English
If these relics stayed in this place, He could overpower and seize us. Thinking it proper to remove the relics, Looking around the assembly, Seeing his nephew named Vāsuladatta, Standing at the edge of the assembly, He gave him a sign. Knowing his uncle's intention, Going to the relic chamber, Taking the relic casket, swallowing it, Going to the foot of Mount Sineru- A hundred yojanas in circumference, Three hundred yojanas in length, Creating thousands of hoods, Mighty, At the foot of Mount Sineru, Smoking and blazing, Wrapping his coils around, He lay down on the sandy ground; "Creating thousands, Of serpents like himself, He made them lie down, Surrounding him on all sides. Many gods and nāgas, Descended there then, We will see the battle, Of the two nāgas;" Then the nāga king, Knowing the relics were removed by his nephew, Said thus: "I have no relics, Do not make trouble here, Go quickly and announce, That event to the community of monks, The community of monks will seek relics elsewhere." The novice, from the beginning, Told of the relics' arrival, "The relics are with you, Without making trouble, give them." Then the nāga king, Knowing he was caught at the root by the novice, Thinking it proper to send the novice away, Without giving the relics by any means, Taking the novice to the relic chamber, Showed the shrine and the relic chamber. That shrine and relic chamber, Were entirely made of all kinds of jewels. It was said in the Mahāvaṃsa: "Adorned in many ways, With various jewels, The shrine and the relic chamber, See, monk, well-made." And after showing, Descending from the relic chamber, Standing on the half-moon stone, On the coral lotus, "Estimate the value, venerable sir, Of this shrine and relic chamber," he said. The novice said, "We cannot, great king, Estimate the value, Even all the jewels in Tambapaṇṇidīpa." He said, "This half-moon shaped stone is not worth much." The Nāga king, in such a case, said, "Is it not improper, O monks, to move relics from a place of great honor to a place of lesser honor?" The novice replied thus: "Great king, Buddhas are those who value the Dhamma, not material things. Even if you were to build a jeweled palace the size of a universe, filling it with all kinds of jewels, and caring for the relics, there would not be even one Nāga capable of attaining the Dhamma. 'The realization of truth, O Nāga, is not found even in you. It is fitting to take the relics to a place of truth realization. For the sake of liberation from the suffering of Saṃsāra, Tathāgatas arise. With the intention of honoring the Buddha, I will take the relics. The king himself will establish a relic shrine today. Therefore, without making complications, quickly give me the relics.'" Thus he spoke. When this was said, the Nāga king, unable to resist, thinking that his nephew was guarding the relics, said thus: "Venerable sir, you do not know whether the relics exist in the shrine or not, yet you say, 'Give, give.' I say they do not exist. If you see them, take them and go." "I will take them, great king," he said. "Take them, monk," he said. "I will take them, great king," he said. "Take them, monk," he said, making the promise three times. "Having created a subtle hand, the monk stood there, Plunging his hand into the nephew's mouth at once, Taking the relic casket, he said, 'Stay, O Nāga!' Diving into the earth, he arose in the monastery;" Then the assembly of gods and Nāgas, gathered to see the novice's battle with the Nāga, seeing the victory of the monk Nāga, delighted and rejoiced, worshiping the relics, came with him. The Nāga king, happy and pleased that he had deceived the monk and sent him away, sent a message to his nephew to come with the relics. "The nephew, not seeing the casket in his stomach, Lamenting, came and reported to his uncle; Then that Nāga king too, realizing he was "We are destroyed!" thus, All the Nāgas lamented, lamenting together. Then in the Nāga-palace, all the Nāgas gathered, loosening their hair, holding their hearts with both hands, with eyes like blue lotuses, shedding a stream of tears as if dissolving sorrow— "Lamenting, they came—the Nāgas to the Saṅgha's presence, Lamenting greatly—grief-stricken by the relic's removal." And having lamented, they said to the Saṅgha of monks: "Venerable sirs, without causing harm to anyone, having obtained the relics, covered in bark cloth, by the power of our merit, why did you take them away completely, causing an obstruction to our heaven and liberation?" Out of compassion for them, the Saṅgha—gave back a little of the relics, Pleased with that, they went and—brought offerings for worship. Then Sakka, king of the gods, addressing Vissakamma, said: "Make a pavilion of seven jewels at the place where the novice stood." He made the pavilion in that very moment. Then Sakka, surrounded by his divine retinue from the two deva-worlds, taking a golden casket together with a jeweled couch, came and placed it in that pavilion. Then— Brahmā held the parasol—Santusita the fan of yak-tail, Suyāma the jeweled water-ewer—Sakka the conch and water; The four Great Kings—stood with swords in hand, Thirty-two powerful—divine sons with relic-boxes in hand; Stood there, worshiping with—Pāricchattaka flowers, Thirty-two maidens also—stood holding lamps on staffs; Having driven away the wicked Yakkhas—the Yakkha commander, Twenty-eight stood—making protection; Playing the lute—Pañcasikha stood there, Having made a stage—Timbarū with musical instruments; Many divine sons also—performing beautiful songs, Mahākāla, the Nāga king—praised in many ways; Divine instruments play—divine music proceeds, Divine perfumes and rains—the deities cause to fall; Then Then the Elder Indagutta, to repel Māra, made an iron umbrella in the sky, extending to the edge of the universe. Elders of the five Nikāyas, surrounding the relics, sat down in five places and recited the scriptures in groups. At that time, the king came to that place, lowered a golden casket from his head, placed the relic casket in his own casket, and placed it on a throne, worshiping it with perfumes and garlands, venerating it with the five prostrations, and stood with his palms joined at his forehead, gazing with open eyes. At that moment, a white umbrella was seen above the relics, but the Brahma holding the umbrella was not seen. Likewise, fans and whisks were seen, but the holders were not seen; divine musical sounds and songs were heard, but the Gandhabba deities were not seen. Seeing this wonder, the king said to the Elder Indagutta: "The deities worshiped with a divine umbrella, I worship with a human umbrella, venerable sir." The Elder said, "It is fitting, great king." The king, having worshiped with a white umbrella on his golden pedestal, took a golden vessel, gave water of consecration, and on that day gave the kingdom to the entire island of Tambapaṇṇi. Then all the musical instruments were played, they worshiped with perfumes and garlands, and made great offerings. Again, the king asked the Elder: "Our teacher bore two umbrellas, divine and human, venerable sir." "Not two umbrellas, but three umbrellas, great king." "I do not see another umbrella, venerable sir." "Having raised the white umbrella of liberation, covered with the attainment of the path and fruit, the garland of strength, the rod of concentration, the gate of the senses, and the foundation of morality, having attained the consecration of knowledge, having turned the wheel of the jewel of the Dhamma, having made the Buddha's kingdom in the ten thousand world-systems within reach, he ruled the kingdom." The king, thinking, "I will give the kingdom three times to the teacher who bears three umbrellas," worshiped the relics three times with the kingdom. Then, while the deities and humans were worshiping with divine perfumes and garlands, amid the sounds of various musical instruments and songs, dh Taking the relic casket with lead, He exited the jeweled pavilion, Surrounded by the community of monks, Circumambulated the Great Thūpa, Ascended through the eastern gate, And descended into the relic chamber. Then, surrounding the Great Thūpa, Ninety-six crore Arahants stood. The king thought, "I will take the relic casket From my head and place it on a precious couch." At that moment, the relic casket, Having risen seven tālas above the king's head, Moved about on its own. The relics rose into the sky, Adorned with the thirty-two marks of a great man, The eighty minor marks, and a fathom's radiance, Shining with a canopy of flags. With various rays of blue, yellow, red, and other colors, They took on the form of the Buddha, And performed the Twin Miracle At the foot of the mango tree, A Twin Miracle like that one. Having seen that relic miracle and being pleased, Twelve crores of gods and humans attained Arahantship. Those who attained the remaining three fruits Were beyond counting. In this way, the relics, Having shown miracles in various ways, Relinquished the form of the Buddha, Entered the casket, And descended with it to rest on the king's head. The king, as if anointed with ambrosia, Considering the attainment of human existence fruitful, Taking the relic casket with both hands, Surrounded by dancers, Went to the adorned couch, Placed the relic casket on the jeweled platform, Washed his hands with fragrant water, Anointed them with fragrant powder of choice quality, Opened the jeweled casket, Took the relics, and thought thus: "If these relics are undisturbed by anyone, If these relics stand as a refuge for people, As the Teacher lay on the couch of final passing, May they lie on this well-prepared, precious bed." Having thought thus, He placed the relics on the excellent couch. At that moment, the relics, In accordance with the rule thought by the king, Lay on the precious bed in the form of the Buddha. "On the fifteenth uposatha day