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The robbers at once went to the place, and surrounded the dwelling of the priest, but he knew their intention, and escaped through the key-hole. The next day the robbers again surrounded the cave, but Mugalan ascended into the sky, as if by a ladder, from the summit of the conical roof.* In this way, two months were spent, after which * There are frequent references in the natiye books to buildings of this description. At Pandrenton, near Kashmir, thero is an a&dent temple, Vn. LEGENDS OF g<5tama budha. 351 he Temained at home ; be knew that he could get away from the rohbers, but that there was no escape, not even by the help of Bndha, from the consequences of his former crime. The robbers accordingly canght him, pounded his bones as rice is pounded in the mortar ; then thinking that he was dead, they took him into the forest, threw him down, and went away. Though he had been used in so crnel a manner, by the power of dby^na he put together the broken bones of his body, as an earthen Tessel is repaired that has been broken in pieces. As he was now about to obtain nirwdna, he went through the air to Budha, worshipped him, and informed him of his departure. Budha enquired the reason, when he related all chat had occurred ; after hearing which, 06tama said, " Go then, to nirwdna ; but first say to me bana, as there will hereafter be no one who can say it to me in a manner equally excellent." The priest was obedient, and performed the same wonders as Seriynt on a similar occasion ; he then returned to the cave and attained nirwana. {Sdleyya-Butra^^ammiS,) 50. The Punishment of Supra Budha, When Supra Bndha, a Sakya prince, and the father-in-law of Gdtama, heard that he had left his wife, Yasddhard, and become Budha, and also, that although he had received his son D^wadatta into the priesthood, he had not given him any o£Qce suitable to his rank, and had moreover spoken evil of him before the world, he was greatly enraged.* One day as he was informed that Gdtama was about to proceed to a certain place, he resolved to prevent his jonmey, and for this purpose re- mained in the road, drunk. When Budha approached, attended by his priests, the king was informed that he was coming, and was requested to make way for him to pass; but he said, " Gdtama is younger than I ; he is my son-in-law ; inform him, therefore, that it is his duty to make way for me.'* As the procession advanced nearer, some one again requested the king to leave the path clear, but he was not willing. Budha quietly stopped. The king had sent a messenger privately to supposed to be of Biadhist origin, the ground plan of which is a square of twenty feet, and the roof pyramidal. * This story is cited as an instance of drishta-dharmma-w^ja-kusala- kannma. 352 A MANUAL OF BUDHISM. hear what G6tama said when the obstrnction should be reported to him. Though he had not smiled from the time he became Bndha, he smiled now ; but though he smiled he did not show his teeth, or make a noise like some, as if water were poured from the month of a vessel : rays came from his mouth like a golden portico to a ddgoba of emeralds, went thrice round his head, and then entered again into his mouth. When Ananda saw that he smiled, as he knew that there must be some reason for it, he enquired the cause. Budha replied, ^' In seven days, this Supra Budha, who will not permit us to go and receive aims, will be taken to hell ; the earth will open for this purpose at the foot of the stairs that are near the lower stoiy of his palace.'* The messenger who had gone to listen, went and informed the king what Budha had said. On hearing it, he said, " Our son-in-law will not say that which is false ; never- theless, we will prevent this occurrence by a stratagem ; until the tenth day be passed, wo will not go near the lower story of the palace ; we will remain in the upper story ; there will then be the boards of the floor beneath us, and not the ground, so that his declaration cannot take place." The king, accordingly went to the upper story, and had the necessary provisions brought thither for the appointed time ; he also commanded the doors to be fastened with strong iron bars, and the stairs to be removed, placing two guards near each, that if he attempted to descend they might prevent him. But Budha said that if he were even to ascend into the sky, or to pass in a ship into the middle of the sea, or to conceal himself in the centre of a rock ; still, what he had declared would most certainly take place, because of the king's demerit. On the seventh day the king's charger went mad, and ran about in all directions. He asked what noise it was, and was told that his horse had become mad; and that no one could subdue him unless he saw his royal master. He then went to the door, in order to descend, which opened of its own accord, and the stairs returned to their place, by means of the king's demerit. The guards caught hold of him to convey him to the upper story, but instead of this he was precipitated to the ground. As the guards looked below, they saw the earth open ; flames came from Awichi, enveloped him, and carried him away . — ( Sadharmm aratnakdrS. ) VII. LEGENDS OF G(5tAMA BUDHA. 353 61. The Princess YasdcLhard^dewi attains Nirwdna, The princess Yastfdhari-d^wi, who had been the wife of BiSdhisat in manj generations^ and assisted him in the fulfilling of the paramit^B, was bom on the same day as the prince Sidhartta. At the age of sixteen years they were both anointed at the same moment* When Sidh^rtta became an ascetic, the princess resolved npon following his example, bnt Sndhddana, in order to prevent it, placed guards around the city, declaring to her that the prince wonld return ; he was also fearful that as she was so extremely beautiful, unless she was well protected, the princes of other countries might hear of her situation and come and take her away by force. But although she was thus prevented from going to the forest, she resolved to keep the ordinances of the recluse in the palace ; and for this purpose she had her head shaved, put on a yelk)w robe, and ate her food out of an earthen bowL When Budha visited Kapilawastu, after the attainment of his office, and on the second day after his arrival visited the palace of Yas6dhara-d6wi, and repeated the Chanda-kinnara^jdtaka, she requested permission to become a priestess ; but it was not granted, as Budha saw that the right of entrance into the order of the female priesthood belonged, first, to the queen-mother, Prajipati. The princess was exceedingly sorrowful when Bahula was or- dained, but 8udh6dana went to console her, and said, '* Did you not hear that in the Wessantara birth, when your child was bound with a thong and given to the mendicant, you made no objection ? Then why should you be jgrieved now ? Were you to hear bana, you would give all your sons to be ordained, even had you a hundred. By and bye you also will become an ascetic ; but it will be better to delay now, as people would say you have renounced the world on account of your sorrow." Then the princess thought she would carry her intention into effect when Sudh6dana was dead. She was also informed by Prajapati that she herself had thrice requested to be admitted to profession, but had been refused by Budha. In due time Yas6dhara-dewi became the rightful inheritor of all that had belonged to Sudh<5dana, Maha-mdya, Maha-prajdpati, Sidhdrtta, Nanda, Bahula, D^wadatta, and Supra-budha ; but she regarded the whole with aversion, even as if it had been a dead nayd tied 2 A 354 A MANUAL OF BUDHISM. round her neck. Accompanied by a thousand other princesses, she departed from Kapilawastu, in order that she might visit Maha-prajapati. When the inhabitants of Kapilawasta and K61i heard of her departure, thej came in immense numbers that they might prevail upon her to remain in the palace ; but when she was still determined, they brought a thousand chariots, that the princesses might use them in their journey. Yasddhara- d^wi, however, replied that it was right they should walk on foot, as all the luxuries of the world had been renounced ; it was true that Sidhirtta had fled on horseback, but he went away by stealth, and wished to escape quickly from his pursuers.