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"O when shall I a mansion give,
Plastered with mud and stuccoed o'er,
A pleasing monastery-gift?'-
O this my prayer is now fulfilled!

"O when shall I give household goods,
Benches and stools to sit upon,
And bolsters, pillows for the couch? '-
O this my prayer is now fulfilled!

"O when shall I provisions give,
The ticket-food so pure and good,
Smothered in broths of various meats?'-
O this my prayer is now fulfilled!

"O when shall I give priestly robes,
Garments of fine Benares cloth,
And linen, cotton goods as well?'-
O this my prayer is now fulfilled!

"O when shall I give medicines,
Fresh butter, butter clarified,
And honey, treacle, purest oil? '—
O this my prayer is now fulfilled!"

When the priests heard her, they brought word to The Teacher:

"Reverend Sir, in all this time we have never known Visakha to sing; but now, surrounded by her children and her children's children, she walks singing round and round the building. Pray, is her bile out of order? or has she become mad?"

"Priests," said The Teacher, "my daughter is not sing. ing; but the desire of her heart having come to pass, in her delight she breathes forth a solemn utterance."

"But when was it, Reverend Sir, she made the prayer?" "Priests, will you listen?" "Reverend Sir, we will."

Whereupon he related a tale of ancient times

"Priests, a hundred thousand cycles ago, a Buddha was born into the world by the name of Padumuttara. His term of life was a hundred thousand years; his retinue of those in whom depravity had become extinct was a hundred thousand; his city was Hamsavatī; his father, king Sunanda; and his mother, queen Sujātā. The chief benefactress of this

Teacher, a lay devotee, had obtained the eight boons and held the position of mother, and used to provide him with the four reliances. Every evening and morning she used to wait on him at the monastery, and a certain female friend constantly accompanied her.

"When this friend saw on what intimate terms she conversed with The Teacher, and how much she was beloved, she began to consider: 'What do people do to be beloved by The Buddhas?' And she said to The Teacher:

"Reverend Sir, what is this woman to you?' "She is the chief of my benefactresses.'

"Reverend Sir, by what means does one thus become chief benefactress?'

"By praying for a hundred thousand world-cycles to become one.'

"Reverend Sir, could I become one, if I now made my prayer?'

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"Assuredly, you could.'

"In that case, Reverend Sir, come with your hundred thousand priests and take alms of me for seven days.'

"The Teacher consented; and for seven days she gave alms of food, and on the last day stuff for robes. Then she did obeisance to The Teacher, and, falling at his feet, made her prayer:

"Reverend Sir, I do not pray for rule among the gods, or any other such reward as the fruit of this alms-giving; but that from some Buddha like yourself I may obtain the eight boons, and have the position of mother, and be chief of those able to provide the four reliances.'

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"The Teacher looked into the future for a hundred thousand cycles to see if her prayer would be fulfilled, and said: 'At the end of a hundred thousand cycles a Buddha named Gotama shall arise, and you shall be a female lay disciple of his, and have the name Visākhā. From him you shall obtain the eight boons, and obtain the position of mother, and become chief of the benefactresses who shall provide the four reliances.'

"... and after a life of meritorious deeds, she was reborn in the world of the gods. And continuing to be reborn in the world of the gods and the world of men, she was born

in the time of The Supreme Buddha Kassapa as the youngest of the seven daughters of Kiki, king of Benares. In this existence she was called Servant-of-the-Congregation; and having married, and with her sisters for a long time given alms and done other meritorious deeds, she fell at the feet of The Supreme Buddha Kassapa, and prayed: 'At a future time may I hold the position of mother to a Buddha such as you, and become chief of the female givers of the four reliances.' Now, after further rebirths in the world of the gods and the world of men, she has been born in this existence as the daughter of Dhananjaya the treasurer, the son of Mendaka the treasurer, and has done many meritorious deeds for my religion. Thus it is, O priests, that I say my daughter is not singing, but that, at the realization of her prayer, she breathes forth a solemn utterance."

And The Teacher continued his instruction, and said,

"Priests, just as a skilful garland-maker, if he obtain a large heap of various kinds of flowers, will go on and on making all manner of garlands, even so does the mind of Visākhā incline to do all manner of noble deeds." So saying, he pronounced this stanza:

"As flowers in rich profusion piled
Will many a garland furnish forth;
So all the years of mortal man
Should fruitful be in all good works."

(HINDUISM)

THE BHAGAVAD-GITA

OR

SONG CELESTIAL

TRANSLATED BY

SIR EDWIN ARNOLD

INTRODUCTORY NOTE

DURING the centuries in which Buddhism was establishing itself in the east of India, the older Brahmanism in the west was undergoing the changes which resulted in the Hinduism which is now the prevailing religion of India. The main ancient sources of information with regard to these Hindu beliefs and practises are the two great epics, the “Rāmāyana” and the Maha Bhārata. The former is a highly artificial production based on legend and ascribed to one man, Valmiki. The latter, a "huge conglomeration of stirring adventure, legend, myth, history, and superstition," is a composite production, begun probably as early as the fourth or fifth century before Christ, and completed by the end of the sixth century of our era. It represents many strata of religious belief.

The "Bhagavad-Gitâ," of which a translation is here given, occurs as an episode in the Mahā-Bhārata, and is regarded as one of the gems of Hindu literature. The poem is a dialogue between Prince Arjuna, the brother of King Yudhisthira, and Vishnu, the Supreme God, incarnated as Krishna, and wearing the disguise of a charioteer. The conversation takes place in a war-chariot, stationed between the armies of the Kauravas and Pandavas, who are about to engage in battle.

To the Western reader much of the discussion seems childish and illogical; but these elements are mingled with passages of undeniable sublimity. Many of the more puzzling inconsistencies are due to interpolations by later re-writers. "It is," says Hopkins, "a medley of beliefs as to the relation of spirit and matter, and other secondary matters; it is uncertain in its tone in regard to the comparative efficacy of action and inaction, and in regard to the practical man's means of salvation; but it is at one with itself in its fundamental thesis, that all things are each a part of one Lord, that men and gods are but manifestations of the One Divine Spirit."

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