁ gijjhakūṭaṁ pabbatan"ti? "Evaṁ, bhante".

"Etassapi kho, bhikkhave, gijjhakūṭassa pabbatassa aññāva samaññā ahosi aññā paññatti.

5You see, bhikkhus, do you not, that mountain Gijjhakuṭa — the Vulture Peak?" — "Yes, venerable sir."

6Passatha no tumhe, bhikkhave, imaṁ isigiliṁ pabbatan"ti? "Evaṁ, bhante".

"Imassa kho pana, bhikkhave, isigilissa pabbatassa esāva samaññā ahosi esā paññatti.

"There used to be another name, another designation, for that mountain Gijjhakuṭa — the Vulture Peak.

6You see, bhikkhus, do you not, that mountain Isigili — the Gullet of the Seers?" — "Yes, venerable sir."

"There used to be this same name, this same designation, for this mountain Isigili — the Gullet of the Seers.

7Bhūtapubbaṁ, bhikkhave, pañca paccekabuddhasatāni imasmiṁ isigilismiṁ pabbate ciranivāsino ahesuṁ. Te imaṁ pabbataṁ pavisantā dissanti, paviṭṭhā na dissanti. Tamenaṁ manussā disvā evamāhaṁsu: ‘Ayaṁ pabbato ime isī gilatī’ti; ‘isigili isigili’ tveva samaññā udapādi. Ācikkhissāmi, bhikkhave, paccekabuddhānaṁ nāmāni; kittayissāmi, bhikkhave, paccekabuddhānaṁ nāmāni; desessāmi, bhikkhave, paccekabuddhānaṁ nāmāni. Taṁ suṇātha, sādhukaṁ manasi karotha, bhāsissāmī"ti. "Evaṁ, bhante"ti kho te bhikkhū bhagavato paccassosuṁ. Bhagavā etadavoca:

7For in former times five hundred paccekabuddhas[n.1095] A paccekabuddha is one who attains enlightenment and liberation on his own, without relying on the Dhamma taught by the Buddha, but is not capable of teaching the Dhamma to others and establishing the Dispensation. Paccekabuddhas arise only at a time when no Dispensation of a Buddha exists in the world. For a fuller study of the subject see Ria Kloppenborg, The Paccekabuddha: A Buddhist Ascetic. dwelt long on this mountain, the Gullet of the Seers. They were seen entering into this hill; once gone in, they were no longer seen. People who saw this said: ‘This mountain swallows up these seers.’[n.1096] Ayaṁ pabbato ime isī gilati: a word play is involved here. The gili in Isigili is certainly a dialectical variant of giri, hill, but the text connects it to the verb gilati, to swallow, and to gala, throat, gullet. And so it was that this came to be named ‘The Gullet of the Seers.’ I shall tell you, bhikkhus, the names of the paccekabuddhas, I shall relate to you the names of the paccekabuddhas, I shall teach you the names of the paccekabuddhas. Listen and attend closely to what I shall say." — "Yes, venerable sir," the bhikkhus replied. The Blessed One said this:

8"Bhikkhus, the paccekabuddha Ariṭṭha dwelt long on this mountain Isigili. The paccekabuddha Upariṭṭha dwelt long on this mountain Isigili. The paccekabuddha Tagarasikkhī[n.1097] Tagarasikhin is referred to at Ud 5:4/50 and SN 3:20/i.92. … Yasassin … Sudassana … Piyadassin … Gandhāra … Piṇḍola … Upāsabha … Nītha … Tatha … Sutav̄ … Bhāvitatta dwelt long on this mountain Isigili.

8"Ariṭṭho nāma, bhikkhave, paccekasambuddho imasmiṁ isigilismiṁ pabbate ciranivāsī ahosi; upariṭṭho nāma, bhikkhave, paccekasambuddho imasmiṁ isigilismiṁ pabbate ciranivāsī ahosi; tagarasikhī nāma, bhikkhave, paccekasambuddho imasmiṁ isigilismiṁ pabbate ciranivāsī ahosi; yasassī nāma, bhikkhave, paccekasambuddho imasmiṁ isigilismiṁ pabbate ciranivāsī ahosi; sudassano nāma, bhikkhave, paccekasambuddho imasmiṁ isigilismiṁ pabbate ciranivāsī ahosi; piyadassī nāma, bhikkhave, paccekasambuddho imasmiṁ isigilismiṁ pabbate ciranivāsī ahosi; gandhāro nāma, bhikkhave, paccekasambuddho imasmiṁ isigilismiṁ pabbate ciranivāsī ahosi; piṇḍolo nāma, bhikkhave, paccekasambuddho imasmiṁ isigilismiṁ pabbate ciranivāsī ahosi; upāsabho nāma, bhikkhave, paccekasambuddho imasmiṁ isigilismiṁ pabbate ciranivāsī ahosi; nīto nāma, bhikkhave, paccekasambuddho imasmiṁ isigilismiṁ pabbate ciranivāsī ahosi; tatho nāma, bhikkhave, paccekasambuddho imasmiṁ isigilismiṁ pabbate ciranivāsī ahosi, sutavā nāma, bhikkhave, paccekasambuddho imasmiṁ isigilismiṁ pabbate ciranivāsī ahosi; bhāvitatto nāma, bhikkhave, paccekasambuddho imasmiṁ isigilismiṁ pabbate ciranivāsī ahosi.

9"These saintly beings, desireless, rid of suffering,
Who each achieved awakening by himself —
Hear me relate the names of these, the greatest
Of men, who have plucked out the dart of pain.

9Ye sattasārā anīghā nirāsā,
Paccekamevajjhagamaṁsu bodhiṁ;
Tesaṁ visallāna naruttamānaṁ,
Nāmāni me kittayato suṇātha.

10Ariṭṭha, Upariṭṭha, Tagarasikhin, Yasassin,
Sudassana, and Piyadassin the enlightened,
Gandhāra, Piṇḍola, Upāsabha as well,
Nītha, Tatha, Sutavā, Bhāvitatta.

10Ariṭṭho upariṭṭho tagarasikhī yasassī,
Sudassano piyadassī ca susambuddho;
Gandhāro piṇḍolo upāsabho ca,
Nīto tatho sutavā bhāvitatto.

11"Sumbha, Subha, Methula, and Aṭṭhama, [n.1098] Ñm remarks in Ms that without the aid of the commentary it is extremely difficult to distinguish the proper names of the paccekabuddhas from their descriptive epithets.
Then Assumegha, Anīgha, Sudāṭha —
And Hingū, and Hinga, the greatly powerful,
Paccekabuddhas who have destroyed the conduit to being.

11Sumbho subho matulo aṭṭhamo ca,
Athassumegho anīgho sudāṭho;
Paccekabuddhā bhavanettikhīṇā,
Hiṅgū ca hiṅgo ca mahānubhāvā.

12Two sages named Jāli, and Aṭṭhaka,
Then Kosala the enlightened, then Subāhu,
Upanemi, and Nemi, and Santacitta
Right and true, immaculate and wise.

12Dve jālino munino aṭṭhako ca,
Atha kosallo buddho atho subāhu;
Upanemiso nemiso santacitto,
Sacco tatho virajo paṇḍito ca.

13Kāḷa, Upakāḷa, Vijita, and Jita;
Anga, and Panga, and Gutijjita too;
Passin conquered acquisition, the root of suffering;
Aparājita conquered Māra's power.

13Kāḷūpakāḷā vijito jito ca,
Aṅgo ca paṅgo ca guttijito ca;
Passi jahi upadhidukkhamūlaṁ,
Aparājito mārabalaṁ ajesi.

14Satthar, Pavattar, Sarabhanga, Lomahaṁsa,
Uccangamāya, Asita, Anāsava,
Manomaya, and Bandhumant the free from pride,
Tadādhimutta stainless and resplendent;

14Satthā pavattā sarabhaṅgo lomahaṁso,
Uccaṅgamāyo asito anāsavo;
Manomayo mānacchido ca bandhumā,
Tadādhimutto vimalo ca ketumā.

15Ketumbarāga, Mātaṅga, and Ariya,
Then Accuta, Accutagāma, Byāmaka,
Sumaṅgala, Dabbila, Supatiṭṭhita,
Asayha, Khemābhirata, and Sorata,

15Ketumbharāgo ca mātaṅgo ariyo,
Athaccuto accutagāmabyāmako;
Sumaṅgalo dabbilo supatiṭṭhito,
Asayho khemābhirato ca sorato.

16Durannaya, Saṅgha, and then Ujjaya;
Another sage, Sayha, of noble endeavour.
And twelve between — Ānandas, Nandas, and Upanandas
And Bhāradvāja bearing his last body;

16Durannayo saṅgho athopi ujjayo,
Aparo muni sayho anomanikkamo;
Ānando nando upanando dvādasa,
Bhāradvājo antimadehadhārī.

17Then Bodhi, Mahānāma the supreme,
Bhāradvāja with fair-crested mane;
Tissa and Upatissa not bound to being;
Upasīdarin, and Sīdarin, free from craving.

17Bodhi mahānāmo athopi uttaro,
Kesī sikhī sundaro dvārabhājo;
Tissūpatissā bhavabandhanacchidā,
Upasikhi taṇhacchido ca sikhari.

18Enlightened was Mangala, free from lust;
Usabha cut the net, the root of suffering.
Upanīta attained the state of peace,
Purified, excellent, truly named.

18Buddho ahu maṅgalo vītarāgo,
Usabhacchidā jāliniṁ dukkhamūlaṁ;
Santaṁ padaṁ ajjhagamopanīto,
Uposatho sundaro saccanāmo.

19Jeta, Jayanta, Paduma, and Uppala,
Padumuttara, Rakkhita, and Pabbata,
Mānatthaddha glorious, Vītarāga
And Kaṇha enlightened with mind released.

19Jeto jayanto padumo uppalo ca,
Padumuttaro rakkhito pabbato ca;
Mānatthaddho sobhito vītarāgo,
Kaṇho ca buddho suvimuttacitto.

20"These and also other great and mighty
Paccekabuddhas no more led to being —
Honour these sages who, having gone beyond all ties,
Have attained final Nibbāna, past all measure."

20Ete ca aññe ca mahānubhāvā,
Paccekabuddhā bhavanettikhīṇā;
Te sabbasaṅgātigate mahesī,
Parinibbute vandatha appameyye"ti.

Isigilisuttaṁ niṭṭhitaṁ chaṭṭhaṁ.