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204
LALITA-VISTARA.
On the seventh day five hundred S'ákya youths assembled in the arena, and Gopá, the daughter of Dandapáni, the S'ákyn, planted a flag of victory therein, saying, whoever will be able to display the highest accomplishment in swordmanship, archery, elephant guiding, and wrestling, to him this shall be awarded.
Foremost issued from the town Prince Devadatta.16 At the time a majestic white elephant was entering the town for the use of the Bhodhisattva. Seeing it Devadatta, proud of his S'akya prowess, and envious of the Prince, seized the trunk of the elephant with his left hand, and gave the animal such a slap with his right hand that it at once fell dead. Then came there Prince Sundarananda, who, seeing the elephant at the city gate and finding it was dead, enquired, "who has killed this animal?'
The crowd of people there said, "Devadatta."
He said, "Devadatta has not done a becoming act." Then seizing the carcass by the tail, ho dragged it aside from the city gate. Then issued forth the Bodhisattva mounted on a eur. lle saw the elephant, and seeing it was dead, enquired, "who has killed this animal ?"
The people said, "Devadatta.".
Ile
He remarked, "this act is unbecoming of Devadatta." then enquired, by whom has this been removed from the passage ""
The people replied, " by Sundarananda."
He observed, "It was good of Sundarananda. But this is a large care ass, and its rotting will cause serious nuisance in the town." Saying this, he put forth one foot from the car and, seizing the tail of the animal by the great toe only, whirled the carcass across the seven walls and seven moats of the city, and cast it two miles away in the outskirts. The spot where the carcass fell was depressed into a deep hollow which, to this day, is called the "Elephant bollow" (Hastigarta). Gods and men by hundreds and thousands, secing this, burst forth into loud shouts of joy and laughter, and waved their clothes.19 Some Devaputras, coming below the sky, sarg the following Gáthás:
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