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258
FO-SHO-HING-TSAN-KING.
V, 23.
tinctive ornaments, alighting from their chariots, they advanced afoot. 1786
Slowly thus with bated breath, their bodies reverent (they advanced). Then they bowed down and worshipped Buddha's foot?, and, a great multitude, they gathered round the lord, shining as the sun's disc, full of radiance. 1787
(There was) the lion Likkhavio, among the Likkhavis the senior, his noble form (bold) as the lion's, standing there with lion eyes, 1788
But without the lion's pride, taught by the Sâkya lion* (who thus began): 'Great and illustrious personages, famed as a tribe for grace and comeliness! 1789
'Put aside, I pray, the world's high thoughts, and now accept the abounding lustre' of religious teaching. Wealth and beauty, scented flowers and ornaments like these, are not to be compared for grace with moral rectitude! 1790
1 These five distinctive ornaments were, probably, crowns, earrings, necklets, armlets, and sandals.
9 The worship of the foot of Buddha is exemplified in many of the plates of the Sanchi and Amaravati sculptures, where we see worshippers adoring the impression of his foot on the stool before the throne (plates lviii, lxxi, &c.)
. This and following lines are somewhat obscure, as it is not plain whether the reference is to one, or all the Likkhavis. I have preferred to refer it to one of them, the chief or leader; for so we read in Spence Hardy's Manual, p. 282: "A number of the Lichawi princes then went to the king (i. e. the chief of their tribe), whose name was Maha-li.' It would seem as if li' were a component part of the name Likkhavi, and meant a lion,'--the chief would then be 'the great lion.' Compare the root 'ur' in the Assyrian urmakh, 'great lion;' and the Hebrew layish,' a great or strong lion.'
• The Sakya lion was Buddha, the lion of the Sakyas (Sakyasimha).
• The abounding lustre,' that is, the additional glory or lustre of religion. The sermon appears to be addressed principally against pride of person, and anger.
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