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

1 Valahako. Compare the Valahassa-Jataka (Fausboll, No. 196), of which the Chinese story translated by Mr. Beal at pp. 332-40 of his ' Romantic History,' &c, is an expanded and altered version. In the Valahaka Sawyutta of the Sawyutta Nikaya the spirits of the skies are divided into Uwha-valahakaDeva, Sita-valahaka Deva, Abbhavalahaka Deva, Vata-valahaka Deva, and Vassa-valahaka Deva, that is, the cloud-spirits of cold, heat, air, wind, and rain respectively.

2 Mawi-ratanaw.

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' Such, Ananda, was the wondrous Gem that appeared to the Great King of Glory.'

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15. ' Now further, Ananda, there appeared to the Great King of Glory the Woman-Treasure \ graceful in figure, beautiful in appearance, charming in manner, and of the most fine complexion ; neither very tall, nor very short ; neither very stout, nor very slim ; neither very dark, nor very fair ; surpassing human beauty, she had attained unto the beauty of the gods 2.

1 The touch too, Ananda, of the skin of that wondrous Woman was as the touch of cotton or of cotton wool ; in the cold her limbs were warm, in the heat her limbs were cool ; while from her body was wafted the perfume of sandal wood and from her mouth the perfume of the lotus.

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' That Pearl among Women too, Ananda, used to rise up before the Great King of Glory, [176] and after him retire to rest ; pleasant was she in speech, and ever on the watch to hear what she might do in order so to act as to give him pleasure.

' That Pearl among Women too, Ananda, was never, even in thought, unfaithful to the Great King of Glory — how much jess then could she be so with the body !

' Such, Ananda, was the Pearl among Women who appeared to the Great King of Glory.'

16. ' Now further, Ananda, there appeared unto the
Great King of Glory a Wonderful Treasurer3, possessed,

-1 Itthi-ratana;«.

2 The above description of an ideally beautiful woman is of frequent occurrence.

3 Gahapati-ratana/;/. The word gahapati has been hitherto usually rendered ' householder,' but this may often, and would certainly here, convey a wrong impression. There is no single word in English which is an adequate rendering of the term, for it connotes a social condition now no longer known among us. The gahapati was the head of a family, the representative in a village community of a family, the pater fajnilias. So the god of fire, with allusion to the sacred fire maintained in each household, is called in the Rig-veda the gr/'hapati, the pater familias, of the human race. It is often

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through good deeds done in a former birth, of a marvellous power of vision by which he could discover treasure, whether it had an owner or whether it had not.

4 He went up to the Great King of Glory, and said : —

' " Do thou, O King, take thine ease ! I will deal with thy wealth even as wealth should be dealt with."

4 Long ago, Ananda, the Great King of Glory, to test that wonderful Treasurer, went on board a boat, and had it pushed out into the current in the midst of the river Ganges. Then he said to the wonderful steward : —

1 " I have need, O Treasurer, of yellow gold ! "

1 44 Let the ship then, O Great King, go alongside either of the banks."

' " It is here, O Treasurer, that I have need of yellow gold."

Then the wonderful Treasurer reached down to the water with both his hands, and drew up a jar full of yellow gold, and said to the Great King of Glory : —

' " Is that enough, O Great King ? Have I done enough, O Great King ? "

' And the Great King of Glory replied : —
' It is enough, O Treasurer. You have done
enough, O Treasurer. You have offered me enough,
O Treasurer ! " [177]

' Such was the wonderful Treasurer, Ananda, who appeared to the Great King of Glory.'