English
Thus, it is not easy to continuously fill the relic chamber, with its eighty cubits on each side of the perfect square, with endless objects of veneration, let alone arrange them appropriately. Let the relic chamber be for now, even continuously filling the space within the sand rampart around the Great Thūpa is not possible. Therefore, how could all those objects of veneration be contained therein? What needs to be said here has already been said by the ancients. It is said that Nigrodha Piṭṭhi Tepiṭaka Mahāsiva Thera, sitting in the royal palace, expounded to the king the lion's roar of the Ten Powers, described the relic deposit, and concluded the discourse. The king said to the Thera: Venerable sir, this relic chamber is a perfect square, eighty cubits on each side; who will believe that so many objects of veneration are placed here? The Thera said: Have you ever heard of the size of the Cittaka Hall in Indasāla Cave? The king said: It is the size of a small cot, venerable sir. Then the Thera said: Great king, on the day our Teacher expounded the Sakka's Questions Sutta to Sakka, how large was the assembly gathered in the cave, have you ever heard? The king said: Deities from two deva-worlds, venerable sir. The Thera said: In that case, would that also be unbelievable, great king? The king said: But that was due to the divine power of the gods; divine power is inconceivable, venerable sir. Then the Thera said: Great king, that was due to the divine power of the gods alone. But this is due to the king's royal power, the gods' divine power, and the noble ones' spiritual power; by these three powers... "He is born," he declared. The king, accepting the elder's words as good, honored the elder with a white parasol, holding the parasol over his head, brought him to the Mahā Vihāra, and again, for seven days, offered the parasol to the Mahā Cetiya, performing a Jāti Sumanā flower offering. To establish this meaning, many other things were shown, but we have disregarded them, saying, "What is the use of these?" Here, the king was of great power, great influence, one who had fulfilled the perfections, one who had made a resolution. By virtue of that, royal power should be understood. By the command of Sakka, by the divine son Vissakamma, having visited from the beginning and done it, by virtue of that, divine power should be understood. The elder Indagutta, overseeing the work, had the small and minute work done. Not only the elder, but all the noble ones were eager in their own respective duties. It should be understood that it was done by these three powers. Thus it was said in the Mahāvaṃsa: "The great elder Indagutta, of six superknowledges, of great wisdom, Overseeing the work here, arranged everything; All this by the king's power, and by the power of the deities; And by the power of the noble ones, was securely established." The Discourse on the Description of the Form of the Relic Chamber 23. Thus, the king, having completed the work to be done in the relic chamber, on the fourteenth day, went to the monastery and assembled the community of monks. Thirty thousand monks were assembled. The king, having paid homage to the community of monks, spoke thus: "The work to be done by me in the relic chamber is completed. Tomorrow, on the Āsāḷha full moon day, under the Uttarāsāḷha constellation, there will be the depositing of the relics. Know the relics, venerable sirs," having placed the burden on the community of monks, he went back to the city. Then the community of monks, searching for a monk to bring the relics, saw the novice Soṇuttara, residing at the Pūjā Pariveṇa, a sixteen-year-old, possessing the six superknowledges, and having summoned him, said, "Friend Soṇuttara, the king, having completed the relic chamber, has placed the burden of bringing the relics on the community of monks." Therefore, those relics should be brought, so I will bring them, venerable sir. Where can I obtain the relics? he asked. The community of monks said to him thus: Friend Soṇuttara, the Tathāgata, lying on his deathbed, addressed Sakka, the king of gods, saying that of my relics, amounting to eight doṇas, one doṇa is revered by the Koḷiya kings, and in the future, it will be enshrined in the Mahācetiya in the island of Tambapaṇṇi. Then, when the Blessed One had attained Parinibbāna, the brahmin Doṇa divided the relics into eight portions and gave them to the inhabitants of eight cities. They built cetiyas in their respective cities and cared for them. Among them, the cetiya built by the Koḷiyas in Rāmagāma was destroyed by a great flood, and the relic casket entered the sea and stood on a bed of jeweled sand, filled with six-colored rays. The nāgas, seeing it, went to the Mañjerika nāga palace and reported it to the nāga king Mahākāḷa. He, surrounded by ten koṭi thousands of nāgas, came and, after honoring it with perfumes and garlands, raised golden, coral, gem, and silver banners, and amidst various nāga dramas accompanied by five-fold musical instruments, placed the relic casket in a jeweled casket, and taking it on his head, making great offerings and honors, took it to the nāga palace, and after honoring it with ninety-six koṭi of wealth, built a cetiya and a cetiya house with all kinds of jewels and cared for the relics. The elder Mahākassapa, while enshrining the relics of Ajātasattu, placed the relics in Rāmagāma and gave the remaining relics. The king asked, why were the relics in Rāmagāma not brought? The elder said, Great King, there is no danger to them; in the future, they will be enshrined in the Mahācetiya in the island of Tambapaṇṇi. King Asoka Dhammarāja, opening the relic deposits and looking around, not seeing the eighth relic doṇa, asked, Where is the other relic doṇa, venerable sir? Great King, it is enshrined in the cetiya built by the Koḷiyas on the bank of the Ganges; when the cetiya was destroyed by a great flood, it entered the great ocean. The nāgas, seeing it, took it to their nāga palace and are caring for it, said the arahants. The king nāga "I will bring even my place of authority called Havana," he said. "Great king, these relics will be enshrined in the Mahācetiya in Tambapaṇṇidīpa in the future," they prevented him. "Therefore, you, Nāga Mañcherika, go to the Nāga palace, inform the Nāga king of this event, and bring the relics. Tomorrow will be the enshrining of the relics." Soṇuttara agreed with "Very well" and went to his monastery. The king also entered the city and had a proclamation made in the city: "Tomorrow will be the enshrining of the relics. Citizens, decorate according to your means, take perfumes and garlands, and descend to the Mahācetiya courtyard." Sakka also commanded Vissakamma: "Tomorrow will be the enshrining of the relics in the Mahācetiya. Decorate the entire Tambapaṇṇidīpa." On the following day, he leveled the one hundred and ninety yojanas of Tambapaṇṇidīpa like a kasīṇa circle, made it strewn with sand like a silver plate, filled with five-colored flowers, placed rows of full pots all around, surrounded it with cloths, hung a canopy of cloth above, showed land lotuses on the ground and hanging lotuses in the sky, and decorated it like an adorned assembly of the gods. He also made the great ocean covered with five kinds of lotuses. By the power of the relics, the entire universe was adorned as at the time of conception, enlightenment, etc. The citizens swept the city streets, scattered sand like pearls, sprinkled parched grain and five kinds of flowers, raised various colorful flags and banners, and adorned the city with golden pots, banana trees, arches, garlanded lamps, etc. At the four gates of the city, the king placed various kinds of edibles, foods, perfumes, garlands, clothes, ornaments, and betel with five kinds of musical instruments for the enjoyment of the destitute people. Then the king, adorned with all ornaments, mounted a splendid chariot of kumuda-bud color drawn by four Sindh horses, and placed an adorned elephant in front. Having made a golden casket, and placing it on his head, he stood under a white parasol. At that moment, like celestial nymphs, adorned with various ornaments, resembling divine maidens, thousands of dancing women, ten great warriors, and a fourfold army escorted the king. Likewise, eight thousand women, carrying full water pots, escorted him. Eight thousand eight thousand men and women, with flower bouquets, torch stands, and various colored flags, escorted him. Thus, the king, with great royal power, departed like the king of gods leaving Nandana Grove. Then, with the sounds of various musical instruments and the noises of elephants and chariots, it was as if the great earth was being split apart. At that moment, Soṇuttara, sitting in his own monastery, knowing of the king's departure through the sounds of the music, attained the fourth jhāna, the basis of supernormal powers, and resolving, plunged into the earth, appearing before Mahākāḷa, the Nāga king, in the Mañjerika Nāga palace. The Nāga king, seeing Soṇuttara, rose from his seat, greeted him, washed his feet with scented water, honored him with fragrant and beautiful flowers, sat to one side, and asked, "From where have you come, venerable sir?" When told, "We have come from Tambapaṇṇi Island," he asked, "For what purpose?" "Great king, in Tambapaṇṇi Island, King Duṭṭhagāmaṇi Abhaya, while building the Great Thūpa, entrusted the relics to the Saṅgha. Thirty thousand monks having gathered at the Mahāvihāra, the relics placed for the Great Thūpa are with Mahākāḷa, the Nāga king. Having told him that news, he sent me to bring the relics; therefore, I have come here," he said. Hearing that, the Nāga king, overwhelmed as if by a mountain, overcome by great pride and conceit, thought thus: "We thought that by honoring these relics, we would be freed from the lower realms and be reborn in heaven. But this monk..." He is mighty and powerful,