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348
SADDHARMA-PUNDARÎKA.
XVIII.
desirous of seeing him. Kings ruling armies and emperors possessed of the seven treasures', along with the princes royal, ministers, ladies of the harem, and their retinue will be desirous of seeing him and paying him their homage. So sweet will be the speech delivered by that preacher, so truthful and according to the teaching of the Tathagata will be his words. Others also, Brahmans and laymen, citizens and peasants, will always and ever follow that preacher till the end of life. Even the disciples of the Tathầgata will be desirous of seeing him ; likewise the Pratyekabuddhas and the Lords Buddhas. And wherever that young man of good family or young lady shall stay, there he (or she) will preach, the face turned to the Tathagata, and he (or she) will be a worthy vessel of the Buddha-qualities. Such, so pleasant, so deep will be the voice of the law going out from him.
And on that occasion the Lord uttered the following stanzas :
52. His organ of taste is most excellent, and he will never relish anything of inferior flavour; the flavours are no sooner put on his tongue than they become divine and possessed of a divine taste.
53. He has a tender voice and delivers sweet words, pleasant to hear, agreeable, charming; in the
1 The seven treasures or jewels of an emperor are the wheel, the elephant, the horse, the gem, the empress, the major domo (according to others, the retinue of householders), and the viceroy or marshal. See Spence Hardy, Manual of Buddhism, p. 127; Burnouf, Lotus, p. 580; Senart, Légende du Buddha, pp. 22-60; Lalita-vistara, pp. 15-19.
? Nikshiptamâtrâs ka bhavanti divyâ rasena divyena samarpitas ka.
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