Dialogues of the Buddha, Part II — trans. T. W. and C. A. F. Rhys Davids (1910)

2 Khattiyo muddhavasitto, which does not occur in the Mahaparinibbana, the Mahapadana, and the Lakkhawa Suttantas, and other places where this stock description of a king of kings is found. It is omitted also in the Lalita Vistara. The Burmese Phayre MS. of thep. 200 of the earth, conqueror, the protector of his people, possessor of the seven royal treasures. [17°] This Kusinara, Ananda, was the royal city of king Maha- Sudassana, under the name of Kusavati, and on the east and on the west it was twelve leagues in length, and on the north and on the south it was seven leagues in breadth. That royal city Kusavati, Ananda, was mighty, and prosperous, and full of people, crowded with men, and provided with all things for food. Just, Ananda, as the royal city of the gods, A/akamanda by name, is mighty, prosperous, and full of people, crowded with the gods, and provided with all kinds of food, so, Ananda, was the royal city Kusavati mighty and prosperous, full of people, crowded with men, and provided with all kinds of food. Both by day and by night, Ananda, the royal city Kusavati resounded with the ten cries ; that is to say, the noise of elephants, and the noise of horses, and the noise of chariots ; the sounds of the drum, of the tabor, and of the lute ; the sound of singing, and the sounds of the cymbal and of the gong ; and lastly, with the cry: — " Eat, drink, and be merry1!"

A

4. ' The royal city Kusavati, Ananda, was surrounded by Seven Ramparts. Of these, one rampart was of gold, and one of silver, and one of beryl, and one of crystal, and one of agate, and one of coral, and one of all kinds of ^ems !

5. ' To the royal city Kusavati, Ananda, there were Gates of four colours. One gate was of gold, and one of silver, and one of jade, and one of crystal. [i7i] At each gate seven pillars were fixed ; in height as three times or as four times the height of a man. And one pillar was of gold, and one of silver, and one of beryl, and one of crystal, and one of agate, and one of coral, and one of all kinds of gems.

India Office reads here muddabhisitto, but this is an unnecessary correction. The epithet is probably inserted here from § 7 below.

1 This enumeration is found also at Jataka I, 3, only that the chank is added there — wrongly, for that makes the number of cries eleven.

p. 201

A

6. 'The royal city Kusavati, Ananda, was surrounded by Seven Rows of Palm Trees. One row was of palms of gold, and one of silver, and one of beryl, and one of crystal, and one of agate, and one of coral, and one of all kinds of gems.

1 And the Golden Palms had trunks of gold, and leaves and fruits of silver. And the Silver Palms had trunks of silver, and leaves and fruits of gold. And the Palms of Beryl had trunks of beryl, and leaves and fruits of crystal. And the Crystal Palms had trunks of crystal, and leaves and fruits of beryl. And the Agate Palms had trunks of agate, and leaves and fruits of coral. And the Coral Palms had trunks of coral, and leaves and fruits of agate. And the Palms of every kind of Gem had trunks and leaves and fruits of every kind of gem.

1 ' And when those rows of palm trees, Ananda, were shaken by the wind, there arose a sound sweet, and pleasant, and charming, and intoxicating.

'just, Ananda, as the seven kinds of instruments yield, when well played upon, to the skilful man, a sound sweet, and pleasant^ and charming, and intoxicating— [172] just even so, Ananda, when those rows of palm trees were shaken by the wind, there arose a sound sweet, and pleasant, and charming, and intoxicating.

4 And whoever, Ananda, in the royal city Kusavati were at that time gamblers, drunkards, and given to

1 This section should be compared with one in the Sukhavativyuha, translated by Professor Max Miiller as follows (' Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society,' 1880, p. 170): —