on—marriage.] egrees, reached his nineather Suddhôdana Râja r him, each of them for warm palace, calculated r the summer; the third aces were severally surand pleasant streams of o please the senses. number of skilful and Some to on his son. rs to anoint and bathe iss holders, etc., etc., rs to keep the Bezoar aplets; others again female, brought up on the purest food. The only of the daintiest fare, and every sort o every day and every night brought him som diversion, protected by a beautiful white u and sleeping under the finest gauze canopie Now at this time Suddhôdana Râja, ha gradually growing up to manhood, once n of the Rishi Asita to his memory, and in cor the great ministers of the Sâkya race to a thus to them: "Do you not remember at t the Royal Prince that the assembled Brahn record when they calculated the babe's h mained a prince he would be a Chakrava a recluse, he would be a supreme Buddha. ters, tell me by what contrivance I can prev his home and assuming a religious life?" Then the Sâkyas answered and said, construct another Palace for the Prince, an there every accommodation for voluptuous and hand-maidens; so the prince will give his home and becoming a recluse; as the G "The record of Asita Certain and unchangeable, The Sâkyas exhort (the king) to build : Then Suddhôdana Râja said again, "Sa daughters of our race is fit to be the wif tha? At this time five hundred of the Sâkyas ter! my daughter, is fit!" [The two pr Sanscrit original are repeated several times. Ch. Ed.] Then Suddhôdana Râja began to think I will do this; I will cause every sort of precious ornament to made, and, when complete, I will offer them to the prince with t request that he will distribute them among the females of tribe, and then, having trusty persons in watch, I will reque them to look well and observe the prince's countenance, and whichever of the ladies he looks with tenderness, her will I sele and propose to him for a wife." Accordingly the king ordered every kind of jewelled orname and delightful trifle (un lung), to be made of silver and gold; a then he sent messengers throughout Kapilavastu to proclaim follows: "After seven days the Prince Royal desires all the ladi of the Sâkya race to assemble at the court, and after receivi them he purposes to distribute among them every kind of precio ornament and delightful toy. Let all the ladies, therefore, com as they are bidden, to the palace gate!" 1 Then six days passed, and on the seventh the Prince Royal, fir going forth, arrived in front of the gate of the palace, and advan ing towards his cushioned throne, he sat down. Thereupon tl ladies, decorated with every sort of precious jewel, began to a semble in numbers before the palace, desiring to see the princ and still more anxious to receive from him the jewels and precio toys he had promised to bestow upon them. The prince, seeing the ladies coming, took the jewels he had b him, and the ornaments which had been made, and began to besto them as he proposed; whilst the ladies, because of the grace an beauty of the prince's demeanour, could not look him straight i the face; but each one simply passing by and bowing the head i profound obeisance, took her gift and departed. And now, whe all the gifts were exhausted, at the very last, there came a certai damsel of the family of Basita, of the Sâkya tribe, whose name wa Yasodharâ, the daughter of Mahanama, the great minister of stat surrounded on every side by a circle of personal attendants, to se 1 Swayambarâ, Speir, “ Anc. Ind.,” p. 126. late, the presents are all distributed." To w "And what have I done that you should for me ?" To whom the prince said, "I do r one, but why did you not come in time." finger there was a very costly signet-ring w sand (pieces of gold). Taking this from it to Yasodharâ. Yasodharâ rejoined, remain here by your side, perhaps you may to give." On this the prince replied, "You of pearls if you please;"—to whom she rej pity for me to do that, and so deprive the p much becomes him." able temper. 1 66 Y Saying which, she de The Story of Yasôdb § 4. AT this time the world-honoured one, plete enlightenment, was addressed by th follows: "How was it when you were still re royal palace, and you offered to Yasôdharâ t ornaments that adorned your person, you w any gratification ?” On this Buddha answered Udáyi as fo weigh my words. It was not only on this hara was discontented with the gifts I offe time, because of an offence she had take ages, she has never been pleased with me." 1 Here we have the first of the frequen which occur in this history. It is a story o vious birth. In all these stories the sup Buddha has arrived at complete inspirat before he enters on the narrative, and so is occurred in time past. That king had a son who, for some trivial fault, was banished his father from the kingdom. As he wandered along, he came a certain Devâlaya, and having there contracted a marriage1 w a woman he stopped in the place, and lived with her. Now, af a time it so happened that, all their food being exhausted, t king's son went out to hunt to try to get something to eat. It chanced that on that day he shot a large sort of lizard, and havi skinned it, he cut up the flesh, and put it in a pot of water to b When it was nearly cooked, the water in the pot having boil away, the king's son said to his wife, 'This flesh is hardly do yet, will you run and get some more water ?" She immediately co sented, and went to fetch it. In the meanwhile, her husbar overcome with hunger and not having patience to wait, began eat the flesh that was in the pot, and at last finished it all, witho leaving a morsel. Just as he had finished, his wife came ba with the water, and, seeing the pot empty, she asked her husba 'Where has the flesh gone?' He immediately prevaricated, a said, 'Do you know, just after you left, the lizard came to li again, got out of the pot and ran away.' But his wife would n believe that the half-cooked lizard had really so suddenly come life again and got away; for she said, 'How is it possible?' a so she thought to herself, the fact is, this man of mine has eat it all up, and now he is mocking me by telling me this story abo the animal running away.' So she took offence, and was alwa in a poor temper. "Now, after the lapse of a few years, it came to pass that the kin the father of the prince, died; at which time all the ministers se for the young prince, and immediately anointed him king. this the king, having ascended the throne, caused every kind precious jewel, costly ornament, and splendid robe, to be broug to him, and these he forthwith presented to his wife, the quee 1 It must be understood that in all these stories many expre sions are rendered into polite English. e was king who was an unbeliever. trivial fault, was banished by - wandered along, he came to e contracted a marriage1 with d lived with her. Now, after r food being exhausted, this get something to eat. It so rge sort of lizard, and having ut it in a pot of water to boil. er in the pot having boiled e, This flesh is hardly done ter ?" 6 She immediately conhe meanwhile, her husband, g patience to wait, began to at last finished it all, without nished, his wife came back mpty, she asked her husband mediately prevaricated, and eft, the lizard came to life But his wife would not ay.' I really so suddenly come to How is it possible?' and this man of mine has eaten telling me this story about ok offence, and was always I came to pass that the king, time all the ministers sent y anointed him king. On rone, caused every kind of lendid robe, to be brought ed to his wife, the queen. hese stories many expres gifts I have bestowed on you, that you still so sad? You are just as unhappy now as you the queen forthwith replied in the following "Most noble monarch! listen! In years gone by, when you went And now, Udâyi! you should know, that a was myself the queen was Yasodharâ, and gression in those days long gone by, I en perpetual result, that no gift of mine or prec cause joy to Yasodharâ." The Competition. § 5. THEN those messengers whom Suddhôdan serve secretly the conduct of the Prince Royal, watched the glances of his eyes as he was co the maidens or spoke to them-having observ attention, immediately sought the presence dressed him thus-" Mahârâja! there happ reception, amongst others, a daughter of the nama, who, after saying a few words to the for some short time, and in a smiling way We observed how their eyes met, and what were, and we doubt not about the meaning of look!" |
