English
After their removal from the village, they caused a city to be built in the place to which they retired. The prints and princess married, and had a son and daughter at one birth, and in due time sixteen sons and sixteen daughters, in the same manner. As their family increased, the city was enlarged, on which account it was called W'isiU&. In the time of Gdtaroa it was an extensive and splendid city. The princes lived together in great amity, and never intermarried with other races. There were 7707 princes, residing in as many separate places, each '^ith a sub-king, treasurer, and other officers. They reigned in turn, each VII. LEGENDS OF g6tAMA BUDHA. 243 and the same time by pestilence, famine, and sprites. And so it occurred. First there was the pestilence, and then came the famine, so that there was none to barj the dead, and the whole dtj resembled a charneUhonse. The citizens informed the king of their calamities, who directed them to enquire whether in any way he were the cause ; but they could not find that he was in any fault. Then some advised that application for assistance should be made to the rishis ; but others who had heard of the miracles performed by Budha^ recommended that his aid should be implored ; and accoidingly an embassage of princes was sent to invite him to the city. They knew that he was at that time resident in the Weluwana wihdra, but they first made applica- tion to Bimsara, the king ; who informed them that the kindness of Budha was equally extended to all, and that therefore they for an appointed time; and the city was like the l(5ka of Sekra in the magnificence of its appearance and the happinesB of its inmates. From the analysis of the Mah4parinibb&na-suttan, by Tumour (Journal As. Soo. Dec. 18^8), it appears tnat Aj&B&t, a short time previous to the death of Budha, meditatea the subjugation of the Lichawi princes of Wisala, who were united in a confederacy, though still acknowledging the supremacy of one of their number, cmd calling him king. The princes were at that time plotting together, apparently with the intention of inflicting some ii^ury upon the monarch of Bajagaha. In order that he might know in what manner his desim could be best effected, Ajdsat sent his prime minister, Wassakara, to a^ the advice of Budha, firom whom he learnt that the princes must either be propitiated by the payment of tribute, or that he must dissolve the compact that united them, without engaging in war. On receiving this advice, Wassak&ra, at his own request, was sent as a deserter to Wisdla, where he gained the confidence of the Lichawi princes, and then by insinua- tions sowed dissension among them $ after which he ec>mmunicated the result of his mission to Ajasat, who went with an army, and having subjugated all the princes to great calamities, I'eturned. According to the Vishnu Purdna, Wisild (Yais^i) was founded by Yisalai son of Trin&vindu and the celestial nymph Alambushd. ** Yais&li is a city of considerable renown in Indian tnidition, but its site is a subject of some uncertainty. Fart of the difficulty arises from confounding it with Yisala, another name of Ujayin . . . According to the Budhists it is the same as Pray^a, or Allahabad ; but the Bim&yana places it much lower down, on the north bank of the Changes, nearly opposite to the mouth of the Sone ; and it was therefore in the modem district of S^n, as Hamilton (Genea- logies of the Hindus) conjectured." — Wilson's Vishnu Purdna. Fa Ilian visited Wisdla, but does not give any extended description of what he saw. Hiuan Thsang is more particular, and says that it had fallen into ruin, but the circumference of the ancient foundations was upwards of twenty miles. He saw the ruins of more than a hundred monasteries. The country was rich, the soil fertile, the climate equable, and the inhabitants were bland in their manners, and contented with their lot. There were a few monasteries, but the inmates were little better than heretics. It is said by Csoma K5rdsi, that the Tibetan writers derive their first king (about 250 years B.C.) ** from tho Litsabyis or Lichavyis.'* R 2 244 A MANUAL OF BUDHISM. miglit themselves go to him and make known their request. On receiving their petition, Budha consented to visit Wisila ; and when his determination was made known to the king, Bimsara prepared a road from Rajagaha to the Gkinges, a distance of eighty miles. The moment he commenced his journey, rain began to fall, though there had been none for so long a period previous ; but it was no inconvenience to those who did not wish to be wet. The Lichawi (properly Lich'hawi) princes also prepared a road on their side of the river, a distance of forty- eight miles. When Budha entered Wisil^ he commanded Ananda to go round the city, sprinkling water from his alms- bowl, and repeating the pirit. At once the sprites fled away ; and the sick, restored to health, followed Ananda round the city, repeating the praises of Budha. The sag^ proceeded to the palace of the king, where he delivered the discourse called Ratana Sutra, and countless beings entered the paths. Two p6jas he remained in the city, and as he was returning to Weluwana, the nagas requested him to visit their residence, which he did, and he spent there a night; after which he proceeded to the other bank of the -river, and accompanied Bimsara, who had been waiting to receive him, to Rajagaha. 20. The History of JiwaJca, who administered Medicine to Budha, When Bimsara, king of Rajagaha, heard of the fame of Amba- pali, the chief courtezan of Wisdla, he became envious of the glory that by her means flowed to the Lichawi princes, as in this his own city was inferior to WisdlA. He therefore commanded that all the beautiful women in the neighbourhood should be collected, that the most beautiful of them all might be chosen ; and the choice fell upon the princess Sdlawati. The king then levied for her a tax upon the city of 200,000 masurans, to which he himself added another 100,000 and made over to her many gardens, and buildings, and immense wealth. The price of her embrace was appointed to be 2000 masurans, being twice the amount received by Ambapdli. She thus became the principal courtezan of Rajagaha, and like the banner of the city, was known to all. After some time she became pregnant, by Abhaya, the son of Bimsara; but the prince was not made acquainted with the Vn. LEGENDS OF G(5TAMA budha. 245 circmnRtance. It was tlie cnstom of the courtezans not to make known that they were pregnant ; and when the child was bom, if it was a girl, she was broaght up in private, but if it was a boy, he was taken to the forest and exposed. When any one came to the dwelling of Sdldwati, her attendants made known that she was sick, and thus she concealed her condition for the space of nine months. The child of which she was delivered was a boy, who was taken privately to a certain place in the forest, according to the usual cnstom. In due time the princess again anointed herself, and made her appearance in public, as if nothing had happened. On the day on which the child was taken to the forest, Abhaya went to the same place to walk, when his attention was attracted by a number of crows near a piece of flesh ; they did not peck at it with their bills, but looked at it as if in kindness, without doing it any harm. The prince enquired what was the reason of this appearance, and was told that the crows were hovering round an infant, that had been thrown into a hole. He then asked whether it was alive or dead, and was informed that it was alive. It was because the infant was in that birth to enter the path sowan, that his life was thus preserved. When the prince saw it, he pitied it, from the force of parental affection, though he knew not that it was his own child ; and commanding it to be taken to the palace, he appointed it a nurse and proper attendants. From having been told that it was alive, he called it Jiwaka, he who lives.* When Jiwaka, who was also called Kdmarabhacha, was seven or eight years of age, he was playing with the other princes in the liall, and they reproached him with having no mother. Ashamed, he wont to Abhaya, and asked who was his mother ; but he smiled and said, I am your father, who was your mother I know not ; I found you exposed in the forest, and rescued you.