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The throne of Sekra now became warm, and when he looked to dis- cover what was the reason, he saw that it was the hour of the array of Bddhisat. He therefore called Wiswakarmma, and at * The eastern pestle is about five feet long, and is made of wood, tipped with iron. It is found in eTery house, and is connected with as many super- stitions and ceremonies as the besom or broom among the old wires of £urope. It is an instrument almost exclusively used by women, and it has often excited niy pity when I have seen them at work ; but not unfrequently two women are employed at the same mortar, and give alternate strokes, by which the process becomes less tedious, as they emulate each other in the giring of the stroke. vn. LEGENDS OF g6tama budha. 159 his command tliat d6w& came to the garden in a moment of time, and arrayed Sidhdrtta in a celestial robe, more beautiful than all his previous magnificence. The prince knew that he was a d6wa, and not a man, and allowed himself to be enveloped in the robe. It was of so fine a texture, that when folded it did not fill the hand, and was indeed no larger than a sesamum flower ; yet when opened out, it was 192 miles in length. It was thrown round his body in a thousand folds, and a crown of sparkling gems was placed upon his head ; the musicians were animated to play upon their instruments in the most perfect time ; and the attendant brahmans chaunted the song of vic- tory ; after which the prince ascended his chariot, that he might return to the palace. At this moment YasiSdhard was delivered of a prince ; and as his royal grandfather thought that this would be likely to pre- vent Sidhartta from becoming an ascetic, with all joy he sent a messenger to inform him of the auspicious event. The noble went in haste to the prince, and said, "Your highness, a son is bom to you ; and he is your second self." On receiving this intelligence he reflected that an object of afiection was now re- ceived, and that it might lead him to dislike his intended re- nunciation of the world. On the return of the messenger, the king enquired what his son had said ; and as he informed him that he exclaimed *' Rahula-jdto," by which he intimated that something proper for him to love was born, the child received the namo of Kahula.* The prince resolved that as he had not only received a child, but what was a rarer occurrence, a son, he would not become an ascetic just then ; but would go to the pa- lace, and see his infant, after which he could abandon the plea- sures of the world, and pass into retirement. In the full splen- dour of the festivity that had been held in the garden, he returned towards the palace. On the way he was seen by the princess Bsagdtami, a relative who approached the window to look at him, as he appeared in sight, like a full moon emerging from an azure cloud. She then changed her position, so as to be able to speak to him, and repeated the following stanza : — " Nibbutd nuna rkmiti. Nibbiit4 nfina sopita, * The Karmikas of Nepaul assert that B&hula remained six years in the womb of his mother. The pain and anxiety of mother and son were caused by the karma of their former births. — Hodgson's Illustrations. 160 A MANUAL OF BUDHISM. Nibbut^ ndna 8&n&r£, Yassa-yan i-diso pati." The purport of which is, that if his mother or his father, or any of his wives, were to see him (as he then appeared), they would be overcome. The prince thought within himself, aa she repeated these words, *' This female repeats the words nibbuta, nibbutd, reminding me of nibbnti (nirwana) ; as she has spoken to me so seasonably, I must make her a proper acknowledgment. Thus thinking, be took the collar from his neck, made of pearls, and worth a lac of treasure^ and sent it to the princess. On re- ceiving it, Kisagdtami thought that he had sent her the present because he admired her, and that he would make her, as well as Yasddhara, one of his principal queens. On reaching the palace, Sidhdrtta reclined upon a splendid couch, the lamps Were filled with perfumed oil, and lighted, and around him were assembled his 40,000 queens. Some danced before him, whilst others played upon flutes, harps, and cymbala, and instruments made of the legs of fowls or of animals ; whilst others again beat thd drum, performed yarious evolutions, and tried in many ways to attract his attention ; but the prince paid no regard to them, and fell asleep. The choristers and mu- sicians, seeing that their attempts to amuse him were of no avail, placed their instruments under their heads as pillows ; and they too fell asleep* When Sidhartta awoke, he saw the altered ap- pearance of the revellers ; some were yawning, the dress of others was in great confusion, whilst others again were gnashing their teeth, or crying out in their sleep, or foaming at the mouth, or restlessly rolling their bodies and placing themselves in un- seemly postures ; so that the place which a little time previous appeared like one of the d^wa-16kas, now seemed like a charnel- house. Disgusted with what he saw, and roused to activity, like a man who is told that his house is on fire, he rose up from his couch, and resolved to enter at once upon the discipline it was necessary for him to pass through before he could become Budha. This was perceived by Wasawartti Mara, who came from the dewa-ldka of which he is the ruler ; and appearing in the air at a little distance from the palace, he said to the prince, in order to induce him to put away the thoughts that were form- ing in his mind, " Sorrowless one, in seven days from this time you will receive the magical chariot ; the divine horses, the VII. LEGENDS OF g6tAMA BUDHA. 161 precions jewel, and the other possessions of the Chakrawartti will come to you through the air; your commands will be obeyed throughout the whole extent of the four continents and the 2000 islands ; you will also receive a prince, and have the four-fold army, attended by whom you will be able, like one of the d6was, to visit any part of your vast dominions ; therefore put away these gloomy thoughts, and let them disturb you no more." But these words were to the prince like the piercing of his ear by an iron that had been heated during a whole day ; so far from suffering his mind to be calmed by them, they only added to his previous agitation, like the heaping of fuel upon a fire. That which Mara^ said was false ; but if it had even been true, Sidhdrtta would have refused to become a Chakrawartti ; sooner would the water of the Anotatta lake, after passing along the Ghinges, and entering the sea, and approaching the mouth of hell, return back from that dreadful place to the Ganges, and from the Ganges to the lake where it originally sprang ; sooner would all the water of the ocean be dried up, so as to be no deeper than a bullock's hoof ;* sooner would the sky become rolled together like a web of cloth ; than the prince would re- sign the privileges of the Budhaship, after fulfilling the pdra- miiAs with the express design of obtaining them. Then Siddhirta went to the golden gate, and called out to know who was on guard at the stairs ; and when he discovered that it was Channa, he commanded this noble to bring forth his steed, properly caparisoned. As he chose the horse Kantaka, that animal thought he could not be required at such a time for any festival, and that therefore the period must have arrived to which he had so long looked forward. By this reflection he was filled with joy, and neighed so loudly that all the d6was heard it ; but they prevented its being heard by men. Whilst Channa was absent in the stable, the prince, in order that he might see his son, went to the apartment of Yasddhard ; and on opening the door he saw the princess upon a couch, surrounded by flowers, but she was asleep, her hand embracing the infant, which was also asleep, and laid upon her bosom. Sidhartta perceived that in order to take up his son Rahula he must remove the mother's arm, which would probably cause her to awake ; and as • Hesiod speaks of the rain, " deep as the ox's hoof." — Works, 146. M 162 A MANUAL OF BUDHISM. he knew that if she awoke she wonld speak to him, which might shake his resolution, he remained upon the threshold^ holding the doorpost with his hand, but not proceeding any further.