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forty-two thousand elephants were to come for attendance at a time?' Then, Ananda, King Mahāsudassana... Then he addressed the Jewel of the Guide: ‘Indeed, my dear Jewel of the Guide, these eighty-four thousand Nāgas come for attendance morning and evening. Therefore, my dear Jewel of the Guide, after every hundred years, let forty-two thousand Nāgas come for attendance each time.’ ‘So be it, O King,’ Ananda, the Jewel of the Guide assented to King Mahāsudassana. Then, Ananda, after some time, after every hundred years, forty-two thousand Nāgas came for attendance each time for King Mahāsudassana. The Approach of Queen Subhaddā 265. Then, Ananda, after many years, many hundreds of years, many thousands of years, it occurred to Queen Subhaddā: ‘It has been a long time since I saw King Mahāsudassana. What if I were to go to see King Mahāsudassana?’ Then, Ananda, Queen Subhaddā addressed the women of the harem: ‘Come, you all, wash your heads, put on yellow garments. It has been a long time since we saw King Mahāsudassana; we shall go to see King Mahāsudassana.’ ‘So be it, Lady,’ Ananda, the women of the harem assented to Queen Subhaddā. They washed their heads, put on yellow garments, and approached Queen Subhaddā. Then, Ananda, Queen Subhaddā addressed the Jewel of the Guide: ‘Prepare, my dear Jewel of the Guide, the fourfold army. It has been a long time since we saw King Mahāsudassana; we shall go to see King Mahāsudassana.’ ‘So be it, Queen,’ Ananda, the Jewel of the Guide assented to Queen Subhaddā. He had the fourfold army prepared, and reported to Queen Subhaddā: ‘Indeed, Queen, the fourfold army is prepared. Do now as you deem fit.’ Then, Ananda, Queen Subhaddā, together with the fourfold army, ... Then she approached the Dhamma Palace, the one with the thousand chambers. Having approached the Dhamma Palace, she ascended it. Then she approached the Great Arrayed Mansion, the one with the peaked roof. Having approached it, she stood leaning against the doorpost of the Great Arrayed Mansion, the one with the peaked roof. Then, Ananda, King Mahāsudassana, hearing a sound, thought, "What is this sound, like that of a great crowd of people?" As he was coming out of the Great Arrayed Mansion, the one with the peaked roof, he saw Queen Subhaddā standing leaning against the doorpost. Seeing Queen Subhaddā, he said to her, "Stay right there, Queen, do not enter." Then, Ananda, King Mahāsudassana addressed a certain man: "Come, good man, take out the golden couch from the Great Arrayed Mansion, the one with the peaked roof, and set it up in the all-golden palm grove." "Yes, Your Majesty," Ananda, that man replied to King Mahāsudassana. He took out the golden couch from the Great Arrayed Mansion, the one with the peaked roof, and set it up in the all-golden palm grove. Then, Ananda, King Mahāsudassana lay down on his right side, in the lion's posture, placing one foot over the other, mindful and clearly comprehending. 266. Then, Ananda, Queen Subhaddā thought: "The King Mahāsudassana's faculties are very clear, his skin color is pure and bright. May it not be that King Mahāsudassana passes away!" So she said to King Mahāsudassana: "These, Your Majesty, are your eighty-four thousand cities, with Kusāvatī as the chief royal capital. Here, Your Majesty, generate desire, cherish life. These, Your Majesty, are your eighty-four thousand palaces, with the Dhamma Palace as the chief. Here, Your Majesty, generate desire, cherish life. These, Your Majesty, are your eighty-four thousand peaked-roof mansions, with the Great Arrayed Mansion as the chief. Here, Your Majesty, generate desire, cherish life. These, Your Majesty, are your eighty-four thousand couches, made of gold, made of silver, made of ivory, made of heartwood, Spread with ox-hides, spread with rugs, spread with carpets, with excellent coverings of antelope skins, with upper coverings, with crimson pillows on both sides. Here, O divine one, take delight, have regard for life. These are yours, O divine one, eighty-four thousand elephants, adorned with gold, with golden banners, covered with golden nets, led by the elephant king Uposatha. Here, O divine one, take delight, have regard for life. These are yours, O divine one, eighty-four thousand horses, adorned with gold, with golden banners, covered with golden nets, led by the horse king Valāhaka. Here, O divine one, take delight, have regard for life. These are yours, O divine one, eighty-four thousand chariots, surrounded by lion skins, surrounded by tiger skins, surrounded by leopard skins, surrounded by yellow blankets, adorned with gold, with golden banners, covered with golden nets, led by the chariot Vejayanta. Here, O divine one, take delight, have regard for life. These are yours, O divine one, eighty-four thousand jewels, led by the jewel-treasure. Here, O divine one, take delight, have regard for life. These are yours, O divine one, eighty-four thousand women, led by the woman-treasure. Here, O divine one, take delight, have regard for life. These are yours, O divine one, eighty-four thousand householders, led by the householder-treasure. Here, O divine one, take delight, have regard for life. These are yours, O divine one, eighty-four thousand khattiyas, attending you, led by the general-treasure. Here, O divine one, take delight, have regard for life. These are yours, O divine one, eighty-four thousand milch cows, that flow with milk, held in bronze vessels. Here, O divine one, take delight, have regard for life. These are yours, O divine one, eighty-four thousand crores of garments, of fine linen, of fine cotton, of fine silk, of fine wool. Here, O divine one, take delight, have regard for life. These are yours, O divine one, eighty-four thousand thousands of dishes of boiled rice morning and evening food is brought. Here, O king, generate desire make an attachment to life.’ 267. “When this was said, Ānanda, King Mahāsudassana said to Queen Subhaddā: ‘For a long time, O queen, you have treated me with what is agreeable, desirable, pleasant, and charming; but now, at the end, you treat me with what is disagreeable, undesirable, unpleasant, and uncharming.’ ‘How then, O king, should I treat you?’ ‘Thus, O queen, should you treat me: “From all that is dear and charming, O king, there is separation, disunion, and alteration. Do not, O king, die with attachment. Painful is the death of one with attachment, and the death of one with attachment is blamed. These eighty-four thousand cities are yours, O king, with Kusāvatī as the chief royal capital. Here, O king, abandon desire, do not make an attachment to life. These eighty-four thousand palaces are yours, O king, with the Dhamma Palace as the chief. Here, O king, abandon desire, do not make an attachment to life. These eighty-four thousand storied mansions are yours, O king, with the Great Array Mansion as the chief. Here, O king, abandon desire, do not make an attachment to life. These eighty-four thousand couches are yours, O king, made of gold, made of silver, made of ivory, made of heartwood, covered with long-haired rugs, covered with white woolen rugs, covered with embroidered rugs, covered with rugs of kadali-deer hide, with canopies, and with crimson cushions at both ends. Here, O king, abandon desire, do not make an attachment to life. These eighty-four thousand elephants are yours, O king, adorned with gold, with golden banners, covered with golden nets, with Uposatha, the king of elephants, as the chief. Here, O king, abandon desire, do not make an attachment to life. These eighty-four thousand horses are yours, O king, adorned with gold, with golden banners, covered with golden nets, with Balāhaka, the king of horses, as the chief. Here, O king, abandon desire, do not make an attachment do not make. These, O king, are your eighty-four thousand chariots, adorned with lion skins, adorned with tiger skins, adorned with leopard skins, adorned with yellow blankets, with golden ornaments, with golden banners, covered with golden nets, headed by the Vejayanta chariot. Herein, O king, abandon desire, do not make attachment to life. These, O king, are your eighty-four thousand jewels, headed by the jewel-treasure. Herein, O king, abandon desire, do not make attachment to life. These, O king, are your eighty-four thousand women, headed by Queen Subhaddā. Herein, O king, abandon desire, do not make attachment to life. These, O king, are your eighty-four thousand householders, headed by the householder-treasure. Herein, O king, abandon desire, do not make attachment to life. These, O king, are your eighty-four thousand khattiyas, attending, headed by the general-treasure. Herein, O king, abandon desire, do not make attachment to life. These, O king, are your eighty-four thousand milch cows, yielding milk abundantly, with bronze pails for collection. Herein, O king, abandon desire, do not make attachment to life. These, O king, are your eighty-four thousand crores of garments, of fine linen, of fine cotton, of fine silk, of fine wool. Herein, O king, abandon desire, do not make attachment to life. These, O king, are your eighty-four thousand portions of cooked rice, morning and evening meals, which are brought to you. Herein, O king, abandon desire, do not make attachment to life. 268. When this was said, Ānanda, Queen Subhaddā wept, and shed tears. Then, Ānanda, Queen Subhaddā wiped away her tears and said to King Mahāsudassana: ‘From all dear and beloved ones, O king, there is separation, disunion, and alteration. Do not, O king, die with attachment, for death with attachment is painful, and death with attachment is censured. These, O king, are your eighty-four Eighty-four thousand cities, with Kusāvatī as the chief capital. Here, O deva, abandon desire, do not long for life. These are your, O deva, eighty-four thousand palaces, with the Dhamma Palace as the chief. Here, O deva, abandon desire, do not long for life.