SAUNDARANANDA 17.63: Homage to the Buddha

namo 'stu tasmai sugataaya yena
hit'-aiShiNaa me karuN"-aatmakena
bahuuni duHkhaany apavartitaani
sukhaani bhuuyaaMsy upasaMhRtaani

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17.63
"Praise be to him, the One Gone Well,

Through whose compassionate striving for my benefit,

Great agonies were turned away

And greater comforts conferred.

COMMENT:
Gone Well (su-gata) is an epithet of the Buddha, one of the ten names.

What Nanda means by great agonies (bahuuni duHkhaani), and what he means by greater comforts (sukhaani bhuuyaaMsi), he is going to explain in the remaining ten verses of this Canto.

By "agonies" he seems mainly to have in mind "the burning fire of desires" (17.66) and in particular "girl-made strife" (17.71). By "comforts" he means not the presence of nice comfy things but rather the absence of distressing fearful things -- things like danger, dungeon, deluge and darkness (17.68) or disease, debt, death in battle and deprivation (17.69).

EH Johnston:
"Praise be to Blessed One through Whose benevolence and compassion so many sufferings have been turned away from me and such great bliss brought within my reach.

Linda Covill:
"Homage be to him, the Sugata, who in his compassionate striving for my well-being turned away many sorrows and brought great joy.

VOCABULARY:
namaH (nom./acc. sg.): n. bow , obeisance , reverential salutation , adoration (by gesture or word ; often with dative)
astu (3rd pers. sg. imperative): let there be
tasmai = dat. sg. m. tad: him
sugataaya = dat. sg. sugata: m. the one who has fared well
su: well
gata: gone
yena = inst. sg. m. yad: who

hit-aiShiNaa = inst. sg. hit'-aiShin: striving after advantage
hita: n. (sg. or. pl.) anything useful or salutary or suitable or proper , benefit , advantage, welfare
eShin: mfn. (generally ifc.) going after , seeking , striving for
me (dat./gen. sg. aham): for/of me
karuN"-aatmakena = inst. sg. karuN"-aatmaka: being made out of compassion
karuNaa: f. pity , compassion
aatmaka: mfn. having or consisting of the nature or character of (in comp.); consisting or composed of

bahuuni = acc. pl. n. bahu: mfn. much , many , frequent , abundant , numerous , great or considerable in quantity
duHkhaani = acc. pl. duHkha: n. uneasiness , pain , sorrow , trouble , difficulty
apavartitaani (acc. pl. n.): mfn. taken away ; removed
apa- √ vRt: to turn away , depart ; get out of the way

sukhaani = acc. pl. sukha: n. ease , easiness , comfort , prosperity , pleasure , happiness , joy
bhuuyaaMsi = acc. pl. n. bhuuyas: mfn. " becoming in a greater degree " i.e. more , more numerous or abundant , greater , larger , mightier (also much or many , very numerous or abundant &c )
upasaMhRtaani (acc. pl. n.): mfn. drawn near , brought into contact
upa-saM-√ hR: to draw together , bring together , contract , collect