________________
1, 22, 4. ADMISSION TO THE ORDER OF BHIKKHUS. 137
gods and men; he preaches that Truth (Dhamma) which is glorious in the beginning, glorious in the middle, glorious at the end, in the spirit and in the letter; he proclaims a consummate, perfect, and pure life." It is good to obtain the sight of holy men (Arahats) like that.'
3. And the Magadha king Seniya Bimbisâra, surrounded by twelve myriads of Magadha Brâhmanas and householders?, went to the place where the Blessed One was; having approached him and respectfully saluted the Blessed One, he sat down near him. And of those twelve myriads of Magadha Brâhmanas and householders some also respectfully saluted the Blessed One and sat down near him; some exchanged greeting with the Blessed One, having exchanged with him greeting and complaisant words, they sat down near him; some bent their clasped hands towards the Blessed One and sat down near him; some shouted out their name and their family name before the Blessed One and sat down near him ; some silently sat down near him.
4. Now those twelve myriads of Magadha Brâhmanas and householders thought: 'How now is this? has the great Samana placed himself under the spiritual direction of Uruvelâ Kassapa, or has Uruvelâ Kassapa placed himself under the spiritual direction of the great Samana ?'
And the Blessed One, who understood in his mind the reflection which had arisen in the minds of those twelve myriads of Magadha Brâhmanas and householders, addressed the venerable Uruvela Kassapa
1 The word householder (gahapati) is used here, as is the case not unfrequently, to denote householders of the third caste. Compare Rh. D.'s note on Mahâ-sudassana Sutta, p. 260.
Digitized by Google