To which the prince replied, "My love to my father is n than his to me, nor do I love all my relatives less; but I heart filled with awe and fear in consideration of the misery ing them all if they continue in this condition of birth and and I desire to find out the Law of Deliverance to prove n to them to be greater even than theirs, for I aim to rescue and all men from their misery, and every future conse of it." Tchandaka then said, "Are you, O Prince, thus resolved you really purpose to leave the world and to become an ascet The prince answered, Yes! Tchandaka, of propitious my purpose is fixed!" "And why are you so influenced ?" urged Tchandaka, once "Because," said the prince, "I see the evil of worldly th everything is impermanent; for this reason, O Tchandaka! bent on seeking that higher and more excellent platform ( alone in the religious life)." "And how do you prove the superior excellency of that 1 rejoined Tchandaka. "Because," answered the prince, "if the world can secure dom from birth and death; from old age, disease, the change alternations of love; from enmity; and attain to a royal condi without taint or pollution, then may I well be drawn to strive such a state. But now, worthy Tchandaka! contradict m further; but go, as I exhort you, and harness my horse Kan and bring him hither." Tchandaka having heard the prince's entreaty, and seeing deep purpose of his heart-notwithstanding the commands of King that the Prince should be kept within the palace, mad his mind and said, "I shall obey your commands, oh Prince!" so the Gâtha says: "Tchandaka, by the power of the Heavenly Spirits, Firmly bent on disobeying the King's command, over the manger took down the of Kantaka, and putting it into h the stable, and then tying him fa back before placing across him saddle-cloth, adorned with gold and then above this he placed a having equipped the horse, he place where the Prince was await Then Kantaka, king of horses, Prince, seeing his master standin filled with a transport of joy, neig sound of this neighing could be yôjana, but all the Devas of the spiritual power, caused the soun fearing lest any one should be ar the way of the Prince's departure Then the Prince, filled with ur silky fingers of his right hand, s flower, of a bright colour, even as of his Royal steed, and said in a my own Royal steed, Kantaka! ever life-giving law (law of sweet put forth your strength and adva to place an obstacle in the way. hour of battle know how to exert victory; show yourself now equal sulting from the sacrifice of home joys of this world are brief and t comes sorrow again. To exert ones but now, because I am earnest i deliverance from misery-exert y is for the sake of the world, and and those like you I am now st my horse!" Then the Prince, standing ther At the time when the Prince mounted on to the saddle clo Kantaka, countless Asuras, Garudas, Kinnaras, Mahoragas, shas, Earth-dwelling Pisachas, Heaven-dwelling Devas, bel ing to the Suddha Heavens, and even up to the Akani regions, flocked round the royal steed Kantaka and accompa him as he went. Then the Devas, holding in their hands umbre flags with golden bells, etc., surrounded the Prince. Thus he advanced slowly towards the outside gate of the Pal the Suddha Devas deadening the sound of Kantaka's feet, wh generally could be heard at the distance of a krôsa. Now there was at this time a space-dwelling Yaksha, ca Patrapada; this Patrapada and the older Yakshas dwelling in air, came together at the time of the Prince's departure, and e one held the feet of Kantaka underneath, so that he might quietly.1 Again, when the Prince first made up his mind to quit his hor there was a Devaputra who uttered this sentence in a loud voi "Oh! would that good fortune may attend the Master of the sh who now desires to deliver the countless creatures of the wo from the sea of trouble." Another Devaputra spake thus, "O may there be no obstacle placed in the way of the Holy and Revere one, who now desires to leave his home and cross the sea of Li and Death." Then the Prince addressed Tchandaka and said, "Oh! Tcha daka, of propitious birth, proceed in advance and observe the way The inner gate of the palace, on ordinary occasions, when opene could be heard at a krôsa distance; on this occasion it opene noiselessly of itself. On this, Tchandaka exclaimed, "Wonderfu portent! on ordinary occasions it requires an exertion of grea strength to open this gate; but now, on the approach of th Prince it unbars itself and stands open for him to pass, even as 1 This scene is evidently the subject of Plate lix, "Tree and Ser pent Worship." n to the back of well for this last time. unted on to the saddle cloth of is, Kinnaras, Mahoragas, Rak[eaven-dwelling Devas, belongd even up to the Akanishta eed Kantaka and accompanied lding in their hands umbrellas, nded the Prince. 3 the outside gate of the Palace, und of Kantaka's feet, which tance of a krôsa. space-dwelling Yaksha, called older Yakshas dwelling in the e Prince's departure, and each erneath, so that he might go up his mind to quit his home, this sentence in a loud voice, attend the Master of the ship, ntless creatures of the world Devaputra spake thus, "Oh! way of the Holy and Reverend e and cross the sea of Life aka and said, "Oh! Tchanvance and observe the way." ary occasions, when opened on this occasion it opened Wonderful aka exclaimed, quires an exertion of great v, on the approach of the for him to pass, even as a 66 f Plate lix, "Tree and Ser gate." The Prince having pa towards the Vyâla gate, in fron chief on guard, whose name was trance), he had five hundred oth seeing the Prince coming slowly one to another, "What means thi vancing towards our gate at this is not a fitting time for such an e ever, they resolved to open the ga of itself! At this time, Mara Râja, of the nant (Pisuna), seeing the Prince consequences of his so doing, ca sorts of strange shrieks and noise thunder in the air, or the crashin made the appearance of a great to in front of the Prince; again, he and rugged mount; also of a fier all these alarming appearances w the spiritual energy of the good I Then the Prince, having got be looked at it, and with his lion' would I have my body crushed by deadliest poison, or starve myself to seek to save all flesh from the f I enter not the city again." The Devas, hearing this resolv the spirits that kept guard at the exclaimed "Even so! even so! m and then with raised hands they valiant youth! to have thus gone look back!" The Prince hearing alarmed, but rather was filled wit with the earnestness of his resolv a pagoda (tower) and called it "the tower of the lion voice ance." On that spot also there was a great Nyagrôdha tre Deva of which tree on this occasion uttered these Gâthas: "If a man should desire to destroy the tree, He must first thoroughly kill its root, As to destroy a living creature one cuts off its head! Cross over the water and you shall reach the other shore. But words unless they are fulfilled are vain, They breed troubles, and in the end destroy happiness." At this time the prince replied to that Deva in the follow verses "You may remove from their base the Snowy Mountains, You may exhaust the waters of the Ocean, The Firmament may fall to earth, But my words in the end will be accomplished." At this time also the Devas of the Suddha Heavens added th Gâthas "Behold! here is the great Medicine King Able to destroy the poison caused by Sorrow; Who can thoroughly heal the maladies of all men ; He is able to cure and completely remove the disease! To illumine those who are deceived or in doubt, To him the brightness of this glorious light shall soon appear. Able to instruct the entire world By the brightness of his perfect wisdom and full knowledge, Able to shed light throughout the universe. |