en, then, Mahârâja, and I circumstances of the case. ling in the Trayastrinshas around me rejoicing and ps and their garments in demonstration they said, he world, in the Northern is in the city of the Sâkdhôdana, and a Mother every respect; endowed he eighty inferior ones; ated, and to preach the Divine wisdom is com. 48, for a picture of this to see for myself this beautiful child! [A long conversation then follows betwee during which the latter speaks of the in ever becoming a Chakravartin, as the as as evidence points out eighty personal sig signs refer to the colour of the nails, the mode of movement, the scent of the body, [Kiouen IX contains 6150 words and CHAPTER X. “MAHARAJA, if, in addition to the thirtybe also present on the person these eighty certainty that the possessor of these will b and preach the Law." Asita, having spoker to revolve in his mind at what age the Pri plete emancipation, and so considering, he of his intuition that it would be when he age, that then he would be completely preach the Law for the good of men. plainly that he would not be alive when t weep, and exclaimed in his grief-" Alas! 1 One of these signs is this. "The ha the right in imitation of the figure that the figure in question, viz., of the Si the sun's apparent movement, from left curious instance of this ancient practice Joyce, "Irish Names of Places," Second 1 Another sign is "the fleshy projection nium like a mountain," and again "the limely high that no man can trace it;" adds- "These three signs are wanting in account of these signs vide M. B., 367 ss. this my child? Were not the signs and portents propitious t now you weep and lament thus? Tell me, oh, Rishi! why you thus afflicted ?" Then Asita replied, seeing the King's grief follows: "Be not cast down or sorrowful, oh, King! for in trut see no unpropitious circumstance whatever connected with birth of the child; but, on the contrary, every sign and circu stance is in the highest degree favourable; but because I perce that owing to my age I shall not be privileged to listen to declaration of the Law, which at the appointed time he shall p claim to the world; on this account I weep!" And then for t sake of the King he repeated the following Gâtha:— 66 By grief and regret am I completely overpowered, Not to meet Him when he shall have attained Supreme wisdo Not to hear the words of Him thus born miraculously! What loss-what damage-is mine! Alas! I am old, and stricken in years; My time of departure is close at hand ;- I rejoice and yet I am sad! Mahârâja! greatly shall this redound to the glory of thy race! 'Mahârâja! This is the reason why I weep, because of th thousands who shall find deliverance from this sorrow, and wh shall be delivered from the consequences of their errors and sins and arrive at perfect wisdom through the preaching of this you child, and that I shall not be found amongst these. But it is as the udambara flower which appears only once in myriads of myriads of years, so with the Buddhas, and that I should witness the birth of this child, the future Buddha, and not benefit by his teaching; this is why I weep, &c," [Then Asita begs Suddhôdana to explain all the circumstances ш шу лицу nd portents propitious that ne, oh, Rishi! why you are seeing the King's grief, as ul, oh, King! for in truth I atever connected with the y, every sign and circumle; but because I perceive privileged to listen to the pointed time he shall proweep!" And then for the ng Gâtha: overpowered, ; his birth > the glory of thy race! child shall ensue! shall disappear; verywhere flourish.” I weep, because of the n this sorrow, and who of their errors and sins, preaching of this your gst these. But it is as e in myriads of myriads hould witness the birth enefit by his teaching; all the circumstances his seat, began to withdraw from the advanced to the door; holding Narada by him by the left shoulder and flew away his body along with him, and finally al Avanti, in South India. Then Asita addı "Be it known to you, my child, that a Bu been born in the world; you ought, ther ple and practise the purity of a Brahmach a period the inestimable benefit of so doin Rest and Peace. Then again Asita reflected as to the should obtain final illumination, and wh preach, and he perceived that the first wou and the second at Benares. Then Asita 1 would impress the question of Buddha's Narada in this way, he would take him to Vihara for him to rest in, and thrice eve night repeat in his hearing the tidings urge him to become his follower, and so se And so he did; and after thus living to full of years. But Narada, overpowered account of the great fame which he had a Asita, was unable to attain to the knowled gems, or to say this is Buddha, this is Dha Then Suddhôdana, hearing of Asita's dea counsellors of his empire, "Know ye my Asita will surely be accomplished, and t attain to supreme wisdom. Assist me th let us endeavour to prevent this result precautions as are advisable for the pu ministers replied: "Doubt not, Mahârâja be accomplished, and that your son will But at any rate, to prevent the possibility the king use such expedients as are necessa Asita wonld yet be accomplished, nevertheless resolved to foll the advice of his ministers and use every expedient to avert He, therefore, summoned all the Sâkya princes and warned th not to say a word to the young Prince when he grew up about prediction of Asita, and then he called his ministers, and orde them to release all prisoners throughout his empire, and to libera every beast and creature that was bound. Moreover, he request them to summon all the Brahmans throughout the kingdom, receive from him offerings and gifts, so that in every temple and every altar there might be held religious services on behalf of t child's future welfare. Then the ministers convoked the Brahmans, according to t king's command, from the four regions, 32,000 in all, who enterin the Palace of Suddhôdana, each received the appointed offering during seven days, with a view to secure for the young prince th merit of such unbounded charity, as the Gâtha says- "The heart of Suddhôdana filled with joy Desired to secure for the prince great merit. And then arriving suddenly at his right mind, With golden-tipped horns and silvered hoofs, Young in years and of brilliant colour, Her skin glossy, rich in milk, At each squeeze of the hand yielding a pint ; For the sake of securing good fortune to the prince 1. THE Prince Royal now being seven day Queen Mâya, being unable to regain her s joy she experienced whilst the child dwelt i succumbed to her weakness and died. [But some of the old Masters say that this the mothers of all Buddhas, that they should day after the birth of their child. For how their babes become Ascetics? Whilst others wonderful miracles attending the birth of t joy.] Mâya, having thus finished her earthly co once to the Trâyastrinshas heavens, where every hand by countless Devas who attende time to time she descended to earth to con assure him that her joy was now equal to during the period of her gestation, and account grieve for her, and added this Gâth "Freed from all partialities, Persevering without interru Ever thinking aright Without confusion from first His appearance pure as gold His faculties perfectly under My son can declare the Law, And is worthy of all honour. Mâya having uttered this Gâtha disappe celestial abode. Suddhôdana, after this v sembled all the Sâkyas and addressed them babe has lost his mother, who is there we place, and act as a foster mother to the child married Sâkya females replied: "I! I! am the babe." To whom they replied: "All ye prajapati alone is fit for this charge, and |