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Dāṭhāvaṃsa -(Tooth History)

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due to fierce agitation, He approached the serpent king, lying at the foot of Mount Meru. 318. Having abandoned his serpent form, at that moment, the serpent king, With a frightened, trembling heart, contracted his coils; Quickly approaching, and bowing at his feet, He spoke these sweet, humble words to the sage. 319. For the benefit of all people, Buddhas are born, For the benefit of people, it is. Thus, the worship of a mere relic; I too, worshipping the precious relic of the Conqueror, Will accumulate immeasurable merit,’ thus he resolved. Then, for the multitude of men, worthy of true enlightenment, That dwelling place was being brought to Sihala; ‘Give me that relic of the body of the excellent Sage,’ he was told, The serpent king gave the casket, the relic chamber. Having gathered that body of the bird king, the Elder, Having risen from the ocean, terrible with hundreds of sea creatures, Like a royal mark on the entire path of the sky, the relic He gave to the king of men, to the lord of men. Thus, when the restrained one had departed, having done much good, Raising the tooth relic of the Well-gone One on their heads, With great forest deities and others guiding the way, With various great ceremonies, they departed from there. A soft, fragrant breeze, free from thorns and the like, Adorned with pure sandbanks, the path was everywhere; As they approached their destination, by the power of the tooth relic, The inhabitants of the town respectfully honored them. Constantly with hands filled with fragrant flower powder, Followed eagerly by deities in the forest, Having crossed the path, difficult to traverse due to immovable rocks, They quickly arrived at the port of Tāmalitti. Firmly bound with immovable ropes, with well-built, excellent wells, With raised, broad ramparts, and delightful to behold, A ship ready to go to choice Lanka, They immediately saw, moored by merchants. Then those best of twice-born, desiring to go to Sihala, Quickly approaching, spoke to the ship captain; With pleasant, agreeable words, and virtuous conduct, With a delighted heart, he took them aboard the ship. When they had boarded the ocean, taking the relic, Rows of restless waves became present; A very fragrant, delightful north wind blew, And the directions were all of pure, lovely splendor. In the sky, dark blue, like Garuda, the ship, Driven constantly by the force of a strong wind, The shore and mountains, beyond the range of sight, Entered the middle of the ocean, strewn with foam flowers. Then the ocean became... Winds that churned up the snow, Waves rose like fearful mountain peaks; The sky was filled with terrible sounds, All night long, men cried out in fear. 330. When the new sun reached The summit of the mountain of dawn, The water of the ocean, With its gentle, rippling waves, Gleamed like a floor Inlaid with dark jewels. 331. Then some Nāgas with spreading hoods, Some with divine forms, with fragrant flowers in their hands, Some holding beautiful jeweled lamps, Some placing blue lotuses on their heads, 332. Some carrying clusters of open lilies, Some raising golden water-jars, Some holding banners fluttering in the wind, Some with hands full of fine golden powder, 333. Some dancing gracefully, Some singing sweet melodies in rhythm, Some striking various instruments, Arose to worship the relic of the Sage. 334. From the beautiful tresses of that queen, As the relic of the Sage emerged, Like a line of lightning, It emitted rays like straight silver needles. 335. Seeing the incomparable power of the relic, The hearts of the Nāgas were filled with joy; The echoes of their shouts of approval Spread through the boundless sky. 336. The Sugata's tooth-relic entered the reliquary, Then descended again from the sky; The hosts of hooded Nāgas then Held it back, celebrating a great festival for seven days and nights. 337. Seeing the ship like an unmoving palace In the sky, in the middle of the motionless ocean, Their minds agitated by fear, the couple together Remembered the powerful son of the Ten-Powered One. 338. Immediately, the Sage's son, knowing their thoughts, Went through the sky, scattering clouds, Creating a great body like the king of birds, He quickly drove away the snakes terrified with fear. 339. Thus, the wise son of the Buddha... Having overcome fear born of water, That ship, with flags fluttering in the wind, Breaking through the high waves With swift speed, like a dense mass of clouds, Quickly landed at the port of Lanka, Through the Elder's accomplishment. The Fourth Chapter. 340. In the ninth year of Mahādisa, Of King Kittisirimegha, son of the king, Those two, having disembarked at that port, Resided in a delightful temple. 341. Seeing those travelers at night, the eminent Brahmin Satisfied them with sweet food and drink; And at the break of dawn, the route to Anurādhapura He then declared to the couple. 342. Taking the excellent Tooth Relic of the Jina, Honored by the Brahmin, from that port, Having departed and traversed a long distance, They arrived at the village of Padvāra, near Anurādhapura. 343. The king, the righteous one, whom they intended to meet, The couple had come to this region for; That the lord of Lanka, Mahādisa, Had passed away due to a severe illness, they heard. 344. Overwhelmed by grief, like a towering mountain, Confused, they lamented greatly; Then all directions and intermediate points Appeared as dense darkness to those whose minds were bewildered. 345. Hearing that King Kittisirimegha, Established in the kingdom, was devoted to the Triple Gem; Like a forest quenched by a great fire by rain, Those two became free from sorrow and distress. 346. Hearing that a certain monk at the Meghagiri Monastery, Was dear to the king; Having approached him and been well-received, They both together related the arrival of the Relic. 347. Hearing of the Tooth's arrival, that sage, Delighted, as if his body were bathed in ambrosia; In his own home, immediately with decorated canopies, He honored the pure Relic in a well-adorned place. 348. Having shown them, the couple, Great hospitality as they wished; To report this auspicious news, To the lord of Lanka. He sent a bhikkhu with speed to his presence. 349. The king in the spring season with his consorts, Enjoying the pleasure of garden sports one day; Then from afar he saw coming there, That bhikkhu with a serene face and complexion. 350. He, restrained, approached that king, And with a joyful heart declared this matter; Having heard that, bearing supreme joy, The king was like one who had attained the wheel-jewel. 351. "The lord of Laṅkā, excellent brahmins, the tooth-relic of the Jina, Having taken, with knee-carts, both together having met; Will come to Laṅkā soon," thus it was said, And he considered the word of the diviner to be true. 352. Then the king, with a great retinue, To the north of that city of Anurādhapura; With hope, quickly to the Meghagiri monastery, With faith he went on foot, with a serene heart. 353. Having seen then the unattainable Sugata-relic, And overwhelmed with tears of joy; Sprinkling, having made a resolution with great respect, Wearing a garment of goosebumps, he thought thus. 354. "I, wearing a diadem gleaming with many jewels, Would worship today, if I could give up the supreme head; To the Tathāgata, the sole refuge of the triple world, Otherwise I would not do what is fitting for the relic. 355. Even if I were to worship this entire earth, Abundant with jewels, wealth, and enjoyment; I would still think, 'I am doing a worship that is not fitting,' Who in the worlds, not deluded, would think so? 356. This lordship of Laṅkā is insignificant to me, The Buddha is devoid of measure with various virtues; I, with limited power, how could I surpass Him, the sole lord of the triple world, the ten-powered one? 357. Thus repeatedly thinking that very thing, He, though resolute, fell into unconsciousness; Quickly fanned by the breeze of a yak-tail fan, By the weary servants, he regained consciousness. 358. Even those wise ones planting a small seed, In a great and fertile land; In time, having obtained flowers and fruits in abundance, They obtain the desired fruit. are countless. 359. Thus, with diverse qualities immeasurable, Even a small offering to the Lord of Dhamma; In time, through special transformations, I shall attain incomparable heavenly and liberating bliss. 360. Thus thinking, with exceeding joy, The king, his face like the full moon, Worshipped the noble tooth relic Of the All-Knowing One throughout the entire island of Lanka. 361. Monks versed in the Tipitaka, Jataka reciters, Skilled in logic and other disciplines, intelligent, Those who had the Triple Gem as their sole refuge, and the common people, Eagerly gathered there immediately. 362. Then the king, in the midst of the great assembly, Spoke thus: "The Sage's tooth, so very white, If the tooth of the Conqueror is like a medicinal star, Why does it appear with a soiled luster?" 363. At that moment, the tooth relic of the Lord of Sages, Spreading out like two royal swans on either side, Extended its rays, filling the sky, Whirling its splendor swiftly for a moment. 364. Spreading out a precious white cloth, Placing the Sage's relic on the auspicious seat, The king covered it with a heap of jasmine flowers, With a radiance like a mass of rain clouds at the end of the rainy season. 365. Rising quickly then, the Sage's relic, Standing on the peak of the heap of flowers, Shining with rays as white as milk, Made the eyes of those who looked on unblinking. 366. Having placed that relic on the seat, In a casket resembling a layer of milk-white cloth, He covered it with hundreds of precious cloths, Desiring even more to honor it. 367. Rising up immediately, piercing through the hundreds of cloths, Like the moon emerging from a white cloud,