________________
196
LALITA-VISTARA.
NOTE S.
1. To visit on agricultural villuge, p. 190. The description here seems to imply, and the Maliávastu Avarláva gays definitely, that the visit way ensual -- ramble in the spring season. The Chineso version makes the occasion to be a ploughing match to which the father took the son. It says: "Now at another time it bappened that Suddhodunn Rají assembled all the S'ákya princes, and took with bim the Prince Royal to go to see a ploughiny match (or field cultivation or sowing). Then in the enclusal space were assembled tbehalf stripped 'n uch labouring hard in the ploughing contest, driving the one and urging them on if they lagged in their speed, and from time to tirac goading them to their work. And now, when the sun increased in his strength, and the sweat rau down both from men und son, thou for a few moments they ceased from their labours. In the incutiuc, various insects camo forth from the ground, and 1locks of birds, in the interval of the plowing exercises, camu down in printitudes and lovorod them. The Royal Prince, secing the timoloxon, thoreks bleeding from the goad, and the men toiling in the middays, and the birds devouring the helpless insects, his buurt was filled with grief, as a man would feel who saw his own hou hold bowl in fotters, and, being thus affected with sorrow on behalf of the whole family of suntient creatures, he disavvuuted from his burn? K uka aud, having done so, he walked about in der rettet)." (Bral, pp. 73/:) For the insucts and birds the Malia:artu substitutes a frogs and a serpent. The Southern versions make this the festival of the plongling season, an annual festival still faithfully observed in Burmala and Siam, and not unknown in India.
2 Jle sat under its shadow', p. 190. The Chinese version, in common with the Sanskrit, makes the Prince ramble about till he comes to the tree under which le site down, but instead of making bim go there alone, sepds with hin all bis attendants, who are subsequently reut way. In the Southern versions the Prince is taken to the place when be was a child. The Burmese text says, " The royal infant was brought out by the nurses on this joyful occasion. "A splendid
