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Romanised transliteration as printed by the translator, not the original script. This is what we hold.
1And have you heard of that other Vidy4dhara who got into the harem of the king of Benares, and committed adultery with the chief queen, and was caught, and then became invisible, and got away? ?’ ‘Yes, I heard that story.’ ‘Well, did not he too escape capture by the power of Pirit?’ “Yes, Sir.’ ‘Then, O king, there must be power in Pirit.’ 19. ‘ Venerable Nagasena, is Pirit a protection to everybody ?’ 1 They are a kind of genii, with magical powers, who are attendants on the god Siva (and therefore, of course, enemies of the Danavas). They are not mentioned in the Pi/akas. 3 I don’t know where this story comes from. It is not in the Pifakas anywhere. But Hinafi-kumburé gives the fairy tale at full length, and in the course of it calls the Vidyadharas by name Wéayassa-putra, ‘Son of the Wind.’ He quotes also a gatha which he places, not in the mouth of the Bodisat, but of Buddha himself. I cannot find the tale either in the GAtaka book, as far as published by Professor Fausbéll, or in the Kath& Sarit Sagara, though I have looked all through both. 5 See last note. 218 THE. QUESTIONS OF KING MILINDA. IV, 2, 19. ‘To some, not to others.’ ‘Then it is not always of use ?’ ‘Does food keep all people alive ?’ ‘Only some, not others.’ ‘But why not ?’ ‘Inasmuch as some, eating too much of that same food, die of cholera.’ ‘So it does not keep all men alive ?’ ‘There are two reasons which make it destroy life—over-indulgence in it, and weakness of digestion. And even life-giving food may be made poisonous by an evil spell.’ ‘Just so, O king, is Pirit a protection to some and not to others. And there are three reasons [154] for its failure—the obstruction of Karma, and of sin, and of unbelief. That Pirit which is a protection to beings loses its protecting power by acts done by those beings themselves. Just, O king, as a mother lovingly nourishes the son who has entered her: womb, and brings him forth with care’. And after his birth she keeps him clean from dirt and stains and mucus, and anoints him with the best and most costly perfumes, and when others abuse or strike him she seizes them and, full of excitement, drags them before the lord of the place. But when her son is naughty, or comes in late, she strikes him with rods or clubs on her knee or with her hands. Now, that being so, would she get seized and dragged along, and have to appear before the lord ?’ ‘No, Sir.’ ‘But why not ?’ ' Upadarena, which the Simhalese repeats and construes with poseti, IV, 2, 2% MARA. 219 ‘Because the boy was in fault.’ ‘Just in the same way, O king, will Pirit which is a protection to beings, yet, by their own fault, turn against them.’ ‘Very good, Nagasena! The problem has been solved, the jungle made clear, the darkness made light, the net of heresy unravelled—and by you, O best of the leaders of schools !’ {Here ends the dilemma as to Pirit.] {MARA, THE EVIL ONE.]
2The problem has been solved, the jungle made clear, the darkness made light, the net of heresy unravelled—and by you, O best of the leaders of schools !’ {Here ends the dilemma as to Pirit.] {MARA, THE EVIL ONE.] 20. ‘Venerable Nagasena, your people say thus: “The Tathagata was in the constant receipt of the things necessary for a recluse—robes, food, lodging, and the requisites for the sick.” And again they say: “When the Tathagata entered the Brahman village called the Five Sala trees he received nothing, and had to return with his bowl as clean as before.” If the first passage is true the second is false, and if the second passage is true [155] the first is false. This too is a double-headed problem, a mighty crux hard to unravel. It is now put to you. It is for you to solve it.’ 21. ‘Both statements are true, but when he received nothing that day, that was the work of Mara, the evil one.’ ‘Then, Nagasena, how was it that the merit laid up by the Blessed One through countless zons of time came to end that day ? How was it that Mara, who had only just been produced, could overcome the strength and influence of that merit? In that case, Nagasena, the blame must fall in one of two 220 THE QUESTIONS OF KING MILINDA. IV, 2, 22. ways—either demerit must be more powerful than merit, or the power of Ma4ra be greater than that of the Buddha. The root of the tree must be heavier than the top of it, or the sinner stronger than he who has heaped up virtue.’ 22. ‘Great king, that is not enough to prove either the one or the other of your alternatives, Still a reason is certainly desirable in this matter. Suppose, O king, a man were to bring a complimentary present toa king of kings—honey or honeycomb or something of that kind. And the king’s doorkeeper were to say to him: “ This is the wrong time for visiting the king. So, my good fellow, take your present as quickly as ever you can, and go back before the king inflicts a fine upon you.” And then that man, in dread and awe, should pick up his present, and return in great haste. Now would the king of kings, merely from the fact that the man brought his gift at the wrong time, be less powerful than the doorkeeper, or never receive a complimentary present any more?’ ‘No, Sir. The doorkeeper turned back the giver of that present out of the surliness of his nature, and one a hundred thousand times as valuable [156] might be brought in by some other device.’ ‘Just so, O king, it was out of the jealousy of his nature that Mara, the evil one, possessed the Brahmans and householders at the Five S4la trees. And hundreds of thousands of other deities came up to offer the Buddha the strength-giving ambrosia from heaven, and stood reverencing him with clasped hands and thinking to themselves that they would thus imbue him with vigour.’ 23. ‘That may be so, Nagasena. The Blessed IV, 2, 25. MARA. 221
3And hundreds of thousands of other deities came up to offer the Buddha the strength-giving ambrosia from heaven, and stood reverencing him with clasped hands and thinking to themselves that they would thus imbue him with vigour.’ 23. ‘That may be so, Nagasena. The Blessed IV, 2, 25. MARA. 221 One found it easy to get the four requisites of a recluse—he, the best in the world—and at the request of gods and men he enjoyed all the requisites. But still Méra’s intention to stop the supply of food to the Blessed One was so far carried out. Herein, Sir, my doubt is not removed. I am still in perplexity and hesitation about this. My mind is not clear how the Tathagata, the Arahat, the supreme Buddha, the best of all the best in the world of gods and men, he who had so glorious a treasure of the merit of virtue, the unequalled one, unrivalled and peerless,—how so vile, mean, insignificant, sinful, and ignoble a being as Mara could put any obstacle in the way of gifts to Him.’ 24. ‘There are four kinds, O king, of obstacles— the obstacle to a gift not intended for any particular person, to a gift set apart for some one, to the gift got ready, and to the enjoyment of a gift. And the first is when any one puts an obstacle in the way of the actual gift of a thing put ready to be given away, but not with a view to or having seen any particular donee,—an obstacle raised, for instance, by saying: “ What is the good of giving it away to any one else?” The second is when any one puts an obstacle in the way of the actual gift of food intended to be prepared to be given to a person specified. The third is when any one puts an obstacle in the way when such a gift has been got ready, but not yet accepted. And the fourth is when any one puts an obstacle in the way of the enjoyment of a gift already given (and so the property of the donee).’ 25. ‘Now when Mara, the evil one, possessed the 222 THE QUESTIONS OF KING MILINDA. IV, 2, 26. Brahmans and householders at the Five SAla trees, the food in that case was neither the property of, nor got ready for, nor intended to be prepared specially for the Blessed One. [157] The obstacle was put in the way of some one who was yet to come, who had not arrived, and for whom no gift was intended. That was not against the Blessed One alone. But all who had gone out that day, and were coming to the village, failed to receive an alms. I know no one, O king, in the world of men and gods, no one among Maras or Brahmas, no one of the class of Brahmans or recluses, who could put any obstacle in the way of an alms intended for, or got ready for, or already given to the Blessed One. And if any one, out of jealousy, were to raise up any obstacle in that case, then would his head split into a hundred or into a thousand pieces.’
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.
1And have you heard of that other Vidy4dhara who got into the harem of the king of Benares, and committed adultery with the chief queen, and was caught, and then became invisible, and got away? ?’ ‘Yes, I heard that story.’ ‘Well, did not he too escape capture by the power of Pirit?’ “Yes, Sir.’ ‘Then, O king, there must be power in Pirit.’ 19. ‘ Venerable Nagasena, is Pirit a protection to everybody ?’ 1 They are a kind of genii, with magical powers, who are attendants on the god Siva (and therefore, of course, enemies of the Danavas). They are not mentioned in the Pi/akas. 3 I don’t know where this story comes from. It is not in the Pifakas anywhere. But Hinafi-kumburé gives the fairy tale at full length, and in the course of it calls the Vidyadharas by name Wéayassa-putra, ‘Son of the Wind.’ He quotes also a gatha which he places, not in the mouth of the Bodisat, but of Buddha himself. I cannot find the tale either in the GAtaka book, as far as published by Professor Fausbéll, or in the Kath& Sarit Sagara, though I have looked all through both. 5 See last note. 218 THE. QUESTIONS OF KING MILINDA. IV, 2, 19. ‘To some, not to others.’ ‘Then it is not always of use ?’ ‘Does food keep all people alive ?’ ‘Only some, not others.’ ‘But why not ?’ ‘Inasmuch as some, eating too much of that same food, die of cholera.’ ‘So it does not keep all men alive ?’ ‘There are two reasons which make it destroy life—over-indulgence in it, and weakness of digestion. And even life-giving food may be made poisonous by an evil spell.’ ‘Just so, O king, is Pirit a protection to some and not to others. And there are three reasons [154] for its failure—the obstruction of Karma, and of sin, and of unbelief. That Pirit which is a protection to beings loses its protecting power by acts done by those beings themselves. Just, O king, as a mother lovingly nourishes the son who has entered her: womb, and brings him forth with care’. And after his birth she keeps him clean from dirt and stains and mucus, and anoints him with the best and most costly perfumes, and when others abuse or strike him she seizes them and, full of excitement, drags them before the lord of the place. But when her son is naughty, or comes in late, she strikes him with rods or clubs on her knee or with her hands. Now, that being so, would she get seized and dragged along, and have to appear before the lord ?’ ‘No, Sir.’ ‘But why not ?’ ' Upadarena, which the Simhalese repeats and construes with poseti, IV, 2, 2% MARA. 219 ‘Because the boy was in fault.’ ‘Just in the same way, O king, will Pirit which is a protection to beings, yet, by their own fault, turn against them.’ ‘Very good, Nagasena! The problem has been solved, the jungle made clear, the darkness made light, the net of heresy unravelled—and by you, O best of the leaders of schools !’ {Here ends the dilemma as to Pirit.] {MARA, THE EVIL ONE.]
2The problem has been solved, the jungle made clear, the darkness made light, the net of heresy unravelled—and by you, O best of the leaders of schools !’ {Here ends the dilemma as to Pirit.] {MARA, THE EVIL ONE.] 20. ‘Venerable Nagasena, your people say thus: “The Tathagata was in the constant receipt of the things necessary for a recluse—robes, food, lodging, and the requisites for the sick.” And again they say: “When the Tathagata entered the Brahman village called the Five Sala trees he received nothing, and had to return with his bowl as clean as before.” If the first passage is true the second is false, and if the second passage is true [155] the first is false. This too is a double-headed problem, a mighty crux hard to unravel. It is now put to you. It is for you to solve it.’ 21. ‘Both statements are true, but when he received nothing that day, that was the work of Mara, the evil one.’ ‘Then, Nagasena, how was it that the merit laid up by the Blessed One through countless zons of time came to end that day ? How was it that Mara, who had only just been produced, could overcome the strength and influence of that merit? In that case, Nagasena, the blame must fall in one of two 220 THE QUESTIONS OF KING MILINDA. IV, 2, 22. ways—either demerit must be more powerful than merit, or the power of Ma4ra be greater than that of the Buddha. The root of the tree must be heavier than the top of it, or the sinner stronger than he who has heaped up virtue.’ 22. ‘Great king, that is not enough to prove either the one or the other of your alternatives, Still a reason is certainly desirable in this matter. Suppose, O king, a man were to bring a complimentary present toa king of kings—honey or honeycomb or something of that kind. And the king’s doorkeeper were to say to him: “ This is the wrong time for visiting the king. So, my good fellow, take your present as quickly as ever you can, and go back before the king inflicts a fine upon you.” And then that man, in dread and awe, should pick up his present, and return in great haste. Now would the king of kings, merely from the fact that the man brought his gift at the wrong time, be less powerful than the doorkeeper, or never receive a complimentary present any more?’ ‘No, Sir. The doorkeeper turned back the giver of that present out of the surliness of his nature, and one a hundred thousand times as valuable [156] might be brought in by some other device.’ ‘Just so, O king, it was out of the jealousy of his nature that Mara, the evil one, possessed the Brahmans and householders at the Five S4la trees. And hundreds of thousands of other deities came up to offer the Buddha the strength-giving ambrosia from heaven, and stood reverencing him with clasped hands and thinking to themselves that they would thus imbue him with vigour.’ 23. ‘That may be so, Nagasena. The Blessed IV, 2, 25. MARA. 221
3And hundreds of thousands of other deities came up to offer the Buddha the strength-giving ambrosia from heaven, and stood reverencing him with clasped hands and thinking to themselves that they would thus imbue him with vigour.’ 23. ‘That may be so, Nagasena. The Blessed IV, 2, 25. MARA. 221 One found it easy to get the four requisites of a recluse—he, the best in the world—and at the request of gods and men he enjoyed all the requisites. But still Méra’s intention to stop the supply of food to the Blessed One was so far carried out. Herein, Sir, my doubt is not removed. I am still in perplexity and hesitation about this. My mind is not clear how the Tathagata, the Arahat, the supreme Buddha, the best of all the best in the world of gods and men, he who had so glorious a treasure of the merit of virtue, the unequalled one, unrivalled and peerless,—how so vile, mean, insignificant, sinful, and ignoble a being as Mara could put any obstacle in the way of gifts to Him.’ 24. ‘There are four kinds, O king, of obstacles— the obstacle to a gift not intended for any particular person, to a gift set apart for some one, to the gift got ready, and to the enjoyment of a gift. And the first is when any one puts an obstacle in the way of the actual gift of a thing put ready to be given away, but not with a view to or having seen any particular donee,—an obstacle raised, for instance, by saying: “ What is the good of giving it away to any one else?” The second is when any one puts an obstacle in the way of the actual gift of food intended to be prepared to be given to a person specified. The third is when any one puts an obstacle in the way when such a gift has been got ready, but not yet accepted. And the fourth is when any one puts an obstacle in the way of the enjoyment of a gift already given (and so the property of the donee).’ 25. ‘Now when Mara, the evil one, possessed the 222 THE QUESTIONS OF KING MILINDA. IV, 2, 26. Brahmans and householders at the Five SAla trees, the food in that case was neither the property of, nor got ready for, nor intended to be prepared specially for the Blessed One. [157] The obstacle was put in the way of some one who was yet to come, who had not arrived, and for whom no gift was intended. That was not against the Blessed One alone. But all who had gone out that day, and were coming to the village, failed to receive an alms. I know no one, O king, in the world of men and gods, no one among Maras or Brahmas, no one of the class of Brahmans or recluses, who could put any obstacle in the way of an alms intended for, or got ready for, or already given to the Blessed One. And if any one, out of jealousy, were to raise up any obstacle in that case, then would his head split into a hundred or into a thousand pieces.’
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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