Great Complex, Cast away desire for these, long not after life. "Thine, O King, are these four and eighty thousand divans, of gold, and silver, and ivory, and sandalwood, spread with long-haired rugs, and cloths embroidered with flowers, and magnificent antelope skins, covered with lofty canopies, and provided at both ends with purple cushions. Cast away desire for these, long not after life. "Thine, O King, are these four and eighty thousand state elephants, with trappings of gold, and gilded flags, and golden coverings of network, of which the king of elephants, called 'the Changes of the Moon,' is the chief. Cast away desire for these, long not after life. "Thine, O King, are these four and eighty thousand state horses, with trappings of gold, and gilded flags, and golden coverings of network,-[195] of which 'Thunder-cloud,' the king of horses, is the chief. Cast away desire for these, long not after life. 6.66 Thine, O King, are these four and eighty thousand chariots, with coverings of the skins of lions, and of tigers, and of panthers, of which the chariot called 'the Flag of Victory' is the chief. Cast away desire for these, long not after life. ""Thine, O King, are these four and eighty thousand gems, of which the Wondrous Gem is the chief. Cast away desire for these, long not after life. "Thine, O King, are these four and eighty thousand wives, of whom the Queen of Glory is the chief. Cast away desire for these, long not after life. 6.66 Thine, O King, are these four and eighty thousand yeomen, of whom the Wonderful Steward is the chief. Cast away desire for these, long not after life. "Thine, O King, are these four and eighty thousand nobles, of whom the Wonderful Adviser is the chief. Cast away desire for these, long not after life. "Thine, O King, are these four and eighty thousand cows, with jute trappings, and horns tipped with bronze. Cast away desire for these, long not after life. Thine, O King, are these four and eighty thousand myriads of garments, of delicate textures, of flax, and cotton, and silk, and wool. Cast away desire for these, long not after life. 6.66 Thine, O King, are these four and eighty thousand dishes, in which, in the evening and in the morning, rice is served. Cast away desire for these, long not after life." 13. 'Then immediately, Ânanda, the Great King of Glory died. Just, Ananda, as when a yeoman has eaten a hearty meal he becomes all drowsy, just so were the feelings he experienced, Ânanda, as death came upon the Great King of Glory. [186] When the Great King of Glory, Ânanda, had died, he came to life again in the happy world of Brahmâ. 'For eight and forty thousand years, Ânanda, the Great King of Glory lived the happy life of a prince, for eight and forty thousand years he was viceroy and heir-apparent, for eight and forty thousand years he. ruled the kingdom, and for eight and forty thousand. years he lived, as a layman, the noble life in the Palace of Righteousness. And then, when full of noble thoughts he died, he entered, after the dissolution of the body, the world of Brahmâ 1.’ 14. Now it may be, Ânanda, that you may think "The Great King of Glory of that time was another person." But, Ananda, you should not view the, matter thus. I at that time was the Great King of Glory. 'Mine at that time were the four and eighty thousand * cities, of which the chief was the royal city of Kusâvatî. · 'Mine were the four and eighty thousand palaces, of which the chief was the Palace of Righteousness. The noble thoughts' are the Brahma-vihâras, the sublime conditions described above, Chap. II, § 4. The 'noble life' is the Brahmacariyam, which does not mean the same as it does in Sanskrit. The adjective Brahma may have reference here also to the subsequent (and consequent?) rebirth in the Brahmaloka. 54 Cast Shiv 'Mine were the four and eighty thousand chambers, of which the chief was the chamber of the Great Complex. 'Mine were the four and eighty thousand divans, of gold, and silver, and ivory, and sandalwood, spread with long-haired rugs, and cloths embroidered with flowers, and magnificent antelope skins, covered with lofty canopies, and provided at both ends with purple cushions. Mine were the four and eighty thousand state elephants, with trappings of gold, and gilded flags, and golden coverings of network,-of which the king of elephants, called "the Changes of the Moon," was the chief. 'Mine were the four and eighty thousand state horses, with trappings of gold, and gilded flags, and golden coverings of network,-of which "Thundercloud," the king of horses, was the chief. 'Mine were the four and eighty thousand chariots [197] with coverings of the skins of lions, and of tigers, and of panthers, of which the chariot called "the Flag of Victory" was the chief. 'Mine were the four and eighty thousand gems, of which the Wondrous Gem was the chief. 'Mine were the four and eighty thousand wives, of whom the Queen of Glory was the chief. 'Mine were the four and eighty thousand yeomen, of whom the Wonderful Steward was the chief. 'Mine were the four and eighty thousand nobles, of whom the Wonderful Adviser was the chief. Mine were the four and eighty thousand cows, with jute trappings, and horns tipped with bronze. 'Mine were the four and eighty thousand myriads of garments, of delicate textures, of flax, and cotton, and silk, and wool. 'Mine were the four and eighty thousand dishes, in which, in the evening and in the morning, rice was served.' 15. Of those four and eighty thousand cities, Ânanda, one was that city in which, at that time, I used to dwell-to wit, the royal city of Kusâvatî. D. ii. 198. THE GREAT KING OF GLORY. 231 Of those four and eighty thousand palaces, too, Ânanda, one was that palace in which, at that time, I used to dwell-to wit, the Palace of Righteousness. 'Of those four and eighty thousand chambers, too, Ânanda, one was that chamber in which, at that time, I used to dwell-to wit, the chamber of the Great Complex. 'Of those four and eighty thousand divans, too, Ânanda, one was that divan which, at that time, I used to occupy-to wit, one of gold, or one of silver, or one of ivory, or one of sandalwood. 'Of those four and eighty thousand state elephants, too, Ânanda, one was that elephant which, at that time, I used to ride-to wit, the king of elephants, "the Changes of the Moon." [198] Of those four and eighty thousand horses, too, Ânanda, one was that horse which, at that time, I used to ride to wit, the king of horses, Thunder-cloud." the 'Of those four and eighty thousand chariots, too, Ânanda, one was that chariot in which, at that time, I used to ride to wit, the chariot called "the Flag of Victory.' 'Of those four and eighty thousand wives, too, Ânanda, one was that wife who, at that time, used to wait upon me-to wit, either a lady of noble birth, or a Velâmikâni. 'Of those four and eighty thousand myriads of suits of apparel, too, Ânanda, one was the suit of apparel which, at that time, I wore-to wit, one of delicate texture, of linen, or cotton, or silk, or wool. 'Of those four and eighty thousand dishes, too, Ânanda, one was that dish from which, at that time, I ate a measure of rice and the curry suitable thereto.' 16. See, Ânanda, how all these things are now past, are ended, have vanished away. Thus impermanent, Ânanda, are component things; thus transitory, Ânanda, are component things; thus untrustworthy, Kay) Ânanda, are component things. Insomuch, Ânanda, is it meet to be weary of, is it meet to be estranged from, is it meet to be set quite free from the bondage of all component things!" 17. 'Now I call to mind, Ânanda, how in this spot. my body had been six times buried. And when I was, dwelling here as the righteous king who ruled in. righteousness, the lord of the four regions of the earth, the conqueror, the protector of his people, the possessor of the seven royal treasures-that was the seventh time. But I behold not any spot, Ânanda, in the world of men and gods, nor in the world of Mara, nor in the world of Brahma-no, not among the race of Samanas or Brahmins, of gods or men, where the Tathâgata. for the eighth time will lay aside his body." Thus spake the Exalted One; and when the Happy They are produced, they are dissolved again; 1 The whole of this conversation between the Great King of Glory and the Queen is very much shorter in the Jâtaka. This may be perhaps partly explained by the narrative style in which the stories are composed a style incompatible with the repetitions of the Suttas, and confined to the facts of the story. But I think that no one can read this Suttanta in comparison with the short passage found in the Book of the Great Decease' (above, Chap. V, § 18) without feeling that the latter is the more original of the two, and that the legend had not, when that passage or episode was first composed, attained to its present extended form. On this celebrated verse, see the note at Mahâparinibbâna Suttanta VI, 16, where it is put into the mouth of Sakka, the king of the gods. The principal word, sam khâra (states, or things, or phenomena), is discussed in the Introduction to this Suttanta. See the Journal of the Pâli Text Society' for 1909, and below, p. 248. |