then the country is contented; if men are agreed, then the ruler is in peace: these are the principles which have been handed down to us from our fathers. "We desire that you will preserve the rules of our country, and deliver to justice those who would change them." Then As"6ka-raja addressed his brother as he wept, and said, 'I have inherited (as my rule of) government the duty of protecting and cherishing the people; how then have you, my brother, forgotten my affection and my kindness? It is impossible at the very beginning of my reign to neglect the laws. If I punish you, I fear the anger of my ancestors; on the other hand, if I excuse you, I fear the opinion of the people."

Mahendra, bowing his head, replied, "I have not guarded my conduct, and have transgressed the laws of the country; I ask only an extension of my life for seven days."

On this the king placed him in a dark dungeon, and placed over him a strict guard. He provided him with every kind of exquisite meat and every necessary article. At the end of the first day the guard cried out to him, "One day has gone; there are six days left." The sixth day having expired, as he had greatly sorrowed for his faults and had afflicted {disciplined) his body and his heart, he obtained the fruit of sanctity (became an Arhat); he mounted into the air and exhibited his miraculous powers (spiritual traces). Then separating himself from the pollution of the world, he went afar, and occupied the mountains and valleys (as a recluse).

Asoka-raja, going in his own person, addressed him as follows, "At first, in order to put in force the laws of the country, I desired to have you punished, but little did I think you would have attained to this highest rank of holiness.28 Having, however, reached this condition of detachment from the world, you can now return to your country."

28 That you would have mounted up in pure conduct to attain to and possess this holy fruit.

The brother replied, " Formerly I was ensnared in the net of {worldly) affections, and my mind was occupied with love of sounds {music) and beauty; but now I have escaped all this {the dangerous city), and my mind delights in {the seclusion of) mountains and valleys. I would fain give up the world for ever {men's society) and dwell here in solitude."

The king said, "If you wish to subdue your heart in quiet, you have no need to live in the mountain fastnesses. To meet your wishes I shall construct you a dwelling."

Accordingly he summoned the genii to his presence and said to them, "On the morrow I am about to give a magnificent feast. I invite you to come together to the assembly, but you must each bring for your own seat a great stone." 29 The genii having received the summons, came at the appointed time to the assembly. The king then addressed them and said, "The stones which are now arranged in order on the ground you may pile up, and, without any labour to yourselves, construct of them for me an empty house." The genii having received the order, before the day was over finished the task. Asokaraja then himself went to invite bis brother to fix his abode in this mountain cell.

To the north of the old palace, and to the south of " the heli," is a great stone with a hollow trough in it. Asokar&ja commissioned the genii as workmen to make this hollow {vase) to use for the food which he gave to the priests when he invited them to eat.

To the south-west of the old palace there is a little mountain. In the crags and surrounding valleys there are several tens of stone dwellings which Asoka-r&ja made for Upagupta and other Arhats, by the intervention of the genii.

By the side of it is an old tower, the ruins of which are a mass of heaped-up stones. There is also a pond, the gentle ripples of which play over its surface as pure as a 29 Compare Fa-hian, chap, xxvii.

■mirror. The people far and near call it tlie sacred water. If any one drinks thereof or washes in it, the defilement of their sins is washed away and destroyed.

To the south-west of the mountain is a collection of five stupas. The foundations are lofty but ruiaous; what remains, however, is a good height. At a distance they look like little hills. Each of them is several tens of paces in front. Men in after-days tried to build on the top of these little stupas. The records of India state, " In old time, when As"6ka-raja built the 84,000 sttipas, there was still remaining five measures of relies. Therefore he erected with exceptional grandeur five other stupas, remarkable for their spiritual portents (miraculous exhibitions), with a view to indicate the fivefold spiritual body of Tathagata.80 Some disciples of little faith talking together argued thus, 1 In old time Nanda-raja31 built these five (stupas) as treasure-places for his wealth (seven precious substances).' In consequence of this gossip, in after-time a king of insincere faith, and excited by his covetousness, put his troops in movement, and came with his followers to dig (the stupas). The earth shook, the mountains bent (fell), and the clouds darkened the sun, whilst from the sMpas there came a great sound like thunder. The soldiers with their leaders fell backward, and the elephants and horses took to flight. The king thus defeated, dared no longer to covet (the treasures). It is said, moreover (i.e., in the Indian records), 'With respect to the gossip of the priests there has been some doubt expressed, but we believe it to be true according to the old tradition.'"

30 Literally, the body of the law earth under one umbrella {Vishnu

of Tathagata {Ju-lai) divided into Pur&na, p. 466,Wilson's translation),

five parts. It may refer to the five In the Mahdvanso he is called

skandhas; these are rujpa {sih), Dhana-nando, because he personally

rHand (sheu), saihjnana (siang), devoted himself to the hoarding of

s&ilskdra (king), vijndna [chi). treasure (Max Miiller, Hist. Anc.

81 This refers to Nanda, the son Sansc. lit., p. 281): The state

of Mahananda, called Mahapadma, ment in the text, derived from "the

who was exceedingly avaricious, old records of India," appears to

He was the son of a woman of the identify Nanda with Asoka, i.e.,

tiudra class. He brought the whole Kalasoka.

To the south-east of the old city there is the sanghdrdmacalled K'iu-cha-'o-lan-mo32(Kukkutarama), which was built by A£6ka-r&ja when he first became a believer in the religion of Buddha. It was a sort of first-fruit (preparation in planting the root of virtue), and a pattern of majestic construction (lofty building). He gathered there a thousand priests; a double congregation of lay people and saints made their offerings of the four necessary things, and provided gratuitously all the articles for use. This building has long been in ruins, but the foundation walls are still preserved.

By the side of the sanghdrdma is a great dilpa called 'O-mo-lo-kia (Amalaka), which is the name of a fruit used as a medicine in India. King Asoka having fallen sick and lingering for a long time, felt that he would not recover, and so desired to offer all his possessions (gems and valuables) so as. to crown his religious merit (to plant high the field of merit). The minister 33 who was carrying on the government was unwilling to comply with his wish. Some time after this, as he was eating part of an Amalaka fruit, he playfully34 put the half of it (in the hand of the king) for an offering. Holding the fruit in his hand he said with a sigh to his minister, "Who now is lord of Jambudvipa?"

The minister replied, " Only your majesty."

The king answered, "Not so! I am no longer lord; for I have only this half fruit to call my own! Alas! the wealth and honour of the world are as difficult to keep as

32 This convent or sangliardma tion is difficult. Julien translates it must not be confounded with the as though the king were amused as Kukkutapadagiri, near GaysL See he played with the fruit, until he Fa-hian, cap. xxxiii. p. 132 n., also had reduced itto a half. ThistranslaArch. Survey of India, vol. xv. p. 4; tion is more agreeable to the text. Ind. Ant., vol. xii. p. 327; compare But, on the other hand, in Asvaghdalso Julien's remark (p. 428, n. 1). sha's rendering of the story, he says

33 It may be "ministers;" the that the minister offered the king story of the text is found among a half Amala fruit, to bestow in Aivaghfisha's sermons. It is No. 26 charity. The translation I have as given in the Abstract of Four given requires the substitution of Lectures, p. 103. tan (to give in charity) for lan

34 In a trifling way. This transla- (cooked or thoroughly dressed).

it is to preserve the light of a lamp in the wind! My wide-spread possessions, my name and high renown, at close of life are snatched from me, and I am in the hands of a minister violent and powerful. The empire is no longer mine; this half fruit alone is left!"

Then he commanded an attendant officer to come, and he addressed him thus: "Take this half fruit and offer it in the garden (drama) of the cock (monastery) to the priests, and speak thus to the venerable ones, 'He who was formerly lord of Jambudvipa, but now is master of only this half Amala fruit, bows down before the priests (chief priest). I pray you (on behalf of the Icing) receive this very last offering. All that I have is gone and lost, only this half fruit remains as my little possession. Pity the poverty of the offering, and grant that it may increase the seeds of his religious merit.'"

The Sthavira, in the midst of the priests, spake thus in reply: "As"6ka-raja by his former deeds may hope to recover. Whilst the fever has held his person, his avaricious ministers have usurped his power and amassed wealth not their own. But this offering of half a fruit will secure the king an extension of life." The king having recovered from his sickness, gave large offerings to the priests. Moreover he ordered the manager of the affairs of the convent (Tin-see—KarmmadHna) to preserve the seeds35 of the fruit in a vessel of liquid fit for the purpose, and he erected this sttipa as a mark of gratitude for his prolonged life.36

To the north-west of Amalaka sttipa, in the middle of an old sanghdrdma, is a stdpa; it is called " establishing the sound of the ghantd (Kin-t'i)." At first there were about 100 sanghdrdmas in this city; the priests were grave

35 Or, the stone or kernel. The Karmmadana is the steward of the convent.

36 This passage is obscure, and the translation I give is not in agreement with M. Julien's. He makes the words of the Sthavira to

be addressed to the other priests, and not to the messenger from the king. It appears to me that they were made in reply to the king's message, and include in them a promised anticipation of the king's recovery.