________________
140
LALITA-TISTARA.
to your majesty that an old, emaciated octogenarian sage awaits at the gate, and says, 'I am anxivus to visit the king.")
The king, having or lered an appropriate seat to be got ready for the wage, said to the warler, “Let the sage enter.”
The warder, laving retired from the royal court, said to the grcat sage, "picase, cuter."
Now the great sage Asita repaired to where king S'uduhodana was, a , stwing before him, said, “Victory, Victory to the great kiny! May you rule all life through! May you conduct your royal duties arcording to law !”
Then king Suddhodana, having welcomed him witb the offering of Argba* and water for washing his fect, and enquired of his welfare, invited liim to take a seat. Knowing then that the sage was confortably place, the king respertfully and witb due regard adil.essed Juin thus: “I cannot say, (sage, that I have desirel y r vi:il. Wbat inay, please, be your object in coming bere, and what do you require ?" 'T'
ls addressed, the sago replied, “Mahárája, a son has been born untu thee, and I am come with a desire to see him."
The hing said. “The Prince is sleeping now, great sage; wait for a while till he is awake."
The saye said: “Mahúrája, great personages like him do not sleep lung: such great personages are usually very wakeful."
Then, Blikshms, through the blessing of Asita the Bodbisattva brecnune awake. King Sudilhodnna, with his two hands taking up the Prince Sarvárthasiddha, 49 carefully and gently brought him before the great sage Asita.
The greut sage, beholding the Bodhisattva with his person adorned with the thirty-two signs of great personages and eighty sulisidiary signs, with his body superior in excellence to that of Sakm, or of Brahmá, or of the guardians of regions, endowed with greater might than that of hundreds of tbousands, with every meblier developed to perfect beauty, burst forth in this exclamation : "A wonderful soul has appeared in this
• Vide ny Indo-Aryana, 1, p. 380,
