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Like other beings, the Bodhi-sattva is not besmeared with dirt and blood at the time of his birth. He comes out from the mother's womb, wholly clean, like a spiritual teacher coming down from a holy seat, or like a man descending from a staircase, with both his hands and feet stretched, like one in a standing post ure, glittering like a jewel placed on a clean and pure silk from Kasi. For the use of the Bodhi-sattva and his mother, two flows of water rushed forth from the sky, and they cooled the body of the two.
From the hands of the (four) Mahà-brahmās, the child was received by the four Lords of the directions on soft deer skin which was considered auspicious. From them (the Lords of the directions), men received them on a piece of folded silk. But the child slipped from the hands of men and stood on the earth. He cast his glance towards the east. In that direction, several thousand cakravālas had been mixed up as if into a single surface. From there, gods and men worshipped him with incences and flowers, and submitted:
"Noble sire! In this direction, what to speak of one excelling thee, there is not even one to be equal with thee."
In the same manner, the Bodhi-sattva looked in all the directions and sub-directions very thoroughly, and when he found that there was no one to equal him, he walked seven steps towards the north. At this time, the Mahă-brahmā held a white umbrella on his head, the Suyamas fanned him with palm leaf, and other gods held other royal objects (kakudhabhändas, such as sword, umbrella, crown, sandals and fan) in their hands and followed him. At the seventh step, the Bodhi-sattva stopped and spoke the following fearless words of the best among men:
"I am the best in the Universe."
Then he gave a tremendous yell.
Thus immediately on coming out from the mother's womb, the Bodhi-sattva spoke in the same manner as he had done (in two of his previous births) when he was born as Mahauşadha and Vessantara. (19) As at the time of his
