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With a great retinue, he himself went to the monastery; He was ordained by the Elder Mahādhammarakkhita. 168. Along with him, four hundred thousand men, and the number of those who followed was not small. 169. The king's nephew, known as Aggi Brahmā, was the husband of the king's daughter, Saṅghamittā. 170. His son, named Sumana, also requested the king and was ordained with the viceroy. 171. The viceroy's ordination, for King Asoka, was in the fourth year of his anointing, bringing great benefit to the people. 172. There he was fully ordained, with complete requisites; Striving, that viceroy became an Arahant with six supernormal powers. 173. The monasteries they had begun, in all the cities, were beautifully completed within three years. 174. Through the power of Elder Indagutta, the supervisor of the work, the Asokārāma, so-called, was quickly completed. 175. In places enjoyed by the people, here and there, the king built charming cetiyas. 176. From eighty-four thousand cities all around, letters arrived in one day, saying "the monasteries are completed." 177. Hearing the letters, the great king, of mighty power and prowess, wished to hold a great festival for all the monasteries at once. 178. He had a drum beaten in the city: "On the seventh day from now, let there be a festival for all monasteries in all lands simultaneously. 179. Let great alms be given on the earth, mile by mile; Let villages and monasteries, and roads be adorned. 180. And in all monasteries, let great alms be offered to the community of bhikkhus in every way, at the proper time, according to ability." With rows of lamps, garlands of flowers, and ornaments here and there; And with all kinds of musical instruments, offerings of many kinds. 182. Taking the Uposatha precepts, let all listen to the Dhamma; And let many perform special offerings on that very day. 183. All everywhere in every way, as if by command and more; Prepared offerings, delightful as those in the deva-world. 184. On that day the great king, adorned with all ornaments; Together with his harem, together with his ministers, surrounded by a multitude of forces. 185. Went to his own monastery, as if splitting the earth; Stood in the midst of the Saṅgha, having saluted the supreme Saṅgha. 186. In that assembly there were eighty crores of bhikkhus; Among them, one hundred thousand monks were Arahants. 187. Ninety thousand bhikkhunis were there; Among them, one thousand bhikkhunis were Arahants. 188. They performed a miracle called the 'Opening of the World'; The Arahants, for the sake of inspiring King Dhammāsoka. 189. He was known as Caṇḍāsoka before, due to evil kamma; He was known as Dhammāsoka afterwards, due to meritorious kamma. 190. He saw the entire Jambudīpa, surrounded by the ocean; And all the monasteries, adorned with various offerings. 191. Extremely pleased seeing them, he sat down and asked the Saṅgha; "Whose offering, Venerable Sirs, is greatest in the Dispensation of the Great Sugata?" 192. The Elder Moggaliputta answered the king's question; "Even when the Sugata was alive, there was no donor equal to you." 193. Hearing that statement, the king, even more pleased, asked him; "Am I, then, an heir to the Buddha's Dispensation?" 194. But the Elder, considering the potential of Prince Mahinda; And likewise that of Princess Saṅghamittā. 195. And seeing that as the cause for the growth of the Dispensation; That bearer of the burden of the Dispensation replied to the king. 196. "Even such a great donor is not an heir to the Dispensation; He is merely called a supporter, O Lord of men." 197. But he who his son or daughter, Ordains into the Dispensation; He is an heir to the Dispensation, And also a giver to us. 198. Then the king, desiring to be an heir to the Dispensation, Asked Mahinda and Saṅghamittā, who were standing there. 199. "Will you go forth, dear ones? Going forth is considered great." Hearing their father's words, they spoke to their father. 200. "We will go forth today, if you, O king, wish it. There will be gain for us and for you through the going forth." 201. The going forth of the viceroy was decided by the authorities; And she, Aggibrahmā, also resolved on going forth. 202. Though the king wished to give the viceroyalty to Mahinda, He preferred the going forth, saying, "This is even greater." 203. He sent his beloved son Mahinda, endowed with wisdom, beauty, and strength, To the going forth, and also his daughter Saṅghamittā. 204. At that time, Mahinda, the king's son, was twenty years old; Saṅghamittā, the king's daughter, was eighteen years old then. 205. On that very day, his going forth and higher ordination took place; And her going forth and the giving of the training also took place on that day. 206. The preceptor of the prince was named Moggaliputta Tissa; But the Elder Mahādeva and Majjhantika ordained him. 207. He performed the Kammavācā in that ordination assembly; And Mahinda attained Arahantship with the analytical knowledges. 208. Saṅghamittā's preceptor was known as Dhammapālā; Her teacher was Āyupāli, and in time she became taintless. 209. Both, illuminators of the Dispensation, benefactors of the island of Laṅkā, Went forth in the sixth year of King Dhammāsoka's reign. 210. The great Mahinda, the illuminator of the island, in three years, Learned the Three Piṭakas from his preceptor. 211. She, the bhikkhunī, was like the moon, Mahinda, the bhikkhu, like the sun; They always illuminated the sky of the Perfectly Enlightened One's Dispensation then. 212. From Pāṭaliputta, a forest-dweller wandering in the forest, It is said, lived together with a Kuntakinnarī. 213. Following that cohabitation, She bore two sons; The elder was Tissa, the younger, Was named Sumitta. At the time of Elder Ahāvaruṇa, they both went forth into the Saṅgha. They attained Arahantship, endowed with the six supernormal powers. 215. The elder was afflicted by a poisonous insect bite on his foot, with pain. When asked by the younger, he said, "A measure of ghee is the medicine." 216. The elder, though ill, informed the king. He refused ghee and walking for alms after the meal. 217. "If you obtain ghee while on alms round, bring it," said Elder Tissa to the excellent Elder Sumitta. 218. While on alms round, he did not obtain a measure of ghee. Even with a hundred pots of ghee, the illness was incurable. 219. By that very illness, the elder reached the end of his life. Having exhorted with diligence, he desired to attain Nibbāna. 220. Sitting in the sky, by means of the fire element, he willed as he wished, and his body attained Parinibbāna. 221. Flames emerged from his body, burning the flesh and charcoal. The entire body of the elder, even the bones, were burned. 222. Hearing of his Nibbāna, King Tissa went to his monastery, surrounded by a multitude of people. 223. The king, mounted on an elephant, had the bones brought down. Having performed honors for the relics, he inquired of the Saṅgha about the illness. 224. Hearing that, filled with urgency, he had built at the city gates ponds purified with plaster, and filled them with medicines. 225. He provided medicines to the Saṅgha day by day, so that medicines might not be difficult to obtain for the Saṅgha. 226. Elder Sumitta attained Nibbāna while walking on the cloister walk. The great multitude was greatly pleased with the Dispensation because of him. 227. The two Elders, Kuntiputtas, those who worked for the welfare of the world, attained Nibbāna in the eighth year of King Asoka. 228. From then on, the Saṅgha received great gain, for later, pleased people provided offerings. 229. The sectarians, deprived of gain and honor, for the sake of gain, themselves took up saffron robes and lived with the bhikkhus. 230. And they, according to their own doctrines, the Buddha's doctrine thus they revealed; And they performed their duties as they wished. 231. Then Moggaliputta, The Elder, of firm virtues, Seeing the arising of a great schism in the Dispensation, Which was extremely harsh. 232. Foreseeing the time for its suppression, he gave his great assembly of monks To Elder Mahinda. 233. He went upstream from the Ganges, and on a mountain below the Ganges, He dwelled for seven years, cultivating solitude. 234. Because of the many heretics, and the stubbornness of the monks, They were unable to refute them by means of the Dhamma. 235. Therefore, in Jambudīpa, in all monasteries, the monks Did not perform the Uposatha and Pavāraṇā for seven years. 236. Hearing this, the great King, Dhammāsoka, of great fame, Sent an official to the excellent Asokārāma. 237. "Go and settle this dispute, and cause the Uposatha To be performed by the Sangha of monks in the monastery, you!" 238. Having gone and assembled the Sangha of monks, the foolish official Announced the royal command: "Perform the Uposatha!" 239. "We do not perform the Uposatha with heretics," Said the Sangha of monks to that bewildered official. 240. That official, in succession, cut off the heads of some Elders with a sword, Saying, "I will make you perform the Uposatha!" 241. King's brother, Elder Tissa, seeing that action, quickly Went and sat near him, on the seat. 242. Seeing the Elder, that official went and reported to the King; Hearing all that news, the King was greatly distressed. 243. Quickly going to the Sangha of monks, he asked with an agitated mind: "By such an action, whose would the evil deed be?" 244. Some of them, being unwise, said, "The evil is yours"; some said, "It is of both"; but the wise said, "It is not yours." 245. Hearing that, the great King said, "Is there a monk capable Of dispelling my doubt and upholding the Dispensation?" 246. "There is Moggaliputta, Elder Tissa, O best of charioteers; I wish the Sangha..." ho, the king, The king was devoted there. 247.