The Mahavastu - Forgotten Books

T H E M A HAVA S T U

V O L U M E I

THE MAHAVASTU

V O L U M E I

Transla tedfrom the Buddhist S anskrit

By

J . J . jONES , M.A. (Wales)Deputy-Keeper, Department of Printed Books ,

National Library of Wales , Aberystwyth

L U Z A C a: C O M PANY, L T D .

46 GREAT RUSSELL STREET , LONDON , W.C .1

I949

9 0 3 7 9 3

Prin ted in Great Britain

a t the BURLE IGH PRE S S , Lewins Mead , BRIS TOL

C O N TE N T S

Ab b reviations in foo tno t esForewo rdPro logue

Visit s t o He ll

Visits t o Other Wo rlds

Ab hiya

The Many Buddhas

Visit t o Suddh avasa

The Ten Bhfimis

The First Bhum iThe Second Bhfimi

The Third Bhfimi

Th e Fourth BhfimiTh e Fifth BhfimiTh e S ixth Bhumi

Th e Seventh Bhfim i

Th e Eighth Bhum i

The Ninth Bhumi

The Tenth Bhumi

At t rib utes o f the Buddha

Apparit ionsDiparnkara

Birth o f Diparnkara

Enligh t enment

Megha and Meghadat t aThe Buddha Mangala

The Buddha Visit s Vesali

The Sunshades

Th e Three Birds

Plagues o f Former Days

The Buddha in Vesali

Malini

Ghatikara and Jyo t ipalaGenesis o f the World

Hist ory o f the De er Park

Indexes

ABBREVIATIONS IN FOOTNOTES*

A. Angut tara N ikaya

Avs. Avadana-sa t aka

Bu . (Budv .) Buddhavam sa

d . Compend ium o f Philosophy

D . Digha-Nikaya

Dial . Dialogues o f th e Buddha

Divy . Divyavadana

Dh . DhammapadaDhA. Comment ary on Dh .

Db s . t rsl. Buddhist Manua l o f Psychologica l Ethics

D .P.N . Dict ionary o f Pali Proper Names (G . P. Malalasek era)

Grad . S ayings Gradua l Sayings

J . z : Jat ak a

Journa l o f Pali Text Society

t . Khuddakapath a

t A . Comment ary on t .

KS . Kindred Sayings

Kvu . Kathavat t hu

L al. V ist . Lalita Vist araM . Majjh ima-N ikaya

t u . Mahavast u

Miln . Milindapafih a

Nd . N iddesa

Pa li Dict . Pali-English Dict ionary (T . W . Rhys David s and W . S t ed e)Pv . Pe tavat th u

PVA . Commentary on Pv .

S . Samyut t a-Nikaya

Sn . Sut t anipat a

S .B .E . S acred Book s o f t h e EastThigA . Comm ent ary on Th erigatha

V . V inayaVA . Commentary on V .

For part iculars of t h e ed it ions of these work s see th e prelim inary pageso f t h e Pali-English Dictionary,

by T . W . Rhys David s and W . St ed e.

F O R E W O R D

THE fo llowing translat ion o f the Maha'

vastn was undertaken

at the request o f the lat e Mrs . Rhys Davids . As is well known ,

it was her inspired aim to have all Buddhist scriptures made

availab le for students in translation as w ell as in the original

languages . She w orked with such zeal and industry t o this

end that she was fast approaching the realisation o f her aim

when she passed away.

With regard t o the t ranslat ion o f the Maha‘

oastn.more than

one scholar tried t o dissuade her from the pro j ect,urging chiefly

t he unsatisfact ory stat e o f the t ext . Senart himself,the editor

o f the only print ed t ext , had in ~the introduction t o his work

expressed the opinion that a complete translation would b e

ala fo is longue ,fastidieuse et insufiisant e and would invo lve

lengt hy discussions on linguistic and t extual mat t ers . But

in reply t o such ob j ect ions Mrs . Rhys Davids w ould argue

from the standpo int o f a student o f religion . The t ext , she

w ould say,must b e coherent enough and int elligib le enough

in it s b road out line t o admit o f an English rendering which

would b e sufficient ly correct t o give the reader an adequate

comprehension o f yet ano ther o f the b o oks in which the ancient

Buddhist s had expressed their faith and b elie f. And if

sub sequent work on linguist ic and t extual crit icism wrought

so many changes in the t ext that a fresh t ranslat ion w oul d

b ecome necessary,t his pioneer e ffort at a first t ranslat ion

would no t b e wast ed .

The t ranslat or, who t ook up the study o f Sanskrit and Pali

primarily in order t o acquire first-hand acquaintance with the

religious lit erature o f India ,readily concurred with this view .

And his b elief in the utility o f a t ranslation o f this in manyways perplexing t ext has b een strengthened in the course of

his work in t ranslat ing. He is firmly o f Opinion that no

summary o f the t ext and no t reat ise on it,however lengt hy

and detail ed , can compare in utility t o the student o f Buddhism

with a complete translat ion . T his is no t t o say that the

t ranslator is unaware or inappreciat ive o f the linguist ic and

t extual difficult ies o f the Mahavastn . He has t hroughoutendeavoured t o solve these t o the b est o f his ab ility. . In View

1X

x T H E M A H A V A S T U

o f the immediate purpose o f the t ranslat ion the footno tes are

as a rule confined t o the elucidat ion o f t hose difficult ies whichb ear on the int erpre tation o f the t ext . To go b eyond this

would involve either much repet ition o f Senart’

s long not es

or equally long criticisms o f them . At the same t ime, as much

use as possib le has b een made o f Pali text s pub lished o r

o therwise made known since S enart’

s t ime . As the no t es will

show , S enart’

s conj ectures when he was faced with doub t fulo r unintelligib le manuscript readings have in many instances

b een start lingly successful , b eing confirmed b y parallel passagesin Pali t ext s unknown t o him . But in many o ther instances

it will b e seen that amanuscript reading re jected by Senart needst o b e restored int o correspondence with the t radit ion preservedin Pali t ext s , or, it may b e ,

in o ther Buddhist Sanskrit text s .

*

The exact linguistic or inflexional form o f these emendat ions

canno t b e readily decided. As is well kn own the languageo f t he Maka

'

vastn and o ther Buddhist Sanskrit t exts present sa prob lem o f the first import ance . It is usual t o

“ term this

language Buddhist Sanskrit , b ut this t erm conveys no thingas t o its origin and it s relat ion t o

'

o ther Indian dialect s .

While in Mahayana t exts this Buddhist Sanskrit alt ernat es

with more or less classical Sanskrit , the Maha'

vastn uses t his

dialect throughout , though with some degree o f Sanskritisat ion

here and there , especially ln the prose . As compared with

the Buddhist Sanskrit o f o ther t exts al so ; that o f the Mahavastn

is decidedly closer t o Pali, although it is no t easy t o say how

much o f this approximat ion is due t o lat er copyist s o f t he

manuscript s . In no t a few instances one manuscript will havea Sanskrit , Buddhist or classical , form where ano ther has a

pure Pali one .

We may expect some definit e conclusion as t o the real origin

o f Buddhist Sanskrit when Pro fessor Franklin Edgert on ,

o f Harvard University, who has b een engaged on a study o f

this dial ect for some t ime,pub lishes the result o f his researches .

Meanwhile we may quo te an opinion which he expressed in1 93 6 . The pro to—canonical Prakrit on which Buddhist hyb ridSanskrit was b ased , was a dialect closely relat ed t o b o th

Ardhamagadh i andApab hramsa,b ut no t ident icalwith either .

’

Pali work s are cit ed by th e abbreviat ed form of their t it les used in th ePali Text S ociety ’s Pali-E nglish Dictionary .

F O R E W O R D xi

(Bulletin of the S chool of Oriental S tudies , Vol'

. VIII, p .

Perhaps some light may also b e thrown on this question bythe researches o f Pro fessor H . W . Bailey and o thers int o t he

Buddhist ic lit eratures discovered in recent years and writt en

in Cent ral Asian languages . Certainly,some o f these languages

would seem t o provide some evidence for the phonology,if no t

t he orthography, o f some Buddhist t erms at t he time t hat

Buddhism spread t o the north o f the Himalayas .

But , how ever fruit ful they may prove t o b e , linguist ic

researches alone will no t solve all the prob lems relative t o

the t ext o f t he Mahavastn . They may here and there provet he great er pro b ab ility o f one inflexional form over the o ther

o r enab le one t o decide how t o reso lve an apparent met ricalanomaly. But such linguistic crit icism must t ake int o account

the fact that t he Maha’

vastn is no t the composit ion o f a single

author writ t en in a w ell-defined period o f t ime . Rather, it is

a compilat ion which may have b een b egun in the second

century B .c b ut which was no t completed unt il the third

or fourt h century A .D . Even if , as Haraprasad Sast ri ( IndianHistorical Quarterly, I , 1 925 ,

p . 20 5 ) claims , Buddhist Sanskritwas a spoken vernacular o f the second century B .c . ,

it would

b e unreasonab le t o expect that it could maint ain it s prist inepurity in t he Maha

'

vastn unaffected b y the influence o f the

Pali text s from which so much was apparently taken up ,no t

t o speak o f the influence o f t he Mahayana literature with it s

more radical departure from t he pro t o -canonical Prakrit .

Linguistic study o f t he Mahavasta must , there fore , proceedhand in hand with a study o f the various part s o f which it

is composed and an examinat ion o f t he prob ab le period inwhich they w ere incorpo rat ed , as well as o f the sources fromwhich they were taken .

For our t ext is no t a homogeneous entity. Although it calls

it self the Vinaya o f the Lokot taravadins,a b ranch o f the

Mahasanghikas , the earliest Buddhist schismat ics , this t it le

gives no adequat e not ion o f the nature o f it s cont ent s . It s

peculiar dogma that the personality o f t he Buddha was docetic,

t hat he was really supramundane (lokottara) and that he onlyapparent ly conformed t o the hab it s o f men

,is

,apart from

two or three slight allusions, dismissed in one comparat ively

short passage (I . 1 68 There is hardly anything ab out the

xii T H E MA H AV A S T U

rules o f the Order or the hist ory o f their formation, as the t it le

Vinaya would lead us t o expect . There is early in Volume I

(pp . 2—3 ) a description o f t he four kinds o f ordinat ion,b ut

this is int roduced ab rupt ly and equally ab rupt ly dismissed

without b eing relat ed t o any o ther o f the rules o f the Order.

Our t ext seems in a hurry t o proceed t o the more edifyingst ory o f the proclamat ion o f Go tama Sakyamuni as a futureBuddha by t he former Buddha Dipamkara .

As a matt er o f fact , the Mahavastn is a collection o f practicallyall the hist ory, quasi

-hist ory and legends (avada’

nas) relat ingt o the Buddha that passed current in the long period duringwhich it was compiled . And if it s claim t o the t itle Vinaya

is justified it can only b e by the fact that the legends it records

go b ack in their origin t o t he same b iographical episodes whichwere used in the Maha

‘

vagga o f the Pali Vinaya t o explainor illustrat e the origin o f the rules o f the Order. That there

is a very close relat ion b etween the Makavastn and the Maha"

vagga is ab undant ly proved b y the close ,practically verb al

parallelism b etween the last quart er or so o f the former with

t he first twenty-four chapt ers o f the lat t er. These parallelshave b een set out in detail b yWindisch in his Die Kompositiondes Mahdvastn .

* Yet in Spit e o f the close resemb lance b e tw eent he two text s there are sufficient differences t o warrant the

possib ility that the Mahavasta was no t copied from the

Makavagga as we know it , b ut drew on the same fund o f legends .

If this is so , then it may b e argued that this part o f athe

Mahavastn is early rather than lat e . Examinat ion o f the

language o f this part may, when the true origin o f that language

is set t led,help t o decide this quest ion .

Here then is one source o f the Malic'

ivastn . But this b io

graphical part o f the Vinaya has b een enormously expandedafter the fashion first set , perhaps , b y t he Nida

'

nakatha'

,or

introduct ion t o the commentary on the jatakas . And it is

this mass o f secondary or derived legends that forms the b ulk

o f the Mahavastn . This is no t t o say that it contains no siltras

set ting forth Buddhist doctrine . But apart from the Specialt enet o f the Loko t t aravadins these show hardly any variat ion

from recognised Theravadin t eaching. Minor differences , as

* Abhandlungen der philolog-his t . Klasse d . K . sach sischen Gesells chaf td . Wissenschaf ten . Bd . XXIV . N o . XIV , 1 9 0 9 pp . 4 69 fi

F O R E W O R D xiii

for example in the account o f dhya'

na (jnana) , are discussed

in the foo tno t es , b ut they are t rivial and no t o f any real

significance . The sect ion on t he t en bkiirn is o r stages in t he

careers o f Bodhisat tvas may at first sight seem t o representan innovat ion in doctrine , and mark a lat e period of t ransit ionfrom Theravada t o Mahayana . But the multiplying o f the

numb ers o f Bodhisat tvas and previous Buddhas is no t o f itselfa Mahayanist t rait, though it prepared t he way fo r the

sub sequent development o f Mahayana . The Mahavastn , al so ,

is careful t o stress the fact that the careers describ ed are

general ised from the career o f the Bodhisat tva par excellence,

Go t ama Sakyamuni. In fact , it would seem t hat the sect ion

on t he t en bhilrnis was insert ed only b ecause it was the policyo f the compilers t o include in t he Mahavastn every piece o f

Buddhistic lore that t hey came acro ss . It is int roduced

ab rupt ly,and certain inconsist encies in t he recital show that

it was no t really understood . Or , perhaps , the inconsist enciesare due t o a delib erat e at t empt t o amend o r even suppressthe Mahayanist t endencies o f o ther t racts on the same sub j ect .

There were , for example ,

‘

the Mahayanist Dasablnirnika and

Bodhisattvabhami , t he lat ter o f which was claimed by the

Yogacaras as upholding their own particular doctrine . But

the Maliavastn expressly condemns the t eaching o f this school,for it makes adherence t o it on the part o f Bodhisat tvas one

o f the causes which prevent them rising from the fift h bhamit o the sixth .

The fact remains , there fore ,that the chie f int erest o f the

Makavastu lies in its b eing a collection o f Buddhist legends .

Although it is styled a Vinaya it almost seems as if , in t he

course o f the period o f it s compilat ion ,all the element s

characterist ic o f a Vinaya w ere delib erat ely omitt ed . The

t itle Maha'

vastn,the great sub j ect ,

’

no doub t corresponds t othe t it le o f the Mahavagga ,

just as the Ksndravastn o f the

Sarvast ivadins corresponds t o the Cnllavagga . But b y the time

the compilat ion was complet e the emphasis had long b een laidon the narrative parts o f the sub j ect . In almo st al l the

colophons t o the chapters t he work is styled the Mahaoastn

Avadana . The compilers indeed came very near achievinga mere collect ion o f avadanas much resemb ling the collect ion

made b y the Sarvastivadins and known as the'Divydvadana .

xiv T H E MA H A V A S T U

Although at first sight these legends seem t o b e arranged

in a haphazard or arb itrary way,the purpose o f their recital

is in a general way the same as that o f the b iographical episodesin the Mahavagga . That is t o say they are m ore or less

exege t ical narrat ives . But whereas the narrat ives o f the

Makavagga explain t he occasions o f the institut ion o f the rules

o f the Order, in the Mahavastn they are int roduced t o illust rat e

the virtues o f the Buddha in his various lives,and only rarely

t o explain a point o f doct rine . We t herefore find these t ale s,

many o f them Jatakas , int erspersed t hroughout the whole w ork .

In Spit e o f the apparent incoherence in the order o f the cont ent s,

there can b e det ect ed in the work as a whole something like

the scheme o f the Nidanakatha. The first volume may thus

b e seen t o correspond t o the Darenidana,or incidents in the

far past o f the Buddha ’

s career the second volume and parto f the third t o the Avidiirenidana o f his more recent historyfrom his b irth t o his enlightenment

,and the lat t er part o f

the third vo lume t o the S antikenida'

na or the hist ory o f t he

Buddha’

s career as t eacher and founder o f his Order.

But this is not t o say that the Jatakas in the Maha'

vastn are

necessarily reproductions o f t hose we know from Pali t ext s .

It is true t hat the text o f the Mahavastn tales can somet imes

b e rect ified by re ference t o the Pali version . On the o ther hand,

a few instances w ill b e found ,especially in the second vo lume

,

where the t ext o f a Mahavastn Jataka will b e seen to b e superiorb ecause it gives a b ett er constructed t ale . While only a fractiono f the Pal i Jatakas are found in the Mahavastn ,

t here are

many o thers in it which have no corresponding Pali versions ,Some o f these are ob viously folk-tales adapt ed as Jatakas .

Other tales are o f the type kn own as Avadanas , which seem

t o have b een the Special creat ion o f the Sarvast ivadins . Theyare no t unlike in their nature t o Jatakas which were firstfashioned b y Theravadins . For an avadana is a t ale in which

the heroism or o ther virtue o f a living charact er is explainedby the Buddha as the result o f a good deed performed in

a previous exist ence .

The Mahavagga and the Jatakas are far from b eing the

only parts o f Pali scriptures which are t o b e found incorporat edin the Mahavastn, or, w e should more correct ly say, which

have their parallels in it . There are considerab le quotations

F O R E W O R D xv

from o ther t raditional Buddhist lit erature ,as

,for example ,

passages parallel t o Pali ones in t he Khnddakapa'

tha , Viniana

nattha , Bnddhavamsa ,S nttanipa

'

ta,and the Dhamrnapada . And

though t he Pali version has generally the aspect o f a more

primary version ,this is not always or necessarily so . The

verses o f the Khadgavisana-satra (I . 3 57 ff) certainly seem t o

b e more primit ive t han t he corresponding Pali in the Sntta

nipata ,though the prose framework in which they are emb edded

is much lat er. Here,again ,

a close linguist ic study will b e

necessary t o confirm the findings o f a studyo f the int ernal evidence .

If the three volumes o f the t ranslation o f the Mahavastn

were b eing pub lished t ogether it would b e possib le as w ell

as profitab le t o draw up a tab le o f all passages in it to whichparallels are found in Pali t exts , no t forgett ing also the BuddhistSanskrit t exts . But as only one volume is now b eing pub lisheda comprehensive survey o f the whole is impract icab le . The

present translat ion is primarily for the student o f Buddh ism

who has no knowledge o f Sanskrit , and argument s b ased on

t he cont ent s o f untranslat ed volumes would b e profit less and

even b affling t o him . When t he third and final volume comes

t o b e pub lished ,the translat o r int ends t o include in it such

a tab le as that referred t o . This t ab le may b e rendered st ill

more instructive as t o the history o f the cont ent s o f t he

Maha'

vastn ,and ,

therefore ,o f Buddhist b elie f, b y the inclusion

o f evidence derived from Chinese and Tib e tan sources . Also ,

t he Central Asian lit eratures which have b een already re ferredt o ,

and which scholars are daily making more accessib le t o

the general reader, are likely t o provide use ful mat erial for

comparat ive study.

In the meant ime parallel Pali passages are as o ften as

possib le indicat ed in the foo tnotes . As will b e seen from many

examples the citat ion o f the corresponding Pali has o ft en b eenthe means no t only o f rest oring the righ t reading where the

manuscript t radit ion was unint elligib le ,b ut also o f making

explicab le many an ob scure allusion .

With regard t o t he t ranslat ion itself an effort has b een made

t o‘

make it as lit eral as possib le . The reader should no t lo ok

for a uniformly elevat ed style . That could no t b e achieved

without depart ing too much from the form and manner o f

the original . No succinct lit erary judgment on the Mahavastn ,

xvi T H E M A H A V A S T U

which w ill b e t rue o f the whole o f it , is po ssib le . Some passagesdo at tain a degree o f art ist ic charm which is worthy o f com

parison with the b est in any lit erature . This is especially t rueo f some o f the verse passages , although these are no t necessarilyt he work o f any author associat ed with the compilat ion o f

t he Mahavastn . Many o f them are traditional Buddhist icb allads , and owe t heir charm t o the very nature o f their origin

and mode o f disseminat ion . But however poe tic the style ,

and how ever strong t he t emptation t o b e led by it t o make

a metrical rendering o f the verse passages , it has b een deemed

more prudent t o make a lit eral t ranslation in prose form ,

and make them recognisab le only b y the visual aids o f italics

and indentation . The w isdom o f this pro cedure was especiallymade evident whenever there was occasion t o consult , for

purpo ses o f comparison ,some verse passage in the Pali Jatakas .

To o o ft en was it found t hat in spit e o f the metrical ingenuityo f the verse t ranslat ion ,

it provided lit t le or no help in the

const ruing o f the Pali original. Somet imes,indeed

, t he

t ranslat ion was seen t o b e inexact or even incorrect .The style o f the pro se is no t easy t o describ e , for there is

such a variety o f it . The form and manner o f passages givingcanonical doctrine w ould,

o f course , have t o b e fixed ,and

w ould give no scope for any lit erary ab ility on the part o f

t he compilers . It is impossib le t o say whether they were

incorporat ed at a t ime when theyw ere st ill faithfullymemorised

as part o f the t raining o f Buddhist monks , or whether theywere copied from already writ t en scriptures . But many o f

t he narrative passages have al l the appearance o f b eing writ t endirect ly as they w ere recit ed in oral t radition . They are the

unadom ed tales o f the primitive st ory-t eller, for whom every

word o f t he t radit ion as it had come down t o him was

sacrosanct . For example ,there is t he constant repet ition o f

details in the narrative . No thing is left open t o the chance

o f b eing forgo t t en by a fickle memory. If a king decides t osend a message he is made t o Speak out all the det ails o f it

as he t hinks them out . The message is t hen given t o the

messenger and again w e have it repeat ed in the exact w ordst he king had formulat ed . The message is again repeat ed infull t o the recipient , and if the first recipient is a door-keepert he message will yet again b e repeat ed t o his master. Again ,

xviii T H E M A H AV A S T U

This forewo rd is no t meant t o serve as a complet e introduction t o the cont ent s o f t he Mahavastu . These w ill b e foundanalysed by S enart in his introduct ions t o t he t hree vo lumes .

For a general account o f the Mahavastu and it s place in the

hist ory o f Buddhist lit erature t he reader may b e re ferred t othe second volume o f Wint ernitz ’

History of Indian Literatureand t o the art icle by L . de la Vallée Poussin in the eighth

volume o f Hastings’

Encyclopwdia of Religion and E thics .

The lat t er quo t es largely from Barth (journal des S avants) .The art icle on t he Bodhisat tvas by the same author in the

second volume o f the sam e encyclopaedia Should b e read in

conjunction w ith Har Dayal’

s The Bodhisattva Doctrine in

Buddhist S anskrit Literature Further there is the worko f B . C . Law ent it led A S tudy of the Mahavastu pub lishedin Cal cut ta in 1 93 0 . This cont ains t ranslations o f manyext ract s . Re ferences t o t he Maha

'

vastu are found in manymodern t reat ises on Buddhism . In part icular , E . J . Thomas

in The History of Buddhist Thought (1 93 3 ) makes a valuab le

contrib ution t o t he study o f the M ahavastu and its place inthe development o f Buddhist doctrine .

A few w ords are necessary t o explain t he t reatment adopt edfor Buddhist term s . Even t he general reader with no Specialknowledge o f Buddhism does not require t o have explainedt o him the meaning o f t erms like karma , dharma and nirvana .

These words are therefore left unt ranslat ed and are not even

comment ed on in t he fo otno t es . Deva ,t oo , although it was

at one t ime t ranslat ed angel can b e assumed t o b e b y this

t ime sufficient ly w ell known t o readers o f Buddhist t ext s and

t ranslat ions . Devas were merely good men in the b ett er

aft er-world which they have merit ed b y their goodness ,

although ,as was natural in a syst em o f ethics so highly

organised and minut ely systemat ised as that o f the Buddhist s,

there were grades o f t hem det ermined b y the degree o f their

goodness . The highest classes can hardly b e distinguished

from gods , and they did actually include some o f the deit ies

o f the Hindu pantheon like Brahma and Indra . A lat e

syst emat isat ion in t he Pali Canon o f the various classes o f devas

divided them int o sannnuti—deva,or conventional gods (kings ,

queens , princes) , visuddhi—deva'

,devas by purity (Buddhas and

Arhans) , and upapatti-deva'

(the Four Great Lords and Indra ,

F O R E W O R D xix

with their companies , Even the vaguely conceived

and st ill half-animist ic supernatural b eings o f village ,field

and forest w ere admit t ed into the last o f these classes , t hough

their gati or Sphere o f existence was st ill the earth ,and so

they could b e styled bhi'

nnya deva (bhumrna-deva) . A femal e

deva (deo i or devata) figures in several episodes in Buddhistlegend . Indeed,

if the t ranslat or has no t gained a wrong

impression ,the divinit ies o f the lower culture play a rather

more prominent part in the Mahavastu than in o ther Buddhist

works .

Other Buddhist t erms for which it would b e difficul t t o find

a S ingle English word as an equivalent are le ft untranslat ed ,

b ut are explained in a foo tnot e when they first occur. For

the same reason certain Indian expressions o f numb er, Spaceand time are also left untranslat ed .

It remains for the t ranslato r t o make grate ful acknowledgment o f the ready help rendered him b y various scholars .

Mrs . Rhys Davids to ok the greatest int erest in t he progresso f the work . Even more valuab le than her constan t and

expert help was the zeal with which She inspired the translatort o carry on when the difficulties seemed insurmountab le . It

is a matt er o f great regret that she is no t here t o see the

completion o f the w ork .

Dr . W . S t ede read an early draft o f part o f the t ranslation .

He made many suggest ions which were no t only helpful w ithregard t o the Specific point s concerned b ut also served t o guide

the t ranslator in the rest o f his work . He again read parto f the manuscript in it s final draft , and it was grat ifying t ohave his commendation o f the progress shown in this as

compared with the first draft . Sub sequent lyMr. C . A . Rylands ,

o f the School o f Oriental and African S tudies , read various

portions o f the manuscript and the t ranslat or is indeb ted t o

him for light on several difficult point s o f grammar and

vocabulary. Pro fessor H . W . Bailey read part o f the manu

script just b e fore it went t o press and made some helpfulcriticisms .

To Miss I . B . Hom er, the editor o f the Ser1es , the translator’

s

deb t is great er than can b e adequat ely expressed in words .

S ee AIA . and other references in Pali Dictionary.

xx T H E MA H A V A S T U

She care fully read the whole manuscript and returned it with

sheets full o f suggestions for it s improvement . The t ranslat or

thus has had the b enefit o f Miss Horner ’

s wide knowledge of

Pali lit erature . Many o f the re ferences t o parallel passagesin Pal i, especially the more recondit e ones , are due t o her,

and She has cleared up many a prob lem o f Buddhist philosophywhich was hitherto ob scure t o an inexperienced worker in thefield . She has continued giving her generous help right upt o the reading o f the final proo fs . She has earned the

translat or’

s gratitude also b y her inde fatigab le e ffort s t o secure

the pub lishing o f the translat ion , and it is good t o think that

her effort s are b eing crowned with success .

But the tran slator himself must b e held responsib le for all

the fault s there may b e in his work . If these are unduly manythe crit ic is b eseeched t o b e lenient with one whose enthusiasm

for things oriental may have out run his apt itude .

Lastly a trib ute is due t o the t ranslator’

s wife who has helpedby b earing with pat ience the long and lonely hours o f her

husb and’

s withdrawal in his study.

J J . JONES .

Aberystwyth ,

April, 1 949 .

PROLOGUE

Om ! Homage t o the glorious migh ty Buddha, and t o all

Buddhas , past , future and present .

Here b egins th e Mahavastu .

There are these four stages in the careers1o f Bodhisattvas .

What are the four ? They are the natural career, the

resolving career, the confo rming career,

and the

persevering career.

2

Homage t o Aparajitadhvaja , a Tathagata ,

3an Arhan

,

4

and perfect Buddha ,in whose presence the roo t o f goodness

was planted by this very Sakyamuni, the Exalt ed One , when

as a universal king5 he lived in the natural stage o f his

career .

Homage to the Sakyamun i o f long ago , a Tathagata,

an Arhan , a perfect Buddha, in whose presence this verySakyamuni, the Exalted One , when h e lived in the reso lvingstage o f his career as head o f a guild o f merchants, first vowedt o acquire the roo t o f goodness , saying,

“ May I in some

future time b ecome a Buddha ,a Tathagata,

an Arhan,a

perfect Buddha ,like this exalted Sakyamuni and may I ,

t oo ,b e called Sakyamuni and so on to the words and may

Kapilavastu6 b e my city t oo .

”

1 L it era lly, There are these four careers .3 I.c. , th e prakriticarya

'

, th e career of a bodhisat tva when h e lives an

ord inary nat ura l ” life at home ; th e pranidhanacarya, that in wh ich hevows t o win enl ight enment ; th e anulomacarya, that in which he livesin conformit y wi th that vow ; and th e anivartanacarya, th e career inwhich h e is permanent ly se t on t h e at tainment of enlight enment , with outpossibility of fa iling o r t urning back .

”

3 An appellat ion of th e Buddha , lit erally eith er one who has thus gonetatha-gata, or one wh o h as thus come ,

”tatha-agata . The ancient oommen

tat ors give many fanciful explanat ions of this t erm . It has been suggest ed ,

e .g. by Mrs . Rhys David s , that it means one who has reached th e t ruth ,"

tatha t rue ,” being an ad j ect ive from tatha thus . Fo r recent

d iscussions of th e m eaning of this t erm see E . J . Thomas , Bull. S chool Orien talS tudies, 8 . 7 8 1

- 8 S chayer, Rocznik Orientalistyczny II and A . Coomaraswamy, 9 . 3 3 1 . (The transla t or owes these last reference s t oProf . H . W. Ba iley .)

Ved ic arhan t, Pa li arahan t, lit era lly worthy,” de serving, etc . (ark) .Used in Buddhism t o d enot e one who h as qualified fo r nirvana . As an

appellat ion of t h e Buddha it is here writ t en with 3 . ca ita l init ial .Cakravartin , lit era lly a wheel-t urner, " genera y th e t it le of a k ing

ruling over t h e four cont inent s (see p .

A city in th e H imalayas, the capital of th e Sakyans , and th e birthplaceof Sakyamuni . In t h e Mahavastu it is oft en (e .g . 1 . 4 3 ) ca lled Kapilahvaya ,

i .e . (th e city) ca lled aft er Kapila ,t h e sage who was it s reput ed found er.

2 T H E MAHAV A S T U

Homage t o Samitavin ,a Tathagata , an Arhan

,a perfect

Buddha ,in whose presence this very Sakyamuni, the Exalted

One ,made a vow t o conform when , as a universal king,

he lived in the conforming stage o f his career .

Homage t o Dipamkara ,a Tathagata , an Arhan

,a perfect

Buddha , wh o first proclaimed o f this Exalt ed One that now is ,

Thou wilt b ecome , 0 young man,in some future t ime ,

after immeasurab le ,incalculab le ,

infin it e kaljms , 1 a Tathagata ,

an Arhan ,a perfect Buddha , called Sakyamuni. (I shall

relat e at length (2) this proclam at ion concerning the youth

Megha in the chap ter on Dipamkarafi) .

Aft er that t ime when the Tathagata Dipamkara was in

the persevering stage o f his career, the words thou wilt

b ecome a Buddha were proclaim ed b y count less Tathagatassub sequent t o him .

Aft erwards the fo llowing proclam a tion was made b y the

exalt ed Sarvab hib hfi : Thou , monk Ab hijit , wilt in the

future , in a hundred-thousand kalpas , b ecome a Tathagata,

an Arhan ,a perfect Buddha called Sakyamuni. (I shall lat er

on recount all this and the rest concerning the monk

Homage t o VipaSyin ,a Tathagata ,

an Arhan ,a perfect

Buddha . Homage t o Krakut sanda ,a Tathagata , an Arhan ,

a perfect Buddha . Homage t o Kasyapa ,a Tathagata , an

Arhan,a perfect Buddha ,

b y whom this present exalt ed

Sakyamun i was proclaimed and ano int ed h eir t o the throne .

Thou , Jyo t ispala , wilt in some future t ime immediat elyaft er me b ecome a Tathagata , an Arhan

,a perfect Buddha ,

and thou also wilt b e called Sakyamuni,”

(I shall relat e at

length the predict ion made o f the monk

And so,homage t o all Buddhas , past , future and present .

Here ends the prologue o f homages

Here b egins5 theMahavastu ,which is b ased on the redaction

1 Kalpa , Pa li kappa , an age o r cycle of th e world . When used aloneit connot es t h e period of both t h e int egrat ion and t h e d isint egrat ion of t h eworld . See p . 4 3 .

2 See p . 1 5 2 .

3 S ee Vo l. 3 .

See p .2 65 , where his name is spelt jyo tipala .

5 Evident ly, another prologue o r fragment of introduct ion t ak en froma d ifferent recension . Bo th t h e first and second are obviously incomplet eand form an ill-fit t ing int roduct ion t o th e t ext .

PR O L O G U E 3

o f the Vinaya Pitaka made b y the nob le Mahasanghikas ,1

the Loko t taravadins o f the Middle Count ry.

2

Ordinat ions are o f four kinds,

namely, self-ordinat ion ,

ordinat ion by the formula , Come,monk

,o rdinat ion b y

a chapt er o f t en monks , and ordinat ion by a chapt er o f five .

The o rdinat ion called self-o rdination (3 ) was that o f the

Exalted One near the bodhi 3 t ree .

All tho se who live in the practice o f the t en righ t ways

o f b ehaviour 4 thereb y get nearer t o enligh t enment,b ut Sakya

muni in this respect won especial dist inct ion . Aft er livingin the pract ice o f those good deeds wh ich fitt ed him t o receive

the Buddha’

s teaching,he in due course came t o Dipamkara .

And when he saw h im , conspicuous for b eauty among kotis5

o f b eings , alt oge ther lovely and inspiring confidence, with his

company o f disciples around him , Sakyamuni conceived thethought o f emulating him . Well would it b e

,

”said he ,

“

if I , rising superior t o the world ,living for the good o f the

world ,should b e reb orn fo r the sake o f this world .

”

Dipamkara , aware o f the e ffort Sakyamuni had made t o

win enlightenment , and o f the vow he had made ,proclaimed

that he would win an equality6 with himself, in short an

equality with a S elf-b ecoming One .

7 “

An immeasurab le

future h ence ,said he

,thou wilt b ecome a Buddha , o f the

house o f the Sakyans , a scion o f th e Sakyans , for the welfareo f devas and men .

”

1 The Mah asangh ikas were a Buddhist sect formed at t h e t ime of th eSecond Council , at Ve sali, 3 3 8 B .C . They subsequent ly split up int o severalschools, among which th e Lok o t t aravadins seem t o approximat e closest t ot h e origina l sect . These lat t er believed in t h e supramundane nat ure of th eBuddha his human t ra it s while on earth were only apparent ly so . Comparet h e Docet ae of early Christ ianity .

3 That part , variously delim it ed , of cent ra l Ind ia , which w as t h e birthplaceof Buddhism .

3 Popularly called th e B 0 t ree , or th e t ree under which a Buddha sat

when he achieved enlight enment . The part icular t ree under which Got ama

Buddha sat w as t h e fig t ree (A ssattha o r Ficu s R eligiosa) . The Bo t reesof other Buddhas are a lso specified . See e .g . pp . 9 9 , 1 24 , 2 0 4 .

4 Da ta kusala karmapatha, th e equiva lent o f th e t en silani o r precept sof Buddhist ethics . See not e p . 1 68 .

5 A koti strict ly denot es one hundred thousand , o r, accord ing t o others,

t en m illion , b ut is here and elsewhere used t o denot e innumerable .”S amata. This word , as Senart shows, could a lso be rendered equability

,

impassibility, i .e th e equability of self and of a S elf-becom ing One respec tive ly. C f . Miln . 3 5 1 ,

dhatusamata, ease t o t h e limbs .” In Mhvu . 1 . 9 6 ,samatd means Simply equality . C f . Manava Dharrnasastra xii. 9 0 ,

devana'

meti samya tam he becomes t h e equa l of th e god s .”7 S vayarnbhu, an appellat ion of t h e Buddha .

4 THE MA HAV A S T U

He , t o whom it was thus foretold by the Exalted One , thelord o f men ,

1 that he would win pre-eminence among men ,

lived the life o f a pre-eminent man , a foremost man ,

2a

consummat e man . During h is career as a Bodhisat tva,he

lived through many lives, seeking the good and happiness o f

men ,a Bodhisattva for t he world

’

s sake and his own . In

all h e did h e ensued charity, morality,just ice

,

3and self

denial, seeking the welfare o f the wo rld , and aloo f from selfint erest .

Th e Conqueror 4 won men by appealing t o them on four

grounds ,5namely his genero sity, his affab ility, his b eneficence ,

and his equanimity in prosperity and adversity. Th ere was

no thing he possessed which h e was no t ready t o give up .

Time and again , when he saw a b eggar the Sigh t gladdened

his heart .

6 Repeat edly he gave up his eyes , h is flesh,his

so n and h is wife ,his wealth and his grain ,

his self and hisvery life .

In this manner he passed through a nayuta"o f hundred

thousand b irths , (4 ) a Bodhisattva int ent on the welfare o f

b eings , having t rue discernment o f the right o ccasion and

b efitting conduct , 8 and skilled in the knowledge o f the diversityo f man

’

s individuality.

” Yearning for the due t ime1 0 he

passed int o the world o f the TuSita1 1 devas . There the Sugata

1 2

destroyed liab ility t o existence b y reflecting on it s imperman

ence , and thence entered on what was t o b e his last exist ence .

1 Purusasirnha , lit erally a lion of a man .

1 Agra/purusa . Elsewhere in t h e t ext this appellat ion is used as a synonymfo r Buddha and is then writ t en with capital let t ers in t ranslation .

1 S amaya , o r (conduct befit t ing) t h e occasion .

”

4 j ina ,an appellat ion of t h e Buddha .

5 O r four bases of sympathy, sarngrahavastu . See A . 2 . 3 2 , wheret h e last t erm of th e series is samanatta. This is t ranslat ed (Grad . S ayings ,2 . 3 6 ) as t reat ing all a lik e .” The Comment ary, however, explains th e t ermby samanadukkhabhavo , i .e . impert urbable ,” which is analogous t o t h e

samanasukhadu :khata of th e t ext .

1 I.e . , it gave h im an opport unity for charity.

7 Pa li nahu ta , a hundred -thousand m illions , denot ing a number beyondcomprehension .

8 Kalajna and samayajna . For t h e former, cf . A . 2 . 1 0 1 , kalannuta,

d iscriminat ion of proper occasions .Pudgalapardparajiiata. Senart compares L otus , fol. 69 3 , Viryapara

'

para ,

which Burnouf t ranslat es les d ivers degrés d ’

énergie .

1 ° S amaya .

1 1‘

I.e .

“ The Happy Devas . Their world o r heaven, a lso ca lled Tusita ,

w as t h e fourt h of t h e Six deva worlds .1 1 L it era lly Well-gone,” an appellat ion of th e Buddha .

MAUDGALYAYANA’

S VISITS TO HELL

Now the venerab le Maha-Maudgalyayana o ft en went on

a visit t o h ell . There (5 ) in the e ight great hells, each withit s sixt een secondary

1 hells,he saw b eings enduring thousands

o f different hellish t orment s .

Many were the t ormen t s which the venerab le elder Kolita 2

saw b eings suffering in the hells as he went on his way. In

the Safijiva hell people had their fee t upwards and heads

downwards , whilst t hey w ere destroyed with hatche t s and

knives . Others , again ,inst igat ed by malevolence ,

assailed

one another with claws o f iron,and in their hands appeared

Sharp sword-b lade s°

with which they rent one ano ther. Yet

they do no t die as long as th eir evil karmas are no t exhaust ed .

In the great h ell Kalasiitra he saw b eings with their limb s

lashed with b lack wire ,3 b eat en and maimed and cut piece

meal with hat chets and saws . But their b odies , although

b eaten and mauled , grow again t o undergo the sam e hideous

torments . And thus they do no t die,b ecause they are

upheld by karma .

In the great hell Sanghata , t o o ,he saw thousands o f b eings

t orment ed by the mountains that are afire,ab laze

,and aflame ,

while the rivers run b lood . Ye t , in spit e o f their continuallyroving over these mountains , they do no t die ,

b ecause theyare upheld by karma .

1 Utsada-niraya . Utsada Pa li ussada is a t erm of doubt ful significat ion .

If , as t h e Pali Dictionary suggest s , it is from ud and syad, t h e sense may beswarm ing with ,

” full of,

”and this suit s t h e frequent use of t h e ad j ect iva l

compound sat tussada crowded with beings (sattva ) t o qua lify n iraya .

But sattussada is a lso referred t o sap ta-a ssada , as in sattussada having sevenro tu b e rance s , one of t h e charact erist ics of a Mahapurusa (see p .

n Divy. 62 0 , 62 1 ,saptossada is even found in th e former sense . In t h e present

inst ance ussada is bet t er t ak en in t h e sense o f a prot uberance,” eminence

(cf. Sk t . u tsedha ) , out growt h ,

” whence an annexe o r secondary (hell) .1 Th e personal name of Maudgalyayana , which w as a clan name .3 Kalasutra . Accord ing t o S enart this is nu certa in inst rument de supplice

que je n’

ai pas les moyens d e det erminer plus précise’

ment .

”But Morris

in 1 884 ,p . 7 6

—8 , h as an int erest ing not e on this word ,and t h e

Pa li inst ances of it s use cit ed by h im mak e it clear that it meant a

m easuring-line or rule o f wire, hence black , put round a log ofwood t o guide t h e saw . It becomes clear , a lso , that t h e denom inat ive verbsatraya , here and below, h as t h e quit e norma l sense o f t ie round o r lash ,

and no t as S enart conj ectures that of met t re en morceaux o r en charpie .Kirf el, Kosmographie der Inder, 2 0 2 refers t o a d iscussion of t h is t erm byF . W . K. Muller in E thnologisches N o tizblat t, I. (The t ranslat or owes thisreference t o Prof . H . W . Ba iley . )

MAUDGALYAYANA’

S VISITS TO HELL 7

In Raurava h e saw many thousand b eings suffering thousands o f t orments , b eing enclosed b y solid masses o f copperwhich was afire and ab laze

, amid dense smok e .

In Maha-Raurava which is afire , ab laze (6) and aflame,

he heard the loud wailing o f tho se who w ere hurled into the

fire . And the cries o f the wailers re—echo ed in the great

mountains o f Cakravada 1 and Maha~Cakravada , where theyreached the ears o f men in the four great continent s o f Jamb udvipa , Pfirvavideha ,

Aparagodaniya , and Ut t arakuru .

2

In Tapana he saw several thousands experiencing ext remely

terrib le sufferings , b eing ground from heel t o neck b y iron

grinders , and undergo ing thousands o f o ther t orment s as

well. Ye t even so they do no t die , b ecause t hey are upheldby karma . In this great hell , which is afire ,

ab laze and

aflame , many thousands are reb o rn and suffer agonies . In

this great hell which is a hundred yojanas3 in perime t er, the

thousands o f flames which leap up from the east ern wall

b eat against the w estern ; the thousands o f flames which

leap up from the western wall b eat against the east ern . Leaping up from the southern wall they b eat against th e northern ,

and leaping up from the northern wall they b eat against the

southern . Leaping up from the ground they b eat against

the roo f, and from the roo f they b eat against the ground .

Tho se thousands o f b eings collapse on all Sides,b ut they do

no t die ye t , b ecause they are upheld b y karma .

In the great hell Pratapa there are moun tains which are

afire , ab laze and aflam e . [The denizens o f this hell] are drivent o run over these mountains b y hellish creatures armed with

pikes . Such are the t orment s they undergo ,b ut they do

no t die ye t , b ecause they are upheld b y karma .

Then,released from this great hell they plunge int o Kukkula .

There al so in Kukkula these people run ab out in flames

b ut they do no t die ye t , b ecause they are upheld b y karma .

Released from Kukkula they plunge int o Kunapa . There

they are devoured by b lack creatures with j aws o f iron .

But still they do no t die b ecause they are uph eld b y karma .

1 The name of a whole world -syst em , in t h e centre of which is MountS ineru , it self surrounded by seven mounta in ranges .

1 Each Cakravada , of which t h e number is count less, consist s of fourgreat cont inent s with these names .

1 A yojana is abo ut seven m iles .

8 T H E MA HAV A S T U

Released from the secondary hell Kunapa they catch Sight

o f deligh t ful t rees on the edge o f a fo rest , and in search o f

relie f they run thither . But there , hawks ,vultures

,ravens

and owls with b eaks o f iron drive them from under the verdan t

t ree 1 and consume their flesh . Wh en their b ones alone are

left , their Skin and flesh and b lood grow again , and so theydo no t die ,

b ecause they are upheld b y karma .

Terrified b y these b irds , and deeming there was re fugewhere there was none

, they ent er the forest where the leavesare swords, and which is th e hell Kumb ha . When they haveent ered it , winds b low and cause the Sharp sword-leaves t o

fall . These strike against their b odies , and on the b ody o f

none o f them is there a Spo t which is no t stab b ed , no t even

a Spo t the size o f the pore o f a hair-roo t . But they do no t

die yet , b ecause they are upheld b y karma .

These b eings , prostrat e with wounds and with their b odies

drenched with b lood , then plunge int o the river Vaitarani,3 a

river o f hard acidwater, b ywhich theirflaccid b odies are pierced .

Th e warders o f hell raise their b odies thence with hooks

o f iron , and set them out in array on the fiery,b lazing(8 )

and flaming ground o f the river b ank . Then they ask them ,

Ho ! fellows , what is it that you want ? They replyVerily we are dying o f hunger and parched with thirst .

Then the warders o f h ell force open their mouth s with b arso f fiery, b lazing and flaming iron .

1 Th ey forge pellet s o f iron

1 The cont ext shows that t h e locat ive ardravrkse must be given a part ia llyablat ive force . The expression recurs several t imes below. (See pp . 1 1

t o1 A river of hell.3 Ayoviskarnbhanehi mukham viskarnbhayitva. Senart t ranslat es by leur

ayant ferm é la bouche au moyen de baillons en f er,”that is , he t ak es viskambh

a s an emphat ic form o f t h e simple skarnbh o r skabh . But as t h e vict ims areimmediat ely a ft erward s described as being forced t o eat and drink it is no tquit e easy t o see t h e point of gagging them . It would seem t o be bet t ert o t ake viskambh in it s other sense of fix asunder (Monier-William s) ,losmachen (Boh t lingk Roth) , especially as we have h ere th e causat iveform of th e verb . Viskambhana would then be an obstacle aga inst th evictims

’ closing their mon th s , that is, a b ar o r something Similar. Of course ,we are t old t hat before t h e ea t ing and drink ing t h e vict im s had their mouthsopened (vivarayitva) , b ut thi s does no t necessarily imply a se cond act onth e part of t h e t orment ors . It may merely mean that t h e pellet s were throwninto their mout hs already opened by t h e previous act . The followingpassage in j . 5 . 2 68 sup ort s this int erpret at ion vikkhambham adaya

vibhajja rajjuhifi vatte inukhe samsavayan ti rakkhasa, i.e .

“ with a prop (fixedwith ) ropes t h e Rak sase s d ivide force open) their jaws and pour liquidint o their mouths

MAUDGALYAYANA’

S VIS ITS TO HELL 9

and make tho se b eings open t heir months int o which they

then throw these pellets o f fiery,b lazing and b urning iron .

Eat th is , fellows , say they. Then they tender them a

drink o f molten copper, saying, Drink fellows . This

molten metal b urns their lips , their t ongues , their palat es,

their throats , their entrails it assails their b owels and passeson t o their lower parts . But they do no t die yet , b ecause

they are upheld b y karma .

Thus when the elder Maha-Maudgalyayana had seen

the b eings in the eight he lls undergo ing their thousands o f

torment s (Ah what misery !) he came t o the four assemb lies

in t he Je ta Grove and recount ed it all at length . Thus ,”

said he, do the b eings in the eight great hells and the sixte en

secondary hells endure thousands o f different t o rment s .

There fore , one must strive after knowledge , win it , b e enlight

ened ,b e fully enlight ened , do good ,

and live the holy life .

And in this world no Sinful act must b e commit ted .

The many thousands o f devas and men were seized with

wonder when they heard the elder Maha-Maudgalyayanaspeaking so . (9) Such is a summary descript ion o f hell .

Now I Shall go on t o describ e it in de tail .

The Enlightened One himself looked on this world and

the world beyond, on the coming and going of men , on the

round of passing away and coming to be .

The S eer himself reflects upon and understands the

peculiar fruition of acts which is bound up with the nature

of man ,

1and the place wherein they come to fruition .

Gotama ,the Exalted One , the seer with clear insight into

all things , has in his understanding named the eight hells ,

S aiijiva ,Kalasutra , S angha

'

va, the two Rauravas , Maha

vici, Tapana and Pratapana .

Thus are these eight hells named. Hard are they to

traverse,being strewn with the consequences of terrible deeds .

Each has its sixteen secondary hells .

They have four corners2

and four gates . They are

divided up and well laid out in squares . They are a hun

dred yo janas high ,a hundred square .

1 L it era lly j oined t o be ings1 Reading catu :karna o r catu :kona fo r catu :kala

' of th e t ext . The Pa liequivalent is catukanno (A . 1 . 1 4 2 M . 3 .

1 0 T H E MA HAV A S T U

They are encircled by a wall of iron , with a vault of ironabove . The floor is of hot and glowing iron .

Habitations hard to dwell in are they , being everywhere

expanses of iron boards ,1 hair-raising,

fearful, terrible,

and full of woe .

(10 )All the fearful hells arefilled with hundreds of f lames ,each of which spreads its glow abroad a hundred yo janas .

Here the many fearsome beings , the great sinners , burna long time , even f or hundreds of years .

With scourges of iron the ruthless warders of hell mercilessly beat those who have sinned.

These I shall tell of in well-ordered words . Give ear and

attentively hear me as I speak .

In the S aiijiva hell beings hang with their feet up and

their heads down ,and are trimmed with axes and

knives .

Carried away by frenzy of anger they fight among themselves , using their own sharp claws of iron .

Sharp knives also grow ,from their hands and with them

these utterly demented beings rend one another.

Though their bodies collapse under the cold wind that

blows on them, yet all their limbs are afire as they reap thefruit of their past deeds .

2

Thus has the Master, the Tathagata , understanding its

true nature , called this hell S anj'

iva ,a bourne of evil

deeds .

(11 )Released from S aiijiva they plunge into Kukkula .

Foregathering there they are tortured f or a long stretch

There , in Kukkula , they run about in flames f or manya yo jana ,

and suffer great misery .

Released from Kukkula these broken a men plunge intoKunapa ,

a vast expanse spreading far and wide .

1 Asphara is here t ranslat ed expanses on t h e ana logy of t h e use ofpharitva in t h e correspond ing Pa li gathas : S amanta yojanasa tam pharitvc

‘

i

h tthati sabbada‘

ti Compare , a lso, Sanskrit spharita,swollen ou t ,

”

spread ou t , etc . ,from sphara (2 ) (see Monier-Williams , s .v.) Phala is t o be

equat ed with Pali phala (2 ) an iron board ,

” slab,” etc. , rather than withVed ic phala ploughshare .” This seems t o give a more natural sense thant h e version proposed by S enart ,

“

t ouj ours déchirés (labourés) par des socs de fer.

’

1 The t ext here is very uncerta in.

3 Vidhvarnsita .

MAUDGALYAYANA’

S VISITS TO HELL 1 1

There, asses1, swarthy brutes , with mouths breathing fierce

fire , rend their skin and devour and feed on their flesh and

blood .

When they have passed out of Kunapa they catch sight ofpleasant trees , and in quest of relief they make f or the shelterof their

,

verdant foliage .

But there, hawks and vultures and ravens , with beaks ofiron drive them from under a green tree

,and devour their

torn and gory limbs .

And when they have been devoured until their bones alone

are left , their skin and flesh and blood grow once more .

In their terror they run away,and deeming there was

refuge where there was none, come all stricken to the terrible

forest where “

the leaves are swords .

(12)When they have escaped from the sword-leafed forest ,wounded, racked, and steeped in blood, they go to the river

There they dive into the river’

s hot and caustic water,

which pierces all of their tortured limbs .

Then Yama’

sz myrmidons gal?

“ them with hooks ofiron , fling them on the river bank and give them pellets ofiron to ea t .

They give them molten red copper to drink, which passesthrough their inwards down to their lower parts .

Evil-doers , those who follow the wrong way and do not

perform the right deed, go down into these hells .

Those who wholly eschew sinful deeds , those whose con

duct is wholly virtuous do not pass to the bourne of ill .Therefore thequalities of deeds are of two kinds ,goodandbad.

Avoiding the bad, one should practise the good and fair .

In the Kalasutra hell beings are driven from under a

verdant tree and their limbs are hacked 1 with hatchets and axes .

1 Khara, so t ranslat ed t o ge t a para llelism with th e bird s of line 1 1 ,

p . 1 1 , and th e dogs of line I , p . 1 5 . (The t ranslat or owes thi s suggest iont o Prof. H . W. Ba iley .)

1 Yama , t h e god of t h e d ead ; in Ved ic myth ology presid ing over th edepart ed fathers in heaven

, b ut in classical Sanskrit supervising t h e t orment sof th e damned in hell .

3 L it era lly pierce , viddhitva, viddh being, accord ing t o S enart , umnouveau theme de la racine vyadh .

”

4 L it erally sawn . S utrayitvana , which seems t o mean properly lashedo r bound with t h e kalasu

'

tra, th e m easuring line o f black wire (see

not e p . preparat ory t o being sawn .

1 2 T H E MA H AV A S T U

Then plates of iron heated a long time are put round

their bodies , burning and torturing them .

(13 )When they have been burnt and tortured in this way,

these plates are taken of , which causes the skin and flesh

to come off in shreds and the blood to f low.

Then the warders of hell rend them f rom heel to neck ,

and many do they dash against one another in the hell

Kalasiitra .

Af ter this they fling them into the smoking hell of terribledarkling S anghata ,

'

where no unscathed1 men are seen .

There they run about in their milliards 2 over many a

yo jana ,assailing one another with leaden thongs .

Thus has the Master, the Tathagata ,understanding its

true nature named this hellKalasutra,a bourneof evil-doers .

From the surface of the hell S angkata'

mountains rise

up on both sides .

3 In between these mountains beings are

herded in immense numbers .

‘1

And these stony mountains come together through the

working of men’

s karma ,and crush many beings like so

many fire-brands .

Blood flows in streams from their crushed bodies , a nd

from this confused pile of crushed bodies ‘issue rivers ofpus .

0

(14 )Merciless creatures beat them up in iron"tubs) with

iron-tipped pestles , even f or many a hundred years.

Thus has the Master, the Tathagata , understanding itstrue nature , named this hell S angha

‘

ta,a bourne

‘

of evil

'

Large numbers are imprisoned in the hell Raurava ,

which is ablaze with fire , and make a terrible lamentation .

When the fire is put out they become silent . When it

flames up again ,they resume their loud cries .

Another,

hell also has been called Raurava , horrible ,

shoreless , abysmal, and impassable .

There the ruthless warders of hell with scourges in their

1 Varta f or vartta, with th e verb drisyati sing . fo r plural (as oft en happensin this t ext ) . Or read varto .

1 Paraman trasa Senart refers t o Sch ie fner, Mélanges A siatiques , IV ,

p 63 9 .

3 Read ing ubhato ubhayata fo r mahata, as S enart suggest s .4 M rigavaéa : Senart aga in refers t o S chie fner, op. cit . , p . 6 3 7 not e .

1 4 T H E MA H AV A S T U

are hat ers o f their fields, houses o r t ilth1 , are warring kings ,

thieves , o r so ldiers , and those who die nursing hostile thoughts

o f one ano ther, have reb irth in this hell as the maturing o f

such karma . But this is no more than the principal causeo f reb irth in this hell. Those reb orn here reap the fruit o f

st ill o ther wicked and sinful deeds .

As the maturing o f what karma are they cut up ? Those

who in this world have cut up living creatures with knife ,axe or hatchet , are themselves cut up as the maturing o f such

karma .

As the maturing o f what karma doe s the cold wind b low

on them Those who in this world scat t er grain as b ait

for jackals , b uffaloes , hogs and wild cocks,saying,

“

when

they are fat t ened we Shal l kill them for their flesh , [areb lown upon b y the cold wind]

2as the maturing o f such

karma .

3

[As the maturing o f wha t karmaj‘1 do nails o r rods o f iron

grow on their hands ? S ince in this world they have put

w e apons o f war in men’

s hands , urging them with theseweapons t o smite such and such a village , city,

t own ,

5 man ,

or b east , so,as the maturing o f such karma

,iron rods and

daggers grow on their hands .

Why is this hell called Safijiva ? To th e denizens o f this

hell the thought occurs ,“ We shal l survive only t o experi

ence Kalasiit ra .

” 6 That is why this hell is cal led Safijiva .

1 Vapra . L ik e Pali vappa ,explained as sown ground

,occurring bes ide

ksetra , field and vastu , house-prop erty (Prof. H . W. Ba iley in a

communicat ed not e) .1 There are lacunae here , o r rather one cont inuous lacuna .

1 The fit t ing of t h e punishment t o t h e crime is suggest ed , of course , byt h e sim ilarity o f th e root s o f upavayati, blows on , and nivapa , fodder

,

ba it ,” viz . wt , t o blow and vap, t o scat t er.

”

1 There are lacunae here , o r rather one cont inuous lacuna .

5 The order here is irregular ; they are usually, especially in Pa li t ext s ,given in th e ascend ing order o f their size grama (gama ) , village,

”nigama

,

mark et -t own,

and nagara , (fort ified ) t own .

6 L it era lly, Surviva l (saiijtvam) is exist ence in Kalasfit ra (Kalasutrabhutikam) . This is obviously an anomalous w ay of explaining th e m eaningof t h e word . The Commen tary at 5 . 2 7 0 explains t h e name in a veryst raight forward fashion nirayapalehi khanda

'

khandikam chinna nerayi

kasa tta'

punappuna sanjtvan ti ettha’

ti S anjtvo , that is , though cut t o piecesby t h e warders o f hell, t h e inmat es o f this hell survive again and againHence t h e name Sa f’rjiva . S amjtv actually expresses t h e idea o f revivingd ead persons . S enart t ranslat es , C

’est par l’

ench ai nemen t inéluct able desd est inées que l ’o n renait dans le Sam j Iva . C

’est pour cela que ce t enfer a

recu le nom d e Sarhjiva . Bu t this would seem t o be an explanat ion , and

a very conjectural one, of th e name Kalasfit ra, rather than of Safijiva .

MAUDGALYAYANA’

S VISITS TO HELL 1 5

The hell named Kalasutra .

This hell, and so on up to armed and aflame . Here

the warders o f hell drive it s inmates from under a verdant

tree ,and by means o f the measuring rule o f b lack wire 1 cut

them into eight , Six, o r four parts . They go on t o cleave

the b odies o f some from heel t o neck,like a sugar

-cane . They

go on t o cleave the b odies o f o thers from neck t o heel, like

a sugar-cane . In this state the inmate s suffer agonies b eyond

measure ,b ut they do no t die as

'

long as their evil karma

is no t exhausted .

(18 )AS a maturing o f what karma are b eings reb orn h ere ?

Tho se who in this world cause slaves t o b e shackled with

fett ers 1 and chains and fo rce them t o wo rk , o rdering the

hands and feet o f many t o b e pierced ,and the no se ,

flesh ,

sinews , arms and b ack o f many others t o b e slit five t imes

or t en , are reb orn here as the maturing o f such karma .

But this , again ,is no more than a principal cause o f reb irth

here . Tho se reb orn here reap the fruit o f st ill o ther wicked

and sinful deeds . The warders o f this hell b eat and j eer at theinmates

, who implore them ,saying,

Kill us .

” 3 In their

many thousands these creatures stand b enumb ed with t erro r,as though b ere ft o f life . Then in fron t o f Yama

’

s myrm idons

thousands o f pieces o f b urning, flaming and b lazing clo th

fly through the air, and as they come near them the denizens

o f hell cry out , Lo , they are on us . Th e pieces o f clo th

come on and envelope the limb s o f each one o f them b urningtheir outer and inner Skins

,their flesh and their S lnews , so

1Kalasu’

tra ,see p . 6 .

1 Senart rint sphastinigadadibhi with chains used for elephant s , b ut ,

as Prof. H .W. Bailey suggest s in a communicat ed not e , t h e MS . read ing hadishould b e ret ained h ere. Th e lat t er word occurs in Divy . 3 65 and 4 3 5 int h e sense of fett ers .

1 Subhassu, an adm it t ed ly doubt ful conj ecture of S enart ’

s , which Is adopt edin th e t ranslat ion with much m isgiving, especially as it involves th e insert ionof th e word s ‘‘who implore them . The MS S . are pract ically all agreedin having sathamsutflka) which m ight be int erpret ed as off spring of rogues .”We could t hen render, they (so. t h e warders of hell) called them rogues .The slight break in synt act ica l sequence involved in mak ing nirayapala

(underst ood ) nominat ive when it is in t h e inst rument a l case in t h e first h alfof th e sent ence Is a pe culiarity fairly common in t h e language of th e Mahavas tu

The int rusion of t h e m between th e tw o element s of t h e compoundsa thamsuti (ka ) is, o f course , a d ifficulty, a lthough there are several examples,both in Pa li and in Buddhist Sansk rit , o f t h e int rusion o f this let t er ,t o emphasise hiat us , as it were , and obviat e t h e normal sandhi, e .g .

adukkhasukhamupeksa (Lal . Vist . 439 . S ee Senart’

s not e on p . 3 9 5 .

1 6 T H E MA H AVA S T U

that the whole o f them is on fire . Thus their torn Skin and

their flesh and b lood are b urnt away. In this state theysuffer agonie s b eyond measure ,

b ut they do no t die as longas their evil karma is no t worked out t o it s end .

Again ,this is only a principal cause o f reb irth there . Those

reb orn there reap the fruit o f st ill o ther wicked (19 ) and sin fuldeeds . As a maturing o f what karma are b eings reb orn

there ? Those who in this world have repeatedly caused

human b eings t o b e slain ,and those mendicants

, eunuchs,

criminals and sinners who b ecome recluses and usurp the

monk’

s rob e and girdle ,have reb irth here as a maturing o f

such karma .

Again ,this is only a principal cause o f reb irth there , fo r

those reb orn there reap the fruit o f st ill o ther wicked and

sinful deeds . Some have their Skin t orn into shreds fromheel t o neck , o thers from neck t o heel, and o thers from neck

t o h ip . In this state they suff er agonies b eyond measure .

AS a maturing o f what karm a are b eings reb orn there ?

Those who in this world cause the hay-b and and the

b ark -rob e 1”t o b e prepared are reb orn there as a maturing

o f such karma .

The volume o f b linding smoke that is everywhere in this

he ll, acrid , (20 ) pungent and t errifying,pierces out er and

inner Skin,flesh

,sinew and b one ,

penet rates the very marrow

o f b ones . All b odies b ecome numb ed and exhaust ed . Then

they reel ab out for many a hundred yojanas , t rampling on

one ano ther and stumb ling. In th is st at e they suffer agonies

b eyond measure , b ut they do no t die as long as the ir evil

karma is no t w orked out t o the end .

As a maturing o f what karma are b eings reb orn here ?

Those wh o in this world smoke the openings o f the dens ,

b urrows , enclosures,and t raps o f sa

'

hikas ,2 monkeys , rats

,

and cat s , and the h o les o f serpents , guarding the exit s , or

1 It is a simple emendat ion t o change erakavarsika and ctrakavarsika ofS enart

’

s t ext int o erakavartika and ctrakavasika respect ively, especially as

some of th e MS S . act ua lly have th e lat t er word . The reference is then t otw o of th e method s o f t ort ure enumerat ed at M . 1 . 87 A . I . 4 7 , and Miln .

1 9 7 . The above t ranslat ion of these t erms is that of Lord Chalmers inFurther Dialogues 1 . p . 62 . Woodward in Gradua l S ayings , 1 . p . 4 3 , h as

h ay-twist and bark -dress . S enart

’

s read ing would mak e t h e sin

t o consist in making garment s fo r t h e rainy season from grass or th e barkof t rees .

1 An unknown animal .

MAUDGALYAYANA’

S VIS ITS TO HELL 1 7

who suffocat e b ees with smoke , have reb irth there as the

maturing o f such karma .

Again , b eings are reb orn there as a maturing o f various

o ther wicked and sinful deeds,for what has just b een said

is only a principal cause o f reb irth there . Those reb orn there ,

and so on .

Why is this hell called Kalasiitra The warders o f this hell

drive the denizens from under a verdant t ree and cut them

b y means o f the measuring line o f b lack wire .

1 That is whythis hell is named Kalasfit ra ,

namely from what is done

there .

1

(Z1 )The hell named S angka'

ta

This hell is situated b etween two mountains , is made o f

fiery, flaming and b lazing iron ,and is several hundred yojanas

in extent . The armed warders o f this hell Show the wayt o the doomed , who in t error enter in b etween the mountains .

In front o f them fire appears , and in their terror they turn

b ack . But b ehind them,t o o ,

fire appears , and the moun

t ains converge t o mee t each o ther, and as they do so the

do omed shout,

Look at the mountains coming on us !

Se e them come ! The mountains meet and crush them as

so much sugar-cane .

Again ,th e mountains rise up into the air

,and the doomed

pass b eneath them . When many thousands have done so ,

the mountains sub side so that t hey are crushed as sugar

cane is crushed ,and their b lood flows in st reams . They

are le ft -heaps o f b one re fuse , without flesh , b ut held together

by their sinews . In this state they suffer agonies , b ut theydo no t die as long as their evil karma is no t wo rked out

t o the end .

As a maturing o f what karma are b eings reb orn there ?

Those who in this world cause worms t o b e crushed , o r the

earth t o b e dug up , or, just as happens t o b eings 3 in the swordleafed forest , who flog living creatures with club s having the

1 Se e above pp . 6 , 1 1 .

1 0 1 , accord ing as it is t o be described , yathakartavyo . Kartavya isoft en used t o refer t o word s that are t o be supplied as underst oo d .

1 Devana'

m Should obviously be changed t o sattvanam sattvani) fo r

it is impossible t o imagine t h e devas possessing, o r dwelling in , a sword -leafedorest .

1 8 T H E MA H AVA S T U

leaves still on them , o rwho crush with their finger-nails nit s , lice ,

and sankus‘as , 1 are reb orn there as a maturing o f this karma .

This , again ,is only a principal cause o f reb irth there . (22)

Those reb orn there reap the fruit o f st ill o ther sinful and

wicked deeds . They are kept a heap o f b ones fo r five hun

dred years in iron po ts that b urn ,b laze and flame

, and under

a veritab le shower 2 o f b urning, b lazing and flaming iron

pest les . In this stat e'

they undergo int ense sufferings .

As a maturing o f what karma are b eings reb o rn there ?

Those who in this world st ab living creatures with daggers ,or fell them with b ludgeons , and those who dest roy livingcreatures b y grinding them in mortars with red-ho t pestles ,are reb orn there as a maturing o f this karma .

Why is this hell called Sanghata People in this hell endureb eing herded t ogether.

3 That iswhy this hell is called Sanghata .

[The hell named RauravaThousands o f b eings in this hell are confined each in a

narrow cell, where they are denied the exercise o f the four

postures .

5 Fire b lazes in t heir hands . While the fire b urns

they cry out . AS o ft en as this fire goes out they b ecome silent .In this state they suffer agonies b eyond measure .

AS a maturing o f what karma are b eings reb orn there ?

Tho se who in this w orld enslave b eings who are without

pro tect ion or re fuge ,those who se t houses (23 ) and fore st s

on fire ,those who ligh t a fire at the openings o f the dens ,

b urrows , enclosures , and t raps o f sa'

hikas ,6 monkeys , rat s , cat s ,

and the holes o f serpent s , guarding the exit s ; those who

destroy b ees with the b e t el-leaf 7 or with fire , have reb irth

there as a maturing o f such karma . This again is only a

principal cause o f reb irth there . Those reb orn there reap thefruit o f st ill o ther wicked and sinful deeds . ]

3

1 An unknown insect , lit erally, if, t hat is , th e reading is correct , havinga goad o r st ing .

”

1 L it era lly as in a shower of iron , ayopa te yatha.

1 I.e . from sam-han , t o beat t ogether, etc.

1 Lacuna .

5 Iryapatha , Pali iriyapatha . The four were, walk ing, st and ing, sit t ing,lying-down . Or, perhaps, chinn tryapatha here Simply means crippled , as in.

1 . 9 1 .

3 Se e above p . 1 6 .

7 Read tambulena fo r tambulani, that is, this pungent leaf is used t o smok eout t h e be es .1 Lacuna .

MAUDGALYAYANA’

S VIS ITS To HELL 1 9

The hell named Maha-Raurava

This he ll is a mass o f b urning, b lazing and flaming iron ,

and is many a hundred yojanas in ext ent . The warders o f

this hell, with hammers in their hands,po int the way t o the

doomed . In t error some o f the se start running, o thers t ryt o escape ,

o thers do no t t ry t o escape . Some re t reat where

so ever they can , o thers do no t re t reat . Others again go

along ob ediently as well as they can . Then the warders

o f hell ask them , why, now , do you go along just b ecausewe b ade you And they assail them so that they are b roken

and Shat tered like curd-po t s . Those who run, as well as

tho se who do no t , in this stat e suffer racking and acute pains .

AS a maturing of what karma are b eings reb orn there ?

Those who in this world (24 ) have prisons made from which

the light o f moon and sun is shut out , and put men in them ,

leaving them there with the w ords , Here you Shall no t see

the mo on and sun ,have reb irth there as a maturing o f such

karma .

As a maturing o f what karma are the heads o f these b eings

crushed Those who in this w orld have crushed the heads o f

living creatures such as snakes , centipedes,and scorpions ,

have their own heads crushed as the maturing o f such karma .

Why is this hell called Raurava ? In this hell the inmates

cry Mo ther, father !”b ut they canno t find the ir parents .

Hence it is named Raurava .

1

The hell TapanaMany thousands o f b eings are confined here . (Vultures)

drive them from under a verdant tree and devour them .

When they have lost their flesh and are b ecome mere skelet ons

held t ogether b y sinew s , they swoon in their agony and

collapse . But in order that their karma come t o maturity,

a cool wind b lows on them ,and their skin , flesh and b lo od

grow again . When they are in this condition the warders

o f hell drive them in b e fore them .

As a maturing o f what karm a are b eings reb orn there ?

Those who in this world b uild doorless enclo sures with slippery

1 I.e ., this word is connect ed with th e root ru o r rud, t o cry.

20 T H E MA H AV A S T U

and unscaleab le 1 walls , where living b eings are cut up w ith

hunt ing knive s , have reb irth there as a maturing o f such

karma .

AS a maturing o f what karma are b eings devoured there

Those who in this world have caused living b eings t o b e

devoured by lions , t igers , panthers , b ears and (25 ) hyenas are

themselve s devoured as a maturing o f such karma .

AS a maturing o f what karma does a coo l wind b low on

them Those who in this world scat ter grain as b ait for deer,

b uffalo es , hogs and wild cocks , saying, We shall kill them

for their fat flesh , are b lown on b y the coo l wind as a matur

ing o f such karma .

2

Why is this hell called Tapana ? The denizens o f it are

burnt , hence th e name Tapana 1 for this hell , which is sur

rounded ou all Sides by Spits o f red-ho t iron . There the

denizens are impaled and roast ed ,som e on one -pronged Spit s ,

o thers on two -pronged spits,and so on up to ten . When

one side is roast ed , the o ther Side is exposed . Indeed , some

o f them , as a maturing o f particularly wicked and Sinfuldeeds

, turn round o f their own accord . In this stat e theysuffer agonies b eyond measure .

As a maturing o f what karma are b eings reb orn there

Those who in this w orld have caused living sheep t o b e fixedon a Spit have reb irth there as a maturing o f such karma .

This again is only a principal cause o f reb irth there . Those

reb orn there re ap the fruit o f yet o ther sinful and wicked

deeds .

[The hell named Avici]4

Why is Av'

1‘

ci so called ? Flames from it s east ern walls

b eat against the west ern (26) ; from the west ern wall they

1 The read ing in th e t ext is listapattiyayam, which S enart print s witha quest ion mark , and for which he cannot make a sat isfact ory rest itut ion .

The first part of this compound ,however, seems cert ainly a m istak e fo r It ta ,

a reading preserved by one MS ; that is , t h e walls were smeared flip)o r a llowed t o become w e t t o mak e them slippery . Cf . M . 1 . 86 , addavalepana

'

upakariyo , slippery wa lls, lit era lly, wa lls smeared with moist ure .

”

The fina l part of th e compound probably conceals apatha o r ap athin ,

pathless .1 S e e above p . 1 4 ,

footnot e 3 .

1 From tap , t o be h o t ,” t o burn .

1 There is a lacuna in th e t ext here , represent ing t h e heading andint roduct ory mat t er of t h e sect ion .

22 T H E MAH AVA S T U

VISITS TO OTHER WORLDS

The venerab le Maha-Maudgalyayana o ften went on a visit

t o the w orld o f the b rutes , and saw b eings reb orn among the

b rut es suffering miserie s o f various kinds .

The venerab le elder Kolit a 1 as he went j ourneying among

the b rut es , saw among them b eings in ext reme misery, who

were glad2 t o have dried o r fresh grass t o eat

, and cold or

warm wat er t o drink . They knew neither mo ther nor father,neither b rother nor sister, neither teacher nor t each er

’

s pupil,

“

neither friend nor kinsman . They devoured one ano ther

and drank one another’

s b lo od . They slew and st rangled

one another. From darkn ess they passed int o darkness ,

from w oe int o woe , from evil plight into evil plight , fromruin into ruin . They suffered thousands o f divers miseries

,

and in their b rute stat e it was with difficulty that they sur

vived them .

When he had seen this great wre tchedness among the

b rutes , Maudgalyayana came t o the Jeta Grove and describ ed

it at length t o the four great assemb lies . Thus ,”said he ,

do b eings reb orn among the b rutes endure thousands o f

divers w oes , and it is with difficulty that in their b rute st at e

they survive . There fore we should strive aft er knowledge ,

w in it , (28 ) b e enlight ened ,b e fully enlight ened and live the

ho ly life ,and w e should no t commit any sin in this world .

Thus I declare .

”

The venerab le Maha-Maudgalyayana o ft en went on a visit

t o the w orld o f the gho st s . There he saw b eings reb orn in

the ghost-world suffering t housands o f divers miseries .

The venerab le elder Kolita as h e went his way among the

ghosts, saw the ghosts in the ghost-world in extreme misery.

Though their b odies are b ig, their mouths are the size o f a

needle’

s eye , and their throat s are constricted ,so that ,

although they are always eat ing, they are never satisfied .

Moreover, through their failure t o perform merit orious deeds ,

1 See p . 6 ,footnot e 2 .

1 Or, eat cheerfully, mukhullocakam, wh ich S enart equat es with Pa limukhullokaka (Pa li Dict . , mukhullokika ,

flat t ering3 Gurusthaym , t h e equivalent of Pali (acariya-) an teva

'

sika o r an tevasin .

V I S I T S T O O T H E R W O R L D S 23

whereby they are ut t erly w ithout reward ,they are ill-favoured

o f complexion , aspect , smell, and form , and are vile and

repulsive , nak ed , without clo thes . Wh en they are hungry

and thirsty,they drink indiscriminately excrement , urine ,

phlegm ,mucus , pus and b lood .

As a maturing o f their k arma a wind b lows and whispe rsHere is some thing t o drink ! Here is something to drink !

Here is b o iled rice ! Here is rice-gruel ! When they hear

this whisper the ghost s go leaping across rivers and moun

t ains , shouting,Now will we eat , now will we feed ,

now

will we drink .

”But those who have thus b uilt up a hope ,

are immediat ely rob b ed o f it , for the wind whispers t o them ,

There is none ! There is none ! Hearing this the ghostsfall prostrate in despair.

A female ghost recit es a verse :

For five hundred years1 have I heard this cry, S ee ,

how hard it is to get aught to drink in the world ofghosts .

(29 )Ano ther female ghost recit es a verse

For five hundred years have I heard this cry, S ee, how

hard it is to get boiled rice in the world of ghosts .

Ano ther female ghost recites a verse :

For five hundred years have I heard this cry , S ee how

hard it is to get rice-

gruel in the world of ghosts .

Ano ther female gho st recit es a verse :

Thirsty they run to a stream, but its channel is empty .

2

S corched, they run to the shade , but when they come there

they find blazing sunshine .

Another female gho st recites a verse

An ill life have we spent , since , when we could, we did

1 L it era lly This cry of five -hundred years h as been heard (read t ruta

w ith one MS . fo 1 srutam of t h e t ext , t o agree with ghoso ) by m e . S enart ,H

h owever,assum es nu emploi t res libre du génit if and t ranslat es au

bout de cinq cent an s .

”

1 L it erally it is empty, read ing riktaka or riktata, empty, fo r sikata'

o f th e t ext , which is a conj ect ure of S enart ’

s . The former is th e read ingo f t h e MSS and is a lso ident ica l with t h e rittaka of t h e correspond ing Pa ligame in Po . 3 . 6 , 5 .

u T H E MA H AV A S T U

not give . When the means were at hand, we did not light

a lamp f or the self .

1

When Maudgalyayana had seen this great wre tchedness in

th e world o f the ghost s , he came t o the Jeta Grove , and in

one discourse revealed it in detail t o the great four assemb lies .

Thus said h e ,do th e b eings reb orn in the ghost-world

suffer thousands o f divers w oes . Therefore w e ought t o

strive aft er knowledge , win it , b e enlightened , b e fully eu

ligh tened , do the virtuous deed , live the holy life , and commit

no Sin in this world . Thus I declare .

When they heard the elder, several thousands o f devas

and men at tained immortality.

(3 0 )The venerab le Maha-Maudgalyayana o ften went on a

visit t o the Asuras .

1 In their citadel he saw Asuras o f giganticsize , o f fright ful aspect and o f great malevolence , b eings

who at death had fallen down in ruin t o t he w orld o f the

Asuras . The venerab le elder Ko lit a as he went on his wayamong the Asuras , saw five classes o f Asuras greatly torment ed

by their envy o f the Suras .

3

This is the b urden o f their thought We are down b elow ,

1 This gatha is obviously ident ica l with that in Po . 4 . 1 5 , 3 . Cf. 3 . 4 7 .

(I owe this latt er reference t o Dr. W . St ede .) The t ext ha s , therefore, beenemended in order t o mak e th e language and sense o f it t o conform witht h e Pali . S enart

’

s t ext isDh igjivit am ajivisu yaman t asmim nadamat ha

vidyamanesu b h ogesu prad ipam na k aro th a va .

The Pet a-vat t hu h asDujjivit am i amha ye sant e na dadamhasesant esu deyyadhamme su d ipam nakamb a at tano .

The Mah avastu t ext as emended fo r t h e t ranslat ion given above 18Dujjivit amajivisma yamsan tasmimnadamat ha

vidyamanesu b h ogesu d am nakarsma atmano .

S antasmim, loc . sing . (here absolut e when there was [something] has

an inflect ion common in Buddhist Sanskrit . N adamatha , (with S enart ) isfo r na adama tha

,from dada

'

ti, with a first plural end ing for wh ich S enartbelieves there is a para llel elsewhere in t h e Mahavas tu . (See his not e . ) It

would be simpler, of course , t o read nadama ca or va, b ut t h e MSS . seem t o

be agreed on t h e end ing -tha .

To show t h e necessity of some such emendat ion as th at proposed , S enart’

s

t ranslat ion o f t h e t ext adopt ed by h im is here given Fie de la vie demend iant s ! (Cet t e nourrit ure) qui e st t out pres, nous n

’en profit ons pas .

Du moins ne nous faites pas voir ces j ouissances qui sont (sous not re main)(ma is qui nous demeurent inaccessibles) So many int erpola t ions in t ranslating do n o t suggest a very successful at t empt at emendat ion .

1 The Giant s o r Tit ans of Ind ian mythology in Buddhist lit erat urethey are classed as inferior devas . Rebirt h as an Asura was considered oneof t h e four unhappy births. Cf . not e p . 3 6 .

1 See p . 5 6 .

V I S I T S T O O T H E R W O R L D S 2 5

the devas are up ab ove . Hence they are aggrieved ,j ealous ,

b rimming over with rage , fury, and desperation , nor do theyconceal it . Equipping a migh ty force o f four arms

, namely,

fight ers on elephants , cavalry, chario t eers , and infantry,

they b reak up the ranks o f the devas , namely, the Karo tapani

Yaksas , the Maladhara Yaksas , and the Sadamat ta

Yaksas .

1

Then when they have b roken the se ranks they j oin b at t lewith the Trayast rimSa 2 devas , b ut aft er they have b etrayedtheir evil disposition towards the TrayastrimSa devas , whoare meritorious and powerful, the Asuras , aft er the dissolut iono f the b ody at death ,

are reb orn in woe , evil plight , ruin ,in

hell.

When Maha—Maudgalyayana had seen the great misery o f

the Asuras , he cam e t o the JetaGrove and describ ed it in detailt o the four assemb lies . Thus ,

”said he

, do b eings in

Mahasamudra , the ab ode o f the Asuras , suffer manifo ldmiseries . There fore , we ought t o strive aft er know ledge ,

win it , b e enlightened ,b e fully enlightened , live the ho ly life

and commit no Sin in this world . Thus I declare .

”

When “

they heard the elder, many thousands o f devas and

men won immortality.

The venerab le Maha-Maudgalyayana o ft en went on a

visit t o the Caturmaharajika1 devas .

There he sees the Caturmah arajika devas who are Virtuous ,mighty,

long-lived ,

b eautiful,enjoying great w ell

They have the devas’

Span o f life ,their b liss

,their sway,

their

retinue , and their form ,voice

,smell , tast e , t ouch , garment s

and ornaments . The ornam ents they wear in front are seen

from b ehind,those they w ear b ehind are seen from the front .

1 The Yak sas were , roughly speak ing , th e spirit s that , in popular belief ,haunt ed th e wood land and wat ery depths . These three classes of Yaksas

support ed t h e devas in their fight with th e Asuras . The fir st are evident lyth e Karoti of th e Pali te xt s, b ut t h e other tw o do no t seem t o be namedelsewhere .

1 Pa li Tavatimsa , th e second of th e six deva-world s , and th e home of t h eThirty-three devas ,” ruled by Sakra o r Indra . The number thirty-threeis convent iona l, and t h e Commentaries say that this heaven w as so namedaft er Magha , a previous birth of Sak ra ,

and his thirty-tw o companions whowere reborn there . (S e e

1 Pa li Gatummahara'jika , th e name of t h e devas in th e lowest of th e sixheavens, who were regarded as t h e ret inue of t h e Four Great Kingsdwelling there as guard ians of th e four quart ers . The Pa li names of thesefour k ings are Dhat arat th a ,

Virfilhaka , Virfipakkh a and Ve ssavana .

26 T H E MA H AV A S T U

They cast no shadows . They are self-luminous . They t ravel

through the air, going whereso ever they wish . In the b e

j ewelled mansions 1 o f the devas they have plenty o f food ,

ab undant meat and drink . They are endowed and giftedwith the five modes o f sensual pleasure ,

and disport , en joyand amuse themselves .

But t he e lder saw this prosperity end in adversity. For

when the self-luminous ones pass ‘

away from the realm o f

the Caturmaharajika devas , they are reb orn in hell and in the

world o f b rut es, ghosts , or Asuras . When he had seen this

evil vicissitude o f the Caturmaharajika devas , the elder

exclaimed ,Ah

, what a hard lo t And he came t o the JetaGrove where he describ ed it at length t o the four assemb lies .

Thus ,”said he ,

are b eings reb orn among the Caturmaha

raj ika devas as a maturing o f their good karma . There

they en joy the b liss o f devas . But when they pass awaythence they are reb orn in hell, or as b rute s , ghost s and Asuras .

Of a t ruth , the devas are transient , unstab le and sub ject t ochange . There fore we should strive after knowledge , win it ,

b e enlight ened, b e fully enlight ened,perform the right deed ,

live the holy life , and commit no sin in this world . Thus

I declare .

When they had heard the elder, many thousands o f b eings ,

devas and men , won immortality.

The venerab le Maha-Maudgalyayana o ft en went on a visit

t o the TrayastrimSa1 devas .

There h e sees the Trayast rimSa devas , who are virtuous ,

mighty, long-lived, strong, and enjoying great well

They have the devas’

span o f life , their st rength , their b liss ,their sway,

their retinue , and the forms o f the devas , their

voice,smell , t aste ,

touch ,their garments and their ornam ent s

,

and their sensual pleasure s . They are self-luminous, t ravelthrough the air, live in happiness ,

and go wheresoever theywish . They have plenty o f fo od , ab undant meat and drink .

In the b e jewelled mansions o f the devas , in the eight great

1 Vimana , in lat e Buddhist thought this w as equivalent t o heaven o r

paradise in so far as it was a place o f a lmost magic splendour . Fo r referencest o th e lit erat ure describing t h e Buddhist happy other-world , see Pali

Dictionary, s .v .

1 See p. 25 .

V I S I T S T O O T H E R W O R L D S 7

parks , 1 Vai jayant a , Nandapuskarin'

r’

,Paripatrakovidara , Maha

vana ,Parusyaka , Citraratha, Nandana ,

and MiSrakavana ,

and in o ther b ej ewelled mansions , endowed and gifted with

the five modes o f sensual pleasure ,they disport , enjoy and

amuse themselves . Sakra , t o o , lord o f the devas , att endedby eight thousand Apsarases , 2 and endowed and gift ed withthe devas

’

five modes o f sensual pleasure , disports , enj oysand amuses himself in his palace Vaijayanta .

The elder Maudgalyayana saw all this prosperity o f the

TrayastrirnSa devas , their deva b liss , their fair deva city,

the seven- jewelled Splendour o f the fair deva city, and the

holy assemb ly hall o f the devas all radian t with the sparkleo f b eryl and ext ending a thousand yojanas . There the

Trayast rimSa devas and Sakra , the lord o f the devas , ab ide

and dwell together immersed in the affairs o f devas , and are

seen from out side in the assemb ly hall o f the devas . The

TrayastrimSa devas , t oo , as they dwell in their sacred assemb lyhall look out on the who le o f the fair deva city.

When he had seen all this pro sperity o f the TrayastrimSa

devas , the elder cam e t o the Jet a Grove and describ ed it at

length t o the four assemb lies . Thus , said he , do b eings

who are reb orn among the TrayastrimSa devas , as a maturing

o f their good karma , attain the b liss o f devas . But t his b liss ,

al so,is impermanent , unst ab le ,

and liab le t o change . For

when they pass away from that stat e these b eings are reb orn

in hell and as b rutes and ghost s . There fore one must strive

aft er knowledge , win it , (3 3 ) b e enlightened , b e fully en

lightened , perform the right deed , live the h oly life ,and

commit no sin in this world . Thus I declare .

The venerab le Maha-Maudgal yayana o ft en went on visits

1 In th e t rad it ion only th e last four (in Pa li— Ph arusaka , Cit t alatavana ,

Nandana and Missakavana ) are ,properly speak ing, gardens o r park s .

Vaijayanta is th e name of Sakra’ s pa lace , as immediat ely below. Paripatra

(which S enart so print s , a lthough tw o of th e MSS . have °

yatre and th e usua lSanskrit is pariyatra ) is t h e Pa li paricchattaka , a t ree which grew in th eNandanavana as th e result of th e Kovilara (Kovidara ) t ree plant ed by Magha(see pp . 2 6n, 1 3m ) out side th e Sudhammasala . The compiler is obviously hazyabout t h e t rad ition here , and , therefore , we are j ust ified in t ak ing t h e namesof these tw o trees a s provid ing t h e name of one park , a lthough S enart print sthem as tw o separat e names, mak ing paripatra t h e second element in th ecompound nam e N andapuskarintpari

°. The name of t h e second park is th en

N anda‘

puskarint , which ,st rict ly speak ing , is t h e lotus-pool in the

Nandanavana .

1 Th e nymphs o f Indian mythology.

28 T H E MA H AV A S T U

t o the Yama1 devas , the Tusita

2 devas , the Nirmanarat i1

devas , the ParanirmitavaSavart in 4 devas , and the devas o f

the Brahma worlds including the Suddhavasa “ devas . He

saw the Suddhavasa devas , how they are virtuous, mighty,

long-lived ,

b eautiful, and enj oying great well-b eing . Theyare self-luminous , t ravel through the air

,have pleasant fo od ,

live happily,and go whereso ever they wish . They are free

from passion . They are deva arhans who win release in the

middle o f their so j ourn in heaven ,

“are no t sub j ect t o return

t o this world ,

7and are free from all association with the

ignorant and average w orldling.

8

When the elder had seen all this prosperity o f the devas ,

he came t o the Je ta Grove ,and describ ed it at length t o the four

assemb lie s . Thus ,”said he , do b eings , as a maturing o f

their good karma , at tain the b liss o f devas among the devas .

But this , t o o ,is impermanent , and liab le t o sorrow and change .

The whole world is fraught with peril. The whole world

is on fire the whole world is ablaze . The whole world is

quaking .

But the dharma which the Buddhas preach f or the attain

ment of the ultimate goal, and which is not practised by theaverage worldling,

9 is immovable and unshakeable .

Therefdre we must strive aft er knowledge , win it , b e enlight- Q

ened , b e fully enlight ened , perform the right deed, live the

holy life , and commit no sin in this w orld . Thus I declare .

1 A class of devas rank ing between th e TrayastrimSa and t h e Tusita devas.The Commentaries explain t h e name as meaning having at t ained d ivinebliss ,” or freed from m isery o r governing devas (Vyam) . They havea lso been t ak en t o b e th e devas of Yama

’ s realm .

”

1 See above p . 4 .

1 Devas inhabit ing th e fifth of th e six deva-worlds . The name meansdelight ing in their own creat ions .Devas inhabit ing th e highest stage of th e sensuous universe . Their name

rs Int erpret ed a s meaning those who have power over th e creat ions ofothers .”

5 O r, t h e devas of th e Pure Abodes, a name given t o a group ofBrahma -world s consist ing, in th e Pa li form of their names, of Aviha, Atappa,

Sudassa, Sudassi and Akanittha.

A ntaraparin i rva'

yt , Pali an taraparinibbayin ,e .g. ,

D . 3 . 2 3 7 .

7 Ana‘

vartikadharma asmim loke .

1 Prithagjana Pali puthujjana ,which obviously is derived from Pali

pa tku prithak , separat e ,” ind ividual ,” b ut , in sense , is t ak en as thoughit were from puthu prithu ,

wide ,” numerous, t .e . t h e many-folk .

9 The Pa li : parallel t o these gathas is t o be found at S . 1 . I 3 3 , followin gwhich , th e confessed ly d iff icult read ing saprithagjanasevitam of S enart

’

s t exthas been changed int o aprithagjanasevitam, no t by th e worldling pract ised .

”

3 0 T H E MA H AV A S T U

ab ode in deva stat es ,1 in immovab le , unchangeab le stat es .

A Buddha ,h e ab ode in a Buddha

’

s stat es ; a Conqueror ,he ab ode in a Conqueror

’

s stat es ; an expert , he ab ode in an

expert ’

s stat es , and omniscient he ab ode in the stat es o f

omniscience . He had at tained cont rol over his thoughts ,and,

in short , the Buddha ab ode in whatever states appropriatet o an Exalt ed One that he desired .

Now the venerab le Maha-Maudgalyayana dressed earlyand set out for the city o f Rajagriha t o b eg for alms But

b efore he had gone far this thought occurred t o him : It is

as ye t much t o o early t o go t o Rajagriha for alms . (3 5 ) What ,then , if I w ere t o go wh ere the company o f the Suddhavasa 1

devas are ? It is a long t ime Since I have visit ed them .

Th en the venerab le Maha-Maudgalyayana b y means o f his

magic power reached the Suddhavasa devas in one st ride .

The multitudes o f the Suddhavasa devas saw him comingfrom afar and came forth t o meet him . Here , said they,

here is the nob le Maha-Maudgalyayana . Hail and welcome

t o th e nob le Maha-Maudgalyayana . Aft er a long ab sence

the nob le Maha-Maudgalyayana has taken the opportunityt o come here . And the multitudes o f Suddhavasa devas

b owed their heads at the fee t o f the venerab le Maha-Maud

galyayana and st ood on one side .

A cert ain Suddhavasa deva then Spoke t o the venerab le

Maha-Maudgalyayana thus , St range is it ,”said he , wonder

ful is it , 0 nob le Maudgalyayana,that it is so hard t o at tain

the unsurpassed perfect enlightenment . For it takes a hundredthousand kalpas t o do so .

Then the b lessed Suddhavasa deva related the followingtale t o the venerab le Maha-Maudgalyayana

For a hundred thousand kahfias a monk called Ab hiya

lived in passion , malice and fo lly. Now at that t ime , Maudgal

yayana ,there was a city named Vasumata 1 (3 6) which was

1 Vihara , here a stat e o r cond it ion o f moral o r spirit ua l life . In t h e Pa lit ext s these stat es are more dogmat ica lly defined . They either denot e t h esublim e st at es in general , usually three in number (e .g . D . 3 . devavihara ,

b rahmavihara and ariyavihara , o r, more Specifica lly, t h e four qualrt res o r form so f th e brahmavihara , viz . metta, karuna,

mudita and upekkha, i .e . love,pity,

sympathy , and d isint erest edness .” These are also called t h e fourappamannas o r infinit e condit ions, and are referred t o in Divy. 2 24 . Cf .

a lso M ahavas tu, 2 . 4 1 9 .

1 S e e p .2 8 ,

3 Otherwise unknown .

T H E S T O R Y O F A B H IY A 3 1

thriving,prosperous , peace ful, having an abundance o f food ,

was thronged by a multitude o f happy cit izens , was free fromviolence and rio t s , rid o f thieves , and b usy with commerce .

Now , Maudgalyayana ,in th is great city o f Vasumata

, there

was a merchant named Ut t iya , who was virtuous,powerful

,

rich , w eal thy, opulent , with great property,and having

plenty in his t reasury and granary. He had an ab undance

o f gold,Silver, luxuries , elephants , horses , cat tle , Sheep

,

b ondsmen ,b ondswomen

,and workmen . He b elieved in the

teaching o f the exalted Sarvab hib h ii and paid homage t o

the Buddha ,the dharma and the Sangha

1and was devo t ed

t o Nanda and o ther monks .

Now ,Maudgalyayana , the monk Nanda and the monk

Ab hiya came t o the house o f themerchant Ut tiya ,and the monk

Nandawashonoured , revered ,est eemed , venerated and respect ed

in the merchant’

s household, b ut no t so the monk Ab hiya .

~

Now ,Maudgalyayana , the daugh t er o f the merchant

Ut t iya was the wife o f a certain great householder in the greatcity o f Vasumata ,

and she was especially devo ted t o the

monk Nanda . Then ,Maha-Maudgalyayana ,

the m onk Ab hiya ,

b ecause o f his j ealous nature ,made a false accusation o f adult ery

against the monk Nanda . The monk Nanda ,

”said h e ,

“

is

unchaste , wicked ,licentious , and a secret sinner . He is living

a dissolute life with the daughter o f Ut t iya the merchant .

”

(3 7 )People in the great city O f Vasumata took up1 this

accusation , which they considered worth list ening t o and

b elieving in . Then , Maha-Maudgalyayana ,t he priest s and

laymen in the great city o f Vasumata ,and Ut t iya the merchant

,

decided that the monk Nanda Should no longer b e honoured,

revered, esteemed and venerated as b e fore .

Genuine men readily repent and feel remorse for a wrong

deed . And thus , Maha-Maudgalyayana , this thought occurred

t o the monk Ab hiya :“

Because o f my j ealous nature I

falsely accused the monk Nanda o f immorality, although

he is free from passion ,malice and folly, and is a worthy and

dist inguished man . Much demerit have I b ego tt en . What,

then,if I now ask the monk Nanda

’

s pardon ,and confess

my Sin b e fore the exalt ed Sarvabhib hfi ?

1 The Order, th e priesthood , t h e Buddhist Church . (Pali Dictionary.)1 S evitam,

cf . use of sevati in Pali t o embrace,”

mak e use of.”

3 2 T H E MA H AV A S T U

Then ,Maha-Maudgalyayana ,

the monk Ab hiya asked

forgiveness Of t he monk Nanda , and confessed his sin b eforethe exalt ed S arvabhib h i

'

r. Next , he went t o t he merchant

Ut t iya and said t o him , I should like , householder, t o make

an o ffering t o the exalt ed Sarvab hib hii and his company o f

disciples . Pray, give me the means o f doing so . And

Ut t iya the merchant gave the monk Ab hiya much gold, and

other rich householders did the same .

(3 S)N0 w ,Maha-Maudgalyayana ,

in the great city o f Vasu

mata , there were two dealers in perfume who w ere devo t ed

t o the monk Ab hiya . SO ,the monk Ab hiya , with a hundred

thousand pieces 1 in his hand, w ent t o the two perfume dealers

and said t o them ,

“ My good friends , 2 I wan t t hese one

hundred thousand pieces ’

worth o f kes‘ara

3essence . I shall

take care‘1o f it and o ffer it t o the exalt ed Sarvab hib hr

'

r and

his company o f disciples .

The two perfume -dealers gave“ him a hundred thousand

pieces ’

worth o f ketara essence . Then the monk Ab hiya feastedand regaled the exalt ed Sarvab hib hfi and his company o f

disciples with plentiful and palatab le food ,b oth hard and so ft .

When he saw that the exalt ed Sarvab hib hr'

i had eaten , washed

his hands ,and put away his b owl , he scat t ered the hundred

thousand pieces ’

worth o f kes‘ara essence on,over and ab out

him and his company o f disciples . And when he had done so

he conceived the thought :“

Ah,may I in some future t ime

b ecome a Tathagata ,an Arhan ,

a perfect Buddha , proficientin knowledge and conduct , a Sugata ,

an unsurpassed knowero f the world“, a driver o f tam eab le men

, a t eacher o f devas

1 Probably th e square copper coin called kahapana in Pali and karsapanain S anskrit .

1 Plura l Of Vasis tha,properly a member of th e gotra of that name, t racing

it s descent from th e sage Vasisth a , b ut here, and Oft en , purely a convent ionalterm o f polit e address .

1 A perfume prepared from th e flower of that name .1 Parihariya ,

part iciple from parihara ti, cf. parihareyam,may Ipreserve

3 9 , et al .p5 Pariharensu o f th e t ext is Obviously, as Senart point s out , a mist ak e due

t o t h e proxim ity o f parihariya , fo r th e cont ext requires a verb of giving ,”

and S enart suggest s paridadensu .

L okavidanuttara . In th e corresponding formula in Pali t ext s , anuttara

is invariably an ad j ect ive qualifying th e next t erm in th e series , purtsadammasara thim —at least , it is a lways S O t ranslat ed . But in th e Mahavas tu

th e ad j ect ive is a lways writ t en as t h e fina l part Of th e above compound t erm .

It Should be added that on p . 2 2 9 o f t ext purusadamyasara thin is clearlyqualified by anuttara

,b ut in a cont ext d ifferent from th e present one .

T H E S T O R Y O F A B H IY A 3 3

and men , as this exalted Sarvab hib hfi now is . Thus may I

b ecome a Great Man ,

1endowed with his thirty

-tw o marks,

2

my b ody adorned with his eighty minor charact erist ics,

1and

possessing the eight een distinct ive at tributes 4 o f a Buddha ,

strong with the t en powers “ of a Tathagata , confident (3 9)with a Buddha

’

s four grounds o f confidence ,

“as the exalt ed

Sarvabhib hfi now is . Thus may I set rolling the unsurpassedwheel o f dharma never yet set rolling

7 by recluse , b rahman,

deva ,Mara ,

1 Brahma or any one whatsoever. May I , reb orn

again in the world ,t ogether with dharma

, preserve t he com

munity o f disciples in harmony as the exalt ed Sarvab hib hfi

now does . Thus may devas and men decide that I am t o b e

hearkened t o and b elieved in as they now do this exal t edSarvab hib hfi . Having myself crossed ,

may I lead o thers

across ; released , may I release o thers ; comforted , may I

comfort others ; emancipat ed,may I emancipate others .

May I b ecome all this for the b enefit and welfare o f mankind ,

out o f compassion for the world ,for the sake o f the multitude ,

for the good o f devas and men .

”

Then ,Maha-Maudgalyayana, the exalted Sarvab hib hfi

,

aware o f this vow o f the monk Ab hiya ,said t o him

, You

will , Ab hiya ,in some future t ime

, aft er a hundred thousand

kalpas , b ecome a Tathagata o f the name o f Sakyamuni, an

Arhan,a perfect Buddha ,

proficient in knowledge and conduct,

1 M ahapurusa , Pa li Mahapurisa , a great man,a hero, a m an born t o

reatne ss , a man dest ined by fat e t o be a Ruler o r Saviour of t h e world .

”

Pali Diet .)1 See p . 1 8 01 See p . 1 8 1 , n4 .

4 Aven ika buddhadharmas . The ad j ect ive avenika is of Obscure origin ,

b ut it s genera l sense is made clear by it s use in Pali , e g . S . 4 . 2 3 9 ,Pan cimani

matugamassa avenikani dukkhani yani matugamo paccanubho ti anna treva

purisehi , i .e . th e five special m isfort unes o f fema les n o t Shared by men .

The Comment ary defines avenika by patipuggalikani asadharanani purisehi,i .e .

‘p‘ eculiar, n o t common t o males .”5 See p . 1 2 6 .

Vaisaradya , Pali vesdrajja . These four assurances are t hat enlight enm enth as been won , that th e asravas (see p . 4 9 ) have been erad icat ed , that t h eobst acles (see p . 1 1 7 ) have been recognised , and that t h e w ay O f salvat ionh as been preached . S ee M . 1 . 7 1 .

7 In this formula t h e Mahavastu (Vo l. I) regularly h as apravartitam ,

no t se t rolling ”

(o r apravar tiyam ,n o t t o be set rolling The only

reminiscence in t h e M ahavastu o f th e Pali appa tivattiyam, e .g. S n . 55 7 , whichh as usually been t ranslat ed n o t t o be rolled back is th e read ing aprattivarttiyam Of on e MS . on p . 3 3 0 .

1 The god of death mr i,

t o die b u t , more properly, as regardsfunct ion , t h e Buddhist devil o r Sat an .

3 4 T H E MA HAV A S T U

a Sugat a,an unsurpassed knower o f the world

,a driver o f

t ameab le men , a t eacher o f devas and men, even as I now am .

You will b ecome endowed with the thirty-two marks o f a Great

Man , your b ody adorned with his eighty minor charact eristics .

You will have t he eight een distinctive attrib ut es o f a Buddha .

You will b e strongwith the t en powers o f a Tathagata ,and

confident with a Buddha’

s four grounds o f confidence,even

as I now am . And thus you will set rolling the unsurpassedwheel o f dharma never yet set rolling b y recluse

,deva

, Mara ,

or anyone else .

-Reb orn again in the world,t ogether with

dharma, you will preserve (40 )in harmony the company o f

disciples as I do now . Thus will devas and men decide that

you are t o b e hearkened t o and b elieved in, as they now do

me . Having yourself crossed, you will lead o thers across ;

released you will release o thers comfort ed , you will comforto thers ; emancipat ed

, you will emancipate others , as I now

do . You will b ecome all this for the b enefit and welfare o f

mankind ,out o f compassion for the world ,

for the sake o f

the multitude ,for the go od and well-b eing o f devas and men.

”

Then ,Maha-Maudgalyayama

,as soon as it was proclaimed

by the perfect Buddha Sarvab hib hfi that the monk Ab hiya

w ould win the unsurpassed pe rfect enlight enment, the syst em

o f the three—thousand w orlds tremb led and quaked six t imes .

1

The eastern region rose ,the west ern sub sided ; the eastern

region sub sided ,t he west ern rose ; the southern region rose

,

the northern sub sided ; the southern region sub sided ,the

northern rose ; the middle regions sub sided ,the extremit ies

rose the middle regions rose , the extremit ies sub sided. The

devas o f earth 2 shout ed and made their cries heard . It has

b een proclaimed b y the exalt ed perfect Buddha, Sarvab hibhfi ,

that this monk Ab hiya will win the unsurpassed perfectenlightenment . He will do this for the welfare and b enefito f mankind

,out o f compassion for the world,

for the sake o f

the multitude ,for the go od and well-b eing o f devas and men .

When they heard the Shout o f the devas o f earth ,the devas

o f the sky,the Caturmaharajika devas , the TrayastrimSa devas,

1 L it era lly in six changes o r d ist urbances , vihara .

1 Bhumya deva, t .e . t h e Spirit s of t h e prim it ive culture o r popular belief,lik e t h e yaksas , rak sasas and others, whom t h e Buddhist s recognised as

a class of d evas . Cf . A . 4 . 1 1 8 .

T H E S T O R Y O F A B H I YA 3 5

the Yama devas,the Tusita devas , the Nirmanarati devas ,

the ParanirmitavaSavart in devas,and the devas in Brahma

’

s

ent ourage ,raised a Shout and made t heir cries heard . (41 )

Thus , friends , said they, has it b een proclaimed o f the

monk Ab hiya b y the exalted Sarvab hib hr'

i that he will win

the unsurpassed perfect enlight enment . He will do this for

the welfare and happiness o f mankind, out o f compassion for

the world,for the sake o f the multitude

,for the welfare and

happiness o f devas and men .

Then there appeared a great radiance ,immense and sub lime

in the world . And the spaces b etween the w orlds , regions o f

b lackness plunged in b lackness,o f gloom plunged in glo om ,

dark 1 regions , unfathomed,

2never b efore fathomed

, where

the moon and sun ,powerful and maj estic though they are

,

with all their b rilliance canno t make their b rilliance prevail, 1

with all their light canno t make their light prevail , suddenlyb ecome suffused with this radiance . And the b eings who had

b een reb orn in those Spaces exclaimed t o one ano ther, Lo !

there are o ther b eings reb orn here . LO t here are o ther b eings

reb orn here .

Now ,all those b eings were for that instant , for that moment ,

immersed in b liss . Even those reb orn in the great hell Aviei

excelled the Splendour o f devas , o f Nagas ,4and o f Yak sas .

1 Agha . Senart,being pract ically confined for para llels t o th e L o tus

and L al. Vist is in d iflfrcu lt ie s regard ing this word , and is const rained t o

render it by sou ffrances,” thus d iffering from Burnou f w h o , in Append ix IIIt o t h e L otus h ad t ranslat ed it pécheresses . The para llel passages in Palit ext s since published ,

e .g . ,A . 2 . 1 3 0 ; S . 5 . 4 5 4 ; and D . 2 . 1 2 , however,

m ak e it clear that agha is either a subst ant ive meaning darkness o r

blackness o r an ad j ect ive dark ,

” black .

”

1 A sarnvidita ,unknown

,uncomprehended . The corre spondrng word

In t h e Pa li parallel passages is asamvu ta , unrest rained , orderless ,baseless

,and is explained by t h e C ommen tary on A . 2 . 1 3 0 as he t thapi

appa ti t tha ,i .e . without a support beneath .

”

1 A bhisarnbhunan ti . Accord ing t o t h e Pali Dictionary, this is a variantform Of sambhava ti (sambhoti) , having t h e more part icular sense o f t o reacho r t o be able t o . The C ommen tary on S n . 3 96 h as t h e gloss asambhunan toasakkon to unable S ee a lso t h e long not e by Senart who , aft er an

examinat ion o f it s use in Buddhist Sansk rit , arrives at pret ty much th e

same int erpret at ion o f it s meaning .

1 A class o f beings in prim it ive Ind ian belief, evident ly surviving inBuddhist folk lore . In form t hey were snak es, and were gift ed with m iraculouspowers . But there is undoubt ed ly grea t confusion between th e Nagas as

supernat ura l beings , and as th e nam e o f cert ain non-Aryan t ribes . In t h e

M aha'

vas tu,e .g . p . 1 9 0 ,

we hear o f Naga devas . N aga a lso m eans elephantindeed ,

men were inclined t o ca ll all big things Naga (A 3 . 3 4 5 Whenth e Buddha o r an Arhan is styled N aga , we are t o bear in mrnd th e accept edetymology Of t h e name as agumna karoti does no wrong .

3 6 T H E MA H AV A S T U

The realms o f Mara were eclipsed ,

1rendered lustreless and

j oyless . Shatt ered they fell a kos 1 (42) , two kos , three . Shat

t ered they fell for yojanas , for twice five yojanas . And wicked

Mara was unhappy,discomfited

,remorse ful, tortured by the

sting within him .

When 1 he had presented his gift, he made his vow. MayI ,”said he, become a guide of the world, a teacher of devas

and men . May I preach the noble dharma .

“ May I bear about the torch of dharma . May I beat thebannered drum of dharma . May I raise the standard ofdharma . May I blow the noble trumpet .

“

Thus may I expound and preach dharma . Thus mayI establish many people in the noble dharma .

“

Thus may devas and men listen to my eloquent words .

Thus may I set rolling the wheel of dharma f or the sake

of the multitude .

“ May I plant the rudiments of wisdom in the peoplewho are sunk in misery, who are tormented by birth and

old age and are subject to death, who see only with the bodilyeye, and (lead them) from their evil plight .

“ May I release from the round of existence those who are

scattered in S an’

jiva ,Kalasi

'

ltra,S anghata ,

Raurava,Aviei,

and the six spheres of existence .

4

(43 ) May I releasefrom the round of existence those whosekarma has fully or partly matured“ in hell, those who are

afl icted in evil plight, those who are subject to death,and

those of little happiness and much misery.

“ May I live on doing good in the world, teaching dharma

1 Dhyama, which Senart explains as une orthographe san scrit isant e pour

le pali-pracrit jhama ksama, consume, b rr

‘rle , b ut mod ified in meaning

here t o denot e Obscurci, éclipsé .

1 Sansk rit krosa (here krosika ) , a measure o f d istance, equal t o 1 yojanaor, according t o others ,

1 A verse redact ion o f t h e st ory of Ab h iya .

1 In th e earlier Pa li t ext s these gatis o r Spheres of exist ence are fivein number, viz . hell, t h e brut e creat ion , th e ghost world , human life , and t h edeva world s . Lat er t ext s add a Sixth , viz . exist ence as asuras . E lsewheret h e M aha

'

vas tu ( 1 . 2 9 3 ) makes t h e ga tis eight in number, without , however,ind icat ing what t h e add it iona l ones may be .

5 Pakvavipakva, a read ing adopt ed by S enart in preference t o th e obscurepaksavipaksa o f t h e MS S .

3 8 T H E MA H AV A S FU

perfect enlight enment , the two perfume -dealers,enraptured ,

re j o icing,elated,

and glad ,conceived this thought : When

the monk Ab hiya b ecomes awakened t o the perfect enlight enment , then may we b ecome his chie f disciples

,the chie f pair,

a nob le pair, like this pair o f disciples 1 o f the exalt ed

Sarvab hib hfi the one pre-eminent for wisdom ,

the other for

magic powerThen

,Maha-Maudgalyayana ,

the daught er o f Ut t iya the

merchant heard that it had b een proclaimed o f the monk

Ab hiya by the exalt ed Sarvab hib hfi that he would Win the

unsurpassed perfect enlight enment . And when she had paidhonour, reverence ,

respect and venerat ion t o the Exalt ed One

and his company o f disciples , she made this vow : A falseaccusat ion was made against me b y the j ealous monk Abhiya .

When ,there fore ,

through serving the exalt ed Sarvab hib hfi

and his company o f disciples,I shall have acquired merit

,

2

b y the power o f this roo t o f merit,I shall slander the monk

Ab hiya with false accusat ions wherever he b e reb orn (45 ) ,unt il h e has attained t o perfect enlightenment .

Now , Maha-Maudgalyayana ,perhaps you will think that it

was someb ody else o f the name Abhiya who at that t ime and

on that occasion was the disciple o f t he exalt ed Sarvab hib hu.

But you must not think so . And why ? It was I , Maha

Maudgalyayana , who at that t ime and on that occasion was

the exalt ed Sarvabhib hfi’

s disciple named Ab hiya .

Again , you may think that at that t ime and on that occasion

the two perfume—dealers o f the great city o f Vasumata were

some two o thers . No more must you think that either . And

why ? Because at that t ime and on that occasion you two,

Sariput ra and Maudgalyayana , were those two perfume -dealers .

The vow you made then was your initial vow .

Perhaps,again , Maha-Maudgalyayana , you will think that

at that t ime and on that occasion the daugh t er o f Ut t iya the

merchant was someb ody else 3 In pursuance o f

that vow the Brahman woman made false accusat ions againstme in every one o fmylives unt il I at tained perfect enlight enment .

Perhaps,again ,

Maha-Maudgalyayana , you will think that

1 S ee below .

2 Read ing, with S enart , kusalarnarjitam f or kuéalamulam o f th e MSS .

3 Lacuna .

T H E M A N Y B U D D H A S 3 9

at that t ime and on that o ccasion the merchant named Ut t iya

in the great city o f Vasumata was someb ody else . You must

no t think that . It was this Suddh avasa deva here wh o ,at

that time and on that occasion , was the merchant named

Ut t iya in the great city o f Vasumata . And he rememb ers

these hundred thousand kalpas and recollect s the dharma .

Here ends the st ory o f Ab hiya , with the accompanying verse ,in the Mahdvastu-Avadana .

THE MANY BUDDHAS I

(46)O Maha-Maudgalyayana ,from the t ime that I made a

vow t o acquire enlight enment there have b een immeasurab le ,

incalculab le kalpas . Countless Tathagat as , Arhans , and perfectBuddhas did I adore

,b ut none o f them proclaimed my

enlightenment . I adored three hundred o f the name Puspa ,

yet I received no proclamation from them . Immeasurab le ,

incalculab le kalpas did I live and pass through ,and count less

Buddhas did I adore,b ut they made no proclamat ion concern

ing me .

Here,Maha-Maudgalyayana ,

are the four stages in the

careers o f Bodhisattvas . What are the four They are these

the natural career the resolving career,the conform

ing career and the persevering career.

2

And what , Maha-Maudgalyayana ,is the natural career

It is the nature o f Bodhisat tvas in this world t o respect mother

and father,t o b e well-disposed t o recluses and b rahmans

,

t o honour their elders,t o practise the t en right ways o f

b ehaviour, t o exh ort o thers t o give alms and acquire merit ,and t o honour contemporary Buddhas and their disciples .

But as yet they do not conceive the though t o f Winning theunsurpassed perfect enlightenment .

First they worship glorious Tathdgatas with great reverence ,(47 ) but not yet do these supreme men 3 turn their thoughts

towards becoming a Foremost Man .

‘1

1 But see not e p . 46 .

2 S ee p . I .3 I.e . t h e Bodhisat t vas .4 I.e . Agrapudgala , an appellat ion o f t h e Buddha , pract ica lly th e equ iva lent

of agrapurusa , see p . 4 .

4 0 T H E MA H AV A S T U

These leaders of men worship ko tis of those who have wonmastery over all the powers , 1 long since reached perfectmastery

2 but not yet do they turn their thoughts towards

crossing the ocean of knowledge.

These wise men honour ko tis of Pratyekabuddhas 3 whohave won the highest good, but not yet do they turn their

thoughts to a knowledge of the whole dharma .

Such , Maha-Maudgalyayana is the natural career. And

what is the resolving career ? There have elapsed immeasurab le , incalculab le kamas since a Tathagata named

Sakyamuni, an Arhan ,a perfect Buddha ,

proficient in knowledge and conduct

,a Sugata ,

an unsurpassed knower o f the

world ,a driver o f tameab le men

,and a teacher o f devas and

men,appeared in the world . Now ,

Maha-Maudgalyayana ,

Sakyamuni’

s city was named Kapilavastu,and so on . At that

time I was a merchant,and aft er I had made an o ffering o f

rice-milk t o Sakyamuni, I made a vow t o win enlightenment .

When (the Bodhisattvas) have laid up an abundant store

of merit , and have body and mind well developed4(48)they

approach the beautiful Buddhas and turn their thoughts to

enlightenment , (each vowing) .“

By the merit I have formerly laid up in store , may I

ha ve insight into all things . May not my vow come to naught ,but may what I vow come to pass .

May my store of the root of merit be great enough f orall living beings . Whatever evil deed has been done by me,

may I alone reap its bitterfruit .“

5 0 may I run my course through the world as He whose

mind is rid of attachments does . May I set rolling the wheel

of dharma that has not its equal, and is honoured and revered

of devas and men .

1 The analogy o f other passages in t h e Mahdvas tu , e .g . r . 5 2 , implies thatbalesu is underst ood here with vasibhuta . Cf . Kva . 6 0 8 . The powershere referred t o are t h e t en baldni o f a Tathagat a ,

fo r which se e p . 1 2 6 .

1 Reading ga tdn , accusat ive fo r gatd , mom and sim ilarly °

pudgaldn fo r°

pudgald in line 8 .

3 Pali paccekabuddha ,lit erally ind ividua lly enlight ened , i .e . a Buddha

wh o wins enlight enm ent, b ut passes away without proclaim ing it t o t h e world .

L it era lly body and m ind made-t o -become , bhdvitas'

artrama'

nasd .

T H E M A N Y B U D D H A S 4 1

I first o ffered a drink o f rice-milk t o the world-transcendingexalted Sakyamuni an incalculab le kalpa ago . Then was myfirst vow made .

An immeasurab le,incalculab le kalpa aft erwards

, MahaMaudgalyayana , a Tathagata o f the name o f Samitavin

appeared in the w orld , an Arhan ,a perfect Buddha

,proficient

in knowledge and conduct , a Sugata , an unsurpassed knowero f the world, (49) a driver o f t ameab le men , and a teachero f devas and men .

Now at that t ime there was a Bodhisat tva, who was a

universal king,ruling over the four cont inent s

, who was

t riumphant , possessing the seven treasures o f a king, who was

right eous , a king o f right eousness, pursuing the path o f the

t en virtues . These seven royal treasures are the wheel,the

elephant , the horse ,the precious st one

,the woman ,

the house

holder, and the counsellor. He had a full thousand sons, who

were valiant , courageous , and stout o f limb, who crushed the

armies o f their foes . He rul ed over these four cont inents,

t o wit , Jamb udvipa , Pfirvavideha , Aparagodan iya and Uttara

kuru— a land compact and peaceful, untroub led 1 b y the scourgeand sword, girt b y sea and mountain , which he had won not

by violence ,b ut b y righteousness .

Now , Maha-Maudgalyayana , this universal king supplied theperfect Buddha Samitavin and his company o f disciples withall the requisites , with rob e ,

alms-b owl, b ed ,seat

,and medicines

for use in sickness . He had a palace b uilt o f the seven precioussub stances , gold ,

silver,pearls , b eryl, crystal, white coral

,and

ruby,with eighty

-four thousand pillars , each pillar up t o its

middle fashioned o f points o f gold set close t ogether.

2 He had

erected eighty- four thousand buildings with peaked roo fs

,

b right and sparkling,o f the seven precious sub stances , gold,

silver, pearls , b eryl , crystal , whit e coral and ruby.

When , Maha-Maudgalyana ,he had b uilt such a distinguished

palace ,the universal king presented it t o the perfect Buddha

Samitavin ,and made this vow Ah May I in some future

time b ecome (50 ) a Tathagata ,an Arhan , a perfect Buddha

,

proficient in knowledge and conduct,a Sugata ,

an unsurpassed

1 Read ing anutptddm fo r anutptdena , as t h e synt ax demand s °adandena

is t au tological , repeat ing t h e same word earlier in t h e compound .

2 dbaddhahiranyako tihi n irmito updrdhasya .

42 T H E MA H AV A S'

I‘U

knower o f the world ,a driver o f t ameab le men

, and a t eacher

o f devas and men ,as this exalt ed Sam itavin now is . May I

b ecome endowed w ith the thirty-two marks o f a Great Man

,

and my b ody adorned with his eighty minor charact eristics .

May I have the eight een dist inct ive at tributes o f Buddhaho od,

and b e strong with the t en powers o f a Tathagata , and confidentwith the four grounds o f self-confidence ,

as this exalted perfectBuddha Samitavin now is . Having crossed over

,may I lead

o thers across comfort ed ,may I comfort o thers emancipat ed

,

may I emancipat e o thers . May I b ecome so for the b enefitand welfare o f mankind ,

out o f compassion for the w orld , for

the good o f the mult itude,for the w elfare and b enefit o f devas

and men .

Such ,Maha-Maudgalyayana , was the vow o f the Tathagata .

May I journey through this world as He whose mind is

rid of attachments does . May I set rolling the wheel that

has not its equal, and is honoured of devas and men .

1

Then , this thought occurred tothe perfect Buddha Samitavin :How now When I have utterly passed away,

2 when these

disciples o f mine have passed,an d when the preaching o f the

dharma has ceased,after how long a time will an exalted

Buddha appear in the worldHe did not foresee one in one kalpa, (51 ) nor in two . It was

in a hundred thousand kahbas that he foresaw a Buddha in

the world .

Then , Maui -Maudgalyayana, a feeling o f great pity for all

b eings came over the compassionate Buddha Samitavin . I

must,

”said he

,

“

inevitab ly fulfil the five ob ligations o f a

Buddh a . What five I must set rolling the wheel o f dharma .

I must convert my mother and my father, and those ready

t o receive the Buddha’

s teaching,

3and I must anoint the heir

t o the throne . For he , when I have passed away, will b ecome

1 See not e, p . 3 7 .

3 Parinirvrita , Pali parnibbuta , a lso t ranslat ed emancipat ed when itdenot es complet e freedom from earthly bond s, o r t h e pot ent iality o f no t

being liable t o rebirth . Here it refers t o t h e act ualisat ion o f that pot ent ia lit yat death . In this la t t er sense it is somet imes t ranslat ed passed t o Nirvana .

which , however, gives t h e fa lse implicat ion o f passing t o some loca lised st at e ,3 Bauddhavaineyakd . Vaineyaka vaineya which is t h e Pali veneyya

t o be instruct ed (vineti , vinaya) , a. lat e t erm in th e jatakas and t h e

Commentaries .

T H E MA N Y B U D D H A S 43

a Buddha in the w orld . As I am now ,so this Bodhisattva ,

Ajita , w ill b ecome a Buddha in the world . His name will b e

Ajita,o f the Maitreya family, in the capital city, Bandhuma.

1

Let me then cont inue in life for a hundred thousand

kalpas .

”

Then , the perfect Buddha Samitavin addressed his monks :“

As I was alone here in seclusion and retirement this mental

reflection arose in me . When I have ut t erly passed away,

when my disciples , t oo ,have passed

,and when the preaching

o f dharma has ceased,aft er how long a t ime will a Buddha

appear in the w orld ? I did not foresee one in one kalpa,nor

in two kalpas , nor in three . But in a hundred thousand kalpasI did foresee a Buddha in the w orld . Now ,

I must inevitab lyfulfil the five ob ligations o f a Buddha , and this person whom

I have t o anoint heir t o the throne will b e reb orn among the

long-lived devas . What now if I decide t o live on for these

one hundred thousand kalpas ? Who will stay with

me

(52)Then , Maha-Maudgalyayana ,eighty

-four thousandmonks

who had full mast ery over the powers , 2 chose t o live on in

this w orld . We,lord ,

said they, We, Sugat a ,

Will stay.

And so the perfect Buddha Samitavin and his disciples livedfor a very long time .

At the dissolut ion 3 o f the universe men aft er death are

1 In t h e Pali t ext s, t h e Buddha Met t eyya is t o b e born at Ke tumat i .3 I.e . t h e powers o r baldni o f an dryasrdvaka , o r noble d isciple

,

” namely,

prajndbala (Pali power of wisdom ,vtryaba la of exer

t ion , anavadya°

o f blamelessness , and sangrdha (sangdha)of self-rest ra int .

”

(A . 2 . 1 42 4 . A t D . 3 . 2 2 9 , these baldni are givenin great er deta il as consist ing of three groups of four baldni each .

3 S amvartakdlasamaye , lit era lly at t h e t ime o f th e samvarta (Pa li samvatta)S amvarta is t h e noun o f t h e verb samvartati (Pa li samvattati) which, accord ingt o t h e Pali Dictionary,

means t o be evolved , o r in process of evolut ion,

while samva t ta is said t o mean rolling on or forward , opp . t o vivatta

(see below) , rolling back .

”But t h e t ext s , on th e whole , would seem t o

suggest th e meaning o f rolling up f or samva t tati and rolling out fo r

viva ttati, o r pract ica lly involut ion o r d issolut ion fo r th e former and

evolut ion o r com ing t o be for th e lat t er . At DA . r . 1 1 0 Buddhagh o sa

glosses samva ttati with vinas sa ti is dest royed and viva t tati with san thati

comes t o be Woodward (A 2 . 1 4 2 ) t ranslat es th e tw o t erms respect ivelyrolls up and rolls out , while Rhys Davids (Dial . I . 1 7 ) has passes

away and re -evolves . Buddh agh o sa at Vism . 4 1 4 defines these tw o cyclesin t h e words parihdyamdno kappo samva ttakappo , vaddhamdno viva ttakappo

th e descend ing ( lit . waning cycle is t h e cycle of d issolut ion , t h e

ascend ing [lit . growing cycle is t h e cycle o f evolut ion . (Maung Tin ’ st ranslat ion . ) A lit t le lat er, Buddh agh o sa uses t h e t erm samva t ta t o denot et h e end of th e world ,

whether caused by wat er, fire , o r a ir .

44 T H E MA H AV A S T U

reb orn among the Ab hasvara devas .

1 On his death ,there fore ,

the king was reb orn among these devas , and the Exalt ed Oneal so , t oge ther with his disciples , passed t o the realm o f the

Ab hasvara devas .

When the universe b egins t o re-evolve,and the world is

b eing resettled, b eings pass away from the world o f the

Ab b asvara devas , b ecause their span o f years there is ended,

2

and they come down t o this world . The Bodhisat tva also

passed away from the realm o f the Ab hasvara devas,and

,

coming t o the world,b ecame again a universal king over the

four cont inents , t riumphant , and so on up to he

ruled over these four continent s having won them byright eousness .

When the duration o f men’

s lives b egan t o b e limited, and

old age ,sickness and death b ecame known

,the exalt ed

Samitavin ,the perfect Buddha ,

came t o Jamb udvipa ,and

there taught men dharma . Then the universal king present edthe perfect Buddha with all the requisit es , rob e

,alms-b owl,

b ed,seat , and medicines for use in sickness . He built a palace

o f the seven precious sub stances like the one already describ ed ,

and present ed it t o the exalted perfect Buddha . In this way

the perfect Buddha Samit avin and his community o f disciplessurvived for one hundred thousand kalpas , and was always

served b y the Bodhisat tva , who in every kalpa without failb uilt a similar palace o f the seven precious sub st ances and

presented it t o the perfect Buddha Samitavin . (53 ) In his questfor the unsurpassed perfect enlightenment

,the Bodhisat tva

as a universal king presented Samitavin with a hundred

1 The shining devas o r t h e devas of Ab h asvara (Pa li Abhassara ) a

Brahma-world where live rad iant devas from whose bod ies rays o f lightare em it t ed lik e lightning The world of t h e Ab h asvara deva sw as left unt ouched when t h e d issolut ion w as t h e k ind caused by fire ,

as t h e

Sub h ak inh a world w as in that caused by wat er, and th e Veh apph ala in thatcaused by a ir. (Vism . ,

1 Ayu sksaya'

ya o f t h e t ext has been changed t o dyu 3ksaya (causa l ablat ive ,f or -at, cf . apdyd , ab l . , p . 4 2 o f t ext ) , so as t o bring t h e passage int o conform itywith such Pa li passages as D . I . I 7 , ath

’

annataro sa tto dyukkhayd vii

punnakkhayd va Abhas sarakdyd cavitvd , and some being o r other, eitherbecause his span of years h as passed o r h is merit is exhaust ed , fa lls from t h e

World o f Rad iance ” (Dial. I . Cf . a lso D . 3 . 2 9 . In print ing dyu :k§aydya(dat ive of purpose) , Senart t ook t h e meaning t o be pour épuiser ce que leurk arman leur at t ribue encore d ’

ex ist ence ,

”and cit es in support o f his int erpre

t at ion M ahdvastu I . 3 3 8 , where dyu .

'ksaya is coupled with karmaksaya . But

t h e lat t er is there equiva lent t o th e Pa li pufiiiakkhaya , that is t o say, karma

as good karma, which it is here , is equiva lent t o punya (punna) .

46 T H E MA H AV A S T U

He spent six years b eing instructed by Ratanendra 1 in theideas o f impermanence , mental images , and the pleasures o f

the senses . Then was the fifth vow made .

Here ends the siZtra 2 on the Many-Buddhas in the

Mahdvastu-Avadana .

A VISIT TO THE SrUDDHAVASA DEVAS

Thus have I heard . The Exal t ed One was once stayingnear Rajagriha on Mount Gridhrakfi ta . Then the venerab le

Maha-Maudgalyayana dressed early in the morning, t ook his

alms-b owl and rob e,and set out for the city o f Rajagriha

in quest o f alms .

But , b efore he had gone far, this thought occurred t o himIt is as yet much t oo early t o go t o Rajagriha for alms .

What now if I pay a visit t o the Suddhavasa devas Then

the venerab le Maha in the time it would

take a st rong man t o stret ch out his b ent arm and b end his

outstretched arm,rose up in the air at Rajagriha and in one

ins tantaneous stride alighted near the Suddhavasa devas .

The Suddhavasa devas saw him coming when he was yet

far o ff , and came in a b ody t o meet him . They b owed their

heads at his feet , and sto od t o one side . As they thus st o od

t o one side the numerous Suddhavasa devas addressed the

venerab le Mab el -Maudgalyayana in verse

It was after a very long time, after he had passed througha hundred thousand kalpas in quest of the perfection ofenl ightenment

,tha t the infinitely precious Buddha appeared

in the world.

When they had thus spoken ,the numerous Suddhavasa

devas b owed their heads at the fee t o f the venerab le Maha

Maudgalyayana ,stood t o one side ,

and forthwith vanished .

1 A name unknown t o th e Pa li t ext s . O f th e other names on this pageneither Guru nor Parvat a (Pab b at a ) appears in those t ext s as t h e nam eo f a Buddha , a lthough t h e lat t er is t h e name o f both a Paccekab uddh a and

a Bodhisat tva . Araka Ark a ) is t h e name o f t h e Bodhisat t va as a brahm int eacher at 2 . 1 9 5 and A . 4 . 1 3 6

—81 S t rict ly speak ing

, as Senart point s out , t h e foregoing is neither a sutra ,

n or is th e subj ect -mat t er The Many-Buddhas . That subject is dealt withrather in th e following,

V I S I T T o S U D D H AVA S A D E V A 47

Then the venerab le Maha-Maudgalyayana reflect ed, So

hard is it t o win enlightenment,requiring as it does a

hundred thousand kalpas .

Aft er that , the venerab le Mab el -Maudgalyayana ,in the time

it would t ake a st rong man t o stretch out his b ent arm and

b end his out stretched arm, with one instantaneous stride

disappeared from the world o f the Suddhavasa devas and

alight ed in the city o f Rajagriha (56) . He w ent on his round

for alms in the city o f Rajagriha , and when he had returned ,

after the midday meal , he put down his b owl, do ffed his rob e ,

washed his feet , and went t o the Exalted One . Bowing his

head at the feet o f the Exalt ed One , he sat down on one side .

And as he thus sat down , the venerab le Maha-Maudgalyayana

said t o the Exalt ed One , Lord , aft er I had dressed earlyin the morning, I took my b owl and my rob e and went t o

collect alms in the great city o f Rajagriha. I had not gone far,

Lord , b efore the thought occurred t o me It is much t oo earlyas yet t o go t o the great city o f Rajagriha t o collect alms .

What now if I go t o visit the Suddhavasa devas It is longsince I have visited them . Then in the t ime it would t ake

a strong man t o stretch out his b ent arm or b end his out

stretched arm,I rose in the air at Rajagriha ,

and in one

instantaneous stride I alighted near the company o f the

Suddhavasa devas . The numerous Suddhavasa devas , Lord,

saw me coming a long way o ff, and when they had seen me

they came t o meet me , b owed their heads at my feet and

st ood t o one side . As they thus stood the numerous Suddhavasa

devas addressed me in a verse

It was after a very long time , after he had passed througha hundred thousand kalpas in quest of the perfection ofenlightenment, that the infinitely precious Buddha appearedin the world.

When they had thus spoken the numerous Suddhavasa

devas b owed their heads at my fee t (57 ) and departed. Hence

the thought occurred t o me : How hard it is t o win the

unsurpassed enlightenment , since it requires a hundred

thousand kalpas . What now if I go t o the Exal t ed One and

question him on this matter ? What the Exalted One will

48 T H E MA H AV A S T U

declare that will I b elieve What does the Exalted One sayconcerning this P

When the venerab le Maha-Maudgalyayana had thus Spoken ,

the Exalt ed One said t o him , The one hundred thousand

kalpas o f the Suddhavasa devas are t oo short a t ime , Maha

Maudgalyayana . It is for immeasurab le incalculab le kalpasand under a count less numb er o f Tathagatas , Arhans , and

perfect Buddhas that those who seek perfect enlight enment

in the future go on acquiring the roo ts o f virtue . I knewthree-hundred kotis o f Buddhas o f the name o f Sakyamuni,whom ,

with their communities o f disciples,l honoured,

venerated,revered worshipped and est eemed when I was a

universal king aimlng at perfect enlightenment in the future .

And those exalted Buddhas thus proclaimed t o me : You

will in the future b ecome a Tathagata ,an Arhan

,a perfect

Buddha, proficient in knowledge and conduct , a Sugata, an

unsurpassed knower o f the world, a driver o f tameab le men,

and a teacher o f devas and men .

’

Again , Maha-Maudgalyayana , I knew eight-hundred Bud

dhas namedDipamkara ,who ,with their communit ies o f disciples

were honoured , venerat ed,revered , worshipped and esteemed

b y me, when ,

as a universal king I was aiming at perfectenlightenment in the future . And these exalted Buddhas

proclaimed t o me . Repeat everywhere as in the firs t sectionYou will b ecome in the future ”

and so on . I knew (58) ,Maha-Maudgalyayana , five hundred Buddhas o f the name o f

Padmo t tara . Repeat as above You will b ecome in the

future and so on . I knew eight thousand Buddhas named

Pradyota ,three kotis named Puspa,

eighteen thousand named

Maradhvaja,at the time when I was living the holy life and

aiming at perfect enlightenment in the future And these

exalted Buddhas made their proclamation o f me .

I knew , Melb a-Maudgalyayana, five hundredBuddhas o f the

name o f Padmot tara , who , with their communities o f discipleswere honoured b y me . I knew ninetythousand namedKasyapa;fifteen thousand named Pratapa ; two thousand named

Kaundinya ,and eighty

- four thousand Pratyekab uddhas . I

knew the Tathagata ,Arhan and perfect Buddha Samantagupta .

I knew the thousand Buddhas named Jamb udhvaja ; the

eighty-four thousand nam ed Indradhvaja the fifteen thousand

V I S I T T o s U D D H AVA S A D E V A S 49

named Aditya ; the sixty-two hundred named Anyonya ,

and

the sixty-four(59) named Samit avin .

Suprab hasa was the name o f the Tathagata , Arhan , and

perfect Buddha when the BodhisattvaMait reya ,as the universal

king, Vairocana , was aiming at perfect enlightenment in

the future and first acquired the root s o f goodness . And,

Mama-Maudgalyayana , when Suprab hasa was the Tathagata ,

the measure o f man’

s life was four times eighty-four thousandkotis o f years , and men lived more or less t o this age .

1

Again ,Maha-Maudgalyayana , when Suprab hasa was the

Tathagata , Arhan and perfect Buddha , there were threeassemb lies . The first assemb ly o f disciples consisted o f ninetysix kotis , who were all arhans , who had destroyed the tis

‘ravas

,

2

who had kept all the Ob servances , who were emancipated byperfect knowledge , who had b roken the fet t ers that t ied themt o existence and who had reached the goal they had set themselves . The second assemb ly o f disciples consisted o f ninetyfour kotis , who were all at hans , who had destroyed the diravas ,had kept the Ob servances , were emancipat ed by perfectknowledge ,

had b roken the fett ers that b ound them t o existence ,

and had reached their goal . The third assemb ly o f disciplesconsist ed o f ninety

-two kotis who were all arhans,who had

dest royed the ds‘ravas , had kept the Ob servances , w ere eman

cipat ed b y perfect knowledge ,had b roken the fett ers that

b ound them t o exist ence, and had reached their goal .

Then , Maha-Maudgalyayana ,whenKingVairocana had seen

the exal t ed Suprab hasa,he experienced a sub lime thrill,

ecstasy,joy and gladness . For t en thousand years he honoured

(60 ) venerat ed ,revered

, w orshipped and est eemed that Exal t ed

One and his community o f disciples . With honour and rever

ence he gave his pro t ection t o the assemb ly and t o the

community o f disciples , and assured t o men their due span

1 An tara ca uccdvacata'

ayusa : lit era lly , (men’ s) lives were high and low

within (this lim it ) .2 A wrong Sansk rit isat ion of t h e Pali dsava , a t erm f or which many

t ranslat ions have been off ered , b ut none of them ent irely sat isfact ory . It h as

been deemed bet t er t o ret ain t h e Buddh ist Sanskrit form Meanwhile , t h edefinit ions of asava in t h e Pa li Dictionary will give an indicat ion of it s meaning,lit era l and applied ( 1 ) Spirit , th e int oxicat ing ext ract or secret ion o f a t reeor flower . (2 ) Discharge from a sore .

”

(3 ) In psychology, a t echnica lt erm for cert ain specified ideas which int oxicat e th e m ind . The asavasare four in number, viz. sensuality, love of life, specri lat ion , and ignorance .

50 T H E MA H AV A S T U

o f years . Then he conceived the though t : May I b ecomein some future t ime a Tathagata , an Arhan ,

a perfect Buddha ,

proficient in knowledge and conduct , a Sugata , an unsurpassedknower o f the w orld,

a driver o f tameab le men, a teacher

o f devas and men,as this exalted Suprab hasa now is . Thus

may I preach the dharma that is endowed with all good qualities,al t ogether perfect in all good qualities , as the exaltedSuprab hasa now does . Thus may I preserve in harmony a

community o f disciples as the exalted Suprab hasa now does .

Thus may devas and men decide that I am t o b e hearkened t o

and b elieved in as they now do the exalted Suprab hasa .

May I b ecome so for the b enefit and welfare o f mankind,

out o f compassion for the world ,for the sake o f the mult itude

,

for the good and well-b eing o f devas and men .

Even so, Mab el -Maudgalyayana,

there is something t o add t othis . For it was after he had b een a Bodhisattva for forty-fourkalpas that Maitreya conceived the thought o f enl ight enment .

There was a Tathagata , Arhan ,and perfect Buddha named

Aparajitadhvaja who , with his community o f disciples , washonoured

,venerated

,revered , worshipped and esteemed by

me, when ,

as the universal king, Dridh adhanu ,I was aiming

at perfect enlightenment in the future . I clothed him with

five hundred cost ly1(61 ) suits o f garments , and when he passed

utterly away I erect ed a t ope for him , a yojana high and a

yojana deep .

2 And all the time , Maha-Maudgalyayana ,this

was my aspirat ion When b eings come t o b e without re fuge ,support

,pro tect ion ,

shelt er and succour, when they b ecome

characterised 3 b y fickleness , malice and folly, when they live

in accordance with wrong standards o f conduct , and generally

go t o crowd the worlds o f w oe ,then may I awake t o the

unsurpassed perfect enlight enment . May I do so for the b enefitand welfare o f mankind ,

out o f compassion for the world, for

the sake o f the multitude ,for the good o f devas and men .

”

1 Reading mahc‘

irhan tehi, worth much, for mahantehi, large, great .

The former is conj ect ured from th e MS . variat ion between mahan tehi and

arhantehi . S enart’

s not e, however, is On remarquera 1a reso lut ion anomaledu com o sé : mahantehi dusyayugaSatehi e st pour mahddusya .

”

1 A b inivesena,lit era lly in ent ering in (so. t h e earth) . Abhinivesa in

this case is several t imes used in t h e Maha'

vastu t o denot e a d imension incontrad ist inct ion t o height ,

”e .g. 1 . 1 96 3 . 2 22 , 2 3 2 .

3 Utsada Pa li ussada in this sense , possibly a derivat ive meaning fromthat of prominent ,

” prominence .” See not e p . 6 .

V I S IT T o SU DD HAvAS A D E VAS 51

For the Tathagatas , Arhans , and perfect Buddhas,Maha

Maudgalyayana ,live their lives for the sake o f the world,

doing the things that are hard t o do .

Thus Spoke the Exalt ed One , and the venerab le MahaMaudgalyayanawas enraptured , and rej oiced at what he had said .

Thirty ko tis of Conquerors named Sakyamuni appearedin the world, and eight

-hundred—thousand namedD'

tpamkara .

S ixty thousand named Pradyota .

1 Then three kotisof lion-voiced Buddhas named Puspa .

Eighteen thousand Sugatas of the name Mdradhvajaappeared in the world while [Sakyamuni] lived the holy lifein his desire to attain omniscience .

He adored five hundred S ugatas named Padmottara (62)and two thousand others namedKaundinya .

He adored infinite countless ko tis of nayutas of Pratyekabuddhas , and a thousand Buddhas named f ambudhvaja .

Eighty-four thousand Sugatas named Indradhvaja ,

and

ninety thousand named KasyapaFifteen thousand Sugatas named Pratapa,

and fif teenthousand namedAditya .

S ixty-two hundred Sugatas named Anyonya ,

and sixty-fourthousand named S amitavin .

Therewere these andcountless otherDas‘abalas, 3 nobleKolita ,

3

all lights of the world who had overcome impermanence .

4

All the powers of those who bear the excellent marks of a

Great Man , 0 Kolita, do not come within the time and defini

tion of what is impermanent. 5

1 A lacuna .

3 A name f or th e Buddhas as possessing th e t en powers . See p . 1 26 .

3 I.a— Mah z‘

r-Maudgalyéyana . S ee p . 6 .

4 The t ext and metre are faulty here . S enart's int erpretat ion is t ous

ces flamb eaux du m onde ne peuvent et re énuméré a cause de (not re)impermanence . This , lik e his t ranslat ion of t h e next stanza is somewhat strained , and n o t in k eeping with t h e conclud ing port ion of t his versepassage, t h e burden of which is th e apprehend ing and overcom ing of th e powerof impermanence . The word samitd , which is unint elligible here , has been,in t h e above t ranslat ion , tak en t o conceal some form of t h e causat ive of Sam ,

like samayitvd , f o r example, having suppressed o r overcome . This,

of course,involves reading anityatdm for anitya tdya . S enart assumes in t h e

place of samita some word meaning qui me peut et re énuméré .”5 Anityatdya ,

f or anityatdye , which is demanded by th e met re , is here t ak enas an oblique case used in a genit ive sense . S enart

’

s t ranslat ion is t ousles forces échappent au t emps e t a l

’

énumérat ion , a cause de not reimpermanence . But t h e enumerat ion of a Tathagat a ’ s baldn i , w as, of course,quit e a definit e one, and a commonplace o f Buddhist dogmat ics .

52 T H E MA HAVA S T U

Apprehending the remorseless force of impermanence,(Sakyamuni) as soon as he had worshipped [a Buddha] ,resolutely exerted himself to destroy that power.

An immeasurab le incalculab le kalpa afterwards,Maudgaly

ayana ,there was a perfect Buddha named Ratna,

a Tathagata ,

an Arhan ,a perfect Buddha, proficient in knowledge and

conduct , a Sugata,an unsurpassed knower o f the world, a

driver o f t ameab le men,and a teacher o f devas and men .

At that t ime I was a universal king.

For the exalted Ratna1 I b uilt eighty-four thousand gab ledb uildings, (63 ) b right and fair t o b ehold, made o f the seven

precious sub stances , gold, silver, pearls, b eryl, crystal , whitecoral and rub y. When I had presented these t o the ExaltedOne I made a vow t o win enlight enment . (To which Ratnareplied) , Exalted Buddhas do not pass away until they haveanointed an heir t o the throne . He will b ecome a Buddha

in the world immediat ely after me . As I now proclaim o f

Maitreya ,he will b ecome the Buddha next after me .

This Exal t ed One with his eighty-four thousand disciples

,

lived on for eighty-four cycles o f the world’

s dissolution and

evolution . At each dissolut ion o f the world the Exalted One ,together with his eighty-four thousand disciples , passed into therealm o f the Ab hasvara devas . When the w orld re-evolved

once more ,he cam e int o the world and preached dharma .

And at each such t ime I b ecame a universal king, and b uilt

and presented t o the exalted Ratna eighty-four thousand

gab led b uildings .

This, Mam-Maudgalyayana,

is the resolving career.

And what is the conforming career ? In this career, the great

b eing, the Bodhisattva ,is estab lished in conformity with his

(future ) enlight enment . This,Maha-Maudgalyayana,

is the

conforming career.

And what is the“ persevering career ? Vivartacaryd means

that Bodhisattvas fall away and go again through the round

o f reb irths . Avivartacarya'

means that they are unwaveringlyse t for enlightenment .

1 Here and on t h e next page called Ratnavan .

w T H E MAH AV A S T U

adored by the Kinnara 1 devas (65 ) had made an end of all

the ties that bound him to existence and had passed awaybetween the twin S dl 2 trees , he said,

“

N ow it is not seemlyf orme to go to Gotama , the Tathagata ,

by means of my magic power. A pilgrim on foot will I goto see the peerless sage , the best of speakers .

When he had thus reflected, the wise d’

yapa , the monk

supreme among the many monks , distressed in mind made

hast e and presently came to him who had won finalrelease .

Then d ‘yapa felt an overpowering desire to salute the

Conqueror’

s feet , to salute the great seer’

s feet , by caressingthem with his head.

Four sturdy Mallas 3 had come on the scene carrying large

firebrands fanned to flame , which had been prepared by the

chiefMallas .

The firebrands were carried by the energetic and strongchariot-warriors to the funeral but there they were

at once extinguished as though they had been drenche d with

water.

In doubt and perplexity the Mallas , reverently,obeisantly

and courteously approached Aniruddha,

4 who had a deva’

s

sight , to ask him this question .

“ What, we pray you,is the reason,

what the cause, 0 son

of the Conqueror, that these firebrands which we brought

with us have been suddenly put out P N oble sir,declare

the reason f or this .

”

[Aniruddha replied] The devas , you must know,are

gracious to Kasyapa ,and it is by theforce of his magicpower

that the f lames will not burn before he who has pre-eminencecomes along.

”

1 L it erally a what -d o -you call it man kim nara . For f ormat l on

compare Sansk rit kimsakhi , a b ad friend , e t c . and Pali kimpurisa , a

wild man of t h e wood s . A Kinnara was half man , ha lf beast , o r, as in Pa li ,a bird with man

’

3 head . As in t h e case of other fabulous beings , these weret aken up by lat e Buddhist thought and classed as devas o r re-incarnat ionso f human beings .

2 Sdla o r sala , Shorea robusta .

3 Inhabitant s of Malla , one of th e Sixt een Mah ajanapadas o r provincesof India in G o t ama

’

s t ime . They are generally ident ified with t h e Mallo i‘

of t h e Greek account s of t h e wars of Alexander t h e Great .

4 In Pa li usua lly A nuruddha ,first cousin o f th e Buddha , and one of his

most em inent d isciples .

T H E T E N B HUM IS 55

Thus did the pious Kdéyapa realise his desire to salute

with his head the twofeet of the glorious andmighty Das‘abala ,

the great sage .

And the saintly1 d ‘

yapa ,a son of the Conqueror, honoured

by all the monks, raised his joined hands and went up to

the Conqueror’

s funeral-pile , reverently, with bowed head

and a humble heart .

(67 )When he saw the Tathdgata in all his superb beautylaid out on a funeral-pile

, he exclaimed,Fie on existence

tha t always bears the manifest marks of its true nature .

” 2

What creature is there that comes into exi stence withoutfalling into the power of death, since he who was but latelyradiant as fire and gold, is now extinguished like a lampwithout a light P

The glorious d‘yapa , reverently raising his joined hands

threw himself on his face at the Conqueror’

s feet,and f or

the last time adored the great seer and sage .

Those two feet , adorned with perfect circles , extolled bya ava

3 devas and honoured by Yaks’

a 4 snake-demons

forthwith broke through the funeral-pile .

Taking in his hands the feet of the sage , and bringingthem together over his head

,Kas‘yapa turned5 to the great

and learned sage [Aniruddha] and spoke to him

(68 ) Why, learned friend,are the sage

’

s feet dulled and

not gleaming 9 Tell me the whole cause of it, I pray you .

Why do these feet no longer charm the eyes 9

When he had heard this , the learned and wise [Aniruddha]replied to Katyapa : These cold feet have been soiled bythe f loods of tears of mourners , besmirched by their weeping.

“

S oiled,therefore , by weeping men the great sage

’

s feetdo not now gleam as they used to do . Understand the matter

so , my devout friend.

d ‘yapa ,

his mind full of the greatest reverence f or the

1 Dhu tarajo , see not e p . 5 3 .

3 An a lt ernat ive rendering , favoured by Senart , would be , He exclaimed ,

Fie on exist ence ,’ in a voice that bet rayed h is t rue nature . The posit ion

of iti, however, on which S enart bases his version , is oft en irregular in t h eM aha

‘

vas tu, and it does n o t necessarily support h im , while th e sent iment

of th e next stanza seems t o support t h e t ranslat ion given above .

3 A name fo r th e Asuras , as being descendant s of Danu .

‘1 See not e p . 2 5 .

5 An tikdvacara santika'

vacara , k eeping or b eing near.

56 T H E MA H AV A S T U

Master, fell on his face , andagain and again caressed with his

hands the S age’

s feet which were marked with perfect circles .

As soon as the Master’

s feet had been saluted by the piousand virtuous Kas‘yapa , the funeral pyre of the Lord of theworld went up inflames , fanned by a gust of wind.

(69 )As the moon-like body of the Conqueror was burningthe five hundred holy men came up and together recited a

chant as he passed away

He who bore the excellent marks of a Great Man has

passed away,he who was our Master

, the guide of Suras1

and Asuras . What does it profit us to tarry in the world

any longer 9 Let us now abandon our bodies .

We have entirely accomplished our duties we have

attained griefless endless permanence , having passed throughall the various lives . Let us then

,even here and now,

passaway.

When they had thus spoken ,Ka

'

s’

yapa ,pure in his piety,

said to the holy men ,N 0

,my friends , you cannot here and

now pass away,immune from any source of rebirth .

“

For,if you did, sectarians and heretics would arise and

do harm to the peerless doctrine . This is the occasion of theSramana

’

s2cremation ,

and that is all we are concerned with .

“

Those world-saviours , those many lion-hearted men ,

(7 0 ) the wise and valiant yet to come,could not appear

exultantly in the world if the Master’

s teaching were not

unified.

3

“

Therefore, without a break and in Perfect unison ,recite

the S ugata’

s excellent teaching, so that this recital well and

truly made, may long have bright renown among men and

devas .

”

“

S o be it, said these holy men , heeding d’

yapa’

s words .

And they pondered then ,

“

In what place, now ,shall be held

the assembly of those who believe in the dharma P

1 Gods of Hindu mythology as opposed t o Giant s (Asuras) . Thename is formed from asura (as-ura ) on t h e false assumpt ion that t h e lat t erw as a negat ive format ion . Cf . not e p . 2 4 .

3 I.e . t h e Buddha ,t h e ascet ic o r recluse

, par excellence .

3 S ankaliya um opt at if passif de sankal dans le sens d ’

accumuler, ’

réunir (Senart ) . S om e form o f samskri m ak e perfect (cf . sasanakard,p . 7 1 ) o r of sanklip would be expect ed here . Not e that one MS .

h as samkariya .

1 Maru, a frequent synonym fo r deva.

T H E T E N B H UM IS 57

Let it be in the pleasant luxuriant grove near the fair cityof Rajagriha that is the capital of Magadha

’

s lord,in the

grotto named S aptaparna .

“

On the northern slope of Mount Vaihdya , on a rockysurfaced spot of earth shaded by divers trees . There let the

council of dharma be held.

Then,strong by their mastery of magic power(7 1 ) those

sons of the Conqueror instanteously rose up in the air, and

flew like a flock of flamingoes on their way to lake Mdnasa .

1

Alighting on the slope of the fair mountain they entered

the forest and there sat down . When the Sugata’

s teachinghad been recited bands of celestial drums crashedforth .

And when they who were establishing the Sugata’

s teachingheard the echoing sound of the drums and saw the terrible

quaking of the earth ,they spoke thus to the saintly d ‘

yapa :“ Why, pious friend, does the earth with its oceans and its

streams tremble Why do celestial drums joyfully resound 9

And why are celestial garlands strewn around 9

And the pious Kd§yapa replied to the holy sons of theConqueror

“

These companies of devas have assembled

because they have heard the harmonious recital of the doctrine .

“

These assembled devas,themselves characterised by noble

harmony, reverently rejoice, and do honour to the Peerless

One . (72) Eager were they to hear2 the whole harmonious

doctrine .

“

For after many a hundred kalpas of existence,during

the long night he conceived this thought3f or the benefit and

welfare of devas and men‘Free myself , I will set men free .

’

‘I , who have won the highest good that is beyond grief,

and the cessation of the ill of rebirth in all states, f or the

benefit of devas and men will set rolling the wondrous wheel

of dharma in the city of the d’

is .

’

“ With those five sages , the supreme guide of those who

preach the Vinaya delivered hosts of devas and nayutas

of k o tis of beings from rebirth and death .

“

He, the lion-hearted man ,

the Exalted One, who gave

1 A sacred lak e , t h e resort o f wild geese and swans, on Mount Ka ilasa ,

in th e Himalayas , t h e hom e o f Kuvera and Siva . Cf . Meghaduta , 7 and 1 1 .

3 Le pot ent iel Srinuya comport e un nuance de désir (S enart ) .3 A bhyupagata fo r t h e usua l cittamabhyupagata .

58 T H E MA H AV A S T U

happy release to men and devas who were wont to be fondof existence, having crushed all his adversaries , has now

passed away without regret .”

When the hosts of devas hovering in the air had heard

this entrancing discourse of the pious d ‘yapa , they joyfully

uttered these heart-delighting words

Hail,hail to him who is an expert in piety, (7 3 ) who is

the infallible expositor of the Master’

s teaching. You have

proclaimed the worth of him whose wisdom is infinite . Men

and devas have found joy in the excellent Conqueror.

1

“

For he is supreme among devas and men . He is the

Foremost Man ,

2 the mighty sage, the unsurpassed refuge ,the Lord

,he who has discerned the truth f or the sake of

living beings .

“

He whose virtues are sung here , the knowing Dasabala ,has

shown that the skandhas 3 are but as a lightning’

s flash , as a

bubble of air, or as the snow-whitefoam on the crest of a wave.

“

He whose virtues are sung here , the Foremost Man ,has

shown the pleasures of sense to be like a black serpent ’s head,

like aflashing‘1sword, and like cups full of poison .

By his perfectly sound beliefs he saw the unfluctuatingbliss beyond, and out of his joy in charity he ungrudginglyrevealed the wonder of it.

“

As a glow-worm loses its brightness when the sun rises ,

(74 ) and no longer glistens ,5so

, when the light-bringing

Conqueror arises fickle heretics lose their lustre .

Behold, he who had won perfect strength in magic power,he who was a lord with a Conqueror

’

s might , possessed ofclear insight, a Buddha

,the eye of the world,

6radiant like

an orb of gold,has passed away .

1 The t ext has j etavane in Jeta Grove , b u t , as Senart point s out , Jet aGrove is obviously out of place in this scene . Senart suggest s that t h e rightread ing should be j inavare , and this has been adopt ed for t h e t ranslat ion .

3 Agrapurusa , see not e p . 4 .

3 The element s o r subst rat a of sensory exist ence , sensorial aggregat eswhich cond it ion t h e appearance of life in any form (Pali Dictionary, s .v .

khandhay1 Ra ccha , which Senart t ak es t o be a Prakrit form o f ra ksa .

5 The sam e Sim ile , in very much t h e same words, is found in Uddna , p . 7 3 .

(The t ranslat or owes this reference t o Miss I. B . Hom er . )3 L ocanam bhagava tasya ,

lit era lly th e eye o f t h e Exalt ed Onebhagavatasya must be regarded as a genit ive of definit ion , so that t h e phraseis equivalent t o t h e Exalt ed One w ho is t h e eye (se . o f the world ) . Cf .

lokapradyota and not e p . 3 7 .

T H E T E N B H UM IS 59

Fie on those existences which are like autumn clouds ,

or like cities of sand, since he who possessed a store of virtuesand an ocean of consummate wisdom,

has passed away.

“

For a hundred causes and reasons the Guide roars the

roar of a lion-man ,as he sees that no death will again follow

his life . N o greater truth than this exists .

The sky was gay with garlands of celestial blossoms whilethis hymn of praise to the Sugata was sung. Pervaded bythe essence of celestial sandalwood the sky was fragrant withambrosial perfume.

Then the venerab le Maha-Maudgalyayana addressed the

venerab le Maha-Kasyapa , O son o f the Conqueror, said h e ,

set the holy men t o examine those in the assemb ly whose

minds are assailed by doub t . (7 5 ) And so Kasyapa said t o

Aniruddha , Upali, the elder Alakundala-Bhattiya , and Sun

darananda :

0 sons of the Conqueror, examine the minds of thoseassembled andfind out who is doubting and on what matter.

And they,experienced in the Conqueror

’

s teaching,

obeyed, and said S o be it .”They can see the minds of others

as clearly as a fruit held in their hands .

To the holy Pralambabdhu d‘yapa said, Create at once

an arena on the summit of Mount Gridhrakuta .

“

Eighteen thousand have come together f or the assembly.

Call up your magic power to scrutinise them all.

To the holy Vicintacuta d’

yapa said,“ Create at once

in the sky clouds that shall be as rich in water as the Ganges .

“

Everywhere let flowers of divers scents spread their

fragrance , andforthwith cause the smell of raw human fleshto disappear.

”

To the holy man named Haryaksa d’

yapa said, 0 son

of the Sugata , quickly exert your concentration to prevent thegoods of householders being lost .To the holy man Varuna Kas

‘yapa said, Keep away

from men banefulflies and gnats .

(76)To the holy man Ajakarna d'

yapa said, Keepawayfrom men hunger and thirst and sickness .

And the sons of the Conqueror obeyed d yapa , saying

S o be it,

and bestirred themselves to the tasks ordained them

60 T H E MA H AVA S T U

Then the elder d yapa said to Katydyana , Speak ofthe careers of the great-hearted kings of dharma .

”

When this had been said, the wise and noble-born Kdtyd

ayna ,in reply to KdSyapa

’

s question , spoke of the careers

of the Buddhas .

“

Hear, O son of the Conqueror, the careers , set out in due

order, of the all-seeing Buddhas whose conduct is unsullied.

“

Verily, 0 son of the Conqueror, there are ten b h i'

imis

f or the Bodhisattvas What are the ten 9“

The first is called duréiroha,

2 the second b addhamana,the third puspamandita,

Thefourth rucira, thefif th cit tavistara, the sixth rfipavat i ,the seventh durjaya,

The eighth is called janmanideSa the ninth derives its

namefrom yauvarajya ,and the tenthfrom abhiseka . These

are the ten bhilmis .

(7 7 )When Kdtydyana had so spoken in verse , the learned

d’

yapa then , following his purpose, 3 addressed this in

comparable exhortation to Katydyana .

“

Tell me now the manner of the transitions from t i

to b humi, and how the glorious Bodhisattvas lapse‘1as they

pass from one life to another.

“

And how do these choice beings5 advance" ? This tell me .

And say what their dispositions are .

“

How do they who are endued with the essence of being7

convert beings ? How do they give alms P All this explainto me .

“

Do you, who have seen Buddhas and can speak with

charm , tellme their names and origin . Thus spoke d ‘yapa .

1 Lacuna .

3 These names mean respect ively, Diffi cult t o ent er, Fa st ening .

Adorned with flowers Beaut iful ,” Expansion of th e heart ,” Lovely,Difficult t o conquer, Ascert a inment of birth ,

”Inst allat ion as Crown

Prince ,” and Coronat ion .

”S ee H ar Daya l : The Bodhisattva Doctrine in

Buddhist S anskrit L iterature pp . 2 7 3 ff .3 L it era lly fo r this purpose, ityartham.

1 vivartante t urn away .

3 S attvasdrd , i .e . th e Bodhisat tvas . Cf . M . 3 . 69 , sattasdrd applied t opaccek ab uddh as .

S amvartante Come t o be ,”

arise , e tc . Both this verb and vivartan te

are here used in more o r less their lit eral sense , without reference , that is ,t o their specia l applicat ion t o denot e , respect ively, t h e evolut ion and

d issolut ion ” of a cycle of t h e world . (See not e p .

7 S attvasamanvitd , same as sattvasdrd .

62 T H E MA H AV A S T U

(79 )The Bodhisattvas delight in generosity,and themselves

become objects of pity.

1 Although overwhelmed by ills , yet

in their wisdom they turn f or consolation to the words and

virtues of the sweetly-speaking Exalted Ones . Thus do these

beings live in theirfirst b hfimi.

judging the doctrines which pass current to be without

substance , and realising what human afiection is,they

abandon the world, deeming it a thing of straw . They amass

virtue through enduring bitter suflerings .

There is one reason whyBodhisattvas lapse in their second

bhumi. What is that one ? They come t o cont emplat e lifewith satisfaction . There are two reasons why Bodhisattvas

lapse in the second bhumi . What are the two They b ecome

lust ful and indolent through indulgence in sensual pleasures .

Again ,there are three reasons why Bodhisattvas lapse in their

second bhumi . What are the thre e ? They b ecome covet ous ,

t imid and weak-willed . There are Six reas ons whyBodhisattvas

who have lived2 in the first bhumi lapse in the second bhumi .

What are the S ix ? They live w ithout b eing conscious o f the

impermanence o f things . They b ecome addict ed t o harmfulness . They b ecome inveterat e hat ers . They b ecome gross

and sluggish ,and immersed in the affairs o f the world . 0 son o f

the Conqueror, (80 ) Bodhisattvas who have lapsed ,are lapsing,

and will lapse do so for these twelve reasons,and for no o ther.

”

When this had b een said,the venerab le Maha-Kasyapa

asked the venerab le Maha-Katyayana ,O son o f th e Conqueror

how great merit do the Bodhisat tvas,b o th those who

lapse ,and tho se who do no t , generat e when they first conceive

the thought , May we b ecome perfect BuddhasWhen this was said ,

the venerab le Maha-Katyayana repliedt o the venerab le Mahé -Kasyapa ,

Behold ,O son o f the

Conqueror, he who vows t o win enlight enment generates richer

merit than he who Should present the DaSab alas with Jamb udvipa and it s hoard o f the seven precious sub stances .

0 son o f the Conqueror, he wh o vows t o win enligh t enment

generat es richer merit than he who Should give the Das’

ab alas

the four cont inents with their heaps o f j ewels . O 5 0 11 o f the

1 Karundyarndnd . In view o f th e cont ext this mean 1ng seems t o be r ight lypreferred by S enart t o t h e other sense o f t h e word , full o f compassion .

3 Lit erally have stood , sthitd.

T H E F I R S T B H U M I 63

Conqueror, he who vows t o w in enlightenment generates richer

merit than he who Sh ould give the virtuous Buddhas all the

three thousand universes with their st ores o f t reasures and

riches . O 5 0 11 o f the Conqueror, he who vows t o win enligh t en

ment generat es richer merit than he who Sh ould o ffer theSaviours o f the w orld whole universes as numerous as the sands

o f the river Ganges , and all filled with heaps o f precious st ones .

0 son o f the Conqueror, he who vows t o win enlight enment

generates richer merit than he who sh ould honour Foremost

Men 1 by giving them whole universes as numerous as the sands

o f the ocean ,and al l their varied precious st ones .

And why 2 Because these are not the purposes of ordinarymen . Because it is f or the sake of mankind that these valiantmen form their wishes .

When this had b een said ,the venerab le Maha-Kasyapa

asked the venerab le Maha-Katyayana ,

“

Again , O son o f the

Conqueror, (81 ) do those Bodhisat tvas who continue in un

wavering progress3 make their first vow when theyhave acquired

merits, or when they have acquired the roo ts o f goodness ?

When this had b een said ,the venerab le Maha-Katyayana

replied to the venerab le Maha-Kasyapa in verse3

First they worship the glorious Tathdgatas with great

reverence , but not yet do these supreme men turn their thoughtstowards becoming a Foremost Man .

These wise men honour ko tis'

of Pratyekabuddhas , men

,who have won the highest good,

but not yet do they turn

their thoughts to a knowledge of the whole dharma .

They worship ko tis of those who have won mastery over

all the powers ,‘1 long since reached perfect mastery,but not

yet do these leaders turn their thoughts to crossing the ocean

of knowledge .

But when they have laid up abundant store of merit , andhave body and mind well developed,

they approach the

beautiful Buddhas , turn their thoughts towards enlightenment ,(and say

1 Agrapudgalds . S ee not e p . 3 9 .

3 Avaivartikatdyai par indrnen ti W 1t h S enart , t ak ing t h e verb a s a

denominat ive from parindma,change , t ransformat ion ,

” progress .3 Some of these verses have alread y occurred on p . 4 6

—7 of t ext .

‘1 See footnot e p . 1 26 .

m T H E MA H AV A S T U

By the root of goodness I have laid in store may I have

insight into all things . (82) May not the realisation of myvow be deferred too long, but may my vow be fulfilled.

“ May my store of the root of goodness be great enough

f or all living things . Whatever evil deed has been done by me ,may I alone reap its bitterfruit.

When this had b een said, the venerab le Maha-Kasyapa askedthe venerab le Maha-Katyayana , How , 0 son o f the Conqueror,do those Bodhisat tvas who do not lapse

, b ecome st eadfastand b rave

When this had b een said ,the venerab le Maha-Katyayana

replied t o the venerab le Maha-Kasyapa in verse

“

If I am doomed to dwell in Avici from this moment

to that in which I am to become aware of the ultimate truth ,

I shall go through with it , nor shall I withdraw my vow

to win omniscience . Such is my resolve .

“

Although I could quit the round of birth,death , grief

and tribulation ,I should not let my mind waver. Though

overwhelmed with ills , I would bring blessings to the world

of men . S uch is the courage and strength of these sturdymen .

When this had b een said ,the venerab le Maha~KaSyapa

asked the venerab le Maha-Katyayana ,

“

Again , O son o f the

Conqueror, when a Bodhisat tva who does no t lapse firstconceives the thought o f enlightenment what marvellous (83 )portents are then seen

When this had b een said,the venerab le Maha-Katyayana

replied t o the venerab le Maha-KéiSyapa in verse

When the vow of these , the world’

s foremost men ,is made

f or the first time , then the jewel-bearing earth , with its cities,

towns,and rivers , shouts f or joy.

A radiant splendour like that of the star of day is shed

over all the regions of space, when a vow is first made to winthe qualities of the lion-man .

Hosts of exulting Suras exclaim to one another,‘This infinitely

exalted1 man vows to win the qualities of the lion-man .

’

1 Anantavudagro , i e ananta ndagra . The MS S . have °vudagro , b ut

’

th e

met re requires °vud Senart considers t h e v due t o a Pa li habit of

prefixing it t o an init 1a l u,

” which is a t t h e same t ime lengthened . Hecompares Pa li vupasama

,wh ich he holds, is no t from vi upa b ut d irect ly

from upasarna .

T H E F I R S T B H I’

IM I 65

We must cherish him, f or, surpassing in might , and

being a creator of bliss, he lays up a store of bliss f or the sakeof the world. This is the marvel that then comes to pass .

When this had b een said the venerab le Maha-Kasyapaas ked the venerab le Maha-Katyayana , O son o f the Conquerorhow many arduous t asks are performed b y Bodhisat tvas

who do no t lapse ,when they are in the first bhiimi

When this had b een said , the venerab le Maha-Katyayanareplied t o the venerab le Maha-K

‘

asyapa in verse

These brave men,who have set their faces towards omnis

cience,do not give way to idle regret when they have given up

dear wives and beloved sons , their heads and their eyes , their

jewels , carriages and beds .

(84 )Though they are sentenced to be flogged, bound and

scourged by violent men whose minds are bent on foul deeds ,they regard these men with hearts full of meekness and

friendliness , and, innocent though they are, speak to them

with gentle words .

When they see a mendicant full of pride and conceit , the

great men experience a thrill of joy . For, by giving him alms,

they become elated at the access of virtue . They do not fallinto remorse . These then are the austerities of the Bodhisattvas .

1

Here ends the First Bhumi in the Mahdvastu-Avaddna .

1 Text corrupt . Senart print s t h e pada as followsPascattapo na tu tapan ti taponirdsa

'

iti,

and t ranslat es ils me se livrent pas , apres cela ,aux aust érit és , d ésespérant ,

comme ils font , de l’

aust erit é .

” He assumes that tapas (tap o ) w as wronglywrit t en ,

in most MS S . ,because o f th e preced ing pascdt , t h e compound

pascattapa being a common t erm fo r remorse . But t h e avoidance of remorseo r regret on t h e part o f Bodhisat tva s is oft en dwelt on (see e .g . , t h e preced ingpage) , and that idea can be expressed here by read ing paécdnutdpam aft ert h e analogy o f t h e Pa li pacchdnu tdpa (inst ead of t h e regular Sanskritpascdttdpa ,

which would be unmet rica l here) . One MS . , indeed , seem s t ohave a rem iniscence o f th e syllable an of anu . Such an emendat ion , a lso

,

does n o t require t h e change of patan ti, on which all MS S . seem t o be agreed ,

int o tapanti . Consonant with t h e sense given by this emended form , t h e

lat t er half of t h e pdda is conj ect ura lly emended int o tapdmsi tam iti, so thatt h e whole pdda adopt ed fo r t ranslat ion read s

Paicdnutdpamna patanti, tapdmsi tdni iti.

That is t o say,t h e verse closes by summ ing up t h e arduous t ask s

o r aust erit ies o f t h e Bodhisat tvas in their first bhumi , when it is t o o soont o Speak o f their ineffect iveness . The t one o f th e whole passage rather st ressestheir va lue .

66 T H E MA H AV A S T U

THE SECOND 13 116MI

Then the elder d ‘yapa said to Mahd-Kdtydyana ,

0

great being, you have given an alluring description of thefirst b hfimi.

“

N ow tell me, O son of the Supreme Man

,what state of

heart is born in the Bodhisattvas immediately on their passinginto the second b h iimi

“ What are their dispositions in the second b hiimi ? O

son of the Conqueror, describe to me this b hfimi exactly as

it is .

”

Then the elder Ka’

tya'

yana replied to d ‘yapa ,

I shall

relate an entrancing description of the Bodhisattvas .

(85 )“

Now,in Bodhisattvas as they pass on into the second

b humi there is born first of all an aversion to all formsof existence . Of this there is no doubt .

O son Of the Conqueror, the dispositions o f Bodhisat tvas ,

who are in their second bhumi, are as follow . They are good ,

amiab le , s weet , keen , b ountiful, charming,pro found , whole

hearted,

1 imperturb ab le, dist inguished ,

3 lo fty,nob le ,

3reso lut e

,

sincere , pure , st eadfast , independent , cont ent ed, and int ent on

the Foremost Man‘1 and th e infiniteIn what way,

my pious friend ,are thedisposit ions o f th e

Bodhisattvas good

It is said

In no way whatsoever do they harbour doubt of the Buddha ,

dharma ,and S angha . Thus is their disposition shown to

be good.

In what way,my pious friend , are the disposit ions o f the

Bodhisat tvas amiab le

1 Aparyddinna ,lit era lly, n o t t ak en possession o f . In Pal1 however,

pariyddinna ,a s a passive part iciple , means exhaust ed

,o r finished .

”

But it h as also a m idd le force , losing cont rol over,” overcome (usua lly°ci tta ) . The above t ranslat ion whole—heart ed ,

” is based on this lat t er use

in Pa li .3 A sa

’

dhdrana no t general ,” uncommon .

3 Akripana ,n o t m iserable .

4 Agrapudgala , se e not e p . 3 9 . The t ext here, however, and on p . 88

h as pudgala Simply .

T H E S E C O N D B H HM I 67

It is said”

Though their bodies be rent, their spirit is not angered.

Thus is their disposition shown to be amiable and meek.

In what way,my pious friend ,

are the dispositions o f the

Bodhisattvas sweet

It is said

(86)These supreme men practise actions that are inwardlyvirtuous .

1 Thus are the dispositions of these devout men

In what way,my pious friend , are the dispositions o f the

Bodh isat tvas keen

It is said”

They have clear vision and have their thoughts fixed on

the world beyond as well as on this . Thus are the dispositionsof these pure men keen .

In what way,my pious friend,

are the disposit ions o f the

Bodhisat tvas b ountiful

It is said

They lay up a store of great good f or the welf are of all

creatures . Thus are the dispositions of these supreme seers

bountiful .In what way, my pious friend ,

are the disposit ions o f the

Bodhisattvas charming“

It is said

Ungrudgingly they give charming and heart-delighting

gifts . Thus are the dispositions'

of these men who perceivethe highest good,

charming.

In what way,my pious friend, are the disposit ions o f the

Bodhisat tvas wh ole-hearted

It is said”

Their hearts are whole,2 their insight

3 lends them courage .

Thus is their disposition said to be whole-hearted.

1 O r, act ions within t h e bounds Of virt ue , an ta : kus’

alakarma'

n i . But

S enart cit es Pa li an tokilesx in support of t h e m eaning rendered above .3 Aparyddinnacit ttd , see not e p . 66 .

3 Pra tivedha ,Pali pa tivedha ,

lit . piercing .

68 T H E MA H AV A S T U

In what way, my pious friend , are the dispositions o f the

Bodhisattvas imperturb ab le

It is said

N o malevolent man can suppress them. Thus are their

dispositions entirely unperturbed.

In what way,my pious friend

, are the disposit ionso f the Bodhisattvas distinguished

It is said

When a man conceives no other resolve but that of benefitingall creatures , people regard this as no common thing.

In what way,my pious friend, are the disposit ions o f the

Bodhisattvas lo ftyIt is said

When they hear a heretic, they ignore him and go their

way. Thus are the dispositions of these lion-hearted men

In what way,my pious friend, are the disposit ions o f the

Bodhisat tvas nob le

It is said

In their wisdom they do not gather as being good those

things which have to do with the pleasures of sense . Thus

are their dispositions always noble .

In what way,my pious friend, are the dispo sitions Of the

Bodhisattvas resolute

It is said

Having made a resolve to win Buddha-hood,they are not

distracted1 from it by indulgence in pleasures of sense . Thus

are the ir dispositions said to be resolute .

In what way,my pious friend, are the dispositions o f the

Bodhisattvas sincere

It is said

In no way do they envy saintly Pratyekabuddhas . Thus

are their dispositions always sincere .

1 N a avakiryan te , lit erally they are no t scat t ered from it . Compareavaktrnin, break ing a vow o f chast ity .

”

7 0 T H E MA H AV A S T U

They do not aim at great wealth ,the prosperity that comes

through miserliness .

1 Thus do these highest of men becomeintent on what is infinite .

With all these twenty dispositions , the noble and true men ,

experienced in all things , are giftedwith beautiful dispositions .

With these twenty dispositions , then ,my pious friend

,

are the Bodhisat tvas endow ed .

When this had b een said , th e venerab le Maha-Kasyapa asked

the venerab le Maha-Katyayana , O son Of the Conquerorin what ways do Bodhisat tvas who are in their second bhiimi

lapse and fail t o reach the third ? 2

The venerab le Maha-Katyayana replied t o the venerab le

Maha-Kasyapa , Bodhisat tvas who are in th eir Second bhiimi

lapse and fail t o reach the third for twenty-eight reas ons .

What are the twenty-eight Bodh isat tvas come t o set a value

on gain ,honour, and fame .

3 They b ecome dishonest . Theyb uild up prosperity b y unjust means . They Speak angrily t o

their teachers,and do no t ab ide respect ful‘1 t o the Triad

o f Treasures .

5 They do no t look for aBodhisattva’

s charact er

in those they deem w orthy o f o fferings . Though they have

reached the stage o f a Bodhisat tva’

s career they do no t dulyhonour it . They do no t Shoulder the b urden which b efit s thehighest h onour, b ut cont inue under one which does no t so

1 L it era lly m iserly prosperity,addnagunasampaddm (acc . with tw o

MSS . f o r t h e nom . of th e t ext ) . With addnaguna , cf . Pa li addnasila , ofmiserly charact er.

”S enart

’

s int erpret at ion is d ifferent ils me désirentpas d e grand s biens , Si ce n ’est d es t résors de charit é e t de vertu .

3 The account of t h e lapsing of th e Bodhisat t vas a ft er their first bhumi(se e p . 7 9 ) is quit e int elligible, that is , Bodhisat t vas who have lived (s thitc

'

is)t hrough their first bhumi lapse in t h e second . Bu t lapses in succeed ingbhumis are no t so clearly described . The expression used with regard t o themis Bodhisa t t vas w h o are (vartamands ) in a cert a in bhumi lapse in (loc . case)t h e next .

” This leaves it Obscure a s t o which b h t‘tmi t h e fault s are incurredin . Either we must no t pres s t oo closely t h e present force of t h e part iciplevartamdnds , b u t t ak e it as pract ically equivalent t o s thitds (above) , o r wemust give t h e second locat ive bhumau an ablat iva l force, i .e . those wh o havesuccess fully lived through one bhumi lapse f rom t h e next . The t ranslat ionabove is a comprom ise between these a lt ernat ives . Compare Har Dayal : TheBodhisattva Doctrine in Buddhis t S an skrit Literature who int erpret s t h e

r

fi

nean ing as fa il t o arise t o (a succeed ing bhttmi) and abide in it (pp . 2 7 3

3 Ldbhaguruka , e t c . Senart cit es a sim ilar use of guruka in t h e L o tus

f - Compare a lso t h e use Of th e Pali equivalent garuka in such compoundsas kammagaruka ,

at t ribut ing importance t o k amma (Pali‘1 Citrikdra , which S enart t ak es t o be t h e Buddhist Sanskrit form based

on a fa lse ana logy,of t h e Pa li cittikdra

,respect ,” considerat ion .

5 I.e Buddha ,Dharma ,

Sangha .

T H E S E C O N D B H HM I 7 1

b eht .

1 They are no t averse to dwelling in a crowd . Theyb ecome fond o f garlands , fine clo thes , j ewels and Ointment s . (90 )They b ecome sat isfied with lit t le merit . They find constant

delight in the charm o f the world . They do no t regard all

elements as impermanent . They b ecome engrossed with their

own corporeal b eauty. They do no t ab andon perverteddoctrines . They do no t preserve intact the word and the let t er

as they have b een preached. They b ecome niggardly in their

teaching.

3 They turn their eyes away from the almsman’

s b owl

and get nothing in it . They b ecome ob stinat e in their opinions .

3 They do no t make a thorough scrutiny o f things .

My pious friend, all those Bodhisat tvas in the second

bhumi who lapse and fail t o reach the third , do so in thesetwenty-eigh t ways .

Following is the t radition on this sub ject

Such is the description of the second b hfimi of the Bodhisattvas , who , with store of varied merits , live happy f or theworld

’

s sake ,

Of both those who lapse through their faults , as related,and

of those who , in their wisdom,do not lapse as they pass on

Patient and wise they take the path of courage that is $0

dizficult to traverse ,4and through many a tribulation theyfare

along it out of compassion f or the world.

1 The t ext here, if no t corrupt , is at least Obscure . A tireka excessiveis a st range epithet t o apply t o t h e highest honour, i .e enlight enment ,which Bodhisat t vas aim at . The force o f prdpyam and aprdpyam , respect ively,as applied t o bhdram,

burden , a lso is no t clear . Senart t rans lat es themby light and int olerable , respect ively, un fardeau léger (c

’

est a d irele fardeau de t out es les bonnes oeuvres qui mérit ent l ’int e lligence supreme ,fardeau rela t ivement léger aux yeux d ’

un buddhist e , etc — aweak explanat ionin V iew of t h e o f t -repeat ed theme O f t h e d iffi culty Of at t aining enlight enment ,or supreme honour . It seem s bet t er, therefore, t o tak e prdpya in it s lit era lsense o f suit able ,

” fit t ing,” proper t o ,

”and natura lly governing th e

dat ive °

pujdye .

3 D esdndmatsarinas . Cf . Pa li dhammamacchariyam (D . 3 . 2 3 4 ) meannessin [monopolising learnt ] t ru ths (Rhys David s) .

3 Ka thinasamtanas— a very unusua l compound . The usual figurat ive senseo f kathina st iff ,

”rigid ,

”etc. ) is cruel,” hard (e .g. of th e heart ) .

Here it is applied t o Opinion o r idea ,

” if, t hat is, sanitdna can havethat sense , and Senart adm it s that he knows no other example of this useof th e word . But may no t th e righ t read in g be someth ing lik e kathamkathinasdoubt ing, or kathamkathasamaptds , affl ict ed with doubt P‘1 Durdroham , t h e ad j ect ive which also gives it s name t o th e second bhumi.

72 T H E MA HAV A S T U

All these Tathagatas who are honoured of devas and men

pass through the manifold ills that precede knowledge .

Wisely they adapt themselves to the world with its diverselements , and so their renown goes forth in the worlds ofdevas and men .

Here ends the second bhumi o f the Mahdvastu-Avadana .

THE THIRD BHfiMI

(91 )When this had b een said , the venerab le Maha-Kasyapaasked the venerab le Maha-Katyayana , O son Of the Best

o f Men , what state o f heart exist s in Bodhisattvas as theypass on from the second bhiZmi t o the third

Then the elder Kdtydyana replied to Ka's'yapa ,Hear what

the unsurpassed state of heart of the Bodhisattvas is whichlinks up

1 the . two t is .

O venerable son of the Conqueror, the hearts of Bodhisattvasas they pass from the second b humi to the third are set on

renunciation

These lords of men rende r happy the condition of all

creatures but they do this in no wi se f or the sake of theirown well-being,

nor f or the sake of enlightenment .They buy one verse of a wise saying

3 with the sacrificeof wife and child. .

3

1 S andhicitta— a st range expression , th e only para llel t o which t hat isknown t o S enart is sandhydbhdsya in t h e L o tus , t ranslat ed by Burnout (p . 3 4 3 )a s le langage énigmat ique . This parallelism , if it is anything more thanforma l , would require fo r t h e Mahdvas tu expression some t ranslat ion otherthan t hat given above . The t erm occurs t o o persist ent ly t o adm it Of anydoubt as t o it s correctness . N ow , th e Mahdvastu does no t define t h e t empora lo r Spat ia l relat ions o f th e severa l bhumis , b u t it would seem that there w as

conceived t o be some int ermed iat e st age between every tw o o f them . As,

then , th e Bodhisat t va ’ s citta , o r st at e o r d isposit ion o f t h e heart , within eachb humi is so fully described , it becomes necessary t o describe his cit ta whenhe is in t h e int ervening st age, o r in process Of passing from on e bhumi t o

another .

3 S ubhdsitd ga'

thd a well-spok en verse .

3 A lacuna , represent ing t h e second half of t his st anza and that of th enext one . The first half o f t h e lat t er is evident ly t h e int roduct ion t o a shortt a le which

,on t h e analogy o f t h e following, relat ed an example o f t h e

Bodhisa t tva ’ s self-sacrifice . But it is t o o fragment ary t o be t ransla t ed .

The next tw o st anzas are th e subhdsitd gdthd which he won by this selfsacrifice .

T H E T H I R D B H U M I 7 3

There are obstacles of jungle, of hostile f orces , and ofmountains , but the real obstacles f or man are his fickle and

restless passions 1 which stifle charity .

“

There are obstacles of weeds , of undergrowth ,of brambles

and reeds , which choke trees,but the obstacles in the way

of man are falsehood, guile and slander.

2

(92)This single verse of a wise saying was bought by a

Bodhisattva when he was yearning f or the ultimate truth .

3

A certain brdhman approached a seer,1a lord of men ,

and said to him,

“

I have here an exhilarating verse of a

wi se saying.

“

The price of it is your head. The seer, ready to sacrificehis head, replied, Quickly tell me

,brdhman , this verse of

a wi se saying.

[The b rahman recited]“

If those who yearn f or a Bodhisattva’

s career,happen

to commit an unseemly deed,it does not become manifest ,

being obscured by the force of abundant merit, as an oil-lampis dimmed by the rays of the sun .

”

A raksasa5said to a certain king named S urupa

,I have

here a stanza of a wise saying f or sale, if you want to buy it .“

As the price of it I would have your son, your queen

and yourself to devour. Take it if you can , f or this verse

is compact with dharma .

King Surupa ,free from bondage to the world and full of

reverence f or dharma ,replied

,

“

Take what you want,and

let me have the verse . Complete the bargain without delay .

”

1 Vandn i— an example o f a play o n words Vana in t h e first line is t ak enlit era lly in it s sense of j ungle o r forest , b ut here it is equat ed with Pa livana (from vana ti , vanati t o desire lust , ” desire .

”It is a common

place O f Pa li exegesis t o expla in th e m eaning of th e first vana with referencet o th e second . S ee Pali Dictionary, s .v.

3 A lacuna, represent ing probably t h e gdthd subhdsitd referred t o in th e

next stanza .

3 The second stanza on this page is om it t ed as it is obviously corrupt .

It forms a part only, and an obscure one at that , of th e account ofa t ransact ion between a Bodhisat tva and a snak e-charmer, who h as a subhdsitd

gd thd for sale .

‘1 Risideva . Deva can here be no more than an h onorific t erm . Risi,simply, is used below .

5 One of a class o f demons, generally haunt i ng t h e wat er, and nocturnaland harmful in their habit s .

74 T H E MA H AV A S T U

(93 )Then the rdksasa recit ed this verse Of a wise saying“ It is better to dwell in the hells tha t throb with lamentations 1

where one meets people one wishes f ar away,and is separated

from the people one loves , than in the society of wicked men .

A pisaca 3 said to a king’

s minister named S anjaya ,

“

Give

me your heart and hear in return a verse of a wise saying.

”

Without a tremor the brave S anjaya replied,

“

I give you

my heart . Speak that verse of a wise saying.

”

Then the pisaca recited this verse o f a Wise sayingAs the fire that burns when grass and wood are set alight

never stops burning, so craving is never assuaged by indulgencein sensual pleasures .

A certain poorman said to a merchant named Vasundhara ,

This verse of a wise saying will be given you in return f orall you possess .

The Bodhisat tva replied“ I give you all I have . Speak the verse of a wise saying.

For the good praise what is well-spoken in accordance with

Then the poor man recited this verse o f a wise saying

Whenmen are foolishplenty is changed to de arth . (94 )Buta single wise man transforms dearth to plentyA certain man said to a king named S urupa

,At the

price of jambudvipa you may hear a verse of a wise saying.

”

The Bodhisattva replied“ I give you jambudvipa and all you desire . Quickly

speak this verse of a wise saying, truly say what you will.

Then the man recited this verse o f a wise saying“ When egotism, selfishness , passion 3 and pride prevail,

then Tathagatas appear in the world to quell themA certain hunter said to a deer named Sutvara ,

“

I have

here a verse of a wise saying. Give me your flesh and you

shall hear it .”

[The deer replied]

1 Paridevitakampana , an admit t ed ly doubt ful conj ect ure of S enart ’

s .

3 A demon,generally malignant .

3 Read ing rago for ndnd . So Senart .

T H E T H I R D B H U M I 7 5

If in return f or my perishable flesh I can hear this wisesaying, I give you it . Quickly utter the wise saying.

Then the hunt er recited this verse o f a wise saying

The dust beneath theirfeet is betterf ormen than a mountainof gold. The dust takes away sorrow

, the mountain of goldmultiplies it(95 )His slave said to a king named Ndgabhuja , In return

f or the sovereignty of the four continents you may have a wise

The Bodhisattva replied“ I give you the sovereignty of the four continents . Quickly

speak do not delay but tell me this wise saying.

”

Then his Slave recit ed this verse o f a wise saying

They say that it is as digficult to distract the wisdom ofthe sage as it is to pluck out his hair by the roots . S o the

stainless company of monks, having won the power ofknowledge , and

, through their virtuous conduct, torn up

malice by the root , shine with minds that are rid of malice .

The stainless teacher of the world, also , shines , does not cast

ofir his burden ,

and is followed by good men”

.

Thus for the sake of a wise saying a Bodhisattva hurls

himself down precipices . For its sake , again ,he gives up

his boat on the wide ocean .

He sacrifices his eyes in return f or hearing a verse of a

wise saying. Again , he throws himself into the fire as the

price of hearing a verse of wise saying.

And many other such arduous tasks do the valiant and

glorious Conquerors undertake f or the sake of words ofwisdom.

(96)When this had b een said the venerab le Maha-Kasyapaasked the venerab le Maha-Katyayana ,

“

Again , 0 son o f the

Conqueror, how do Bodhisat tvas who are in the third bhumi

lapse and fail to reach the fourthThe venerab le Mah a-Katyayana replied t o the venerab le

Maha-Kasyapa ,My pious friend ,

Bodhisattvas who are in

the third bhumi lapse and fail t o reach the fourth in fourt eenways . What fourt een ? They b ecome addict ed t o dishonest

gamb ling with the dice . They seek seclusion t oo Oft en . Wh en

n T H E MA H A V A S T U

they come t o rule over their kingdoms they are overcome by

avarice and rob the ir own sub jects 1 o f all their possessions .

They accuse o f murder people who do no t deserve t o b e called

int o account for any O ffence . They do no t pro t ect those indanger o f b eing killed . They mut ilate men . They fall intoerring ways . Even though they have wealth they do no t

dispense t o o thers the means o f life . And though they take

up the religious life they do no t learn by heart the great

doctrine ,

3even while the Buddhas themselves teach it .

Al though they have already made a vow ,they do no t preach

the great doctrine . They follow those who are b ound t o the

flesh ,not those who are b ound t o dharma . They do not

repeatedly declare the Splendour o f the Buddha . They t each

that Buddhas are Of the world .

3 They do not teach that

Buddhas t ranscend the world .

“

In these fourteen ways, my pious friend,Bodhisattvas

who are in the third bhumi lapse and fail t o reach the fourth .

All Bodhisattvas who ,b eing in the third bhumi

,have lapsed,

are lapsing, or will lapse ,do so in these fourteen ways . There

is nothing more t o add .

”

(97 )When this had b een said, the venerab le Maha-Kasyapaasked the venerab le Maha-Katyayana,

Again , 0 son Of the

Conqueror, when the Bodh isat tvas who do no t lapse firstevolve the thought o f enlightenment , t o what kind Of well

b eing are they w edded, and how many creatures b ecome

happy and j oyfulThe venerab le Maha-Katyayana replied in verse t o the

venerab le Maha-Kasyapa

All creatures become happy and joyful when this incom

prehensible , marvellous thought, instinct and permeated withthe idea of the way of enlightenment , is born in the great seers .

1 A trdntarenavijitavdsindm , lit era lly, th e conquered (o r subj ect ) inhabitant s t here within ,

”i .e . t h e subj ect s of t h e count ry t o th e government o f which

he h as been appoint ed . S enart considers a tra ° t o be due t o a faulty rest it ut iono f a tta

°

fo r atma°

, and t ranslat es les habit ant s tie leurs propres t errit oriee t de ceux des au t res . But such a conj ecture is quit e uncalled fo r, as

t h e MS . a trdntaren a t here within ,

”mak es sat isfact ory sense .

3 Bdhusru tya , abst ract t erm from t h e ad j ect ive bahuéru ta . Compare Palibdhusacca (implying a Sanskrit bdhusrau tya ) and bahussuta .

3 L it era lly they d isplay t h e Buddhas on (fo r) an equa lity with t h e world ,

lokasamatdye des'

en ti . This w as , of course , a heresy from th e point Of viewof those Buddhist s, th e Lo ko t t aravadins , whose especial script ure t h e

Mahdvastu w as .

78 T H E M A H AV A S T U

left the fair realm of Tusita ,and came down to earth to raise

up the people whom he saw were wanton and blind and who

had succumbed to doubt and unrighteousness .

(99 )Then did the jewel-strewn earth , rich in varied treasure

and wealth , quake in salutation to the great S age , the lord

of the .Sdkyans , who is rich in experience, replete with

mindfulness , and well-stored with merit .

Queen Mayd was on the terrace of her valiant husband’

s

fair palace , like a goddess among the S uras , being entertained

by merry dancing accompanied by songs and music that were

a delight to ear, heart and‘eye .

To the anxious king the queen said, My lord,if you

will, I shall withdraw to the forest,to the Lumba 1 park,

which is carpeted withflowers , andfilled with the sweet notesof the cuckoo which give joy to heart and soul .S he went , and wandered forth with her women

, roamingthe forest

, glad and happy and eager. While she paced theforest , she espied a lumb ini

’

tree bearing fresh creepers and

shoots, and, in the rapture of perfect joy and gladness she

grasped a branch of it , and playfully lingered there . As she

held the branch she gave birth to the Conqueror of the un

conquered mind, the great supreme seer.

As soon as he is born devas , with two showers laden with

exquisite flowers , the one cold the other warm,bathe the

Lord of men ,who is honoured in the realm of the Asuras ,

the great Lord of the three worlds ,3compassionate , the world

transcending,a refuge here , in heaven and on earth

, to

whom old age and death are no more, whose like the earth

does not know,who is wise

,whose eyes are like a lotus—leaf,

and who is the delight of Suras and Asuras .

All the devas , the Tra'

yastrimS‘a devas and the others ,

glad and joyful leave their abodes and gather together in

the forest glade . (10 0 ) The scion of the Iksvdkus [theyexclaim] has come down to the earth

’

s surface where he

stands in glory,immovable and firm . When he had

1 In t h e t rad it ion t h e name Of this park is Lumbini, b u t here th e la t t eris th e name O f t h e t ree . See immed iat ely below .

3 The reference here is Simply t o t h e three worlds o f popular concept ionviz . t h e world above (se . o f t h e devas) , t h e earth , and th e world below (niraya ) ,ra ther than t o any of t h e groups o f three planes o r spheres o f psychologica lexperience .

T H E F O U R T H B H U M I ~

7 9

taken seven full strides , like the lion ,the master, king and

lord of beasts , he roared out ,1 I am best , unsurpassed,

supreme in the world. For me there is no more either old

age or death . I have overcome the oppression of existence .

A celestial sunshade studded with gems , clear as crystal

and gay with flowers , brilliantly white like camphor, stood

up of itself in the air, unsupported by hand,and shaded the

Lord and Guide of men .

3 A chowrie f an made in heaven ,

of stifirstrong hair, having the incomparable sheen of mother

of -pearl, studded with gems and gold,and pearly white , is

waved with its handle upwards .

Loud roars of drums resound, echoing in the clouds

and pervading the sky. In the path of Das‘abala the Con

queror the devas pour down showers of celestial blossoms

and powder of sandal-wood. S uras and devas give vent

to hu ndreds of cries in their exceeding great joy. The

creator of happiness is victorious

In ocean and on earth hidden treasures of many preciousstones were revealed as the earth and water heaved through

the power of the Tathagata .

Here ends the third bhiimi o f the Mahdvastu-Avadana .

THE FOURTH BHi'

iMI

(10 1)When this had b een said,the venerab le Maha-Kasyapa

asked the venerab le Maha-Katyayana ,Again , O son Of

the Conqueror, what deeds do Bodhisat tvas who are estab lished

in perseverance refrain from doing b ecaus e they are out o f

place ? 3 .

1 The t ext here is corrupt . The t ranslat ion is made on t h e em endat ionsuggest ed by Senart in his not es .

3 Read ing nripatinayanam fo r°tanayamo f t h e t ext . Even though tanayam,

from tan , t o st ret ch ,would seem a t first Sight appropriat e here , it is

d ifficult t o se e h ow th e form could give t h e required sense , 2.e . t h e sunshadest ret ched over t h e Lord of men shaded h im . Not e that one MS . act ua lly

has nayandm .

3 A sthdnatdye (na) samupacaran ti . The na is adopt ed from th e read ingo f five MSS . S enart , however, rej ect s t h e negat ive , and t ranslat es quellesact ions accomplissent pour avancer vers le b ut [lit t éra lement pourne pas demeurer en place Below, line 7 , S enart mak es t h e obviouslynecessary correct ion Of asthdnan to int o asthdna tdye . N a sevan te of this linecorresponds closely with na samupacaran ti of t h e passage in quest ion , andit is n o t easy t o se e why S enart Should rej ect t h e negat ive here and in SO doingincur th e necessity of giving a diff erent sense t o astha

'

na td in th e tw o placesrespect ively.

80 T H E MA H AV A S T U

The elder Katya'

yana ,skilled in the Conqueror

’

s teaching,

replied to the pious d '

yapa in verse .

Learn what deeds the Bodhisattvas practise , and what

deeds they do not practise because they are out of place .

The glorious Bodhisattvas do not deprive a mother or

a father or an arhan of life .

They do not create schisms in the S angha , nor do they raze

topes to the ground. They do not in any way harbour evil

thoughts against a Tathagata .

They are not led to commit sin by their wrong belief.

1

They do not have to expiate 3 a bad deed ; what need, I

pray you , to expiate a good one

As they pass from one existence to another,they do not

adhere to doctrine based on heresy, but only to the true

doctrine or virtue based on knowledge .

When they sit or lie in the shade of a tree they do not

harm the leaves . Even in anger they do not resort to blows .

These supreme men practise the ten right ways ofbehaviour. (10 2) They do not weave a spell to strike the

person of another man .

Wholly concerned with karma and detached from all

excitement,they are not cast down by adversity nor elated

by prosperity.

In deed, in speech , in thought, their dispositions are

wholly pure and their charity perfect .These men , honoured of the world, having reached the

beginning of the eighth b humi do not lapse, and they definitelycultivate good karma .

In all the other b hi'

imis , from the first to the seventh ,

these supreme men cultivate mixed karma .

Cultivating such and other similar karma the mightymen pass through all the ten b h i

'

imis filled with compassionf or the worlds .

”

Wh en this had b een said, the venerab le Maha-Kasyapaasked the venerab le Maha-Katyayana ,

Again , O son o f

the Conqueror, do Bodhisat tvas who do no t lapse pass int ost at es o f deso lat ion like ordinary men

,or do they no t ? DO

1 Read ing , with S enart , drs thiye f o r prs thiye .

3 N dée ti (fo r nds’

aya ti) . C f . Pa li ndsetz (with ab l .) in same sense .

82 TH E'

MA HAV A S T U

nor as eunuchs . Thus , then ,in all the t en bhdmis t hey

b ecome men ,and have all the limb s

, great and small, and

all the facult ies O f men,unimpaired .

If a Bodh isat tva slays ano ther Bodhisat tva, or a disciple

o f the Buddha , or one who has entered the st ream,

1or if

those who are qual ifying themselves 3 for t he stat e o f a Pratye

kab uddha (1 0 4 ) slay an ordinary man,they go t o hell. 3

Whether Bodhisat tvas in the first seven bhumis murder

or rob or commit any ut terly wrong act , none o f these things

can lead them t o hell. And as for the wrong karma accumu

lat ed by Bodhisat tvas b e fore they make their vow , this ;

once they have evoked the thought o f enlight enment,is

hidden away like a t roop o f deer b y a great rock .

If a Bodhisat tva has no t at tained the condit ion Of heart

t o make a vow ,this matures in him in the course Of his second.

third,fourth , fifth , sixth and seventh bhumis ,

‘1at the cost

o f what ever pain in the head t hat may b e involved .

”

"When this had b een said , the venerab le Maha-Kasyapaaskedthe venerab le Maha-Katyayana ,

“

Again , 0 son o f t he Con

queror, with what kind o f homily do t he Tathagat as exhort

Bodhisat tvas who do no t lapse , when , having won the favouro f t he Buddhas as laymen , t hey go forth t o the homeless

Then the elder Kdtyayana replied to d ‘yapa ,

By means

of discourses without illustrations , arranged in due order .

“

The lords,learned in the jatakas and other lore

,preach

to the concourse of Bodhisattvas self -control, charity,and

restraint,as the qualities that bring a Bodhisattva

’

s career

to a great maturity.

5

The wise Tathdgata tells them too of Him,the supreme

1 S rotdpanna ,Pali so tapanna ,

t h e st ream being , by a change of metaphor,ident ifi ed with t h e noble eight fold w ay . O r , t h e st ream of dharma .

3 Vinis tha . Senart doubt s this read ing as t h e prefix vi is neither foundwit h n o r is it apposit e t o t h e sense o f , this part icipia l ad j ect ive . He accordingly suggest s pari

° which is regular S ansk rit .

3 This seem s inconsist ent both with what precedes and with what follows ,and S enart

’

s suggest ion t hat t h e whole passage is an int erpolat ion can beread ily accept ed .

ja'

lisa , fo r bhumisu . Here,a t least , a ja ti, birth , of a Bodhisat tva

is synonymous with a b humi .5 L it era lly, great maturity

,maha

'

pakam, short ened metri causa frommaha

'

pa'

kam, is S enart ’

s conj ect ure fo r t h e meaningless sahdyakam. Or,should we no t read maha

'

phatam, great fruit ion

T H E F O U R T H B H UM I 83

of men , who f or the sake of mankind’

s well-being,cultivates

incomparable karma .

“

He is styled‘Lord by the Exalted One , 1 and takes up

a life of austerity based on knowledge . (10 5 ) A Bodhisattva

like this is rare in the world. S o does the Conqueror expoundin his teaching.

”

It is in this and like manner,my pious friend,

that theBuddhas t each dharma t o the concourse o f Bodhisat tvasWh en this had b een said , the venerab le Maha-Kasyapa asked

the venerab le Maha-Katyayana , O son Of the Conqueror,t o what stage o f his career as Bodh isat tva are the events

related by the Conqueror in the Jatakas t o b e assigned

Then 2 the venerab le Maha-Katyayana replied,My pious

friend,the Jatakas related by the Conqueror go b ack t o the

eighth bhumi.”

From what point do Bodhisattvas b egin t o renounce all

they possess , and make difficult sacrificesIt is from the eighth bhumi that Bodhisat tvas b egin t o

renounce all th ey po ssess and t o make difficult sacrifices .

From the e ighth bhumi onwards , my pious friend, Bodhi

sat tvas are t o b e honoured with the honour due t o a perfectBuddha .

On this point it is said

From the eighth b hiimi onwards , O son of the Conqueror,Bodhisattvas are to be looked upon as perfect Buddhas . For

after that they do not lapse .

Henceforth they are masters of the profound meditations 3

(1 0 6)and their knowledge is purified.

Hencef orth they speak words that are founded on knowledge,and in their wisdom renounce lif e b ecause of its vileness .

1

Hencef orth ,whatever birth is pure that they do achieve

,

and whateverform is pure that do they win .

1 Bhagava to . Genit ive fo r inst rumenta l o r read bhagava ta.

3 E vamukte,when it h as been so spok en o r when this h ad been sa id .

TO avoid repet it ion ,this phrase is left unt ranslat ed , o r rendered then

as here , in t h e ensuing d ia logue , as Oft en elsewhere .

3 Dhyana , Pali jhana , described and expla ined below, pp . 1 2 7 , 1 83 .

1 Kucchattd ,explained by S enart a s a pure Prak rit form , in virt ue both

O f it s inflexion -ttd fo r -tvd t, and o f its st em kuccha f or kutsa . The derivedform kuccha tva , a new format ion fo r kutsa, does no t appear t o be found eitherin Sanskrit o r in Pa li .

84 T H E MA H AV A S T U

Henceforth ,they are born of whatever sex they wish ,

and as whatever kind of deva they wish .

Hencef orth ,as ascetic pilgrims , 1 they become destroyers

of existence they abhor the pleasures of sense and extolrelease .

Hencef orth, they become the most excellent of eloquent men ,

pupils of the glorious perfect Buddhas , the devas above all

other devas .

Thus are they bidden by the Buddhas , the preachers ofdharma

,at the moment of their passing away,

“

0 wise men,

teach dharma ,and take up the banner of the seer.

Henceforth they train many to be arhans , and many to

qualify f or discipleship .

Hencef orth ,devas , Yaksas , Guhyakas ,

3 follow the great

being,the Bodhisattva, until they win back their true

nature .

Hencef orth, the form of the Bodhisattvas is supreme inthe world of men and devas , and unsurpassed are the lustre ,

the radiance , the fame and glory and might of the Bodhisattvas (1 0 7 ) , and hard to attain by the world.

And though there are no Buddhas in the world at the time,

the Bodhisattvas come to have'

the five super-knowledges .

3

Perceiving the depravity of lusts , they extol renunciation

of the world.

Henceforth , devas , Asuras , and Brahmas , allured by their

virtues , come to them with hands joined in adoration .

Such is the mode of life of the holy Bodhisattvas when

they are in the eighth b h i'

imi.

When this had b een said ,the venerab le Maha—Kasyapa

asked the venerab le Maha-Katyayana , O son Of the Conqueror,what sort o f dharma do Bodhisat tvas who do no t lapse preacht o men

, when they exercise the sway Of universal kings ?

When there are no Buddhas in the w orld , with what sort

1 T t rthika . Usually in Buddhist Sanskrit this word h as th e b ad connot at ionof heret ic , Pa li itthiya . S enart cit es L al . Vist . 3 1 3 . 1 9 fo r t h e use o f tt rtha

in a good sense . The classica l Sansk rit form tt rthaka m eans worthy,

holy,” a scet ic , e tc . , b u t , of course , from t h e Hindu point Of view.

3 In t h e popular myt hology dem igods and guard ians of Kuvera ’ s wealth .

From t h e root guh , t o hide .

”

3 A bhijnd . Pa li abhinnd . See not e p .2 0 1

,where they are , however, as

usually in t h e Pali t ext s, given as S ix in number . Genera lly t h e M aha'

vas tu

mak es them t o be five . C f . S . 2 . 2 1 6 .

86 T H E MA H AV A S T U

Through his store of merit acquired bygood deeds well done ,the king wins also the treasure of the well-trained horse

,

that is black as a bee,with a golden mane streaming in

the wind.

(10 9)In his covered waggon1 he has carried a mother

,

a father, and a venerable teacher, and f or this good deedthe king wins the wondrous treasure of the horse .

2

In a former existence the king was temperate in his enjoyment of his wife , and f or this he wins the treasure of thewoman .

The noble king, great in self-control, wins also the treasure

of the householder who is wealthy,opulent , and plentifully

supplied with a store of riches .

Because he has given of his stores of wealth to venerable

teachers out of respect f or them, the king wins therefore thetreasure of the wealthy householder .

The mighty lord, free from . desire, wins also the fair

treasure of the counsellor, who is a wise leader,prudent and

skilled, who is the guiding standard of the four continents .

In that he , having entered upon the Way himself , hasshown the Way to the blind and the lost , he therefore winsthe peerless excellent treasure of the counsellor.

It is by these deeds , my pious friend, that the treasuresare won ,

and it is in such righteousness that the king rules

the earth .

(1 1 0 )When this had b een said , the venerab le Maha-Kasyapaasked the venerab le Maha-Katyayana , O son o f the Con

queror, in what ways do Bodhisattvas , who have conceived

the thought o f enlightenment for the first t ime while in the

fourth bhumi, lapse and fail t o reach the fifthThe venerab le Maha-Katyayana replied

,In seven ways .

What seven ? They b ecome corrupt ers o f nuns , o f men,and

o f eunuchs . By the power Of spells th ey cause unnatural

disease in o thers . They seduce good men from virtue . They

1 Hayana , so Senart , aft er th e Amarakosa ( 1 87 .

3 The first line o f th e first of t h e tw o couplet s which , o n th e ana logy of th erest o f th e passage , Should be devot ed t o t h e treasure of th e j ewel,

” isfollowed , aft er a lacuna in th e t ext , by th e second line of th e fir st coupleton th e t reasure Of t h e woman . Because of this confusion

,th e two lines

are om it t ed in t ranslat ion .

T H E F I F T H B H UM I 87

b ecome Shameless and unscrupulous .

1 In these seven ways ,

my pious friend ,do Bodhisat tvas who for the first t ime , while

they are in the fourth bhumi, evolve the thought o f enlighten

ment , lapse and fail t o reach the fifth

Thus , then , 0 son of the Sugata , you have had explainedto you the delectable fourth t i of the Bodhisattvas whose

goal is enlightenment .

Here ends the fourth bhumi Of the Mahdvastu-Avaddna .

THE FIFTH BHfiMI

When this had b een said, the venerab le Maha-Kasyapa

asked the venerab le Maha-Katyayana , O son o f the Con

queror, what is the st at e o f heart o f the Bodhisat tvas which

links 3 the two bhumis , as they who do not lapse advance fromthe fourth bhumi t o the fifthThe venerab le Maha-Katyayana replied , They see a ll

exist ences inflamed b y passion , hat red,and folly,

and accord

ingly the state Of heart that links the two bhumis and b rings

them t o the fifth immediat ely after the fourth is one full o fdespair and disgust .

Then the venerab le Maha-Kasyapa asked the venerab le

Maha-Katyayana , O son o f the Conqueror,what were t he nam es Of the Buddhas worshipped b y the

Exal ted One when he“

was in his fifth bhumi ? What weretheir families ? How large were the assemb lies Of t heir

disciples ? What radiance was theirs ? And how long was

the span o f their lives

1 Anotrdpinas , correspond ing t o th e Pa li ano ttdpin , a lt ernat ive form fo r

anottappin , a negat ive ad j ect ive from'

o ttappa . Senart , as against Childersand th e P .T .S . Dictionary, derives o ttapa from apa trapya ,

apa first weak eningint o ava o . The lat t er form is found in Maha

'

vastu,

and inDaéabhum tévara ,

to . 1 9 3 . The “

r in t h e Sansk rit ano trdpin is , therefore ,accord ing t o S enart , an example o f l

’

h eureuse rencont re d ’une rest it ut ionfa it e a l ’aveugle . The root trap, which lit erally means t o be ashamed ,

cert ainly seems t o suit th e sense o f this derivat ive bet t er than tap used ina metaphoric sense , t o be t orment ed by remorse . Besid es , t h e Pali verbottappa ti is d iffi cult t o explain as being from or fo r u ttappa ti (so P .T .S .

Diction ary) , for there is nothing t o j ust ify t h e mod ificat ion of u t (ud) int oo t But both th e form and meaning are explicable on t h e supposit ion thatthis verb is derived from apa ava o ) trap .

3 See not e p . 7 2 .

88 T H E MA HAV A S T U

The venerab le Maha-Katyayana replied in verse

There was a noble Conqueror, styled the Sakyan S eer, who hada f ollowing of a ko ti of saints . His radiance extended onefathom . He was massive like a mountain crag, gleaming like

a mountain of gold. And he was a destroyer of his foes .

At that time the span of life of the Supreme Man was

six thousand years . His name was Yasavrata ,and he was

beneficent and enlightened.

By family he was a Gotama ,and this present Exalted One

was then a merchant’

s son ,who

,when he made the Buddha

an ofiering of rice-gruel, made a vow in his presence .

S aying,

“

S ince I have laid up a store of merit by givingall1 to the holy S angha , may I become one who will realise

the ultimate good. May my merit be unimpaired.

Then there was the beneficent valiant man ,named Sudar

s‘ana ,

who had come down to his last existence on earth .

He was of the family of Bhdradva‘

ja ,and his radiance

extended ten yo janas .

This choicest of beings had a following of ako ti of saints .

At that time the life of Mara’

s vanquisher was ten thousand

years .

(1 12)N ow there was a universal king,by name Dharanim

dhara,who thus spoke to the Conqueror Sudars‘ana and his

community of disciples . Thus did that wise man speak“

1 give (to thee and the S angha) all that is necessary to yourcomfort . And then the kingmade thefollowing vow ,

saying,

“ May I become like unto thee .

”

“ May I be active in leading across men who have entered

upon the ocean of old age and death .

Then there was an Exalted One with a sound root of merit ,named Nares

‘vara

,of

'

the Vdsistha family,wlwse radiance

extended ten yo janas .

He had a retinue of twelve ko tis of saints , and the spanof men

’

s lives was then nine thousandyears .

N ow there was a universal king named Apardjita . Withdevotion in his heart he thus addressed the Das‘abala ,

the lord

1 S amslisya , complet ement , comprenant t out (Senart ) .2 Lacuna .

90 T H E MA H AV A S T U

the presence of him who bore the marks of excellence , saying“

By the merit of this good deed, may I become an nu

failingly strenuous performer of good deeds which heap upmerit , and a protector of the unprotected.

”

There was a perfect Buddha,named Kanakaparvata ,

whose mind was unsullied by anything in heaven or earth ,

and who was honoured by men . His family was named

His radiance, born of fair deeds , extended six yo janas ,

and he had a retinue of five ko tis of saints .

1

N ow there was at that time a universal king, named

Priyadars’

ana, who was resplendent with the seven treasures

of royalty, sovereign over the four continents,and protector

of the earth .

Accompanied by his counsellors , and his women wearingtheir necklaces of pearls , hefell at the lovelyfeet of the BuddhaKanakaparvata ,

and implored him saying,

“ I have a kingdomfull of cities and towns , thefour wealthygreat continents . Ungrudgingly I give these to thee , O hero ,

and to thy community of disciples .

(1 15 )Whatever food is befitting to seers , whatever garments ,whatever kinds of medicine , whatever couches and seats , all

these are to befound in myfair palace .

0 most comely one , in thy compassion,

have pity on me

who have dispensed all the things , of twelve kinds ,2 that are

the requisites of monks ;After the excellent pri‘nce 3 had made this gift he duly made

1 Th e t ext of th e stanza giving th e length of man ’

s life is very corrupt ,and no at t empt h as been mad e t o t ranslat e it .

3 Paribhojyarn dvddasdkc'

iram ,evident ly referring t o t h e original four

requisit es (pratyaya , Pali paccaya ) of a monk ’s daily life , namely, robe ,a lm s-bowl, seat and b ed , and med icine, plus th e other, and lat er, se t o f eightrequisit es (parishara , Pa li parikkhara) , which consist ed of t h e three robes ,a bowl, razor, need le , gird le , and a wat er-strainer .

3 Pfirthivalambaka . Although there is no manuscript authori ty h ere fo rth e emendat ion , lambaha o f th e t ext h as been changed t o lancaka . At 2 . 4 2 1 ,where lancaka occurs again, some MSS . have lambaha . The form er, a lthoughit s exa ct sense is obscure, i s usually rendered by t ranslat ors from Pali , byexcellent .

”As , however, it seem s t o be a derivat ive of lanca , gift ,

”

present ,” it m ight be t ranslat ed as boon (o f princes) , and t his senseseems an appropriat e one in t h e compound word in which it is genera lly foundin th e Mahdvastu , viz. naralambaka which is throughout read n aralancaka

a boon fo r men”

(see pp . 1 2 2 , 1 2 3 , Not e,a lso, that Trenckner (Miln .

p . 4 2 4 ) translates Iaitcaka as excellent gift ,”thus combining th e tw o ideas .

T H E F I F T H B H UM I 9 1

his vow with a glad heart in the presence of the perfectlyvirtuous one , saying .

May I become a noble leader having a keen discernment

of the ultimate good, and gif ted with perfect skill, one who

has destroyed all the bases of existence .

” 1

There was an Exalted One, who bore the thirty-two marks

and was named Puspadanta . He was of the Vatsa familyand was a perfect Buddha who had sight of the ultimate

good.

This most excellent Conqueror had a radiance extendingnine yojanas . Thirty

-four ko tis of saints attended uponthis Das‘abala .

The span of man’

s life was then fif ty-thousand years , and

thus there was no occasion f or doubt as to what was then

taught .

N ow there was at that time a king,a lord of men , named

Durjaya ,who with his train of followers approached Puspa

danta and bowed at his feet .(1 16)Raising his joined hands , the king serenely addressed

Puspadanta , saying,May the Das

’

abala deign to be gracious

and live on my store of food f or seven days z.

”

When the king, invincible in majesty and might ,3saw that

the Das‘abala consented, he covered the ground with bright

carpets of golden cloth .

Thereon he set down resplendent bejewelled couches , and

laid out richly variedfood of the most exquisite fragrance .

Eight-hundred individual devas and men

4 in magnifie entattire and gay adornment held up sunshades sparkling withthe seven precious stones .

S o thatf or each saint they reverently5 he ld up a gem

-studded

sunshade that was radiant and spotless , like the moon or

a disc of mother-of -pearl. When he had thus regaled the

S ugata named Puspadanta and his followers , the king dulymade this vow in his mind

1 See p . 1 9 9 .

2 Accord ing t o a regulat ion at V. 4 . 8 7 no more than a seven days ’ supplyof food could be st ored at one t ime , and it must be eat en within that period .

(The translat or owes this reference t o Miss I. B . Hom er .)3 Read ing durjayarddhibala , on S enart ’ s suggest ion , f or durjayordhvabala .

4 N aramarun am purusa .

5 Read ing hirimana fo r hridimano . S o Senart .

m T H E M A H AV A S T U

May I become a perfect Buddha like thee,and preach

dharma to devas and men .

There was a perfect Buddha , who bore the thirty- two marks

and was named Lalitavikrama ,an Exalted One , a destroyer

of existence , one who had shaken of the lusts . He belonged

to the Vasistha family.

The radiance emitted from his body extended thirty-two

yo janas (1 17 ) and this most excellent of men had‘

a retinue

of thirty ko tis of saints .

The span of man’

s life was then eighty-four thousandyears .

N ow there was at that time a king named Caturangabala ,

who was beloved and popular.

This guardian of earth built forty ko tis of palaces madeof many precious stones , and one palace besides of preeminent beauty .

The king also caused to be made an abundance of couchesand seats of faultless workmanship ,

and prepared the

requisites of food and medicines befitting seers .

When the king had ofi’ered all this to the Exalted One

and his community of disciples he joyfully and duly made

his vow in the presence of the Das’

abala , saying,

The Das’

abala is one whose like is hard to find ; he isincomparable . He crushes old age , death and doubt . MayI,too , become supreme among devas and men

,and confuse

the talk of the vulgar he rd.

”

There was an Exalted One who bore the thirty-two marks ,

named Mahayas‘as

,of the Kas

’

yapa family. He was of widerenown and boundless fame .

The radiance of the body of this virtuous one extended

fif ty yo janas , and he had a retinue of fif ty-five ko tis of saints .

The span of man’

s life was then eighty-four thousandyears ,

(1 18)and this four-fold race of men was then eighty-four-f old.

N ow there was at that time a king named Mrigapatisvara ,

a lord of the four continents , unsurpassed in his aboundingmight , whose wheel was invincible .

For ninety-six yo janas this king had the branches of the

forest trees decked out with jewels and hung with finetapestry.

1 Lacuna .

T H E MA H AV A S T U

May I saf ely lead across all men who have fallen intothe great flood of recurrent birth ,

having myself burst throughthe toils of illusion ,

with peace in my heart , and with mymental powerfree from attachment to the world.

Thus , the lion-hearted Buddhas in the fifth b humi wereinnumerable , (120 ) as were also Pratyekabuddhas , those in

training,and the adepts

,the disciples of the Conqueror .

All these and other Tathdgatas as well were worshipped bythe Exalted One, and it is thus that he laid up the root ofgoodness f or the sake of the whole world

’

s welf are .

When this had b een said, the venerab le Maha-Kasyapa

asked the venerab le Maha-Katyayana , O son o f the Conqueror,in what ways do Bodhisat tvas who have made a vow

t o win enlight enment , while they are in the fifth bhumi, lapse

and fail t o reach the sixth The venerab le Maha-Katyayana

replied, O son o f the Conqueror and my pious friend ,there

are four ways in which Bodhisat tvas who have made a vow

t o win enlight enment in the fifth bhumi, lapse and fail t o reach

the sixth . What are the four waysThough the Bodhisat tvas have taken up the religious

life on the Buddha’

s instruction ,they yet j oin forces with the

Yogacaras .

1 Hankering aft er the sensat ions which are ab juredb y a convert ,

2 they turn away in fear from self-development .

3

They live perpetually inat t entive t o the cult ivat ion o f calm

and int ro spective insight ,4and they inevitab ly train their

though t t o b e fixed on ob jects o f perception .

5

1 It is worth not ing that t h e Yo gacaras formed one of th e great schoolso r sect s of Mahayana Buddhism .

1 A stamaka . Of this word S enart says, Je ne puis rien faire d e as tamaka,

and he proposes t o read astangika ,mak ing t h e reference t o be t o t h e eight

fold w ay .

”A stamaka

,however, is clearly th e Pali atthamaka

, thus definedin th e P .T .S . Dictionary t h e eighth o f eight persons who st rive aftert h e highest perfect ion , reck oned from th e first o r Arahant . Hence t h e eighthis he w h o st and s on th e lowest st ep of t h e Path , and is also ca lled a sota

'

panna .

Fo r t h e mora l a t t ainment s o f such a person , see Kva . 2 4 3 ff . A stamake,

locat ive case , does no t adm it of t ranslat ion without doing undue violencet o t h e use o f cases, a lthough t h e case suit s S enart

’

s emendat ion int o astdngike .

The right emendat ion , however, would seem t o be t h e simple one of read ingastamakadhu tavedanagriddhti as one compound word , which would thus givet h e above t ranslat ion .

3 I.e . development by means o f ment a l applicat ion , bha'

vana'

.

‘1 The negat ive required by t h e sense in this sent ence may be suppliedb y resolving th e compound word t o read °

abahulasca .

5 Alambana , with non t h e ana logy ofPa li drammana , meaning th e perceivedobj ect ” , th e relat ion of which t o the perceiving subject mayb e said t o const itut econsc1ousness .

T H E S I X T H B H U M I 95

All the Bodhisat tvas, my pious friend , who ,

having vowed

t o w in enlight enment in the fifth, lapse and fail t o reach the

sixth bhumi, have done so , do so

,and will do so ,

in these

four ways .

Thus , my friend, the fifth b hfimi of Bodhisattvas whosemerits are many and various

,has been expounded and

illustrated.

Here ends the fifth bhumi o f the Maha'

vastu-Avadana .

THE S IXTH BHfiMI

(121 )Then the elder d yapa asked Katydyana , Whatis the state of heart of the wise Bodhisattvas in the fif thbh i

'

imi” 1

The elder Katyayana ,the sage , replied t o the pious Kasyapa

ln verse

That the vortex of the world holds little delight , but is

exceeding painful (is the thought that) is (in them as they passfrom thefifth to the sixth b h iimi) . 2

When this had b een said ,the venerab le Mah a-Kasyapa

asked the -

venerab le Maha-Katyayana concerning the fieldo f a Buddha .

3

Then the elder Ka‘

tya‘

yana said to Mahd-d’

yapa , Hear

what thefield of the saviours of the world is in its true essence .

“

And I shall tell you , too , noble sir, what the upaksetra4

1 The citta or sta t e of heart o r m ind m eant here must be th e same as thatelsewhere (see p . 7 2 ) described as sandhicitta ,

fo r we have t o do now witht h e passage from th e fifth bhumi t o t h e sixth .

2 The words in bracket s represent a lacuna in t h e t ext . They are suppliedin t ranslat ion on th e basis of th e assumpt ion made in foo tnot e 1

, p . 7 2 ,

and by analogy with th e parallel passages on pp . 7 2 ,8 7 .

3 This passage is defect ive t h e only part of t h e quest ion that remainsis th e word ksetramiti The field (ksetra , Pa li khetta ) is thus describedby Buddh agh o sa in Vi sm . 4 1 4 : Buddhakkhettam na

‘

ma tividham ho ti, jdtikkhe ttam

, dna'

kkhettam , visayakkhettam ,The field of a Buddha is of three

k inds th e field of his birth , t h e field of his authority, and th e field o f his8 here .P

4 From it s form t h e word upaksetra might be expect ed t o denot e a

subd ivision of th e ksetra , rather than an area four t imes it s size , as it is definedbelow. There is no reference elsewhere t o t h e upaksetra , unless it is meantt o denot e one of th e three field s ment ioned in th e preced ing not e .

m T H E M A H AV A S T U

of these men of perfect eloquence is . Pay heed to these words

of mine and to my teaching.

“

A Buddha’

s field is proved to be sixty-one systems

of three thousand worlds , and an upak se tra is to be understood

as beingfour times this .

”

When this had b een said , the venerab le Maha-Kasyapaasked the venerab le Maha-Katyayana ,

“

Again , 0 son o f the

Conqueror, do Buddhas appear in all Buddha-fields , or do theyappear in some onlyThe venerab le Maha-Katyayana replied t o the venerab le

Maha-Kasyapa in verse

Here and there is a field that is not empty of those whoseform i s peerless . (122) But many ko tis of nayutas of fieldsare empty of thepre—eminent men .

Of a truth , rare is the appearance of Him who bears

the marks of excellence,who has won perfect knowledge

at the end of a long time , who is adept in the consummate

dharma,who is of great glory,

and who is a being mindf ulof the welf are of all creatures .

When this had b een said,the venerab le Maha-Kasyapa

asked the venerab le Maha-Katyayana ,

“

Again , 0 son o f t he

Conqueror, what is the cause , what is th e reason , that in anyone field two Buddhas do no t arise

The venerab le Maha-Katyayana replied t o the venerab le

Maha-Kasyapa in verse

It is the very nature of the Buddhas to achieve the whole

dificult task of a Buddha that is set the heroic men .

If one man of vision were not equal to the conditions ofBuddhahood

,then two great

-hearted Tathagatas would be

expected to appear.

‘

But men reject this notion of the inadequate nature of the

great seers , and hence two valiant men are not born in one

and the same field.

N 0 one has ever heard that the Best of Men , sons of theConqueror, have in times gone by passed away with their

Buddha-tasks undone .

(123 )The Buddhas , supreme of men ,whether of the future ,

or of the past , or of the present, only pass away when theyhavefulfilled their Buddhahood.

w TH E MA HAV A S T U

field,where abides the Buddha

,the Tathagata ,

named

Dridhabdhu .

In the zenith of the world there is an unshaken Buddha-field,where abides the Buddha named Mahdbha

'

ga ,a destroyer

of his foes .

There are besides thousands of other Buddha-fields , and

yet other thousands , of which one cannot reach the end

in enumerating.

1

Thousands of empty Buddha-fields which one does not

know where to begin counting,

2and thousands of universes

of three- thousand worlds .

As the beginning of the round of rebirth is not known ,

so neithe r is that of the universes .

One does not know where to begin counting the number

of past Buddhas , nor of those who vow to win enlightenment .

N or the number of those who are incapable of lapsing,nor of those who achieve consecration as kings .

(125 )N or the number of those who dwell in Tusita , nor

of those who pass awayfrom there .

N or the number of those who lie in their mother’

s womb,

nor of those who stand there .

N or the number of the heroes who are being born , nor ofthe world-saviours who have been born .

N or the number of those who are taken on their mothers’

laps, nor of those who take the mighty strides .

N or the number of those who laugh aloud, nor of those

who survey the regions of the world.

N or the number of those who are borne in their mothers’

laps,nor of those who are adopted by Gandharvas .

3

1 L it erally,

t h e other end o f which is no t known , ko tt na prajnaya teard .P1 Ka ti na prajndya te

’

n tara, lit era lly, t h e inner end (o r st art ing-point )is no t known .

"

In th e succeed ing st anzas this is expressed by pu'

rvci ho ti ,t h e point farthest back ,

”i .e . t h e beginning . S e e P .T .S . Dictionary s .v ,

ko ti . The lat t er phrase is t ranslat ed where it first occurs ; subsequent ly,

t o avoid a j ingling repet it ion, it is represent ed by nor t h e number of

and"

non

3 In Buddhist mythology t h e lowest class of devas . Here and elsewherein th e M ahavas tu (e .g . I . 2 0 4 ) we find them at t end ing t h e newly born Buddha .

This is possibly a reflect o f one of their funct ions in Hindu mythology , whereGandharva , their eponym ,

as parent o f Yama and Yam i presided overmarriage . The idea , however, that in Buddhist mythology they were regardedas presid ing over concept ion h as been shown t o be wrong . S ee D .P .N .

s .v .

T H E S I X T H B H U’

M I 99

N or the number of those who leave their homes , nor of thosewho approach the b odhi tree .

N or the number of those who achieve the knowledge of a

Tathdgata , nor of those who set rolling the wheel of dharma .

N or the number of those who convert ko tis of beings ,nor of those who roar the lion

’

s roar.

N or the number of those who shed the elements of sentient

life,

1nor of those heroes who pass entirely away.

(126)N or the number of those who lie in entire release ,

nor of the heroes who are cremated.

Know then that this is the truth concerning the total number

of the Masters , and concerning the fields in which a Buddha

now and then appears .

When this had b een said , the venerab le Maha-Kasyapaasked the venerab le Maha-Katyayana , O son o f the Con

queror, if there are so many Buddhas , and each one o f them

leads an infinit e numb er o f b eings t o entire release ,

2 then in

no long a t ime they will have enab led all b eings t o w in it .

Thus this world will b ecome ab so lut ely empty, comple t elydenuded o f b eings .

The venerab le Maha-Katyayana replied t o the venerab le

Maha-Kasyapa in verse

Suppose empty space everywhere becomefull without a gap,

suppose space that is without foundation and support beinhabited in all its extent .Numerous though these worlds might be, stillmore numerous

would be the average worldlings therein to be taught by Him

who has insight into the highest good.

Whence , then ,can there be a limit to the countless beings

who listen to the teaching of the Supreme of men P Thus has

the great S eer proclaimed the truth .

When this had b een said ,the venerab le Maha-Kasyapa

1 Ayu samska'

ra . S amskdra is t h e Pa li sankhdra ,one of t h e most d ifficult

t erm s in Buddhist met aphysics Dictionary) . These element s o r

component s may be viewed from tw o aspect s : ( 1 ) a s cond it ioning presentsent ient life , and (2 ) as form ing th e pot ent iality of rebirth int o another life .

Cf . D . 2 . 1 0 6 sa to sampajdno dyu -samkharam os saji (Trans . Dial . 2 , p . I I 3he deliberat ely and consciously le t go (int erest in) life

’ s cond it ionsFootnot e ibid . : The d ifficult t erm dyu

-samkharam must here have t h e

meaning in wh ich it is used at M . 1 . 2 9 5— 6

' S . 2 . 2 66 ; j . 4 .

2 Lit era lly causes t o pa ss ent irely away, parinirvdpayati.

rm THE MA HAVAS TU

asked the venerab le Maha-Katyayana (127 ) O 5 0 11 o f the

Conqueror, in what ways do Bodhisattvas , who have vowed

t o win enlightenmen t in the sixth , lapse and fail t o reach the

seventh bhumi .

The venerab le Maha-Katyayan’

a replied t o the venerab le

Mahé -Ké éyapa :“

There are two ways , my pious friend ,in

which Bodhisattvas , who have vowed t o win enlightenment

in the sixth ,lapse and fail t o reach the seventh bhumi. What

two They envy those who have won cessation o f perceptionand feeling,

1and at the very time that there are consummate

Buddhas in the world,possessing full comprehension o f the

t ruth ,and each declaring, I am the great-hearted b ringer

o f peace ,

”they do no t 2 list en reverently and att entively t o

the divine b eings . All Bodhisat tvas,my pious friend, who

have lapsed,are lapsing, and will lapse and fail t o reach the

seventh'

bhumi, after lit ing in the sixth , do so in these two

ways .

Such, then ,is the sixth b hiimi of the virtuous lion -like

Bodhisattvas , the benefactors of men ,the great seers .

Here ends the sixth bhumi o f the Mahavastu-Avadana .

THE SEVENTH BHI‘

IMI

When this had b een said,the venerab le Maha-Kasyapa

asked the venerab le Maha-Katyayana, My pious friend,

what is the state o f heart,linking the two bhumis , o f Bodhi

sat tvas who do no t lapse , as they advance from the sixth bhumit o the seventh ?

1 The t ranslat ion here follows S enart ’

s rect ificat ion o f a somewhat perplexingt ext . S arnjnc

'

ivedayitan irodhasamapa ttiyo must be t aken as a bahuvrihi

compound ,those who have t h e at t ainm ent of t h e cessat ion o f percept ion

and feeling . Har Dayal , however (op . cit . p . t ak es it as a ta tpurusa ,

and t ranslat es [they d esirej t o at t ain th e t rance o f t h e cessat ion-o i-percept ion-and—feeling . Desire will do as a t ranslat ion of sprihayan ti, b utt h e case o f

°samapattiyo would require explanat ion . Presumably he t ak es

it as genit ive singular governed by sprihayanti . The chief obj ect ion t o thist ranslat ion , however, lies in th e fact that it classifies as a fault what is a

Buddhist virt ue .

1 As S enart point s out , this sent ence , in order t o be int elligible , requiresa na before t h e verb trinvan ti.

1 0 2 T H E MAHAV A S T U

When he heard this , King Kus’

a said to his wife,Listen ,

my queen , to the words of f athara ,and tell me what you

think of them.

The queen ,shedding a flood o f tears

,replied t o King Kusa ,

“ My lord, I am adept 1 whether the need be f or stabbingor thrusting with the sword, and so expert that not even yousurpass me in the use of arms .

“

0 king, you shall see f athara’

s proud2 head cut of by meand rolling all gory at yourfeet .Woman though I am ,

‘

I’

ll shoot an arrow that will piercef athara

’

s body,nay, go through it and pierce the ground

where it lies f ood f or dogs .

Whether he be on horseback,in chariot , or riding an

elephant,or at the head of a brave army,

I will make an end

However invulnerable he may be , I’

ll slay him by some

means or other, by incantation , spell, or ruse of words .

3

“

I would deliver you , my lord,of two such foes as he

my magic power is incalculable, the world is as straw to me .

(13 0 )“

Let the king,therefore

,be undismayed,

and, wearing

sweet-smelling garlands , let him pace his palace-groundsand amuse himself among his thousand women .

”

Then , O son o f the Conqueror, Queen Apratima devised a

trick whereb y King Jathara , all unsuspecting, ent ered KingKuSa

’

s inner apartment , and fell into her power. QueenAprat ima then put her right foo t over King jathara

’

s heart

and her left on his ankles,and recited these verses

When bees sip the flowering creepers of the forest inspring-time , their wings become spotted with pollen ,

You have not heard it said, O wretched man ,

that the

creepers still preserve their virgin freshness . Other bees do

not take their pleasure the re .

You have not heard it said,O wretched man

,that the lotus

1 Read ing bhadra fo r bhadra . So Senart .

2 S amakutam . S enart t ak es this as equal t o kutasamam, and t ranslat eshaut e comme une mont agne . Bu t as kuta originally means forehead

th e m eaning may be sirnp ly proud o r haughty (carriage of th e head ) .3 Vacanakartrima

,which must be t ak en as equiva lent t o kartrimavacana .

S enart explains kartrima as an arbit rary rest it ut ion from t h e Pali kittima ,

art ificial,” clever.

” The regular Sansk rit form is kritr ima .

T H E S E V E N T H B H UM I 1 9 3

which a wild elephant in rut has once uprooted, trampling itin mud and water

, still preserves its virgin freshness . Other

elephants do not wanton there .

You have set your heart on winning this graceful womanof f aultless body, who , when she lies at night like a necklace

of pearls in the arms of an honoured king, trembles with joy .

You are like a man who, standing on earth

,wouldfain win

the moon .

(13 1 ) Then , my pious friend,at that moment King Jathara

cried out , Be gracious , lady, and Spare me . And King Kusasaid t o Queen Apratima, :

“

0 queen ,let this craven man go unpunished, f or he has

turned to you f or protection ,holding out suppliant hands .

Such mercy is the dharma of the good.

Once upon a t ime,mypious friend ,

thisExalt ed One ,b eing

then a king o f the Nagas , named Ugra , had b een b rought under

the Spell o f the charms and magic herb s o f a wizard , and was

held in duress .

1 But through his carelessness the Wizard ’

s

spe ll lost it s power, and Ugra ,the Naga king,

said t o himself,I could easily reduce this wre tched man t o ashes , b ut that

would no t b e seemly for us who are devo t ed t o the preservat iono f dharma . And he recit ed this verse

You have lost the spell of your magic, and I could with

my own power reduce you to ashes . But I spare you ,and

as f ar as I am concerned, long life be yours .

Once upon a time,my pious friend ,

this Exalt ed One was

a lion,a king o f b east s

,and this wretched man Devadat t a

was a hunt er .

Now th e hunter, under the influence o f a b it t er hat red longpent up ,

sho t the lion w ith a poisoned arrow when he was

alone in the forest,in a small grove that was his wont ed haunt ,

reclining unsuspect ing,mo t ionless , t ranquil, and without

looking round . When he had b een sho t , the lion , unmoved ,

with inexhaust ib le fort itude , and relying on his own st rength

and without any fear (132) Slightly raised his head ,and saw

1 S amba'

dhamdpanna ,cf

. Pali sambadhapa tipanna , of th e moon wheneclipsed . (S . 1 .

1M THE MA HAV A S TUH

that worthless man timidly approaching his lair. And when

he saw him , he reflected, Now I could easily kill that foolishman ,

even though he were t o run t o amountain-t op , t o a cavern ,

t o a wo od , or even t o hell it self. But having quoted the words,Hatred is not allayed by hatred

” 1 he recited this verse

I am shot by a poisoned shaf t that wounds me in a vital

spot . Let not the same happen to-day to this terrified man .

You have nothing to fear.

Once upon a time,my pious friend,

this Exalted One wasa worthy caravan-leader. Now the caravan , under the guidance

o f the treacherous Devadat ta who was in collusionwith b rigands ,happened t o go on a long t rek through the forest . Movedby long

-standing hatred Devadat ta went up t o the caravan

leader t o point him out for the b rigands t o kill . But the b rigands

were se ized by the merchants led by the caravan-leader. When ,

with their guide in front , they were led up for execut ion ,they

cried out in their helplessness and implored the caravan-leader

t o spare them . And the guide himself, guilty as he was o f

t reachery,raised suppliant hands and b egged the caravan

leader for immunity. Then in him , whose life was lived inmercy,

there was aroused the compassion that he had fost eredduring hundreds o f thousands o f exist ences , and he grant ed

pardon t o the would-b e murderers . Then he addressed the

guide

Though I could release smoke on the wind to destroy the

whole land, and guide and robbers as well, yet I let them go

with their lives .

Again ,my pious friend, when this Exalt ed One was a king,

his principal wife (13 3 ) was caught in sin . But in responset o her entreaties he spared her life , even though she had

already b een led out t o the place o f execution . The king,

endued with the gentleness and rect itude he had accumulated

in the past , calmed the queen’

s fears, and recit ed this verse

The executioner could make his steel pierce her body,

which is as soft as a vessel of unbaked clay. But I spareyour life and restore you to yourformer position .

1 I.e . Dhammapada , 5 N a hi verena verani sammant tdha kudacan am .

m 6 T H E M A H AV A S T U

are anxious no t t o b light the maturing o f their karma , and

they acquire the roo t s o f virtue b y keeping themselves alo o ffrom passion , hat red and folly. They are skilled in b ringingsolace t o those in troub le and misfortune . They do no t hesitat e

‘1

t o render all kinds o f service . In all mat t ers they are unt iringin their purpose . They are endowed here in this world with

the pro found at trib ut es o f a Buddha . In their progress towardstheir goal they are undefiled in act s o f b ody,

speech and thought .

Through the uprightness o f their lives in former existences

they are untarnished and pure in conduct . Possessing perfectknowledge they are men o f undimmed underst anding. Theyare eager t o win the Sphere o f power o f a Buddha— so far are

they from re fusing it .

1 With knowledge as their b anner theyare unt iring in Speech and skilled in t eaching.

2 Being o f

irreproachab le character th ey are immune from disaster. Theyare free from sin . They shun the three-fold dist ractions .

3

Leaving vain b ab b lers alone ,

4 they love their enemies . Theydo no t indulge in sexual pleasures .

5 They know how t o win

the affection o f all creatures . When they ent er the w orld theyb ecome endowed with powers that are in accordance with the

vow they have made . In all mat t ers they are Skilled in the

knowledge o f correct and faulty conclusions . They are rich

in go odness6and b lessed with good qualities . Eminent

,wise

in their illimitab le virtue ,they are serene among their fellows .

On this mat ter it is said

As it is not possible f or any bird to reach the confinesof the sky, so is it not possible f or any man to comprehendthe good qualities of the self -becoming Buddhas .

‘1 L it era lly are n o t k ept away by doubt vicikitsd-aparivarj i ta .

1 A curious sent iment . L it era lly their main obj ect is no t t o refuse it ,apra tyddet anapards .

1 The MS . pravarjana hard ly mak es sense , and Senart , therefore , suggest spravacana in t h e sense of t eaching . (Cf . Pa li pdvacana .) This suggest ionis adopt ed here as giving adequat e sense , a lthough Senart a lso suggest s as

an a lt ernat ive read ing , dvarjana , th e Sansk rit isat ion of t h e Pa li dvajjana ,

which would give th e meaning skilful in at t end ing o r turning [t o impress ionsat t h e doors o f their See d . 85 , 2 2 7 Kvu . trs . p . 2 2 1 . n . 4 .

3 Auddhatya , a strange d ist ort ion of t h e Pa li uddhacca , overbalancing ,agit at ion ,

excit ement , flurry . (Pali Dictionary .) S ee on this t erm Dial.1 . 82 ; Dhs . trs . 1 1 9 ; d . 1 8 , 4 5 , 83 .

1 S thitalapc'

i, thus t ranslat ed , on S enart’

s suggest ion t hat it equalss thapitalapd .

5 Read ing amaithunagdminas fo r maithuna° which all th e MS S . have

{

5 Adopt ing Senart ’

s suggest ion and reading sattva'

dhyds fo r t h e sa tvcidya'

s

o th e t ex t .

T H E S E V E N T H B H U M I 1 0 7

All the charms and medicines , my pious friend , which have

b een devised for the b enefit and welfare o f the w orld and for

t he service o f men, (13 5 ) w ere discovered b y Bodh isat tvas .

All the remedies that are current in the world for the b enefitand w elfare o f men were prescrib ed by Bodhisat tvas . All the

sciences devo t ed t o the ascert ainment o f t ruth which are known

in the world were developed by Bodhisat tvas . All the methods

o f calculat ing in the world, and all the forms o f writ ing were

invent ed by Bodhisat tvas . All the names o f the styles o f

writ ing known in the world were int roduced by Bodhisat tvas .

These 1 are the Brahmi style , the Puskarasari, the Kharost i,2

the Greek ,

3 the b rahmavani, the puspa, the kuta, the Saktina,

‘the vyatyas ta,

5 the lekh'

a,

6 the mudra,

7 the style o f Ut tarakuru ,

8

of Magadha ,that o f the Daradas ,

9o f the Chinese

,o f the Hfinas ,

1 0

o f the Ab hiras ,1 1

and o f the Vangas ,1 2 the Siphala style , the

Dravidian ,

1 3 the Dardura ,

“ the Ramatha ,

1 5 the b haya,the

vaicchetuka,the gulmala,

the hastada,the kasiila

,the ketuka,

the kusuva,the talika,

the jajaridesu ,and the aksarab addhéi .

1 6

All fields o f gold,Silver

, t in ,copper, lead , precious sub stances

1 Terms derived from geographical , nat iona l, o r t riba l names are writ t enwith a capit al init ia l . A few others can be explained etymologically as

denot ing peculiar variat ions o f a st andard type , b ut t h e rest are obscure .

S e e S enart’

s not e , in which he ca lls at t ent ion t o t h e ana logous list in L al .Vist . , 1 4 3 , 1 7 ff : , which however, is no t su fficient t o rest ore all t h e doubt fult erms in this list . All are here rendered by t h e fem inine adj ect iva l formt o agree with lipi , writ ing , with which most o f them are compounded .

1 L e . Kharo stht .3 d an t , Ionian o r Greek .

1 S enart suggest s, o n th e analogy of L al. Vis t . , which has éakc‘

irilipi , thatt h e right reading is édkdri, and cit es t h e Prakrit d ialect o f t h e same name .

5 L’

écrit ure t'

ournée (S enart ) .6 L

’

écriture épist ola ire (S enart ) .7 L

’

écriture de s sceaux (Senart ) .8 The t ext h as ukaramadhuradarada , which is obviously corrupt . S enartsuggests u ttarakurudarada , o r, perhaps bet t er , u ttarakurumagadhadarada .

The second suggest ion has been followed here .

9 th e people o f what is now Dardist an in Kashm ir .

1 ° t h e Huns, who brok e up th e Gupt a empire at t h e end of t h e 5 th cent uryA .D . (C ambridge H is tory of India , 1 . p .

1 1 A tribe o f northern India .

1 1 The people from whom Benga l derives its name The MSS . have vandas i c

Tramida . Fo r t h e variant forms of th e name of this people see Ca ldwellC omparative Grammar of the Dravidian L anguages , pp . 1 2 - 1 4 .

1 4 A mount ain in t h e south of India .

1 5 A people in th e west .

1 “ Aksarabadham ,a conject ure of S enart ’

s fo r aksabadham of t h e t ext ,and t ranslat ed by h im ,

lie'e aux let t res , s’

exprimant par la success ionde s let t res .

1m T H E MA H AV A S T U

and gems were revealed by Bodhisattvas . All the expedientst hat exist for the service o f men were the invent ions o f

Bodhisat tvas .

On this mat ter it is said

The peerless pre-eminent men pass through their successivelives aware of what is good f or the world. Their lives are

better than those of devas , men ,and Guhyakas . For the

perfect knowledge gained by these lords is unsurpassed.

(13 6)When this had b een said , the venerab le Maha-Kasyapaasked the venerab le Maha-Katyayana , O son o f the Con

queror, what is the stat e o f heart o f Bodhisat tvas who do no tlapse (as they

'

advance from the seventh bhumi t o the eighthThe venerab le Maha-Katyayana replied

, There arises in them ,

my pious friend, a heart that is set on the great compassion 1

as they advance from the seventh bhumi t o the eighth .

Such is the description o f the seventh bhumi.

Here ends the seventh bhilmi o f the Mahavastu-Avadana .

THE EIGHTH BHfiMI

Wh en this had b een said, the venerab le Maha-Kasyapaasked the venerab le Maha-Katyayana, O 5 0 11 o f the Con

queror, what were the names o f the Buddhas under whom

the Exalted One ,the Buddh a Sakyamuni, acquired merit

while he was advancing from the first t o the seventh bhumi P

The venerab le Mahé -Katyéyana replied, Hear, my pious

friend,the names o f the powerful and renowned Buddhas , under

whom this Exalted One o f the Sakyan royal family acquired

the roo t o f virtue .

4 First there was Satyadharmavipulakirt i,3

then Sukirt i, Lokab harana,Vidyutprab ha, Indrat ejas , Brahma

kirt i, Vasumdhara , SuparSva , Anupavadya , Sujyestha, Srista

rfipa, PraSast agunaraSi, Meghasvara ,Hemavarna, Sundara

varna, Mrigarajaghosa,ASukarin ,

Dhritarastragati, Loka

1 The answer shows t hat th e word s brack et ed must be supplied .

1 M ahdkarund . See not e p . 1 5 7 .

3 As will be seen t h e list is no t confined t o th e Buddhas of th e first sevenbhumis , b ut goe s on t o enumerat e those of t h e eighth and ninth .

1 Most of these names seem t o occur only here .

1 1 0 T H E MA H AV A S T U

dhvaja ,Danavakula ,

Manusyadeva ,Manusyadat ta , Somaccha

t ra ,Adityadat t a , Yamagupta , Naksat ragupta , Sumitrarfipa,

Satyab hanu , Pusyagupta , VrihaSpat igupta , Gaganagamin ,

Sub hanatha , Suvarna ,Kanakak sa , Prasannabuddhi, Aviprana

Starastra , Udagragamin , Sub hadanta , Suvimaladanta , Suva

dana ,Kulanandana , Janaksatriya ,

Lokaksat riya ,Anantagupta ,

Dharmagupta , Sfiksmavastra . These form the second hundred

o f Aryans .

“

Then therewere the Buddhas Pratyasannab uddhi, Satvasaha ,

Manusyanaga , Upasena , Suvarnacarin , Prab hfitavarna , Su

b hik sakanta ,Bhik sudeva ,

Prab uddh aéila , Nah'

inagarb ha ,

Analamb ha , Rat anamudra ,Harab hfisita , Prasiddhavedana ,

Sugandhivastra , Suvijrimb hita , Amit alocana, Udat t ak

'

irti,

Sagararaja , Mrigadeva ,Kusumahestha , RatnaSringa ,

Cit ravarna , Padmarajavarna , Samant agandha , Udaragupta ,

Pra

Sant aroga ,Pradaksinartha ,

Samksiptabuddhi, Anantacchat ra ,

YojanasahasradarSin , Utphalapadmanetra,At ipurusa , Ani

vart ikab ala , Svagunasakha, Sarncit ora , Maharaja , Carucarana ,

Prasiddharanga , Suvarnasena ,Vart itart ha ,

Asarnkirna ,Devagarb ha , Suprityarati, Vimanaréjan ,

Pari

mandanartha , Devasatva ,VipulataramSa, Salilagajagamin ,

Virfidhab hfimi.

Here ends the eighth bhumi o f the Mahdvastu-Avada'

na .

THE NINTH BHI‘

IMI

Again ,

1 my pious friend ,following these were the Exalt ed

Ones Citrab hanu , Carub hanu , Diptab hanu , Rucitab hanu ,

Asitab hanu ,Hemaratha

, Camikaragaura , Rajakaratha , Su

yak sa , Aksob hya ,ApariSro tavahana ,

Devalamkrita , Su

b hfisitakhanda , Sithilakundala,Manikarna ,

Sulaksana , Suvi

Suddh a,Vimalajendra ,

Devacfida ,Mandaravagandha ,

Patarn

gacara , Carugandha ,Indraciirna , Sailarajaketu , Arimardana ,

Manicakra , Vimalo t t ariya ,Satyab harana , Dridhavirya , Nandi

gupta,Anandamfila , Cakravalagupta ,

Dridhamfila ,Ananda

candra , Brahmadhvamsadeva , Saumb havat sab ahu ,Samiksita

vadana , Satyavatara ,Supratis thitab uddhi , HaraSitalamga ,

1 The list cont inues , although Kasyapa asked fo r th e names of th e Buddhaswhom Sakyamuni knew in t h e first seven bhumis only. See p. 1 0 8 ,

T H E N I N T H B H O M I 1 1 1

Sukhaprab ha , Bhfirisatva ,Bhadragupta , CandraSub ha ,

Bhad

rat ejas , Istarfipa , Cakravart idat ta , Suvicak sanagatra , Vaisra

vanarajan , Samriddhayajna , SammataraSmi, Daréanak sama

,

Srajamaladharin , Suvarnavisana ,Bhfitarthake tu , Ratnarudhira

ke tu , Maharsacfida , Tejagupta , Varunaraja , Udat tavast ra ,

.Vajragupta , Dhanyab hanu , Ut taptarast ra , ViSalaprab ha ,

Lokasundara , Ab hirupa ,Hiranyadhanyaéirika ,

Prab hutadeha

karna , (140 ) Pragajita , Vicitramakuta ,Danavagupta ,

Rahuva

min ,PunyaraSi, Salilagupta , SamitaSatru , Ratnayupa ,

Suvikalpanga , Ajitab ala , Satyanama, Avirak tarastra , Vais

vanaragupta ,Madhuravadana , Kusumo tpala , Ut tarakururaja ,

Anjalimaladharin ,Dhanapat igupta ,

Tarunarkab hanu ,Anu

rfipagat ra , Ratnakarandaketu ,MahakOSa

,Bahulake Sa

,Pus

pamanjarimandit a , Anapaviddh akarna , Anaviddhavarna , Sit a

Sit élocana , Araktapravada , Simhoraska , Aristanemi, Bahu

rajan . This is the first hundred o f the host o f Aryans in the

ninth bhumi .

Then th ere w ere the Buddhas Bhfimideva , Pundarikaksa,

Sadhuprab ha , Jyo t igupta ,Bahuprab ha , Satyamvaca ,

Bhava

devagupta , Samvrit tat ejas , Nirfipaghata , janut rast a , RatnaSa

yana ,KusumaSayana Cit raSayana ,DantaSayana , Suprat isthit

acarana , Sarvadevagupta , Arajo t t ariya , Svayamb havendra ,

Prasannavarna , Bhavaketu ,Ksirapfirnamb ha , Anant ab uddhi,

Kanakanagarajat ejas , Bandhanantakara ,Anugravarnak sema

gupta , Jinakantara ,

'

Vimala,Maricijala ,

Ajitasenarajan ,

KanakaraSi, Gaura ,Padmamal a ,

Rajakse t ragupta , Samapak sa ,

Caturdeva ,Devagupta , Puskalanga ,

Dvijatiraja ,Bahusena ,

Kumudagandha , Savalé Sva , Sadvisanapata ,Surab hicandana

,

Rajan , Sahasradatar, Ab hayadeva ,Arinihantar

,VimalaSikhara

,

Durarohab uddh i,Yajfiako tigupt a ,

Ratnacankrama, Jalantara ,

Pariéuddhakarma, Kamadeva

, Gururatna , (14 1 ) Satasahasramatar, Sucipraroha , S timit arajan , Vriddhadeva , Gurujanapiij ita , Jayant adeva , Sujatab uddhi, Samiksitartha , Ujjhitapara ,

Devabhika ,Asuradeva , Gandharvagita ,

Vinaravagho sa ,Suddha

danta, Sudant a , Carudanta ,

Amrit aphala , Margodyotayit ar,

Manikundaladhara ,Hemajalaprab ha ,Nagab hogab ah u ,

Kamala

dhara, ASokasatva ,

Laksmiputra ,Sunirmitarfipa , ISVara

gupta ,Lokapalarajan , Sunidhyana , Agrapurusa ,

Anihatavarna,

Kundapuspagandha ,AnkuSa ,

Ardravalliprat irfipa ,Karyatavi

Cara, Svat ejadipta ,

Praké éadharma ,Aryavarnéake tu ,

Devaraja

1 1 2 T H E MA H AV A S T U

prab ha , Pratyaksadeva ,Ahib hanuraga,

Kusumo t tari'

ya,Avir

asa ,Prathamarajan , Pundarikarajan , Sub hiksaraja . This is

the second hundred o f the host o f Aryans in the ninth bhumi.

Then there were the Buddhas Snigdhagat ra , Paramartha

satva ,Aklinnagatra , DharmaSfira , Sut irtha ,

Lokalokanihita

malla ,Kundapuspagandha ,NirankuSa ,Ano taptagatra ,Upadhy

ayarajan ,Pravaragramat i

, Anab hib hfitayaSa , Anupacchinna

lamb ha , Devaguru , Ratnapuspa , Suddhasatva , VaidfiryaSikhara , Citramalya , Sugandhakaya ,

Anantako Sa , Samamathit a ,

Satyaprab ha ,Adinagamin , Suvikranta , Asamb hrantavacana ,

Gurudeva , Naradeva , Naravahana , Ratnahasta , Lokapriya ,

Parinditartha ,AViSuskamfila ,

Aparitrisit a , SarvaSilparaja ,

Grahako Sa , Anuraktarastra , Sivadat tamala , Sikharadat ta ,

Citramala, Mahavimana , Ano taptagatra , Citrahemajéla , Sant araja

, Sangrihitapaksa ,Aprakrista ,

‘

Raktacandanagandha ,

Acalitasumanas, Upacitahanu, JvalitayaSas , Racitamala,

Siramakuta,Tejaguptarajan .

Here ends the ninth bhumi in the Maha'

vastu-Avada’

na .

THE TENTH 13111“

e

(142)When this had b een said, the venerab le Maha‘

r-K'

asyapaasked the venerab le Maha-Katyayana ,

O son o f the Con

queror, with regard t o those Bodh isattvas who have amassed

the roots o f virtue, who have accomplished their t asks , who

have passed through the ninth bhumi, and encompassed thet enth , and who , having won t o the realm o f Tusita, yearn for

human existence and descend t o a mother’

s womb with the

resolve that it will b e their last existence , t ell me the wonderfuland marvellous attributes o f these supreme men , which are

no t shared b y Pratyekab uddhas , etc nor by saints , etc., nor

by disciples , etc. , nor by average men ,etc

”.

Maha-Katyayana replied t o the venerab le Maha-Kasyapa ,

Buddhas know what it is t o b e conceived ,t o take up a

position in the womb ,t o b e b orn ,

t o have parents , t o take up

the religious life and t o b e energe tic and at tain wisdom.

” 1

1 L it era lly they are endowed with [t h e at t ribut e of] descent int o th ewomb

,etc. , garbhdvakrdn tisampannds , e t c .

H 4 T H E MA H AVA S T U

(144 ) It is in this way,my pious friend , that Buddhas

b ecome conceived .

“

And how do Buddhas take up their position in the wombBodhisat tvas , having ent ered their mo thers

’

b odies,stand

in1 the womb ,or in the b ack , or in the b elly, or in the s ide .

But just as a fine thread on which has b een strung b eadso f coral or b eryl is no t visib le in any part b ecause it is hidden ,

2

al though it really exists in it s whole length ,

3so Bodhisat tvas

have and have not a position in t heir mo thers’

b odies .

“

Again ,my pious friend , when the Bodhisat tva has entered

his mo ther’

s womb , the host o f devas j oyfully approach ,

b owing and with their hands j oined b efore them , and enquire

the happy moment and day o f his b irth . The Bodh isat tvas

greet the enquiring devas b y raising their right hand , b ut theydo not hurt their mo thers . Nor, indeed , do Bodhisat tvas ,

when they are in their mo thers’

b odies , hurt them either when

they sit or when they lie on their side or when they stand upin any position what soever. Again , they do no t hurt their

mo thers when they sit cross-legged .

Further, my pious friend , when they are yet in their

mo thers’

b odies , by the power o f the roo t o f goodness that is

in them they relat e the story o f their exist ences .

‘1 Celest ialmusical instruments play without ceasing day or night in

honour o f the Bodhisat tva who has entered his mother’

s

womb . Again ,in honour o f the Bodhisat tva (145) who has

ent ered his mo ther’

s womb a hundred thousand Apsarasescause t o appear never- failing Showers o f celest ial b lossoms and

aromat ic powders . From the t ime they are Bodhisat tvas in

their mothers’

womb unt il as DaSab alas they pass finally away,

the celestial incense o f alo e -wood does not cease .

Verily,my pious friend ,

Bodhisat tvas are not b orn o f the

1 N is‘ra'ya ,Pali n issaya lit era lly leaning on

,is here pract ically a post

posit ion ,with t h e preced ing noun in t h e accusa t ive . N .B t h e P .T .S .

Dictionary does no t give this form as Buddhist Sanskri t b ut only as

a hypothet ica l Sansk rit word ; t h e Buddhist S ansk rit form given by it

is nitritya .

1 be cause of t h e obst acle [i .e . of t h e bead s] , vistambhitayd . S enart’

s

not e is vis tambhita se rapport e ala mobilit é des pierres enfilée s , qui emp éch ed e sa isir net t ement le fil en aucun endroit .

”

3 L it erally although it s place is everywhere, pradet astu asti sarvatas .

The whole sim ile is far from clear .

4 Bhavava'

dika tham, S enart’

s confessed ly unsat i sfact ory read ing . Shouldwe no t read bhavc‘ibhavaka thdm, th e t ale of their various exist ences

T HE T E NT H B HHMI 1 1 5

intercourse o f a father and a mo ther, b ut b y their own merit

independent ly o f parents .

1

On this matter it is said

Then dusky Maya"

, with eyes like lotus-leaves , attended

by many Gandharvas , earnestly1

and sweetly spoke to

Suddhodana“

Hencef orth I will ref rain f rom doing harm to living things ,and will live a chaste life . I will abstainfrom theft , intoxication

,andfrivolous speech .

“

I will, my lord, refrain from harsh speech and from

slander, andfrom falsehood. This is my resolve .

“

I will not nurse envy of the pleasures of others , nor do

them harm,but I will be full of amity towards all

,and I

will give upfalse views .

“

I will, 0 king, live in the practice of the eleven moralities .

8

All night long this resolve has been stirring in me .

Do not then, 0 king, desire me with thoughts of sensual

delight . S ee to it that you be guiltless of ofi’

ence against me,

f or I would observe chastity .

The king replied to his wife , I shall comply with all

your wishes . (146 ) Be at ease . You have taken up a noble

life, and I and my who le realm will obey you .

Ma'

ya'

then took her thousand beloved principal maidens ,went up to the fair mansion ,

and sat down surrounded byher entirely gracious attendants .

On her couch that was the colour of the snow-white lotus ,

1 Upapdduka . On p . 1 5 3 below t h e form is aupapaduka , which ,accord ing

t o t h e P .T .S . Dictionary,is a curious d ist ort ion of th e Pa li opapdtika ,

”

from upapatti.1 L it era lly t o t h e point , sahitam . The force of this word here is t o

be explained from it s use in Pa li in th e sense of consist ent ,” sensible ,

”

t o t h e point . S enart cit es Childers, wh o equat es it with samagga , and

says that t h e word as used here denot es um langage conciliant , doux,a imable . Max Muller in his t ranslat ion of Dhammapada , 1 9 and 2 0 (S .B .E

x . 1 9 ) t ak es it as equal t o samhitam o r samhitd,b ut adm it s, I cannot find

another passage where th e Tipi taka o r any port ion of it is ca lled S akita .

Mrs . Rhys David s in h er translat ion o f t h e same passage int erpret s it as

what ’ s proper .

”In Dial. 1 . 4 ,

sahitamme is t ranslat ed I am speak ingt o t h e point . In th e Mahavas tu this word is a cliché in th e account of th equeen ’s address to h er husband at this part icular j uncture , e .g. 1 . 2 0 1 2 , 5 .

1 L it erally morality in it s eleven modes , eka'

datapraka'

ram t t larn . In

t h e Pa li t ext s t h e t iltini, o r rules of mora l conduct , are t en in number. Se e

not e p . 1 68 .

1 1 6 THE MAHAVAS TU

she whiled away her time in silence,contentedly calm and

self -controlled.

M oved by excitement , a throng of deva-maidens, wearing

bright garlands , came,eager to see the Conqueror

’

s mother,and alighted on the beautiful terrace .

And when they had come and seen Mdyd on her bed in

beauty that dazzled like the lightning, they felt great joy and

happiness , and showered on he rflowers from heaven .

When they had stood awhile contemplating such a comelyand wondrous , albeit human , f orm,

they said to themselves,

1

“

There can be none like her even among the consorts of devas .

“

Ah ! dear friends , observe the loveliness of this woman .

How befitting (a Conqueror’

s mother) . As she lies on her

bed,she is radiant and alluring,

and gleams like a stream

of gold.

And she will bear a Great Man who delights exceedinglyin charity,

self-restraint and virtue, (147 ) who has made an

end of all the fiSravas ,and who is rid of passion . What

more can you want, 0 queen P“ In you ,

whose belly,with its fair streak of downy hair,

curves like the palm of the hand,and whose renown is bright,

the Exalted One has taken up his abode, the Gracious One

who is untainted by impurity.

You are a worthy woman , supreme of mothers , as he ,your son ,

is pre-eminent , he who ends existences , and is

blessed. What more can you want , 0 queen P

In that concept ion ,my pious friend,

in which the mo thers

o f Bodhisat tvas conceive a Bodhisattva for his last exist ence ,

those b est o f women live a pure , completely perfect and chaste

life . For in the hearts o f these peerless w omen no passionfor any man arises, no t even for their husb ands . And when

a Bodhisat tva has ent ered his mo ther’

s womb ,her b ody

b ecomes clo thed in celestial raiment and adorned with celest ial

j ewels , while tro ops o f Apsarases at tend t o the b athing,

rub b ing,massaging and anointing o f her b ody.

When a Bodhisat tva has ent ered his mo ther’

s womb ,his

mo ther, in company with a hundred thousand deva-maidens ,

1 The idea of cont emplat ing and speak ing t o themselves is takent o be implicit in t h e adverb an tara to , inward ly.

”

Ifl T HE MAHAV AS TU

Quickly make the Lumbini grove like a celestial abode

f or the queen ,clean and pleasant

, with the grass , mire , leaves

and litter swept away.

“

Deck out each fair tree with streamers of fine cloth, jute ,

wool and silk,that it be like the kalpavriksa

1 trees of thelord of devas in heaven .

“

S o be it,

”said they in obedience to the scion of kings ,

and soon they reported to him that everything had been done

as he had commanded.

She, the mother of the vanquisher of Mdra’

s might,speaking afiectionate and loving words the while

, with her

escort mounted the lovely chariots .

The king’

s host,adorned with jewels , was resplendent as

it set out in brave array, many on foot and many in chariots .

Entering the fair forest , Mdyd ,the Conqueror

’

s mother,attended by herfriends , roamed about in her dazzling chariot

,

like the consort of an immortal, knowing the rule of true delight .Playfully she went up to a wavy

- leafedfig-tree and hungwith her arms to the branches

,and gracefully stretched herself1

at the moment of giving birth to the Glorious One .

Then twenty thousand peerless Apsarases , holding out

their joined hands , greeted and addressed Mdyd

(150 ) T0 -day, 0 queen , you are giving birth to him who

crushes old age and rebirth,a tender youth of immortal stock,

honoured in heaven and on earth,friend and benefactor of

men and devas .

“

Do not give way to anxiety, f or we shall render assistanceto you . Only tell us what is to be done , and lo ! it is done .

Be not anxious .

From Mdya’

s right side , without hurting his mother, the

charming babe was born ,the thoughtful sage, the preacher

of the highest truth .

Then at the birth of the Lord of men , cities and towns ,3

1 One of t h e t rees In Indra ’s heaven . The corresponding Pa li, kapparukkha ,

a lso denot es a wishing o r magica l t ree .

1 Pra tijrimbhita, so int erpret ed by Senart o n th e analogy o f vijrimbhamdndin L al. Vist . , 94 , 2 2 , and Beal ’ s t ranslat ion of t h e Chinese version o f thisepisode , where Maya at this moment is compared t o a rainbow st ret chinga thwart heaven .

”

(R oman tic L egend of Sakya Buddha , p .

3 Adopt ing S enart ’

s suggest ion that th e right read ing here is nagaranigamdinst ead of nagaranagara of t h e t ext ; th e lat t er could only mean cit ies uponc it ies .”

T H E T E N T H B H HM I 1 1 9

several thousands of them , gleamed bright and clear like heapsof divers precious stones .

But , my pious friend , no b eing in animat e creation o ther

than the Suddhavasa devas can proclaim a Bodhisat tva when

he is b orn int o his last existence .

On this mat t er it is said

With the ir persons arrayed in fine cloth,eight thousand

of these great lords ,1 disguised as brahmans

,went to the city

of Kapilavastu .

In their splendid raiment and jewels these noble beings

arrived at the door of the king’

s palace, andjoyfully addressed

the door-keeper, saying,

Go in to Suddhodana and tell him,

‘Here are eight

thousandmen expert in the'

science of the significance of signs ,and they crave admission

,if it is your pleasure

When he had heard these words , the door-keeper went (15 1 )in to the king,

bowed and,holding out his joined hands ,

said,

“

0 king, peerless in strength ,illustrious smiter of your

foes , may you wield long and blessed sway . The re are men

like the immortals standing at your gates and cravingadmission .

“

Because of their full clear eyes , their soft voices,their

tread like that of elephant in rut, doubt arises in me whether

these be men and not devas .

2

As they walk, the dust of the ground does not soil their

feet ; nor at any time is there heard any accompanying noise

as they move along .

With their stately gentle gestures , their noble bearing and

their control of their range of vision ,

3 they give great joyto all who behold them.

1 Mahes’

vards , se e not e p . I5 5 .

1 Here ca lled by t h e name Marutas .

3 Pratan tadristipa thd , t o be explained , apparent ly, by analogy with oneof th e at t ribut es o f th e Pratyekab uddh as namely, that they d id n o t lookahead farther t han a plough ’ s lengt h (yugama

'

tram , Pali yugamattam) .S e e Mahdvas tu 1 . 2 7 3 , and in Pa li S n . 63 ,

etc. ,Miln . 3 9 8 . Pa tha,

here t ransla t ed range ,” is S enart ’

s emendat ion of yathd in t h e MS S . On th e

int erpreta t ion suggest ed it may be possible t o ret ain ya thc‘

i , and t ranslat elike one (those) whose vision is cont rolled i .e . lik e a Pratyekab uddh a .

”

Senart , however , renders , ils répandent le calme , la naix dans t out ce

qu’

at t e ignent leurs regard s .

1m T H E MAHAVA S T U

Without a doubt these imposing men are come to see

your son , to greet and salute the deva of devas and of men ,

the lion among men .

When he had heard these words the king said to hi s door

keeper, I have given the order. Let them enter the palace .

”

Then the select band of immortals , lustrous as the sky,

and pure of deed, went in to the palace of the high-born

And King Suddhodana ,seeing the great lords when they

were still some way ofi, (152) with his court rose -up fromhis throne to meet them with dignified reverence .

The king bade them all a gracious welcome . For, said

he, your appearance , your calm and self -control and power

give us joy .

“

Here‘are fine seats beautifully fashioned. S it down at

once, sirs , to give pleasure to us .

”

Then they who rejoiced in their freedom from conceit and

pride , sat down in comfort on those fine seats , the feet ofwhich were bright and gleaming with silver and gold.

As soon as they were seated one of them addressed the kingsaying,

“

Let his majesty hear what the cause of our cominghither is .

“

A son is born to you who is of a wholly faultless body,

and bears the marks of excellence to perfection 1

“

For we,skilled in the science of signs can distinguish

the defects from the excellencies by their marks . If it is notinconvenient f or you we would see your son who bears the

form of a Great Man

The king replied, Come, see my son whose fame issecure,

2 who is renowned and glorious among devas and

men ,and bears the marks of excellence to perfection .

”

Then the king brought in the Sugata,the adored of devas

and men ,lying like unto a piece of gold in soft swaddling

clothes of gaily coloured wool.

1 Lacuna .

1 S uvyap adet aksema . Cf . p . 1 80 . Senart , in a not e on p . 5 5 0 , rendersthis by qui port e nu nom de bon augure,” which, however, does no t seemt o account for ksema , safe,” secure.” In any ca se, t h e lit era l sense ofvyap adet a is out of place here, as th e child h ad no t yet been given his name .(See below p . S enart suggest s t h e meaning “ charact er,” Sign, b ut ,perhaps, t h e slight ly met aphorical rendering given above more fit ly suit st h e sense h ere.

1 2 2 T H E MA H AV A S T U

host o f universal kings were b orn spontaneously. But no t so

was Prince Rahula b orn .

”

How ,my pious friend , do Bodhisattvas achieve re t irement

from the w orld

Once upon a t ime , O son o f the Conqueror, the Bodhisat tvawas on the point o f withdraw ing from the world . He w ent

t o the king’

s palace and Spoke t o Chandaka 1 in verse

Quick, Chandaka , bring me my steedKanthaka . Do not

tarry long. To-day I am going to win a hard-fought fight .S o be glad.

But Chandaka , his face bathe d in tears , sighed deeply.

He gave vent to his tears and his cries of grief to wake upthe sleeping palace folk.

“

How cried he, can the women

,brilliantly

1garbed

in raiment of precious silk,

3stretched out amid waves of

perfume, 4 give themselves up now to the joys of love, when it isthe time f or grief and lamentation ,

and to sleep when it is theplace and time f or wakeful watching P

“

Can it be that Mdyd the queen ,beautiful as S audama'ni , “

although ,it is true , she has kept vigil a long time , is now lying

down in carefree joy like a Sura’

s wife in a fair city of theSuras, at the moment when he who is the boon“

of men isleaving home P

(155 )S he , the queen ,the mother of the Lord of men ,

she

whose eyes are kind,large, and full of tenderness , in spite

of the imminence7of this cruel separation ,

hears not my cries,

f or she is sunk in sleep .

Where now is that brave array of warriors with their

elephants and horses , and brightly armed with arrows , darts

and spears P Wha t boots it now P For it does not heed the

departure of the champion of the Sdkyans .

“ Whom shall I arouse P Who will be my ally P What

1 Chandak a ,Pa li Channa , t h e chariot eer and companion o f Got ama .

1 Avigalita ,cf . vigalita ,

p . 1 2 1 .

1 Accept ing S enart ’

s suggest ion of koéakc'ird or kot ikdrd for kos’

abhdra'

o f

t h e t ext .

4 Aga in on S enart’

s suggest ion , read ing vdsaugha for vdspaugha (i .e . basp°

)o f t h e t ext .

5 One of t h e Apsarases .Reading lancaka fo r lambaha . See not e p . 9 0 .

1 L it era lly seeing it , sampatyamdna (fo r sampatyamdna’,causa which

,as t h e queen is asleep , cannot be lit era lly t rue .

T H E T E N T H B H U M I 1 23

can I do now that it is no longer day P Alas , the king and

hisfolk,bereft of him whose splendour is golden , will perish .

A throng of devas spoke to him in sweet tones ,“ Why

do you lament , Chandaka , why are you troubled at this P

Trained warriors could not bar his going f orth . How then

can you P

If one were to create an uproar in Kapilavastu with

kettle-drums , tabours ,and a thousand trumpets , in order to

arouse it , this fair and prosperous city would not wake up,

f or it is lulled to sleep by the immortals and their lord .

“

S ee the devas of heaven ,with diadems of gems andjewels ,

(156)how,obedient to the Worshipful One , they bow low with

their hands joined before them,and

,bending their heads ,

adore him with the words ,“

Thou art our kinsman ,thou art

our refuge .

Theref ore , cheerfully bring up Kanthaka , the Leader’

s

steed,caparisoned in silver and gold, which was born the same

moment as its master.

1 For there is not in heaven or earth

anyone who could put an obstacle in the way of him who is

the boon of men .

1 Lead up the noble steed.

”

Chandaka ,incited by the words of the virtuous deva ,

obediently, yet weeping the while , led up the horse whose

colour was shining white like the water-lily and the jasmine ,

which was beautiful as the moon when it is full, and whichhad been born the same time as its master.

Here , S aviour, said he,is thy steed, comely of limb ,

and ready, fleet of foot as the lightning streak,and friskily

rearing. 0 beautiful broad-chested steed, may what you are

now intent on doing turn out successful.“

O sturdy steed,may your adversary be quickly overcome

,

like a feeble and broken awn of barley,vanquished by your

matchless might . Mayyour hope befulfilled, O boon of men ,

3

and enriched as with mountains of gold.

“

Let those who would impede you be gone . (157 ) Let those

who bring support win abundant strength . May you whose

stride is stately like that of elephant in rut fully achieve

the end you aim at."

1 To th e reference t o this legend given by S enart from L al. Vist 1 0 9 . 4 ,

add , aft er 1 . 5 4 ; BudvA . 1 3 1 , 2 7 6 , et c .

1and 3 Read ing naralaricaka for

°lambaha , See not e p . 9 0 ,

1m T H E MA H AVA S T U

The f loor of the king’

s courtyard,inlaid with precious

stones , rumbled to the beat of Kanthaka’

s hoofs , and the

wondrous sound echoed softly through the night .But the four guardians of the world

,

1 in their brilliant

diadems andflowing garlands , put their hands that were as

the red lotus under the hoofs of Kanthaka .

In front, his hair clasped with a jewel, Indra , the wielder

of the thunderbolt , the teacher of the Three-and-Thirty1 devas

,

the thousand-eyed,went before the Best of Men .

One might think that it was the horse Kanthaka that bore

him,but in reality it was the devas who carried in the ir

noble hands the tiger of eloquence , him who sheds wondrous

rays around him.

When he had withdrawnfrom thefair city,the lion-hearted

man looked down on the goodly citadel,and said

,I shall

not enter it again before I have passed beyond the power ofold age and death .

Thus , my pious friend, do perfect Buddhas achieve retirement from the world . But I canno t define exactly the kalpathat elapsed from the concept ion o f the Bodhisattva up t o

his leaving home,nor the rest o f the kalpa

ATTRIBUTES OF THE BUDDHAS

Nor is it possib le t o comprehend all the virtues o f a Buddha ,

so numerous are the virtues with which Buddhas are endow ed .

(158 )Aft er they have come t o the bodhi t ree, b ut b e fore they

acquire comprehensive knowledge , Buddhas b ecome gift edwith the five eyes .

Wh en this had b een said,the venerab le Maha-Kasyapa said

1 Only o ne , Indra , is referred t o in t h e next st anza . In Hindu mythologythere were usually eight lok t

ipdlas , b ut in Pali t ext s there are only four .

These are ident ica l wit h th e our k ings o f t h e lowest deva-heaven which isca lled aft er them ca

'

turmahdrdjakdyika (see p . where they dwell as

guard ians of t h e four quart ers , namely, Dhat ara tth a o f th e east , Virfilh ak aof t h e south , Virfipakkh a of t h e west , and Ve ssavana o f th e north . Thisinclusion o f Indra among t h e four guard ians (wh o t h e others were regardedas being is n o t st at ed ) is no t th e only ind icat ion we have that t h e redact orsof t h e M ahavastu were more conversant with Hindu myt hology than withBuddhist , o r , t o be more exact , gave a larger place t o it than was usua l inBuddhist script ures .

1 L it erally, th e thirt y, tridaéd ,t h e devas who inhabit ed Tridata , a

convent iona l name fo r Trayast rirnSa t h e home of t h e Three-and—Thirtydevas . (S ee not e p . Sim ilarly Tava timsa in Pa li is oft en ca lled Tidasa .

1 26 T H E MA H AV A S T U

devas o f earth ,Yak sa devas , Raksasa devas , Kamavacara

1

devas and Rfipavacara1 devas have , only superio r, larger, and

more expansive . This eye is concerned with men tal forms .

The eye o f wisdom o f the Buddhas is the same as that

which individuals , arranged in e ight classe s“according t o t heir

power o f sight from the convert up t o the arhan,have , b ut

is clearer . Then what is the dharma eye o f the Buddhas ?

This consists in the int ellectual possession o f the t en powers .

‘1

What t en powers They are as follows

A Buddha knows what is and what is not a causal occasion .

This is the first power of the infinitely wise ones . He knows

whither every course of conduct tends . This is the secondpower.

He knows the various elements which make up the world.

1 Cert ain grades of devas in a h eaven where they are st ill amenable t oth e seduct iveness of th e senses .

1 Devas in a heaven or sphere where rapa’

s o r object s of sight are t he

principal m ed ium of experience (Expositor, p . 2 1 63 Compare not e p . 9 4 .

1 Senart h as a long not e on these baldni and resolves many of t h e d ifficult iesin th e t ext with t h e aid of t h e tw o list s in t h e L otus and t h e M ahdvyutpattirespect ively . It may here be said that with t h e lim it ed sources fo r collat ionat h is d isposa l, S enart h as been remark ably successful in rest oring corrupt edt erm s . At first sight , and independent ly of t h e ord inals enumerat ing t hem ,

t h e ballini o f th e M ahc‘

ivastu are eleven in number . Senart decided t hat t h eright number of t en could be obt ained by t aking t h e word s kles'avyavaddnamvetti sap tamam dhydnasamapa ttim vetti as meant t o express one bala ,

andsuggest s t h e read ing samapa tttnamca . This read ing h as been adopt edfo r t ranslat ion , and , when one considers t h e invariably mut ilat ed form oft h e Mahavastu t erm s, it comes very near t h e d escript ion of th e seventh balain t h e Pa li t ext s , e .g . A . 5 . 3 4 , jhdnavimokkhasamadhisamdpatttnamsamkilesam voddnarn vu tthdnarn pajdndti.Where th e Mahavas tu list of ba ldni departs farthest from t h e t rad it ion

is in it s t erm fo r th e ninth— pariéuddhadivyanayand bhavan ti . The possessionof th e d eva eye is nowhere else said t o be a bala in it self . The t en baldni,indeed , have j ust been sa id t o compose t h e int ellectual at t ribut es connot edby t h e eye o f dharma .

” The deva eye is rather t h e means o f exercisingth e power which is ninth in t h e Pa li list s —dibbena '

cakkhund satte

pas sati cavamdne upapajjamdne yathdkammupage , with h is deva eyehe sees beings passing away and being born according t o their deed s . "The ninth bala o f t h e Mahdvastu , t herefore, correspond s t o none in t h e Pa lilist s , and is an att empt t o mak e up th e round number of t en which h ad beenvit iat ed elsewhere . This h ad happened when th e sixth bala w as described ,

t o o succinct ly, as karmabalam prajdnan ti subha'

éubham , i .e . t hey know th e

power o f k arma , whether it is good o r b ad In th e Pali list s this knowledgeis described under tw o aspect s, i .e . it is d 1vided int o two balas ; first , th eknowledge o f t h e work ing of kamma , att tdndgatapaccuppanndnarn kammasamdddndnam thanaso hetuso vipdkam pajdndti, he knows t h e fruit ofact ions past , fut ure , and present our bala NO . and , second , th ek nowledge o f t h e st at e o f beings when they reap t h e fruit of this karma

,

”

t h e ninth b ala quot ed above from t h e Pali list . In S . 5 . 3 0 3 ff . , t h e baldniappear as t en o f t h e thirt een a t t ainment s gained by th e cult ivat ion o f t h e

four arisings of m ind fulness .

A T T R I B U T E S O F T H E B U D D H A S 1 27

This is declared to be the third power . He knows the divers

characters of beings . This is the fourth power.

He knows the merits of the conduct of other men . This

is the fifth power . (160 ) He knows the good and bad forceof karma . This is the sixth power .

He knows the fault and purification of attainments in

meditation .

1 This is the seventh power. He knows the manymodes of his former lives . This is the eighth powerThe Buddhas become endowed with the clear deva eye .

This is the ninth power. They attain the destruction of all

defiling lusts . This is the tenth power

These are the intellectual powers on account o f which theAll-seeing One ,

renowned in heaven and earth,is called DaSa

b ala . The intellectual knowledge that is comprised in these

t en powers is what is meant by the eye o f dharma .

Next what is the Buddha eye It comprises the eight een

special at trib ut es 1 o f a Buddha, which are as follows . The

Buddha has infallib le knowledge and insight o f the past .

He has infallib le knowledge and insight o f the future . He has

infallib le knowledge and insight o f the present . All his act s

o f b ody are b ased on knowledge and concerned with knowledge .

All his acts o f Speech are b ased on knowledge and concerned

with knowledge . All his act s o f though t are b ased on know

ledge and concerned with knowledge . There is no falling o ffin resolut ion . There is no falling o ff in energy. There is no

fall ing o ff in mindfulness . There is no falling o ff in concentration . There is no falling o ff in insigh t . There is no falling o ff

in freedom . There is no fal t ering. There is no impetuosity.

“

1 Dhydna , Pa li jhana . Med itat ion is , perhaps , th e English word thatcomes nearest t o th e meaning of t h e original, and may b e used in translat ionif on ly it is remembered that it is a part icular type o f med ita t ion , specia lt o Buddhist theory and pract ice . It is essent ia lly a form of religious experience

, or rather exercise , and in some ways is myst ica l .” Mrs . Rhys David stranslat ed jhdna by musing, " believing t hat thus sh e would avoid th e

int ellect ual associat ions of th e word m ed itat ion .

” Musing,” however,seems to o passive a t erm ,

for dhyc'

ina (jhana) w as throughout all its st agesd ist inct ly an act ive and well-ordered exercise . It is described in det a ilbelow p . 1 83 .

1 Avenikd buddhadharmd : See not e p . 3 3 .

1 Ravila ,so t ranslat ed here on th e ana logy of th e use of Pah rava in th e

Vinaya t o denot e Speak ing and mak ing blunders by over-hurrying oneselfin speak ing ”

(Pali Dictionary) . Compare a lso th e use of rava' cit ed by Senartfrom t h e correspond ing list in j ina A lamka

'

ra (Burnouf , Lotus , p . 64 8 f.)and t ranslat ed by act ion violent e .”

1 28 T H E MA H AV A S T U

His mindfulness never fails . His mind is never disturb ed .

Th ere is no t hought less indifference . There is no preoccupationw ith the mult iplicity o f ph enomena . The knowledge invo lved

in these eigh t e en Special attrib ut es o f a Buddha is what ismeant b y the Buddha eye .

(161 ) When this had b een said,the venerab le Maha—Kasyapa

asked the venerab le Maha-Katyayana ,

“

Again , O son o f the

Conqueror, does this account o f th e bhumis apply t o th e

Exalted One (Sakyamuni) p art icularly, or t o all perfectBuddhas generally

The venerab le Maha-Katyayana replied t o the venerab le

Maha-Kasyapa , OnCe upon a t ime,my pious friend

,the

Exalt ed One was st aying near Benares,at Risivadana, in the

Deer Park ,

1at t ended by e ight een thousand saint s . There the

Exal t ed One analysed the eighteen Special at trib utes o f a

Buddha by saying,Perfect Buddhas have infal lib le knowledge

and insigh t o f t he past ,’

etc .,and expounded the t en bhumis .

It is by t aking the perfect Buddha Sakyamuni as a type thatthe t en bhumis are explained . Concerning thismat t er it is said :

The man of vision gives up his dear possessions with a

glad heart , as he passes through his long succession of lives .

That is why the Tathagata ,reaching his high ideal, awakens

to that unsurpassed knowledge which is dear to him.

With wholly contented mind he gives up women garbed

in fine raiment and wearing brilliant jewels . His splendidwonderful purpose is disclosed by the fruit of this deed.

N ever did he in the course of his existence shoot arrows ,

darts , spears and javelins at living beings . Hence his pathis free from grass , brambles ,

“

and thorns (162) as he passesharmlessly through town and village .

He listens respectf ully even to his servant if he speaksthe truth ,

and does not interrupt his tale . That is why, when

he himself preaches dha rma to the multitude , there is none

that is not glad and does not rejoice .

He bestows choice gifts . .

1 He dispels doubt and

perplexity,and that is why cool radiance

,like shafts of light,

emanates from his body .

M rigadava . S ee not e p . 3 1 1 .

Lacuna .

1m TH E MAHAVA S TU

Having thyself crossed, 0 great seer, thou leadest others

across . Thou Foremost Man,thou bringer of peace , thou

knowest no fear. (164 ) Making clear what valid reasoning is ,

thou leadest many men to the deathless truth .

The moral worth of the all-seeing great seer is well describedas deep

,noble, and rich . Thou art devout in this world and

beyond,distinguishedf or thy moralworth ,

a crusher of thyfoes .

0 great sage , thy life is flawless , stainless , and freed ofthe aSravas . Clean and perfectly pure, thou art all aglow

like a fire on a mountain top. In steadiness of mind thouhast reached perfection .

Thus , too , 0 Man,thou hast gainedmastery of concentration

and of thought . Thou hast reached perfect mastery. Far

removedfrom the sphere of evil, thou shinest forth .

just as thy wish is , thou that art extolled of devas and men ,

thou dost ensue,

1 with all thy heart ,2solitude “ and coneen

tration thou art resplendent as a garland of gold. Homage

then,to thee

,O truly valiant Gotama .

As the glorious sun shines in the sky,and the full moon

when the sky is clear, (165 ) so dost thou , 0 Man

, firm in

concentration ,shine forth like burnished gold.

M en who strive in perplexity 4 and ignorance know not

the whole—hearted endeavour of him who ensues solitude and

blissful concentration . Homage to thee , who art adored bydevas and men .

Both when thou lookest out upon the world,

“ 0 thou whose

tread is like a n a’

s ,“and when thou reachest the shore

beyond death ,mindful and with thy thought unsullied, then

does this life- bearing earth quake .

S ince,through thine own understanding,

thou hast appre

1 Read ing nisevase (ni sev) for nivetasan o f t h e t ext .

1 San tara , which Senart suggest s is un réfle t plus ou moins d éfiguréo f Pa li san tharin in sabbasan tharin , complet ely, e t c .

3 A rana f o r aranya . S o a lso next page .

1 Akiinksama'

na vigata'

. The second word mak es no sense here, and has

b een replaced in t ranslat ion by vimana. S o S enart .

5 Yada ca dlokasi . The reference here is obscure , as t here is no ment ionelsewhere o f an earthquak e on such an occasion . S enart t ak es th e verb ina mora l sense and renders quand t u t e livres a la cont emplat ion .

”

But this is open t o tw o obj ect ions first , that aloketi is never in this t extused with such a meaning , and second , that t here is never said t o bea convulsion o f t h e earth when th e Buddha engages in cont emplat ion .

Here an elephant . S e e not e p . 3 5 .

A T T R I B U T E S O F T H E B U D D H A S 1 3 1

hended 1 the truth and knowledge unheard of bef ore ,1 0

Foremost M an,who shinest like thousand- eyed Maghavan ,

3

pray give utterance to it . ‘1This terrible misery is now at an end it will arise no more .

5

The cessation of it is complete .

“ The result " of deeds fadesaway like the sighing of the wind.

The words that proclaim emancipation of mind and reveal

deliverance , are beyond thought , yet are fixed in the way ofreason

, (166) sound strong and clear,are eloquent , gentle ,

and instinct with truth .

Explain the se matchless words f or thou art in the

presence of men . Verily, when they hear thy sweet well

spoke n speech ,the thirsty will drink asfrom a brook of water.

Among stricken men ,do thou de vise a kindly,

incomparablereadiness of speech that will have the force of supreme authority. For thou hast attained perfection in the highest attributesas has no one else in the world .

1

O S age , thy wisdom is supreme,unequalled, matchless in

the whole world. Thou art the highest of all living beings ,as M ount M eru is among rocky peaks .

Endowed with so much virtue as thou art,there is none

equal or like , much less superior to thee in good qualities .

Thou art the highest , the perfect man ,as immovable blessed

Nirvana is best of all states .

Having abjured passion , folly and vice,conceit , hypocrisy

and ensnaring lust (167 ) , thou , with thy mind delivered

from sin ,shinest forth like the f ull moon in the clear sky .

1 A bhisame tya , Pa li a bhisameti, fo r which t h e Buddhist Sanskrit form inDivy . 6 1 7 is abhisamaya ti . The lat t er, however, may be a denom inat ive fromabhisamaya . S ee not e p .

2 0 6 . On p . 3 1 2 o f t h e t ext abhisameti is used withth e locat ive case .o f th e object .

1 daréanarn ta thd anus’

ru tam. The t ext h as anu tru tam , b ut , as Senartpoint s ou t , t h e sense requires ands

’

ru tam o r avisru tam .

1 A name o f Indra in Pa li Magha ,t h e name Sakk a bore in a previous

birt h w hen he w as born as a man in Macalagama in Magadh a . His st oryis given in t h e Ku la

'

vaka jd taka4 The speech which is here begged o f th e Buddha is no t forthcom ing,

and Senart , therefore , suggest s that t h e eulogy o f Vé giSa’

s is out o f it s properplace .

5 Ito agre henceforth ; cf . Pa li yadagge tadagge , and E Sk .

tadagrena ,adya

‘

grena cit ed by S enart from L al. Vist . and L o tus .

L it erally , t h e cessat ion o f it h as reached bot t om ,

”read ing, with Senart ,

avarodhanam adho pravarta ti , f or avarodhdnam , e t c . , o f t h e t ext .

7 Pdka , ripening,

”maturing ,

”so . o f karma .

Lacuna .

1 3 2 T H E MA H AV A S T U

S ince thou hast uprightly walked in the way of truth,

thou art a mighty bridge over which good men cross . 0

Foremost Man ,thou that shinest forth like thousand-eyed

Maghavan ,pourforth this hymn of thine .

Cultivate the concentration that is free of defilements ,pure and calm

, the refuge of men . For the good of livingbeings , thou art triumphantly resplendent like the sun ,

and

revered of devas and men .

Free of all attachments in this world and the world beyond,

meditating thou rejoicest in thy meditation . Crowds of devasthrong together to adore the great S eer, with joined handsoutstretched.

Manifold1 in many ways is the eye of the clear-seeingBuddhas

,who crush old age and death ,

who tame the untamed.

The conduct of the Exalted One is transcendental, his rootof virtue is transcendental. The S eer

’

s walking, standing,

sitting and lying down are transcendental.

The S ugata’

s body,which brings about the destruction of

the fetters of existence , (168 ) is also transcendental . Of this ,myfriends , there should be no doubt .The S eer

’

s wearing of his mendicant’

s robe is transcen

dental. Of this there is no doubt . The Sugata’

s eating ofhis food is likewise transcendental.The teaching of the heroic men is to be deemed wholly

transcendental, and I shall proclaim,as it truly is , the

greatness of the eminently wise Buddhas .

When they have obtained opportunity of place and time ,and maturity of karma ,

the Leaders preach the true dharmaeach time it is born anew .

1

The Buddhas conform to the world’

s conditions , but in

such a way that they also conform to the traits of transcendentali sm.

The pre- eminent men practise the four postures of thebody ,

“ though no fatigue comes over these men of shining

1 The met re changes here , and t h e verses following are evident ly no t parto f V i giéa

’

s eulogy,b ut are a recit a l o f t h e specia l t enet s o f th e Lo k o t taravad ins .

S e e pp 3 : 4 5 : 7 6 :1 3 2 °

1 A b hin irvritam,cf . Pali a bhin ibba tfi, rebirth ,

e t c . , tha t is t o say, withth e com ing o f each new Buddha .

1 S ee not e p . 1 8 .

1 3 4 T H E MA H AV A S T U

Although they have reached perfection by the merits won

in the course of countless kalpas , they make it appear as

though they were at the beginning . This is mere conformitywith the world.

(17 0 )Although the Sugata’

s corporeal existence 1 is not dueto the sexual union of parents , yet the Buddhas can pointto their fathers and mothers . This is mere conformity with

the world.

From Dipamkara onwards , the Tathagata is always freefrom passion . Yet (the Buddha) has a son , Rdhula ,

to show .

This is mere conformity with the world.

Although in the course of countless ko tis of kalpas theyhave attained to perfect insight , they yet wear the semblance

of being ignorant . This is mere conformity with the world.

Although in the worlds both of devas and of men theycondemn upholders of wrong beliefs , theyyet resort to heretics .

This is mere conformity with the world.

Although , f or the sake of all beings , they have awakened

to the unsurpassed enlightenment, theyyet put on the appear

ance of a lack of zeal .1 This ismere conformitywith theworld.

All perfect Buddhas are endowed w ith a vo ice o f perfect

qualit ies . It has sixty qualit ies . What are the sixty

The voice of the Excellent Man pervades everywhere with

a sweet musical sound . The Sugata’

s voice is like the sound

of the lute and thefif e . It is like a swan’

s song.

The voice of the eminently wise one is like the roar of thethunder-cloud, yet sweet , like the cuckoo

’

s call.

It is like the rattle of chariot-wheels , like the booming ofthe ocean , like the cry of a water-bird.

Like the notes of the kinnara ,

“ the sparrow ,and the

cloud-bird‘1 is the voice of them who bear the marks of excellence . (17 1) It is like the trumpeting of an elephant , and

like the roar of the king of beasts .

1 S amucchritam (sam-ud-sri) . Cf. E S k . samucchraya , body, Divy . 7 0 ,

and Pa li samussaya in t h e same sense, D . 2 . 1 5 7 S . 1 . 1 4 8 , e t c .

1 A lpotsukatva , synonymous with t h e Pa li appossukka td ,abst ract noun

from appossukka , unconcerned ,

” living a t ease ,” careless .E ither a k ind o f musical inst rument , or th e fabulous lit t le bird

with a head lik e a man ’ s . S ee not e p . 5 4 .

4 M eghasvararava, on th e assumpt ion that this is a form of meghara'

va ,

a k ind o f wat er-bird .

AT T R I B U T E S O F T H E B U D D H A S 1 3 5

The utterance of the Pre-eminent of M en and devas is deepas the sound of drums it is like the rustling of the wind-sweptforest , 1 and like the rumbling of an earthquake .

The voice of the Conquerors pervades everywhere like the

sound of an orche stra of the five instruments .

“ It is low

like the gentle note of the duck, “ and of the red-Zipped, slender

tongued peacock .

The voice of those who are pre-eminent in virtue is sweet

as the song of the Gandharvas . It is like the sound of thelapping‘1 of waves

,and it is not rendered confused by

distance .

The voice of the foremost of men both in heaven and on

earth is like the merry tinkling of bells , yet full ; it is likethe rustling of a net of gold,

and like the jingling of jewels .

The voice of those who bear the marks of excellence is not

too hurried, nor uneven

, nor faltering,but sweet , gushing

and coherent. 5

The sweet voice of the Databalas pervades a whole assembly.

It makes a whole assembly understand, even though nayut as

of worlds are gathered there .

Though it speak in one language , this utterance becomes

current everywhere , even in the barbaric assemblies of theS cythians ,

“ the Greeks,the Chinese

,the Ramalhas ,

7 the

Persians “, and the Daradas .

“

The voice of the most eminent of men as it goes forth doesnot miss anyone in the assembly . (17 2) The voice of theDas

’

abalas is neither raisednor lowered, but remains eventoned.

1 Vanadeva-anilavidhutasvaraprap dta'

. The general sense o f this compoundis clear, b u t it present s d iffi culties o f grammar and met re which Senart isunable t o resolve .

1 Paiicdngika tu lya ,f or panca

'

ngikaturya (Pali°turiya ) . Tulya is probably

rem iniscent of th e etymology of turya, musical inst rument which wouldseem t o be derived from tul

,weigh

,

” ba lance,” scale . There is no

manuscrip t j ust ificat ion fo r changing tulya int o turya , although below (p . 1 94 ,

t ext ) we have pancangikasya turyas a . The five inst rument s referred t o In

this phrase are specified at VvA . 3 7 as being a’

tata, vitata , ata ta

-vita ta , ghana ,

and sustra , b ut t h e d ict ionaries do no t seem t o agree as t o t h e precise nat ureof them .

1 Or a bird of t h e same species . Here, as elsewhere in Ind ian lit erat ure ,west ern standards of t h e musicality o f bird not es must be forgot ten .

L it erally fa lling,” nipata .

Padasarncayavatt .

Saka .

7 S e e not e p . 1 0 7 .

Pahlava,i .e . Pahlavi o r Peh lav i.

9 See not e p . 1 0 7 .

3 9 T H E MA H AV A S T U

The Sugata’

s voice is not broken , nor forced, nor afiected,

nor halting it sounds like a hymn of praise .

It is not vulgar nor corrupted,but consists of wholly ordered

sounds . It thrills all men , good and bad, with its accents .

When the speaking voice goesforthfrom between the spotlessteeth of the Virtuous One , theflocks of birds in sky and wood

rejoice .

When the eloquent Sugata’

s voice goesforth in the assembly,

it is adequate to the n eed of any tone that may be desirable .

The clear voice of these sweet- tonedmen issues melodiously1

and earnestly it is like the sound of a mountain stream,

like the osprey’

s cry .

The Conqueror’

s voice is like that of the blue-jay , like that

of the pheasant which is coloured like the golden leaf of thepalm-tree its stirring sound is like the noise of the crashingdrum and the tabor.

The voice of those who have attained perfection is to berecognised and acknowledged as deep and terrifying, yet

good to hear, and always reaching the heart .

The voice of all the meritorious ones , who have gathered

a rich store of goodness , whose glory is unending,is pleasant

to the ear like an Indian lute .

(17 3 ) Such is a true description o f the Buddha’

s voice .

Perfect Buddhas preach dharma in this wise : Monks ,’

t hey say,I do no t teach that the irnpermanen t things are

perm anent , nor that the perman ent are impermanent . I do

no t t each that what is ill is well , nor that what is well is ill .

I do no t teach that what is without self has a self, nor thatwhat has a self is without self. I do no t t each that vile things

are fair,n or that fair things are Vile . I do no t t each that

b eautiful things are ugly. I do no t teach that right things

are wrong, nor that wrong things are righ t . I do no t t each

t hat things which are free o f the aS‘ravas are charged with them ,

nor that t he things which are charged with them are free o f

them . I do no t t each t hat things which are dist inct are in

dist inct,nor that things which are indist inct are dist inct . I

1 Vikhalakhalakhalayati, of which Senart says parait et re une onomat opée ,peut -etre rat tachée au verbe skhal.”

1 L it era lly well-perfumed ,varavasana .

1 S akita,see p . 1 1 5 .

In T H E MA H AV A S T U

(17 5)Eighty ko tis more of devas didst thou tame , 0 lord,with thy third exhortation ,

to the fruition of entering the

stream,

1 and didst deliverfrom the ways of ill.Hence there is none equal to thee infriendliness , O supreme

of men . Compassionate , thou art still greater in compassion,

O heroic man .

In joy , great sage , are the valiant men2 born to the whole

world are they gracious . They live their lives f or the welfareof all beings .

A very long time ago , thou man of strength , thou wast

born in the world as a king’

s son ,a leader of the lost , a

gladdening guide of the afi icted.

May our revered saviour never disappear, f or thy strength,

0 kinsman of the world, is boundless .

By thy power, S elf-becoming One , states of desolation are

become of no account . Through thee , 0 Man S upreme,

the heavens are rendered inadequate .

“

Thanks to thee , 0 Very Man ,he who belongs to the class

of people‘1 whose wrongdoing is fixed in its consequences

“

achieves the class where no consequences are entailed.

O thou of illustrious birth ,he who belongs to the class

where actions entail no consequences will, thanks to thee ,

Another met aphorica l expression , equivalent t o t h e W ay. A tro tdpanna

(Pal i, so tapann a ) h as dest royed t h e first three fet t ers . (S ee below p . 1 5 0

and D . I . 1 5 6 ,e t c . )

1 S c . Bodhisa t t vas .3 I.e . t o hold all those who merit t o be reborn there .4 L it era lly, he whose class is t h e clas s o f people a h eap

is an Ab h idh amma t erm fo r class ,” ca t egory, etc.

5 mithyd tvan iya ta ,lit era lly

,fixed in wrongfulness , b ut as t h e commentary

on Dhammasangani ( 1 0 2 8 ) says , niyata here h as t h e especial sense of fixedin it s consequences o r reaching down t o . Three rat is are usua lly given

,

e .g . D . 3 . 2 1 7 . Tayo rds t . M iccha ttaniya to rasi , samma ttaniya to rasi , aniyato

rdsi , Three heaps , t o wit,that of wrong—doing ent ailing immut able evil

result s, that o f well-doing ent a iling immut able good result s , and that ofeverything n o t so det erm ined (Rhys Davids , Dia l. The use of rasit o d enot e a class o f things o r act ions is st ill more clearly seen in Kva . 6 1 0 .

In t h e Dhammasangani three st at es (dhamma) are d ist inguished on t h e

basis o f th e same d iff erent ia . The P.T .S . Pali Dictionary is incorrect in sayingthat Buddhist Sansk rit kn ows o f only tw o rdéis , for even if th e metre of t h et ext here does n o t a llow of t h e emendat ion of samyakta tejakulodita int o t h efull nam e o f th e third rds

’

i,samyak tvaniyata , t h e s amyah o f this compound

must be t ak en as qua lifying ras'

i and serving, in it s t runcat ed form , fo r t h e

whole compound— a mnemonic use o f abbreviat ion which we meet withelsewhere in t h e M ahdvas tu (e .g . 1 A ll t h e three rat is are a lso ment ionedin Vo l . 3 , p . 3 1 8 . In both t h e Mahdvastu passages it seem s simpler t o t akerat i in t h e sense o f a class of people rather than of things o r act ions . Cf.a lso I . 3 1 6 .

A T T R I B U T E S O F T H E B U D D H A S 1 3 9

that art extolled of Suras , reach the class where righteousnessisfixed in its consequences .

0 Man of Light , thanks to thee,the steadf ast dispeller

of darkness , the pure radiance of wondrous states is won .

(176)Whilst thou speakest of these true states , 0 Valiant

Conqueror, the worlds , together with Indra , extol thy voice ,0 Great S age .

Thus with gladsome hearts the hosts of devas praise theBenefie ent One who is endowed with boundless virtue , who

is worthy of praise , and is the supreme of men .

Perfect Buddhas , my pious friend ,are ready t o serve

1;

are ab le t o perceive the right o ccasion ; have clear sight ;discern the h igh and th e low are go od at the b eginning and

at the end 1 raise the b anner o f dharma,the invincib le b anner

are eager in figh t and comb at ; are eloquent ; know what

is deathl ess , and on o ccasion pract ise charity at the cost o f

their lives .

“ They urge on the b lind , and reb uke those who

go along the devious ways .

On this matter it is said

Altogether perfect in qualities , intent on all things that

are salutary , leaders and saviours that they are , all the

Buddhas are praised by wise men .

With unconfused knowledge , with pure mind, they shine

in the three worlds like thefull moon in the sky .

Instinct with perfect virtue, they are leaders of men by

their pleasing and lovely conduct . They rai se a great shout .

The heroes , bent on rendering service , instruct men ,and

with an insight into truth quell the strife of others .

The best of men, though born into the world,

are not

besmirched by it . The lords , profound in their attributes ,

are beyond description .

(17 7 )Having shouldered their heavy yoke , the wise ones

1 upacdravidhisampannd ,endowed with t h e rule o f o r d isposit ion t o

,

service .

”

1 Purvdntanayas ampannd ,endowed with (good ) conduct at t h e beginning

and at t h e end .

” This is, no doubt , an echo of t h e well-known Pa li formuladescribing dhamma as ddikalyc

'

inam majjhekalydnam pariyo sdn akalydnarn ,

beaut iful in t h e beginning,in th e m idd le , and in t h e end .

”

3 Avusddayan to . Avusd is t ak en by S enart as a Prak rit ism fo r dyusa.

C f . Pa li dvu so fo r dyusman to ,pl . o f dyusman (fo r t h e regular Pa li a

'

yasman t) .If th e reading is correct , dayanto is a lso a Prakrit ism from dadati , lit erallygiving up their lives .

”

I@ T H E MA H AV A S T U

do not falter, but , suiting actions to their words , they are

of irreproachable conduct .With the fire of knowledge the lords burn the noxious

poisonous weed of false belief , and without fear or tremblingthey hold out to men the prospect of the beyond.

The valiant men ,having traversed the wilderness and

attained peace , in their wisdom proclaim,

“

Here is the placewhere no terror is .

“

Here is found no recurrence of old age and death and

disease . Here is experiencedno event of tribulation or sorrow.

’

Devas and men hearing his1sweet words and paying due

heed to them,attain to that well-being .

Therefore their renown is spread f ar and wide and is

supreme in the three worlds . The Buddhas fare onwards ,

praised of good men ,and never do they rest .

APPARITIONS

For the b enefit o f men,my pious friend,

the Buddhas grant

apparitions , 1 as , for example , when the Exalted One producedone for the king o f Kalinga ,

“ for Queen Kusuma, and for

the merchant Dhruva .

Thus , too , in the chief city of Rajagriha ,the Exalted One

produced an apparition, (178) and then he who is skilful in

his expedients , explained to Upali‘1 the words spoken by the

1 A change from plural t o singular, from th e subj ect of Buddhas in genera lt o that of an ind ividua l Buddha .

1 A very inad equat e rendering fo r paropahdra (here) and up ahdra (be low) .These tw o t erm s are unknown in this sense either in Pali o r in classicalS anskrit . Upaha

’

ra properly means gift (cf . upaharati, th e verb heret ranslat ed by grant and this meaning underlies th e usage here . But

th e t erm here a lso connot es , first , that t h e gift consist s of mora l o r religiousinst ruct ion

, and ,se cond ly, that t h e inst ruct ion is given by apparit ions

m iraculously produced by th e Buddha . This second connot at ion is moreexplicit ly exp ressed by t h e t erm paropahdra , a gift (of inst ruction in th eperson of) another . Vacanopahdram on this page must be changed t o

ca paropaharam , as it is ent irely a quest ion of prod ucing a m iraculous apparit ion , b u t on page 1 7 8 th e same word is t o th e point as it is a quest ion ofexplaining t o Upali an apparit ion o f speech ”

, i .e . th e word s spok en by an

apparit ion .

1 O r Kc'

ilinga ,one o f th e seven polit ical d ivisions ment ioned in t h e t ime

of t h e mythical King Renu .

”

1 One of th e most em inent of t h e Buddha ’ s immed iat e d isc iples (ibid) ,5 S ee not e 1 at end .

1 42 T H E MA H AV A S T U

Then the Supreme of M en , in the guise of a king,and

hovering in the air,spoke these words of wisdom to King

Abhaya

It does not become a king to neglect his own afiairs and

concern himself only with the aflairs of others . Kingshipis only kingship in name when it is associated with falsedoctrines.

“

At present your destiny can only be the great and pitilesshell, as is also the destiny of those whom you have

taught“

Destroyedyourself , you1 destroy others ruinedyourself,

you ruin others . Blind yourself , you make others blind

without scruple .

“

Deluded yourself, you delude others dead yourself,you cause others to die . You evil-minded man

, you bring

happy beings to woe .

“

Plunged in the mire of lusts , libidinous , infatuated bysensual desires , (180 ) you want to see the other world

,

2and

yet a king should have insight into all states .

“

That is not possible f oryou, 0 king, sinceyour whole aim

is to gratify your senses . You cannot,my lord, go to this

other worldjust yet .“

But if you will learn to free yourself of lust , recognisingthe sweet allurement of sensual pleasures , and the wickednessthereof,

I know that you will come to me in heaven .

”

When he heard this , King Abhaya trembled with fear,and, bowing ,

he said to thatfair vision in the air,“ I believe thee

,deva

,that this is so and not otherwise .

Be gracious to me, saviour, and deliver mefromfear .

“

S tay in this palace as my counsellor and teacher, 0

peerless man , f or, trained by thee I shall win mastery ,and so

shall many others with me .

”

In this way then did the perfectly wise one produce an

apparition f or the edification of men .

Again ,there was the famous Kusumd , queen of King

1 In t h e t ext t h e verbs o f this st anza are 3 rd pers . sing . , which makes itappear t o be a quot at ion applicable t o t h e case o f Abhaya . Fo r th e sak eo f uniform ity t h e 2md pers . h as been used in t ranslat ing .

1 I.e ., before believing in it .

Lit era lly is (o r Should be ) th e eye of all st at es, dharmdndm nayanam.

A P PA R I T I O N S 1 43

Kusumbha,

1and the best—beloved and chief of his thousand

wi ves .

Her mother and father were infirm with age , and leaningon their staffs . And they spoke and said to their daughter,“

Kusumd , dear child,listen .

“ We are old, you are young and feeling passi on’

s stir .

(18 1)We want to be rid of this world and die .

When she heard this Kusumd thought to herself , Whatblame can I incur in killing mother and father P I will

give them food drugged with deadly poison . By eating this

they both will surely die .

When Kusumd had f ormed this cruel design against her

mother andfather, the Master took pity on her . The Buddha

produced two other persons fashioned like her parents and

made them stand before Kusumd . Kusumd got ready1 the

poisoned food and bade the phantoms,

“saying,

“

Take this

food, mother andfather .

The creatures f ashioned by the Conqueror took the foodwithout shrinking,

but it did not harm their bodies, f or they

were but phantoms .

And so on the second day ,the third, the f ourth ,

and even

the fif th ,although they ate of the poisoned f ood,

the phantomcreatures retained their health .

Then stretching out her joined hands to them, Kusumd

spoke to the phantoms and said, Tell me who you are

,if I

find f avour with you .

”

In reply to her humble request one of the phantoms said,

(182)“

Learn what your fault is , and do as we advise

you .

The Buddha, the man of valour , who bears the thirty- two

marks of excellence,has appeared in the world

,born of a

good family ,and endowed with the attribute of omni

science .

All the inherent virtue of the lion-heartedman of eloquenceis known to stand f or the future , as it has done in the past .Have no doubt of this .

1 Both otherwise unknown .

1 Apadyati, an unusua l sense , b ut this is t h e read ing in tw o MS S .,and IS

bet t er than t h e dpaga td of others .N irmitdn ,

from nirmina ti . S ee not e p . 1 4 1 .

I“ T H E MA H AV A S T U

Let the king then go up to his palace attended by his

women-folk andpray thus ‘We wish to see him who discerns

all that is good.

’

“

Praising him who is endowed with all good qualities ,

let him go to him f or refuge . The Conqueror will then declareto you what you now ask of us .

S o be it ,”said she in obedience to the phantoms , and

immediately the king with his women-folk went up to his

palace .

Hurriedly ,along with his women-folk

,and Kusuma too

,

he bowed,his hands reverently joined, and spoke these

words ,“

Exceeding great is the joy derived from the homage paidto them who are gifted with all virtues and are full ofcompassion f or the worlds .

Then the M aster addressed the monks who delighted in

his teaching, Ca’

ruvarna ,

1 S imhahanu ,and blameless

Dridhabdhu ,

Kirtima'

n,Mahdndga , Cdturanta ,

Mahabala,N ilakes

’

a,

Vriddha,Sdnta

,

And peerless Sdrasa,blameless Guptakdma (183 ) , S imha

nandi, Visa

'

ldksa ,and Laksaneya the incomparable .

“

Behold,monks

,I go follow me your Master. I go to

convert a great multitude , and Kusuma’

chief among them .

“

S o be it,

said the self- becoming saints in obedience,

and gathering round the Buddha,they said,

“

O valiant one,our two feet can traverse the air. We will

follow wherever the clear-seeing Buddha goes .

’

In his compassion f or men,the Exalted One attended by

his disciples arrived in an instant in Kusumd’

s city .

The Leader took on the form of the wielder of the thunderbolt

,

1and sure in his powers of thought,

“ he called to mind

a host of devas .

The supremely wise one shed his radiance all around f orfourteen yo j anas , while devas greeted his progress .

1 All these seem t o be unknown t o t h e Pa li Canon ,no r is it easy t o d ist inguish

between epithet s and proper names .1 I.e . Indra .

Dhyan a , here no t used in t h e st rict doct rina l sense o f m ed it at ion .

The m eaning is that such w as t h e Buddha ’

3 power o f thought that he hadonly t o th ink o f th e deva s f o r t hem t o appear o n t h e scene .

me T H E MA H AV A S T U

He held that whoso should invite his aged and decrepitmother and father (185 ) to a family meal and regale them

withfood,And should then burn both his parents on the f uneral pyre ,

would have a reward 1 assigned him, f or the merit of such

a man would be boundless .

The Leader accordingly created thousands of d sasas ,

and these stood before Dhruva as he slept in hisfine mansion .

In their hands were scourges , whips , swords,hammers

,

knives andfire- brands ,And clubs and hundreds of arrows , and lances andmallets ,

as they stood before the merchant .

Vile man, said they,

“

it is indeed an accursed beliefthatyou haveformed. As you hold this accursed andperverseview, you are not worthy to be believed.

“

N ow that misfortunes have come upon them, you wish

the death of those who in days gone by succoured you with

loving hearts in all your hardships .

“

You wish the death of those who would not be adequatelyrepaid by their son even though he gave them all his

wealth .

“

It were betterf oryou to die than live and hold such a view .

You who reject the belief on which the Best of M en acts .

“

This day your life comes to an end,as well as that of

your wife , of your kinsmen ,of your servant , and of your

son . And when you die you will pass to hell .And there mayyou andyours be happy,

sir I We consign

to perdition the merchant Dhruva ,with his false belief

,his

stupid and ignorant mind,

(186)“ Who seduces “ other men with his sinful belief

,and

despises Aryan teaching.

When he heard this, Dhruva became distressed, perspiringover all his body he was humbled and terrified.

He became perplexed,distracted and scared. Then raising

his joined hands , he said,

1 Upahara here used in pract ically it s ord inary sense o f offering,

gift,

”etc b ut t h e read ing is very doubt ful, apart from t h e fact t hat t h e

word is used in these narrat ives in another and special sense .

1 Grahenta ,here with two accusat ives , o f t h e object and o f t h e means ;

b u t at p . 1 89 , t ext , with accusat ive o f t h e obj ect and inst rument a l o f t h emeans .

A P PA R I T I O N S 1 47

[May the host of the Raksasas be gracious to me and

mine Be ye my sanctuary , my shelter and my refuge“ M ake known what I can do this day to deliver myself

and my people from fear, and not pass to the bourne of ill .”

And those hosts of d sasas hovering in the air thus made

answer to Dhruva the merchant“ Come not to us f or refuge .

S eek rathe r the refuge of him,

“ Who desires the welfare of all beings , the Buddha who

is adored‘

by devout men ,who is above all worlds

, the lion

hearted eloquent Sdkyan , the joy of men’

s minds .

“ Where now , I pray you ,is the Exalted One who is

worshipped of men P For I would go f or refuge to him,

the S age , the Best of M en .

He who is endowed with all good qualities is in the cityof Ratanakholaka ,

1 in the fragrant park there that is strewnwith variegatedflowers .

“

There , surrounded by ninety- tho usand saints , abides

the S age who is wise and proficient in the moral states .

2

(187 ) T 0 that refuge go with all your people . Look on

that sun among men and abandon yourfalse belief.

“

And consider with understanding thefair dharma that he

will teachyou bymeans of examples .

“ Thus will life beyours .

“

If you go not to the Buddha, you will not be worthy

of the name of Dhruva ,

4f oryour death will be near .

“ Believe

our counsel and act accordingly .

Then Dhruva , the merchant, with his people

,in all

humility bowed his head to the ground where the Supremeof M en was standing ,

and said,

“

O S age , who art gifted with all virtuous qualities , the

great , compassionate one , I with my folk come to thee f orrefuge , O thou of great glory .

“

To the fearful thou who endest fear can give fearlessness .

And I , with my people , am wholly possessed by fear , 0Great Being .

1 Otherwise unknown .

1 Vihc'

ira , see not e p . 3 0 .

L it era lly t h e dharma arranged in (o r supplied with) examples ,dr istan tavihitarn .

A play on t h e word dhruva ,firm

,st able

,last ing Yo u do no t deserve

t o be ca lled Mr . St ead fast .

"

5 S adya , se e not e p . 1 45 .

1 4 8 T H E MA H AVA S T U

I desire to extol the ways of the Il/Iaster, O thou most

eloquent . I wish to see the True Man,if so it be that we

are worthy of the f avour .

Then out of his compassion f or men the Leader appeared,

arriving in an instant and attended by his saints . S eeinghim hovering in the air

,self-controlled,

calm and honoured,

(188 )graciously appearing to him and his folk , the merchant

went up to the Refuge , the tiger in eloquence , and learned

from him what a good son should believe .

The Best of M en,the Tathagata ,

the sage , the truthfulone

, understanding the merchant’

s f ault , proclaimed the

Four Truths .

The Lord,a sun among men

,like a lion roaring in the

forest,explained at length thefruit of good and bad acts .

The merchant,with his people

,hearing that lion

’

s roar,

immediately won the salutary and truefruition .

Such a service as was then rendered by the great S eer is

called an upahara1 by those expert in philosophy .

Again ,there was in a certain island continent a king

named Taru,

1and he had formed a sinful and frivolous

view ,

N amely that whosoever,’

after inviting a brahman ,a recluse ,

or any other wayfarer, did not then give him food, bore an

excellent character .

And so with regard to whosoever invited a crowd of any

people from Sfidras “ to bra'

hmans , and then clapped themin prison and let them starve .

(189)At that time there appeared in yet another of hisexistences , the noble

,the mighty and glorious Lord, arrayed

in rich garments andjewels .

N ow the king was seducing his subjects with that wickedopinion of his , f or the crowd listened to him and believed.

The S age, extolled of devas and Gandharvas , aware ofthis belief of the king

’

s , in an instant createdfive thousandmonks .

These saints went to the island where Taru was king,

and wandered and roamed through his kingdom .

1 S e e not e p . 1 4 6 .

1 Otherwise unknown .

1 I.e . t h e fourth o r lowest cast e .

T H E MA H AV A S T U

When the other monks saw the Buddha shining like the

moon ,they reverently and enthusiastically sang the praises

of the teacher of dharma .

With devotion in their hearts , glad,and endued with all

good qualities , they sang,

“

0 saviour of devas and men ,

homage to thee , 0 boon of men .

1

“

0 mighty being, great in majesty , splendour, knowledgeand power , reveal truly who thou art

,we pray thee .

“ I , born of a royal race , established as king of dharma,

am the refuge of all living things . M en know that I am

Buddha .

“ I am the saviour of devas and men , guide andphysicianI am he who puts an end to doubt . I am perfect Buddha

,

adored by devas .

”

When he heard this King Taru addressed the Buddha,

saying, Homage to thee, 0 tiger in eloquence , 0 thou

dispeller of doubt .“

Behold me here come to my palace with my folk . I and

my realm turn to thee, 0 true man

, f or refuge . Be thereforea refuge to us all.

Then the king described his belief to the great S eer, and

when he had heard it the Valiant One said to the king,

“

It does not profit you, 0 king,to believe in the sinful

way that leads to the bourne of ill . (192) Renounce this

belief of yours .

The king renounced his belief and said, 0 wise one,

teach me the dharma whereby ill is suppressed.

And the Supreme of M en,assured in his Buddhahood

,

considered how the merit of all those people befitted them

to hear dharma .

2

The king and his people , having learnt dharma ,cast off

the three fetters , 3 and won thefirstfruition .

And countless other people won thefirstfruition . Behold,

0 worthy king,the incomparable power of love .

4

Reading naralancaka with three MSS . fo r naralambaka . See not e p . 9 0 .

2 dharmas amyuktam kusalam,t h e merit relat ive t o dharma .

”

3 S amyojanc‘

ini . The fet t ers o r b ad qua lit ies tha t bind m en t o rebirtha re usually given as t en in number, b ut three are especially grouped t ogetherin t he Pali t ext s , as here , viz. sakkdyadi t thi , vicikicchd and s i lab ba tapara

'

masa,

t .e . belief in ind ividua lity , doubt , and infa t ua t ion wit h good work s (PaliD i ction ary) .This sounds very much like an int erpolat ion .

A P PA R I T I O N S 1 5 1

Those created as monks here are not to be considered real

monks . This is what the Conquerors , confident in their

teaching,call an upahara .

It is impossible, 0 son of the Conqueror , that the Tathagatas

should attain omniscience before this , when they are still in

the low b h fimis .

1

But once they have passed through the b hfimis , they attain

it without loss of time .

2 This is what the tigers in eloquence ,the S upreme M en

,teach .

When he had come to the f orest at Benares, the Leader,

honoured f or his Buddhahood,expounded the ten b hiimis

at length .

The Buddhas,who understand good and bad conduct

,

know all the thoughts of others . In their various existences

they examine the dispositions of all beings .

By the gentle eloquent guidance of him who has insight

into worth (193 ) many men are converted by the understandingBuddha .

Those who have drawn nigh to the highest friend and are

converted by his wisdom,are in n o wise reborn , nor grow old

,

nor die .

All the wise Buddhas,with bodies all radiant

, severallydiscover the profound way of lif e , which is of infinite light .

Here ends the t enth bhumi, called the Consecrat ional

,

” 3

o f the Mahdvastu -Avadana .

The int roducto ry inst ruct ion cont ained in the sect ion on the

t en bhumis w as pro claimed on Mount Griddhakii t a 4 in an

assemb ly o f five hundred saint s . Here ends the sect ion on

the t en bhiimis .

The doct rine o f the t en bhumis must b e t aught b y those

wh o aspire aft er enlight enment,and presen t ed t o those who

t rust in the righ t-thinking Bodhisat tvas , b ut no t t o o th ers .

For the former are ready t o b elieve tho se o thers would doub t .

Here ends the sect ion on the bhumis from the first t o thetenth ,

b eing an introduction 5 t o the Mahdvastu .

1 I e . in t h e relat ively low or gross bhumis (sthulahi bhumihi) of t h eBodhisat tv as .

3 Kalam ou na-atinamenti . This verb is so used in Pa li also .

3 The first inst ance of t h e nam ing o f a bhumi in this formula .

4 Fo r Gridhrakuta .

5parisara . Unles should read parivarta , chapt er .

3 2 T H E MA H AVA S T U

THE HISTORY o r DTPAMKARA

The b eginning o f the history o f Dipamkara .

1

An imm easurab le , incalculab le kalpa ago , Maha-Maudgalya

yana ,there was a universal king, named Arcimat

,

2 who was

virtuous,mighty, possessing the seven t reasure s , sovereign over

the four cont inen t s , t riumphant , b lessed w ith devo t ed sub j ect sin t own and country,

righ t eous , a k ing o f right eousness , and

pursuing the t en right ways o f b ehaviour . His were the seven

t reasure s , t o wit , the t reasure o f the wheel, o f the elephant,

the horse ,th e j ewel, the woman , the househo lder, and the

counsellor . He had a full thousand sons , wh o were valiant,

b rave , comely,and vanquishers o f the armies o f their fo es .

The king dwelt in complet e ascendancy over these four cont i

nen t s , which w ere gi rt b y ocean and moun tain ,and held them

in peace and quiet , ruling b y right eousness and no t by means

o f the scourge ,th e sword , and oppression . (194 )King Arcimat ,

Maha-Maudgalyayana ,had a royal city named Dipavat i,

which ext ended twelveyojanas east and w est , and sevenyojanassouth and north . . It was encircled by seven ram part s made

o f go ld and covered with gold .

Again , Maha-Maudgalyayana ,t he royal city o f Dipavat i

was surrounded by seven rows o f b right and b eaut iful palmt rees o f the seven precious sub stances , go ld ,

silver,pearl

,b eryl,

cryst al , whit e coral, and ruby. The palm-t ree which had a

trunk o f go ld had leaves and fruit o f silver ; the palm -t re e

with a t runk o f silver,had leaves and fruit o f pearl ; the

palm-t ree with a trunk o f pearl had leaves and fruit ) f b eryl

the palm - t ree with a t runk o f b eryl had leaves and fruit o f

cryst al the palm -tree w ith a t runk o f crystal had leaves and

fruit o f whit e co ral the palm - t re e w ith a t runk o f Whit e coral

had leaves a nd fruit o f ruby and th e palm -t ree with a t runk

o f ruby had leaves and fruit o f pearl . Wh en t hese palm - t rees,

Maha-Maudgalyayana , w ere st irred and fanned b y the wind ,

t heir rust ling was gent le ,pleasan t and charming , no t grat ing

1 Here relat ed t o Maudgalyayana by Sakyamuni, who , however, onceo r twice is referred t o in t h e third person in t h e course o f th e narrat ive .

3 A coima in Pali .

1M T H E MA H AV A S T U

coral and ruby. These gat es had an arch 1 made o f the two

me tal s , gold and silver . These gat es had b eams2o f two me tals ,

go ld and silver . They had flanking t owers 3 o f two me tal s,

go ld and silver . These gat es had Opening panels 4 o f two m etals,

go ld and silver . They were faced w ith plat es 5 o f two me tals,

go ld and silver. They had patimodakas 6 o f four precioussub stances , gold ,

silver , pearl and b eryl . By these gat es ,

Maha-Maudgalyayana , were shrines for relics 7 b uilt o f two

me tals , gold and silver . In front o f th ese gates w ere Indra

co lumns8 made o f four precious sub stances , gold ,

silver, pearland b eryl. These gat es had swing

-doors o f two me tals, go ld

and silver. The b o lt s w ere o f two m e tals , go ld and

silver .

(196)Again , Mal ia-Maudgalyayana ,in front o f these gat es

pillars w ere reared which w ere emb edded in the ground t o the

depth o f three m en’

s lengths , w ere three men’

s lengths in

circum ference 9 and twelve m en’

s lengths in h eigh t .

1 0 TheyWere b righ t and b eaut iful, made o f th e seven precious sub

stances , gold ,silver, pearl, b eryl , crystal , whit e coral and ruby.

Th ese gat es , again , w ere encased in tw o net -lik e fab rics o f goldand silver . Th e go lden ne t -like fab ric had b e lls o f silver, and

the silver one had b ells o f gold . And the rustling o f these

1 v amotsanga , from vyama, d iagona l ’

(see Boh t lingk and Roth , s .v.)and utsanga , roof th e meaning poss ibly is a point ed arch , i .e . a roofo r arch of two sloping sides o r d iagonals .

1 Tut ti .3 A nuvarga,

k eeping-o ff [t owers] , from vrij, causat ive, t o k eep off .Senart compares t h e enemy-resist ing t owers o f Bea l Roman tic L egend .

‘1 Pha tikaphalaka . Phatika fo r sphatika ,and phaluka are both from t h e

same root "‘sphal o r

*spha t , t o split ,” e tc . Pha luka in it s derived sense

o f board ” would denot e a panel only, whi le (s )pha tika would imply thatit w as d ivided or split in tw o , and so form ing wings . In any case we havehere something which correspond s t o t h e whit e silver panels of t h eRoman tic L egend . Possibly this last descript ion suggest s that t h e t ranslat ionshould be cryst a l panels

, spha tika ,also meaning cryst al, b ut un

fort unat ely we are t old they were o f gold and silver.

5 Phalakas ta'

ra, from phalaka and stri

,t o spread .

11 An obscure word . Perhaps we should read with 2 MS S . patimoka,

and int erpret this as equivalent t o pra timaukd from pratima oka (s ) , a

house o r niche fo r st at ues o r images .” Such a word does no t seem t o beknown , b ut t h e reference in th e next sent ence t o t emples fo r relics seem st o give this int erpret at ion some plausibility . S enart

’

s suggest ed derivat ionfrom prati-mud can give no apposit e sense here .

7 E luka fo r eduka .

8 Indrak ilaka -kila ) , Pa li Indakhi la .

9 Parigohydni , Senart can only support this int erpretat ion by t h e ana logyo f up a -

guh in th e sense of t o embrace .

”

1 ° Udvedha Pa li ubbedha,from ud—vedh ,

from vyadh .

T H E H I S T O R Y O F D IPA MKA R A 1 55

ne t -like fab rics,wh en m oved and st irred by the w ind ,

sounded

sw ee t and pleasant and charming, no t grat ing on the ear .

1

Again ,Maha-Maudgalyayana ,

this royal city o f Dipavati

was full o f such sounds as tho se o f elephant s , chario t s , pedest riens , drum s

,t ab ors

,cymb als , t rumpet s ,

flut es , lut es , songs ,and musical inst rum ent s . It was full o f cries b idding m en

t o e at , consume,drink

, give alm s, do good deeds , live righ t

e ously, and o f cries o f we lcome t o recluses and b rahmans .

Again , Maha-Maudgalyayana ,in the centre o f the royal city

o f Dipavat i there was a pillar named Valguya, which was

b righ t and b eaut iful w ith the seven precious sub stances , go ld ,

silver , pearl, b eryl, crystal, whit e coral and rub y. It was

tw elve yojanas high and emb edded in the ground t o the depthO f four .

Again , Maha-Maudgalyayana ,King Arcimat had a chie f

queen ,nam ed Sudipa, who was gracious , lovely,

maj estic , and

endow ed w ith perfect b eauty Of complexion .

In twelve years , Mama-Maudgalyayana ,

2 th e Bodhisat tva

Dipamkara , w ill pass away from his exist ence in Tusit a . (197 )The Suddhavasa devas pro claim t o the Pratyekab uddhas ,

The Bodhisat tva is ab out t o pass hence . Quit3ye the

Buddha-field .

4

From his life in Tusita , the Glorious One , who has the

insight of infinite knowledge , will pass away . Quit ye thefield of the Buddha , the Master who bears the marks ofexcellence .

When the Pratyekabuddhas heard the Buddha proclaimed

by these mighty lords 5 they passed away ,emancipated,

self-dependent and self-controlled.

6

In twelve years , Maha-Maudgalyayana ,

7 t he Bodhisat tva

1 This is repeat ed , aft er a lacuna , b ut in both cases th e comparison witht h e music Of t h e five inst rument s played t ogether, which is found on p . 1 9 4 ,

is om it t ed .

2 Mab el-Maudgalyayana is obviously o ut of place here in a sent encewhich is a quot at ion o f t h e words ut t ered in t h e far d ist ant past , proclaimingth e imm inent departure o f t h e bodhisat t va Dipamkara from Tusit a .

3 Rincatha , cf . Pali rincati, S anskr it ric, rin akti, t o leave .

4 S e e p . 9 5 .

5 Mahesvard —this is given in S enart ’

s index as th e proper name of a classo f devas , b u t here t h e word is a descript ive t it le subst it ut ed fo r t h e propername Suddhavasa devas . S e e further not e p . 1 7 8 .

6 These are obviously tw o t rad it iona l verses applicable t o any Bodhisat t va .

7 S ee not e 2 .

1% T H E MA H AV A S T U

Dipamkara w ill pass away from h is life in Tusita . The

Suddhavasa devas then disguised themselves as b rahm ans,

and instruct ed the b rahmans in the man t ras,th e Vedas , and

the thirty—tw o marks o f a Great Man

,so that

, when the

Bodhisat tva appeared in the w orld ,they Should b e ab le to

declare his b uddhahood .

Then,Maha-Maudgalyayana , when it b ecame t ime for the

Bodhisattva t o leave his ab ode in Tusita , he made four greatsurveys , t o w it , o f th e t ime ,

the region ,th e con t inent

,and

the family in which he should b e b orn .

Bodhisat tvas are b orn in one o f tw o classes o f fam ilies,

either nob le or b rahman . The fam ily in which Bodhisat tvas

are horn is endow ed w ith sixty qualit ies . What Sixty Such

a fam ily,Maha-Maudgalyayana ,

is dist inguished ,w ell-known ,

and dignified . It is o f h igh b irth and lineage , with a long ,

dist inguished and pow erful ancestry,and rich in women and

m en . It is no t greedy,nor covetous . It is w ithout fear or

b aseness it is int elligent , virtuous , no t b en t on hoardingriches

,b ut rath er making use o f it s w e alth . It is steadfast

in friendsh ip , grat e ful and devout .

1 It s conduct is no t m o t ived

b y part iality,nor b y malice , (198) nor b y fo lly, nor by fear

z.

It is irrepro achab le and hospitab le .

3 It is manly-minded ,

and

st eadfast ly h ero ic . It honours shrines , devas and ancest ors .

It is zealous in duty,keen on charity,

and int en t upon religious

Ob servances . It maintains it s cont inuity4and is well—spoken

o f among th e devas .

5 It is foremo st , suprem e , pre-em inen t

among families , and has ascendancy Over o ther fam ilie s . It

wields great power, and has a large ,t ireless , faithful and loyal

re t inue . It respect s mo thers,fathers , recluses , b rahmans and

nob le families . It is rich in w eal th ,t reasuries and granarie s ,

e lephan ts , horses , cat t le and sheep,in female and male slaves

and in servant s . It is inviolab le b y st rangers , adversaries and

foes . That fam ily, Maha-Maudgalyayana ,in which Bodhi

1 Vzdhijn'

a,

knowing th e rule (o f religion) o r perhaps knowing th elaw , law -abiding .

3 These are th e four aguti s o r evil ways o f living .

3 S thulabhik sa , lit erally having plenty o f food , lik e subhiksa , Palisubhikkha . But as it is mora l qua lit ies tha t are recount ed j ust here , th et ranslat ion given above seem s bet t er . It is t empt ing t o amend th e wordt o s thulalaksa o r

° laksya , libera l ,” mun ificen t , etc.

‘1 PL a bdhapiirvdpara , with what is before and aft er gained o r k ept .

5 A bhidevagho saghu s ta .

1 58 T H E MA H AV A S T U

indulge in the pleasures of love , the hosts of devas would saythat the king was violating his duty .

The Exalted One,indeed, at all times , proclaims the

depravity of sensual desires . S hall,then ,

the mother of thesaviour of the world indulge in love P

[To take an illustration from] the jewel-caskets which are

found in the palaces of princes , the Best of Men is the jewel,his mother the casket .

Wh ile he carefully searched,Mab el -Maudgalyayana , the

Bodhisattva saw (20 0 ) Sudipa, the queen o f Arcimat, king o f

the royal city o f Dipavat i'

. He saw that she was gracious ,o f good b irth , pure o f b ody,

‘

t ender o f passion , o f whose spano f life only seven nights and t en months w ere le ft .

As he contemplates the world he sees in Arcimat’

s court

Sudi'

pd ,a woman like the consort of an immortal

, radiant

as the lightning’

s flash .

S eeing in her his mother he says to the immortals , I ampassing hence . For the last time I take up my abode in

a woman’

s womb f or the sake of devas and men .

The deva host , arrayed in fine jewels , raised their joinedhands and answered him saying,

“

0 man supreme , whosebeauty is sublime , may thy vow prosper.

“

And we also , f or the world’

s sake and to do thee honour,

thou deva above all devas ,1shall renounce the sweet enjoyment

of the pleasures of sense and go to dwell in the world ofmen .

”

Exultantly they rained down from the sky a shower ofspotless , bright and pure flowers of the coral-tree , speakingsweet words the while

“

How marvellous it is that thou dost not delight in the

abodes of the immortals , where sweet peace reigns , where is

no tribulation nor sorrow,and dost not indulge in thepleasures

of sense .

“

Marvellous is it , too , that , excelling the deva hosts and

shining like a mountain of gold, 0 mighty Sura ,thou illumin

est the ten quarters of the world.

1 The para llel passage in 2 . 4 h as an i ndita f o r a tideva . The variat ionsin such sim ilar parallel passages seem t o bet oken an oral rather than a writ t ent ransmission .

)

T H E H I S T O R Y O F D IPA MKA R A 1 59

“

Thou , whose intelligence is infinite, excellest the Make

s‘oaras

1and Da

'

navas ,2 the hosts of Mara ,

and the stars that

move in the sky— this also is a wonder .

“

How can we then not be loth to part from thee , Mast er

of all that is P (20 1 )For thou , O lotus- eyed, wilt become

the bourne of devas and men .

Thus , at the time and on the occasion of the descent of himwhose eye was like the bright hundred

-petalled lotus , did theglad hosts shout through all quarters of the world.

And such was the talk that went round in the city of Tusita ,

whilst she, thepeerless Sudipa'

,the chiefwife of King Arcimat ,

went up to him and spoke . S he, Sudipa,with eyes like a

young fawn’

s , radiant like a Gandharva’

s wife , and dusky,

spoke thus persuasively 3and sweetly to Arcimat

“

Adorned with jewels , wearing my choicest raiment , and

attended by my friends , I wish , O mighty king, to spendthis night awayfrom you .

“

0 Best of Men ,I would go up to the highest part of the

fair palace of Sataras‘mi,‘1 to the fair spotless bed there that

is covered as though wi th lotuses .

”

Pleased with the charming speech of his queen , KingArcimat , with joyful intent addressed his courtiers , saying,

Quickly let them tell me where Sataras‘mi is . Have the

place wreathed in fair flowers , and strewn with heaps offlowers , like an abode of a deva in heaven .

“

Speedily make Sataras’

mi resplendent with festoons of

fine cloth , have it covered with a network of gold,that in

appearance it be like Meru’

s fair summit .“

Let an entire army,

5 bristling with spears , arrows and

lances , at once stand guard over Sataras‘mi ’s s tately

All was done as the king had commanded ; and when

they had made all things ready , his courtiers approachedthe king and said,

Unless Maheévara is a descript ive t it le , th e Danavas, th e great lord s .3 I.e . Asuras , so -ca lled as being descended from Danu .

3 S ahitam. See not e p . 1 1 5 .

1 O therwise unknown .

5 L it era lly four-limbed ,caturangi , i .e . consist ing o f cava lry, infantry,

chariot eers and fight ers on elephant s .‘1 manojriasamghdta .

1 60 T H E MA H AV A S T U

(20 2) May our great protector protect the race of men 1

f or a full thousand years yet ! All is ready . The noble

mansion stands resplendent , andwillgiveyou a thrill of joy .

”

Then the queen , looking like the consort of an immortal,

rose upfrom her lovely couch and said to the king, just whenthe sun had set ,

I will cultivate harmlessness towards living things ,and live the chaste life . I will abstainfrom theft , intoxication ,

andfrivolous speech .

“ I will, my lord, refrain from unkindly2speech ,

andfromslander. I will refrain fromabusive speech . This ismy resolve .

“

And I will not nurse envy of the pleasures of others ,

nor cause injury to living things . I will give upfalse views .

“

And, 0 King, I will live in the practice of the eleven

moralities .

3 All night long has this resolve been stirringwithin me .

“

Do not then , I pray you , 0 King,desire me with thought

of sensual enjoyment . S ee to it thatyou be guiltless of offenceagainst me who would observe chastity .

The king replied “ I shall have all your wishes fulfilled.

Be at ease , you who have entered upon a noble life . I and

my whole realm are at your command.

The queen then took her thousand belovedprincipalmaidens ,went up to the fair mansion ,

and lay down , her dear wish

fulfilled.

And there on that bed of the colour of the snow-white lotus ,

she whiled away the time in silence , contentedly calm and

self-controlled.

(20 3 )She laid down her beautiful body on its right side , her

limbs clinging to the bed as afloweringcreeper clings to a tree .

Then espying the queen on her bed, beautiful as a celestial

maiden , throngs of devas came down from their homes in

Tusita and alighted on the terrace .

All these immortals joyfully bowing their heads , and

raising their joined hands , lauded the virtuous queen , the

Conqueror’

s mother, as she lay on her bed.

1 Ayus , fo r th e usual praja in this formula . C f . Mahdvastu 2. 5 . Senart

quot es tw o passages o f L al . Vist . a lso (9 0 . 1 4 1 1 7 . I I ) which have dyus .

1 Akhilu, a peculiar use of this word as t h e opposit e of sukkila . Cf . 2 . 6 .

Bu t in t h e para llel passage at 1 . 1 4 5 we have anrita .

3 See not e p . 1 1 5 .

1 62 T H E MA HAVA S T U

N ext to these the Yaksas , a monstrous crowd,withflaming

crests , were posted, and bidden to ward off all who were

malevolent , but not to slay any.

And next the mighty host of Gandharvas , comely in formand noble of features , with. shining bows stood to guard him

who is abundantly wise .

The Four Lords 1 of the world stood in the air along with

their own retinues .

“

For to-day , said they , the ExaltedOne is coming down to earth to bring welf are , happinessand prosperity to the world.

The Three-and-Thirty devas along with their chief,the

bearer of the wheel,2stood in the air, saying, S oon the Exalted

One , in his yearning f or the utmost happ iness of the world,will make his last descent .

A great host of devas , raising their joined hands and

bowing at the queen’

s feet,looked out f or the Conqueror

’

s

comingfrom Tusita ,and uttered sweet words

“

0 thou who art strong with merit won by purification ,

now is it time f or thee to enter upon thy last existence . Thymother is ready . N ow have pity upon afilicted man

kind.

(20 5) Lo , I depart hence . S o did [the Exalted One]speak out and utter the happy word 3 And at that

very moment the Conqueror’

s mother saw in a dream him

who had won maturity of fruition .

He enters her 4 body in the form of a noble elephant,light

of step ,perfectly flawless of body , gleaming like snow-white

silver, with six tusks , a gracefully waving trunk and a

crimson head.

Bodhisat tvas , Maha-Maudgalyayana , do no t descend int o

their mo thers’

womb during the dark fortnight , b ut on the

day o f the full moon in the month Pausa .

5 Bodhisat tvas ent er

the w omb o f a m o ther who o b serves the fasts , who is t all1 S ee not e p . 1 2 4 ,

11 S e . Indra .

3 Lacuna .

4 The t ext has me, my,

which would imply t hat t h e queen is hererecount ing h er narrat ive in th e first person . It is bet t er, with Senart , t ochange me int o se which can st and fo r asya as well as asya .

5 L it era lly when t h e full moon is in conjunct ion with t h e ast erism o r

lunar mansion , pusya , purndydm pu’

rn amdsyc‘

irnpusyanaksatrayogayuktdydmwhence t h e name o f t h e month Pausa,

correspond ing t o December-January .

T H E H I S T O R Y O F D IPAMKAR A 1 63

and well-propo rtioned ,

1 who is accomplish ed and in th e flowero f youth , who is t rained in the Discipline , who is learned ,

mindful and self-po ssessed ,in every way righ t

-minded and

seemly, the m o st perfect Of women .

2

When a Bodhisat tva o f Tusita ,Maha-Maudgalyayana ,

passesaway thence , there is Shed a radiance which illumines a whole

Buddha-field . [And then] one deva asks ano ther ,

Why is a radiance shed by the excellent Sura, which is

more serene than the moonbeams , which is pure like gold,

and which gladdens the lords of the Asuras and of men

and even thefieryflaming hells P

And that deva replies

The radiance is shed as a greeting by the liberating,

sinless glory of those who everywhere succour men caught

in the toils of rebirth and obsessed by intoxication .

”

(20 6)The Bodhisat tva said [t o the devas]“ Leave your cities , ye immortals . Verily this is not the

time to indulge in their delights . Rather is it time to rive

the strongholds of old age and death with the blows ofknowledge .

”

The Bodhisat tva , thought ful, self-po ssessed and righ t

minded, ent ered his mother’

s womb .

The lion-hearted man,roaring a lion

’

s roar ,when it is

the time and the occasion f or him to pass away , leaves on

the instant , and re-appears in the home of a king.

He who lights up Tusita with his radiant beauty , leaves

the cities of the immortals and becomes an incomparable lightin the world .

This incomparable light of the world illumines with hisbeauty the whole world including Brahmd

’

s , and all the race

of men , brdhmans and recluses .

Behold this wonder and this marvel, that the potent Master,

mindful and self -possessed, has come down into his mother’

s

womb ,

1 Parindhasampanna ,possessing breadth o r girth .

2 There is some grammat ica l incoherency here . The ad j ect ives are 10 0 .

sing . ,much as though matus kuksimavakrdmanti h ad t h e force of are born of.

1m T H E MA HAV A S T U

That the Very Best of M en , bearing the marks of excellence,mindful and self-possessed, has taken his place in his mother ’

s

womb .

As soon , Maha-Maudgalyayana ,as the Great Being, the

Bodhisat tva , had descended into his mother’

s womb , this great

earth quaked , Shook and tremb led violently six times . There

was something thrilling in this quaking,

1something b eaut iful ,

merry, gleeful, amiab le , exhilarat ing, admirab le , cheerful, (20 7 )assuring, graceful, lovely, gladdening,

2causing no misgiving

nor fear . For while the earth quaked ,it destroyed no life

whatever, whether animal or plant .

Then this earth bounded by ocean andM ount Meru quaked

six times . And the world was made bright and lovely bythe splendour of him who dispels the great darkness .

When the powerful and mindful one passed away fromTusita , taking on the form of an elephant , the colour of a

white boar, and having six tusks ,

Mindf ul , self-possessed, and virtuous , he entered the wombof his mother as she lay high up in the palace , 3 fasting and

clothed in pure raiment .When night had passed into day ,

she said to her gracious

spouse , N oble king, [in my dream I saw] a white and kinglyelephant enter my womb .

”

When her husband,the king,

heard this,he assembled

the diviners ,4 and bade them all declare the full portent 5

of this dream .

The diviners said in answer to the king, He who bears

the thirty-twomarks of excellence has entered the queen

’

swomb .

1 L it era lly it quak ed thrillingly, etc.

2 Prasarantya , which Senart plausibly t ak es as equ ivalent t o Pali saraniya ,

probably derived from sam raj, t o rej oice , t o gladden . (S ee PaliDictionary .)

3 Read ing, with S enart virdsane for vtratayane o f t h e t ext . BOh t lingk

and Roth give vtrdsana das St ehen au f einem erhOh t en Plat ze .

” Thisagrees with what we are t old o f th e situat ion o f th e queen's b ed .

4 The MSS . have vipancanikan , b ut t h e metre requires vaipancanikdn .

Both form s are obviously relat ed t o Pa li vipancitaiinu, knowing d iffusenesso r det ail o r o f unillusioned underst and ing (Pali Dictionary , wherereferences t o variant s in Buddhist Sanskrit are given , b ut no t t o t h e

M ahavas tu inst ance . ) In t h e next st anza these d iviners have t h e more usua lappellat ion n imittika ,

from nimitta ,Sign

,

” omen ,” etc. , which correspondst o th e classica l Sanskrit naimittika , Pali, nemittaka o r nemittika

5 Lit erally t h e realisat ion of t h e fruit of,”

phalavipdka .

1 66 T H E MA H AV A S T U

(20 9)Eight thousand of the lordly hosts ,1 taking up their

stations in sky and air, wait upon the queen .

Behind them Indra’

s thousands,with spotless crests

,

take up their stations in great numbers to guard him whose

worth is great .

Behindthesedeva chiefs thousands of nayutas of Ka'

mdvacara

devas take up theirplaces in the unsupporting air .

2

Behind these deva hosts again , Asuras , throngs of forktongued Asuras , Yaksas of strange forms , and hordes ofRa

'

ksasas take their places .

And in this way the air , thronged by hundreds of thousandsof immortals , was glorified and utterly purified, f or so great

was the merit acquired by him who is free of passion .

Great Brahma Speaks 3

The woman who in her dream has seen the sunfrom the skyenter her womb , will give birth to one who bears the marks

of excellence . He will be a mighty universal king .

The woman who in her dream has seen the moon fromthe sky enter her womb , will give birth to a son who is both

man and deva . He will be a noble universal king .

The woman who in her dream has seen a white elephantenter her womb , will give birth to a being as select as an

elephant is among animals ,4and he will be a Buddha who

knows what is good and true .

5

(210 )And he asks the queen , Whom do you b ear ? And

she replies ,“

A universal king .

”

I bear a universal king,a choice man ,

a valiant king,

who illumines my womb with his golden beauty and is endowed

with the marks of excellence .

But the devas in th e sky acclaim him with t he t itle o f the

Exalted One ,saying, He will b ecome a Buddha ,

no t a mightyuniversal king.

1 Maheévaras , see not e p . 1 5 5 .

2 Gagane nirdlambe .

2 As Senart suggest s, these verses would be more appropriat ely assignedt o t h e d iviners .

4 Lit erally t h e select being of an elephant , gajasattvasa'

ra

5 Budhi tdrthadharma .

T H E H I S T O R Y O F D IPAMKA R A 1 67

Great Brahma recit es this verse

You bear [one who is like] an elephant [among men] ,the best of treasures , destroyer of the f orce and violence ofintoxication ,

light of the world,1 dispeller of dark and murky

folly, the storehouse of virtues , the possessor of boundless

wealth ,a royal seer, whose wheel knows no obstacle , whose

radiance is deathless .

The queen replies“

As passion and vice no longer have power over me who

have conceived the seed of the king of men , there is no doubt

that he will be of such splendour as you say .

” 2

Again ,Mab el -Maudgalyayana , when the Bodhisat tva has

entered his mo th er’

s womb ,

2 his mo ther is comfortab le whetherShe walks , stands , sit s , or lies down ,

b ecause o f the power o f

the Bodhisat tva . No weapon can pierce h er b ody, nor can

poison ,fire or sword prevail against h er, b ecause o f the power

o f the Bodhisat tva . Deva maidens att end t o h er with preparat ions made in heaven for cleaning and massaging the b ody,

and She is clo thed in celest ial raim ent and adorned with

celestial j ewels , b ecause o f the power o f the Bodhisattva . She

ob tains celestial perfumes , garlands , cosme t ics and essences ,

b ecause o f the pow er o f the Bodhisat tva .

(21 1)Again , Maha-Maudgalyayana , when the Bodhisattva

has ent ered his mother’

s womb ,b ecause o f his power all her

escort deem h er w ort hy o f perfect ob edience and loyalty,and

those who see h er go up t o her and o ffer the ir services .

No thing ,no t even a b ird

,passes over her, b ecause o f the pow er

o f the Bodhisattva . She b ecomes sound and healthy, and

enj oys a digest ive heat neither t oo cold nor t o o ho t , which

ensures a perfect diges tion ,b ecause o f the pow er o f the Bodh i

sattva . She receives the choicest so lid and s o ft fo od Of the

b est and most superlat ive flavour, b ecause o f the power o f

the Bodhisattva . She b ecomes rid o f passion , and lives an

unimpaired ,flawless , unspo t t ed, unt arnished and ab solutely

1 L okasya pradtpa , see not e p . 3 7 .

2 L it era lly, as t h e saying goes fort h , ya tha niécarati vdca

'

, o r, perhaps ,a s m en say .

2 This phrase , form ing a st ereotyped beginning fo r t h e sent ences in thispassage, is , as far as is consonant with clearness , subsequent ly om it t ed .

1 68 T H E MA HAVA S T U

pure and perfect chast e life . In the heart o f this pre -eminent

woman no passion arises for any man, no t even for King

Arcimat . She lives in accordance with the five moral precepts, 1

o b serving them t o the full .

2

Again , Maha-Maudgalyayana , when the Bodhisattva has

ent ered his mo ther’

s womb ,all the Naga kings and lords ,

whether b orn o f eggs , or from the womb , or from moisture ,or Spontaneously,

3enter her ab ode and Sprinkle herwith celestial

sandal-wood powder . Similarly they sprinkle 4 her with aloe

Wood powder and scatter Showers Of b lossoms Over her. Theylaud her with perfect praise , with consummate praise , withab solutely pure praise . When they have scattered celestial

sandal-wood powder, they scatter kes‘ara

5 powder, and powderedleaves of the tamala 6 tree , and showers o f b lossoms . (212)Theylaud her with perfect praise , with consummate praise , with

ab solutely pure praise . And when they have thus lauded her

with this perfect and pure praise , and scattered celestial powdero f sandal -wood , aloe-wood , kesara and tamala leaves , and

showers o f b lossoms , on, ab out , and over the Bodhisattva

’

s

mo ther,they salute her three times from the right , and go

their way. [And all this is] b ecause Of the power o f the

Bodhisattva .

Again , Maha-Maudgalyayana, when the Bodhisat tva has

entered his mo ther’

s womb ,all the Suparna kings and lords ,

whether b o rn o f eggs , or from the womb ,or from moisture ,

o r spontaneously, enter her ab ode and sprinkle her with

celestial sandal-wood powder and many o ther celestial powders ,celestial kes‘ara powder, celestial powder o f tamala leaves, and

1 Panca éiksapaddn i (Pali sikkhapadani) , t .e . th e five precept s inculcat ingt h e pract ice of th e five t itani, o r behaviours . Both precept s and behavioursare somet imes given as t en , b ut when enumerat ed as five each group denot esabst inence , respect ively, from murder, theft adult ery, fa lsehood ,

and slander,th e comm it t ing of which occasions t h e five -fold guilty dread (paneabhayani verani) . See e .g . S . 2 . 68 . The lat er add it ional five sihsa'padaniare no t ident ical with t h e corresponding five silani .

2 Reading, as Senart t entat ively suggest s, sampurnasamadinnani, for

saparva° of th e t ext .

3 Cf . M . i 7 3 .

4 Som e of th e t enses h ere are past (aorist ) , implying an account of a

part icular concept ion of t h e Bodhisat tva . Others are present describingsuch a concept ion in genera l t erms . But t h e t wo t enses are so m ixed upthat it h as been th ought bet t er t o render both by t h e present (or presentperfect ) .

5 S e e p . 3 2 .

2 A t ree with a very dark bark , b ut whit e flowers, X an thochymus pi ctorius .

mo T H E MA H AV A S T U

placed in its cryst al caske t . Just so does his mo ther

see the Bodhisat tva like a b ody o f go ld illuminating her

womb .

1

(214)Again , Mab el -Maudgalyayana , when the Bodhisattvahas ent ered his mo ther

’

s womb , ho sts o f devas come day and

nigh t t o inquire after his welfare . And the Bodhisattva greets

them b y raising his righ t hand ,b ut without hurting his mo ther.

Neither the devas nor the Nagas ,nor th e Yaksas , nor the

Danavas , nor the Raksasas , nor the Pisacas leave him dayor night . Nor is there any talk o f the affections , nor talk

concerned with sensual pleasures , nor any o ther trivial talkthere . But they speak o f no thing other than the Bodhisattva

’

s

b eauty,his comeliness , his b eing, his might , his colour, his

glory, and his roo t o f virtue . Their wo rship o f the Bodhisattva

in his mo ther’

s womb does no t cease . Celestial musical inst ruments are played, celest ial scents o f aloe -wood are waftedab road ,

celestial flowers and celestial powders.

rain down .

And thousands o f Apsarases sing and dance around .

Again , Mab el -Maudgalyayana , when the Bodhisat tva has

ent ered his mo ther’

s womb , she laughs and talks2 w ith thous

ands o f deva maidens . And again when she fall s asleep thedeva maidens fan her with garlands o f the coral -tree . [Andall this is] b ecaus e o f the power o f th e Bodhisattva .

Such then , Maha-Maudgalyayana ,is this perfect descent into

the womb , unsurpassed in all the great universe Of the threethousand worlds .

And now behold another marvel, the marvel of the talkbegetting the most perfect ecstasy , which there was amongall that great concourse of devas .

There is no talk of sensual delight , nor of Apsarases , norof song, nor of instrumentalmusic, nor of eating and drinking.

There is no talk of jewellery, nor of dress . (215) N o talk

of driving and pleasure-gardens occurs to their minds .

1 In t h e correspond ing passage in Vo l . th e simile is in th e m et rica lform Of an fir

-

yé o f three hem ist iches . In his not es S enart mak es an at t emptat t h e rest it ut ion of th e m et rica l form here, b ut h as t o admit that there isno MS . authority fo r t h e int roduct ion o f t h e necessary word s .

2 L it erally laught er and t a lk befall (abhyabhavati) t h e B .

’

s mother .

This u se o f t h e verb abhi-a-bhu is Brahmanic , and S enart suggest s that it isan example o f n o t a few parallels which examinat ion m ight revea l betweent h e language of t h e Mahavastu and t h e Brdhmanas.

T H E B I R T H O F D IP AM KA R A 1 7 1

Oh ! Good is the inimitable light of the Leader who isstrong through his merit . It outshines the world of men and

devas . Such is the talk that echoes 1 there .

“

Oh ! Good is the incomparable conception of him whose

form is perfect .” Such is the varied talk that echoes there

among that gathering.

With these pure 2 psalms of acclamation f or him whose

wisdom is excellent do they while away the time,and such

is the talk that echoes in that gathering .

And so the hosts of devas rejoice as they relate their varied

themes , telling of the form,the colour, the might and the

strength of him who is free from passion .

THE BIRTH OF THE BUDDHA DIPAMKARA

The mo thers o f al l Bodhisat tvas are delivered when the t enthmonth is completed . SO at t he end o f the t enth month , th e

queen , nam ed Sudipa,said t o King Arcimat , My lord ,

it is

my desire t o go t o t he pleasaunce in the Lo tus Grove .

”And

when t he king heard Queen Sudipa,h e said t o his minist ers ,

With the w omen o f my court I am going for diversion t o

the pleasaunce in the Lo tus Grove .

Quickly make ready the Lotus Grove by clearing it of grassand litter and leaves . M ake it a mass of fair and fragrantflowers

,and make it sweetly smelling with scented water .

“

In the Lotus Grove let the sportive 2 breezes laden with

the scent of tamala leaves diffuse an ambrosial fragrance ,

let the boisterous 4 breezes be gone .

“

Let clouds charged with thefragrance of aloe-wood quicklydescend from the sky to shade the Lotus Grove that is full ofthe exquisite aroma of powders .

(216)“

Adorn eachfair tree with streamers of jute and wooland silken cloth , that they be like the kalpavriksa trees ofthe chief of devas in heaven .

1 Ka tha vikasa ti . Senart t ent at ively refers vikasa ti t o vikas and cit es kaégiven by Vopad eva in th e sense of

“

t o resound , e tc . See a lso BOh t lingkand Roth s .v . has, has , kams .

2 N irarnisa ,n o t flesh ly,

”no t gross, " spiritua l .

2 Read ing sal tla f or éari ra . S o Senart .

4 Lit era lly int oxicat ing , madajanana , b ut th e exact meaning is not

clear .

W2 T H E MA H AVA S T U

Devas and deva maidens,b earing scented garlands , come

t o the pleasaunce in the Lotus Grove o f King Arcimat .

Wearing ear-rings of crystal gems , resplendent garmentsand drooping jewels , and carrying fragrant garlands , theycomefloating down the pathways of the sky .

S ome carry baskets 1 full of the flowers of the coral-tree,

others baskets of the yellow sandal-wood flowers , and others

baskets of suitable woven stufis .

With joy in their hearts the Apsarases , bearing garlandsof land and water flowers and gems and jewels , turn their

faces towards f ambudvipa .

Deva maidens come floating through the air carryingfulleighty

-four thousand sunshades of gold andjewels .

The sky,with hundreds of pennants of woven ,

cloth flyinghigh,

is filled as though2 with pinnacles plastered with

gleaming crystals and gems .

And clouds of vapour, like the breath of elephants , glisten[in the air] , 2 with their fragrant flowery scents , a blend oflotus , water-lily and campaka .

4

Delighted serpent-lords besprinkle the air with clouds

of sweet-smelling vapour. And there were hundreds of other

wonders besides .

Thus then ,Maha-Maudgalyayana , did King Arcimat with

his women Set out for the pleasaunce in the Lo tus Grove,

with great royal pomp ,splendour and magnificence .

(217 )When she enters that fair grove , the queen , the

Conqueror’

s mother, attended by her friends , rides on in her

gay chariot , a queen like the consort of an immortal, knowingthe rule of joy .

Then , Maha-Maudgalyayana , Queen Sudipa,attended by her

friends , sported on the lake in t he grove in b oats which had

platforms 5 fore and aft , and canopies Spread ab ove . Th ey

were carpeted with glittering cloth , draped with flowing b andso f fine Silk they were painted , scent ed ,

and strewn with heaps

1or vases, samgeriyo , most lik ely corrupt .

2 Reading, -samehi , for as in 2 . 1 9 .

3 S upplied from khagapathe in th e para llel passage in 2 . 1 9 .

4 A t ree wrth yellow flowers, michelia champaka .

5 Vedi, altar,” t errace, here prob ably a promenade deck .

1 h T H E MA H AV A S T U

For the Supreme of Men are born from their mothers’

right side . It is here that all the valiant men abide [whenin their mother

’

s body] .Why is not that side of the Conqueror

’

s mother rent as

she is delivered of the Best of Men ,and why does no pain

ensue P

Tathagatas are born with a body that is made of mind, 1

and that is why the mother’

s body is not rent and why no

pain ensues .

Tired out with his stay in the womb , the Bodhisattva takes

seven strides over the earth , scans the regions of it , and laughsa loud laugh .

N ow listen to what the tradition says as to the reason whyhe takes seven strides

,rather than eight or six.

(219)When the S age, the benefactor of the whole world,

was tired with his stay in the womb , he strode forth eagerly,

as it was his last sojourn there .

When he had taken seven strides over the earth , throngs

of devas suddenly came flying down ,and the S age was taken

up in the arms of the Four Great Lords .

Then there fell down a drizzling rain of celestial blossoms ,

mingled with the powder of the coral-tree , and thick with thatof the celestial sandal-wood tree .

And f or a long time the exultant devas diffused the mostdivine incense to grace the splendour of the supremelyIntelligent One .

I shall here, too , tell the tradition ,the edifying doctrine,

as to why the Peerless Man surveys the regions of the world.

He finds not among beings , either devas or men ,anyone

whose birth was like his , or whose conception was like his .

As shining gold is the side of the Conqueror’

s motherfromwhom 2 the Omniscient is born into his last existence .

As soon as he was born this was the thought that occurred

to the supremely Eloquent One,“

Is there anyone my equal

in intelligence ?

Are there any who are irked2 by the snare of recurrent

1 Manomaya— a t enet o f th e L ok o t t aravadins .

2 Read ing , as S enart suggest s, ya sma for yada o f t h e t ext .

2 Arttiyan te . For th e format ion o f this verb cf. Pali attiya ti , denom inat iveverb from a tta S ansk rit art a , th e past part . o f rid , t o affl ict , t orment .

”

It is unnecessary t o ascribe th e form t o false ana logy as Senart does .

T H E B I R T H O F D IPAMKA R A 1 75

birth as I am .2 It is f or this purpose, to have this doubt

resolved1 that the Kinsman of the Sun scans all region s ofthe world.

Then the Prince of Speakers , surveying the regions , espiesthousands of ko tis of devas , and that is why he laughs .

(220 )As soon as he was born the devas of Mara’

s world

said to him,

“

Thou wilt become a wealthy universal kingover thefour continents .

”

But he laughs at that,and says , You do not know me

f or what I am . For I shall become the supreme of men ,

all-knowing and all-seeing.

And distinguished teachers confirm this , f or thus has

the teaching of the lion-hearted men been well proclaimed.

The hero whom his mother bore as she stood supportingher body by theflowering Sal tree, him, the peerless Conqueror,do I extol. 2

.May the Sugata just now born treadthe earthwith even feet . 2Hehas taken seven strides andscannedall the regions of theworld.

And as he walked along a f an and a sunshade of their ownaccord4followed him,

lest gadf lies andgnats alight on the bodyof the Omniscient One .

As soon as the Sugata was born ,devas first received the

Conqueror, and afterwards men bore the Peerless One in

their arms .

The devas welcomed the Sugata who displayed the thirtytwo marks of excellence , and afterwards men bore the PeerlessOne in their arms .

The lights of men were put out,because the earth was

bathed in radiance as soon as the Sugata , the torch-bearer

of men and devas , was born .

As soon as the Sugata was born ,his folk ran in quest

of water. And lo wells full of water brimming overflowedright before their eyes .

1 -ccetam tarkam nivartitum : this phrase is transferred in translat ionfrom th e preced ing st anza t o its natura l p lace here as an amplificat ion ofityartham.

2 A number of verses , in a difierent metre, insert ed from anoth er sourceo r trad it ion .

3 S amchi padehi . One of t he thirty-tw o charact erist ics (laksana'

ni ) o f a

Mahapurusa . S ee p . 1 8 0 .

4 S amam. Pa li only self,” oneself,

etc. See BOh t lingk and Roth,and references in Pali Dictionary.

1 76 T H E MA H AV A S T U

(221)Two pitchers of water appeared, one of cold, the otherof warm water, wherewith they bathed the golden body ofthe Sugata .

Because o f the power o f the Bodhisattva , imm ediately afterthe Sugata was b orn ,

his m other was without hurt or scar .

Again , Maha-Maudgalyayana immediately aft er the Bodhisattva was b orn ,

his mo ther s womb ,b ecause o f his power,

remained quite unscathed and without the e ffect o f strain 1 .

Again , Mama-Maudgalyayana ,immediat ely aft er the Bodhi

sat tva was b orn ,b ecause o f his power there appeared on the

island 2 a forest o f sandal-wood trees, which b ecame a source

o f delight and enj oyment t o him .

Then ,hundreds o f thousands o f devas assemb le , with

fragrant garlands in their hands , t o do honour t o the Bodhi

sattva . One deva asks another,Whither do you go P .

And

the o ther replies

The consort of the king is about to give birth to that peerlessoffspring who is bright like the calyx of the blossoming lotus .

Here on earth he will win the highest good, overcoming MKimand his power. It is to this hero that I repair.

His body is untouched by the impurities of the womb ,

even like the exquisite lotus that is born in the mud of pools .

Beautiful like the newly-risen sun ,

he excels the immortalsin Brahmd

’

s heaven .

Then as soon as he was born in Arcimat’

s household, the

Wise One took seven mighty strides . S canning the regions

of the world, he laughed aloud, and said,“

This , at length ,

is my last existence .

”

(222)And many devas held up in the sky a glittering

sunshade , inimitably studded with gems and pearls and

outshining all others in splendour, and waved garlands ofthe coral-tree .

They held up in the sky a fair and golden sunshade,

1 ? Ana'

rabdhd . S O S enart .

2 An taradvtpe . Senart explains dans l ’in t ervalle qui Sépare les unsd es aut res les quatres dvip as dont la réunion forme un monde .

”But it

seem s more natura l t o mak e t h e reference t o be t o t h e island on which th eBuddha was born . For t h e compound , cf. Pa li antaradtpake , in th e centreo f th e island (j . I . It should be added , however, that in th e parallelp assage in Vo l . 2 ,

p . 2 3 , there is an add it ional marvel , viz. th e holy fig-t reewhich appears in th e midst o f th e four m illion island s or cont inent s .

U s T H E MA HAV A S T U

Then the goddess said to another goddess , It is not fittingthat this child should worship me . And if he should make

obeisance before another, that one’

s head would assuredly be

split in seven .

When this child was b orn all b eings , including even tho sein Avici, b ecame prosperous and happy. All devas b owed

t o him in joy.

(224)When the child had entered the royal palace, the kingbade his priest fetch at once the wise men who were skilled

in the rules and significance of signs .

Learning this , the saintly1 devas , called Mahes‘varas 2,

(came on the scene) , lest the unskilled crowd of the twice-born 2

should seek to interpret the signs .

Rid of conceit , pride, and arrogance, eight thousand

Maheivaras approached him who was newly born and revered

by the hosts of devas .

Arrayed in fine and pure raiment they stood in silence

at the door of the king’

s palace and addressed the door-keeperin a tone gentle as the cuckoo

’

s , saying,

“

Go in to the king and say to him, Here are eight thousand

men who know the significance and rules of signs , and theywould enter if it is your pleasure .

’

“

S o be it ,”said the door-keeper obeying them,

and he went

into the palace . Raising his joined hands , he joyfullyaddressed the lord of earth

0 King, peerless in strength , whose glory is ablaze ,

smiter of yourfoes , may you rule your realm a long time vet .

Men like the immortals stand at your gates and crave

admittance .

“

Because of theirfull clear eyes , their soft voices , theirtread like that of elephant in rut , doubt arises in me whether

these be men and not sons of the devas .

1 L it era lly heart or mind cont rolling, cit tavaéavarti .2 Devas of this name do no t seem t o be known out side t h e M ahavas tu .

Usually it is t h e Suddhavasa devas who figure In this scene, and as at p . 1 5 0

these are described as mahet varas o r great lords,” it is lik ely that thisd escript ive t it le h as , in t h e present passage, been tak en as a well underst ooda lt ernat ive name fo r th e Suddhavasa devas. The k ing

'5 visit ors are actually

ca lled by th e latt er name lat er on in this same passage (p .

2 I.e . Brahmans.