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

43. Then the Exalted One, perceiving how the matter stood, uttered on that occasion this hymn of exultation : —

' To him who gives shall virtue be increased ;
In him who curbs himself, no anger can arise ;
The righteous man casts off all evil ways,
And by the rooting out of lust, and bitterness,
And all infatuation, is at peace ! '

End of the Fourth Portion for Recitation, containing
The Episode of A/ara.

1 Here, and above pp. 137-9, we have spelt the name of the smith,
in English, as it is pronounced in Pali, and should be pronounced in
English.

CHAPTER V.

i. [137] Now the Exalted One addressed the verier-

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able Ananda, and said : — ' Come, Ananda, let us go on to the Sala Grove of the Mallas, the Upavattana of Kusinara, on the further side of the river HiranyavatiY

' Even so, lord ! ' said the venerable Ananda, in assent, to the Exalted One.

And the Exalted One proceeded with a great company of the brethren to the Sala Grove of the Mallas, the Upavattana of Kusinara, on the further side of the river Hiranyavati : and when he had come there he addressed the venerable Ananda, and said : —

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' Spread over for me, I pray you, Ananda, the couch with its head to the^ north, between the twin Sala trees \ I am weary, Ananda, and would lie down.'

' Even so, lord ! ' said the venerable Ananda, in assent, to the Exalted One. And he spread a covering over the couch with its head to the north, between the twin Sala trees. And the Exalted One laid himself down on his right side, with one leg resting on the other ; and he was mindful and self-possessed.

2. Now at that time the twin Sala trees were all one mass of bloom with flowers out of season ; and

1 According to the commentator 'tradition says that there was a row of Sala trees at the head (sis'a) of that couch, and another at its foot, one young Sala tree being close to its head, and another close to its foot. The twin Sala trees were so called because the two trees were equally grown in respect of the roots, trunks, branches, and leaves. There was a couch there in the park for the special use of the (periodically elected) chieftain of the Mallas, and it was this couch which the Exalted One asked Ananda to make ready.'

There is no further explanation of the term uttara-sisaka#z, which may have been the name for a slab of wood or stone reserved on great occasions for the use of the leaders of the neighbouring republic, but available at other times for passers-by.

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all over the body of the Tathagata 1 these dropped and sprinkled and scattered themselves, out of reverence for the successor of the Buddhas of old. And heavenly Mandarava flowers, too, and heavenly sandalwood powder came falling from the sky, and all over the body of the Tathagata they descended and sprinkled [138] and scattered themselves, out of reverence for the successor of the Buddhas of old. And heavenly music was sounded in the sky, out of reverence for the successor of the Buddhas of old. And heavenly songs came wafted from the skies, out of reverence for the successor of the Buddhas of old !

3. Then the Exalted One addressed the venerable Ananda and said : — ' The twin Sala trees are all one mass of bloom with flowers out of season ; all over the body of the Tathagata these drop and sprinkle and scatter themselves, out of reverence for the successor of the Buddhas of old. And heavenly Mandarava flowers, too, and heavenly sandal-wood powder come falling from the sky, and all over the body of the Tathagata they descend and sprinkle and scatter themselves, out of reverence for the successor of the Buddhas of old. And heavenly music sounds in the sky, out of reverence for the successor of the Buddhas of old. And heavenly songs come wafted from the skies, out of reverence for the successor of the Buddhas of old !

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