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this she took a vow called uposatha and lay on a beautiful couch in a well-decorated room. While asleep, she dreamt four dreams which were as follows:
'Four great kings, Lords of the four directions, lifted me with my couch and took me to some part of the Himalayas. They placed me on a slab of stone named Manahsila which had a dimension of 60 yojanas under an excellent sāla tree whose shadow covered an area of 7 yojanas and stood aside. Then the consorts of these Lords of the directions took me to a lake named Anotapta . They bathed me in order to remove the human dirt from my body, dressed me in divine clothes, sprayed perfumes on me and decorated me with divine flowers. There is a mountain nearby named Rajat, where there is a golden palace (vimana). There they lay me on a divine couch with my head towards the east. The Bodhi-sattva who had become a beautiful white elephant came to a mountain named Suvarna which was very adjacent, and from there, he climbed the northern part of Rajat mountain.' He came there from the north. There was a white lotus in his trunk which looked like a silvery garland. Trumpeting sweetly, he entered into the golden palace. Thrice he moved round the couch, and then he entered into my womb by piercing through the right.'
That day, the star Uttarāsādha was in conjunction with the moon.
Next day, Queen Mahamaya narrated her dreams to King Suddhodana. The king sent for 64 leading Brahmanas. In order to accord them a befitting reception, the ground was purified with a coast of cowdung; propitiation was done with paddy sheaves and costly cushions were spread. The Brahmins came and sat on those excellent seats. They were served with khir (rice boiled in milk) dressed and sweetened with ghee, honey and sugar which was served on silver saucers, each such saucer being covered with another. Then they were honoured with the gift of clothes and kapila cows. Having thus fulfilled all the wishes of the invited Brāhmaṇas, the king drew their attention to the dreams which they were to interpret. Said the Brāhmanas in reply.
