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CHAPTER TWO
had three kinds of knowledge, knew his parents' grief and moved
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a finger to show that the embryo was there. When she knew, 'My embryo is certainly not injured," the Mistress rejoiced and made Siddhartha rejoice by telling him of the movement by the embryo.
The Blessed One reflected: "My father and mother have great affection for me, indeed, when they have never seen me. If I should become a mendicant while they are alive, they would certainly acquire much bad karma by indulging in painful meditation because of the delusion of affection." So in the seventh month, the Lord made the resolution, "I will not become a mendicant during the lifetime of my parents."
When the skies were clear, the planets in their exaltations, an auspicious and favorable wind blowing over the earth, the world filled with joy and the omens highly victorious; when exactly nine months, seven and a half days (had passed), on the thirteenth day of the bright half of Caitra, the moon being in Hastottara, the Mistress bore a son, marked with a lion, the color of gold.
Fifty-six Dikkumārīs, Bhogankara and others, came and performed the birth-rites for the Master and his mother. Śakra knew about the Master's birth at that time from the shaking of his throne and went with his retinue to the lying-in house. He bowed to the Arhat and the Arhat's mother at a distance and, going near, he gave the queen a sleeping-charm. He placed an image of the Blessed One at the queen's side and made himself fivefold, insatiate in performance of worship. The first Sakra took the Blessed One in his arms; the second held an umbrella over the Master. Two carried beautiful fly-whisks at the Master's sides; another, twirling a thunderbolt and dancing, went in front. Having gone to the rock Atipāṇḍukambala on Mt. Meru, Sakra occupied the lion-throne on it, holding the Lord on his lap.
Then sixty-three other Indras, who had water brought from the tirthas by the servant-gods, came to bathe the Lord. "How will the Master endure such a quantity of water?"
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