Fetching
One moment.
Fetching
One moment.
Romanised transliteration as printed by the translator, not the original script. This is what we hold.
1;’ in the glossary the sound ‘ ping’ is given as equal to p(ing)-(m)i, i.e. ‘ pi.’ * The sounds produced by gems striking one another. See glossary. EXAMPLE OF THE STYLE OF EXPANDED SOTRAS. 347 forth and reposed beneath the trees of the Lumbint garden. Then Sakra-deva and Brahma-raga and the four heavenly kings descending (flying) from their respective abodes, and scattering flowers, hastily proceeded to the palace to ascertain the state of the case, and entering the different apartments, caused the servants and attendants to receive instructions (i.e. put the thought into their minds) to sweep and prepare the way for the approach of the king on the queen’s departure. This being done and reported, the king was filled with joy, and entering the palace of the female attendants, he spoke thus: ‘You who desire to give me satisfaction, and to impart joy, will do as I request; let there be no differences among you, but let each one be ready to sit quietly and reflect (on what I say). Decorate yourselves in your most dazzling attire ; and anoint yourselves (or, your garments) with the choicest perfumes, pure and sweet; let your bodies be covered with countless ornaments and gems whose sound is delightful to the ear and joy-giving to the beholder, prepare for yourselves every kind of musical instrument, cymbals and pipes and lutes and drums, of every sort, which may accord in producing sweet music, so that the Devis themselves hearing it may have joy. Thus provided, attend the queen as she mounts the lovely chariot ; let male and female attendants alike, and the elephants composing the cortége, be decorated in one way, and let no ill sound or discordant note be heard to discompose the mind of the queen.’ And now the elephants and horses and the military attendants of every kind, decorated as aforesaid, stood by the gate, and as the queen passed through on her departure there was heard the sound as it were of a great ocean, and the shouts of those who desired her ten thousand years, whilst the ornaments which decorated the chariot, as it moved along, gave forth propitious music. The lion throne, like that of the gods, was composed of (the wood of) the four precious (gem) trees, covered with (carved?) leaves and flowers of every possible description so as to perfect it. And now the ducks and geese and the peacocks raised their piteous notes in unison, whilst banners and flags decorated with the seven precious substances were placed as a canopy over the chariot. 348 NOTE Il.
2And now the ducks and geese and the peacocks raised their piteous notes in unison, whilst banners and flags decorated with the seven precious substances were placed as a canopy over the chariot. 348 NOTE Il. Then the Devas who dwell in space, surrounding the chariot as it advanced, likewise sang together in melodious strains. As soon as the queen sat down upon the lion throne the great universe (chiliocosm) was six times (or in six manners) shaken, and all the Devas scattered flowers (as they cried) : ‘The holy one to-day is about to be born even here beneath a tree of the Lumbini (garden), it is he who is a god among gods.’ The four heavenly kings conduct the chariot, the divine Sakra purifies and prepares the way, whilst Brahma Devardga leads on before, attended by a hundred thousand Devas, who ever turn towards the chariot and adore (the queen) with heads inclined. And now the king, the father, seeing all this, was filled with joy in his heart, and reflecting with himself he exclaimed: ‘This (child) must be in truth the king of gods and men, whom all the Devas, the four heavenly kings, Sakra and Brahma, attending, agree to honour; he must indeed be one who shall attain to the condition of Buddha; for never yet in the three worlds has one received such adoration, whether Deva or N4ga or divine Sakra or Brahma, and yet escaped with life (unsplit head). Sucha one then receiving these honours must of necessity in the end prove himself a holy person (divine).’ Thus the queen (advanced), escorted by 84,000 chariots drawn by horses, the same number drawn by elephants, and by the same number of chariot drivers, fully adorned, and surrounded by soldiers, spearmen and halbard bearers of approved courage and strength on the right hand and on the left, and by others in front and rear, whilst before and behind was a surrounding concourse of 60,000 attendant women accompanied by 40,000 nobles all of the family of king Suddhodana, whilst others, the attendants of 64,000 kings, took part in the cortége that surrounded the mother of Bodhisattva. Moreover, there were 84,000 female attendants of the Devas, the Nagas, the Gandharvas, the Kinnaras, Mahoragas, Asuras, all sumptuously decorated with jewels and ornaments, provided with drums and musical instruments, producing harmonious sounds although differing in character, whilst with their voices they sang of the perfections (virtues) of Bodhisattva’s mother. Thus EXAMPLE OF THE STYLE OF EXPANDED SOTRAS. 349
3Thus EXAMPLE OF THE STYLE OF EXPANDED SOTRAS. 349 surrounded and attended they approach the Lumbini grove, the road prepared carefully and the ground perfumed with scented water and covered with divine flowers, whilst the trees themselves budded forth and blossomed and the scented oil of choicest sandal-wood was produced on every side. This, indeed, was by the express interference of the gods. And now the queen having arrived, descended! from her precious chariot, and accompanied by Devas and Devis she proceeded onwards through the garden, whilst the trees in honour of her presence shed abroad their brilliant hues and their fragrant scent. The queen now observed one tree of conspicuous beauty, made perfect by every kind of pearl and precious ornament. The stalks and twigs, the branches and leaves of this tree were all in truth full of fragrance, whilst its lovely verdure spread around on every side drooped to the ground, pliant and pure as silky grass, Like a vestment of some heavenly being it covered the earth—even as had been the case from old time with respect to the laws (relating to the birth) of all the Buddhas. And now all the Devas and men, at once, strike their drums, and from innumerable instruments the followers of the queen join in the strain, as she goes forward and arrives beneath the tree. By the influence of Bodhisattva the spirit inhabiting the tree bending down a branch of its own accord rendered assistance to the queen. All the Devas who inhabit space bending down their heads did obeisance, the sun and moon shed abroad a pure unsullied light, whilst the Devas and their female attendants, filled with admiration, gathered round to render meritorious service (to the queen as she stood) beneath the tree. Meantime the tree Deva was filled with joy in considering the reason of the presence of all this vast multitude, and reasoned thus: ‘ Now may we all well endure to bear these bodies of ours, whilst we employ them in rendering service and obedience, for from the lowest hell? to the highest heavens of the Trayastrimsas all sorrow must cease, all darkness disappear, whilst now the holy one is about to be 1 T have substituted Tp for E in the text. 2 T have been obliged here to substitute i] for x. 350 NOTE II.
The source text as printed, transcribed diplomatically. Where the source language uses a non-Latin script that reaches us only through a Victorian romanisation, this layer is labelled transliteration, because that is what we hold.
Romanised transliteration as printed by the translator, not the original script. This is what we hold.
1;’ in the glossary the sound ‘ ping’ is given as equal to p(ing)-(m)i, i.e. ‘ pi.’ * The sounds produced by gems striking one another. See glossary. EXAMPLE OF THE STYLE OF EXPANDED SOTRAS. 347 forth and reposed beneath the trees of the Lumbint garden. Then Sakra-deva and Brahma-raga and the four heavenly kings descending (flying) from their respective abodes, and scattering flowers, hastily proceeded to the palace to ascertain the state of the case, and entering the different apartments, caused the servants and attendants to receive instructions (i.e. put the thought into their minds) to sweep and prepare the way for the approach of the king on the queen’s departure. This being done and reported, the king was filled with joy, and entering the palace of the female attendants, he spoke thus: ‘You who desire to give me satisfaction, and to impart joy, will do as I request; let there be no differences among you, but let each one be ready to sit quietly and reflect (on what I say). Decorate yourselves in your most dazzling attire ; and anoint yourselves (or, your garments) with the choicest perfumes, pure and sweet; let your bodies be covered with countless ornaments and gems whose sound is delightful to the ear and joy-giving to the beholder, prepare for yourselves every kind of musical instrument, cymbals and pipes and lutes and drums, of every sort, which may accord in producing sweet music, so that the Devis themselves hearing it may have joy. Thus provided, attend the queen as she mounts the lovely chariot ; let male and female attendants alike, and the elephants composing the cortége, be decorated in one way, and let no ill sound or discordant note be heard to discompose the mind of the queen.’ And now the elephants and horses and the military attendants of every kind, decorated as aforesaid, stood by the gate, and as the queen passed through on her departure there was heard the sound as it were of a great ocean, and the shouts of those who desired her ten thousand years, whilst the ornaments which decorated the chariot, as it moved along, gave forth propitious music. The lion throne, like that of the gods, was composed of (the wood of) the four precious (gem) trees, covered with (carved?) leaves and flowers of every possible description so as to perfect it. And now the ducks and geese and the peacocks raised their piteous notes in unison, whilst banners and flags decorated with the seven precious substances were placed as a canopy over the chariot. 348 NOTE Il.
2And now the ducks and geese and the peacocks raised their piteous notes in unison, whilst banners and flags decorated with the seven precious substances were placed as a canopy over the chariot. 348 NOTE Il. Then the Devas who dwell in space, surrounding the chariot as it advanced, likewise sang together in melodious strains. As soon as the queen sat down upon the lion throne the great universe (chiliocosm) was six times (or in six manners) shaken, and all the Devas scattered flowers (as they cried) : ‘The holy one to-day is about to be born even here beneath a tree of the Lumbini (garden), it is he who is a god among gods.’ The four heavenly kings conduct the chariot, the divine Sakra purifies and prepares the way, whilst Brahma Devardga leads on before, attended by a hundred thousand Devas, who ever turn towards the chariot and adore (the queen) with heads inclined. And now the king, the father, seeing all this, was filled with joy in his heart, and reflecting with himself he exclaimed: ‘This (child) must be in truth the king of gods and men, whom all the Devas, the four heavenly kings, Sakra and Brahma, attending, agree to honour; he must indeed be one who shall attain to the condition of Buddha; for never yet in the three worlds has one received such adoration, whether Deva or N4ga or divine Sakra or Brahma, and yet escaped with life (unsplit head). Sucha one then receiving these honours must of necessity in the end prove himself a holy person (divine).’ Thus the queen (advanced), escorted by 84,000 chariots drawn by horses, the same number drawn by elephants, and by the same number of chariot drivers, fully adorned, and surrounded by soldiers, spearmen and halbard bearers of approved courage and strength on the right hand and on the left, and by others in front and rear, whilst before and behind was a surrounding concourse of 60,000 attendant women accompanied by 40,000 nobles all of the family of king Suddhodana, whilst others, the attendants of 64,000 kings, took part in the cortége that surrounded the mother of Bodhisattva. Moreover, there were 84,000 female attendants of the Devas, the Nagas, the Gandharvas, the Kinnaras, Mahoragas, Asuras, all sumptuously decorated with jewels and ornaments, provided with drums and musical instruments, producing harmonious sounds although differing in character, whilst with their voices they sang of the perfections (virtues) of Bodhisattva’s mother. Thus EXAMPLE OF THE STYLE OF EXPANDED SOTRAS. 349
3Thus EXAMPLE OF THE STYLE OF EXPANDED SOTRAS. 349 surrounded and attended they approach the Lumbini grove, the road prepared carefully and the ground perfumed with scented water and covered with divine flowers, whilst the trees themselves budded forth and blossomed and the scented oil of choicest sandal-wood was produced on every side. This, indeed, was by the express interference of the gods. And now the queen having arrived, descended! from her precious chariot, and accompanied by Devas and Devis she proceeded onwards through the garden, whilst the trees in honour of her presence shed abroad their brilliant hues and their fragrant scent. The queen now observed one tree of conspicuous beauty, made perfect by every kind of pearl and precious ornament. The stalks and twigs, the branches and leaves of this tree were all in truth full of fragrance, whilst its lovely verdure spread around on every side drooped to the ground, pliant and pure as silky grass, Like a vestment of some heavenly being it covered the earth—even as had been the case from old time with respect to the laws (relating to the birth) of all the Buddhas. And now all the Devas and men, at once, strike their drums, and from innumerable instruments the followers of the queen join in the strain, as she goes forward and arrives beneath the tree. By the influence of Bodhisattva the spirit inhabiting the tree bending down a branch of its own accord rendered assistance to the queen. All the Devas who inhabit space bending down their heads did obeisance, the sun and moon shed abroad a pure unsullied light, whilst the Devas and their female attendants, filled with admiration, gathered round to render meritorious service (to the queen as she stood) beneath the tree. Meantime the tree Deva was filled with joy in considering the reason of the presence of all this vast multitude, and reasoned thus: ‘ Now may we all well endure to bear these bodies of ours, whilst we employ them in rendering service and obedience, for from the lowest hell? to the highest heavens of the Trayastrimsas all sorrow must cease, all darkness disappear, whilst now the holy one is about to be 1 T have substituted Tp for E in the text. 2 T have been obliged here to substitute i] for x. 350 NOTE II.
The source text as printed, transcribed diplomatically. Where the source language uses a non-Latin script that reaches us only through a Victorian romanisation, this layer is labelled transliteration, because that is what we hold.
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