Buddhavagga · The Buddha · Gāthā 179
Yassa jitaṃ nāvajīyati, jitamassa noyāti koci loke; taṃ buddhamanantagocaraṃ, apadaṃ kena padena nessatha.
Yassa jitaṃ nāvajīyati, jitamassa noyāti koci loke; taṃ buddhamanantagocaraṃ, apadaṃ kena padena nessatha.
The one whose victory cannot be undone, whose victory no one in the world can surpass, that Buddha of infinite range, trackless — by what path will you lead him?
Yassa jitaṃ nāvajīyati — whose victory cannot be undone: the Buddha’s victory is irreversible. Unlike any worldly conquest, the spiritual conquest of awakening cannot be reversed by any force.
Jitamassa noyāti koci loke — whose victory no one can surpass: koci loke — no one in the world. The victory of awakening is of a category that cannot be surpassed or equaled by worldly means.
Taṃ buddhamanantagocaraṃ — that Buddha of infinite range: ananta-gocara — his territory is infinite, his range has no limits. The “territory” of the Buddha is not a geographic realm but the infinitude of the liberated mind.
Apadaṃ kena padena nessatha — trackless, by what path will you lead him?: apadaṃ — without tracks, without trace. Like the bird in the sky (verse 92), the Buddha leaves no track that can be mechanically followed. This does not mean the path is impossible but that each practitioner must realize it for themselves.