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346
NOTE II.
those who beheld them), as indications of the approaching period. At this time the queen being about to give birth to Bodhisattva), he, i.e. Bodhisattva, by exciting the thought in her mind by his own spiritual energy, caused her to arise at the first watch of the night, and having robed herself to go with her attendants to the place where the king was-(when she addressed him as follows):— Listen to my words ! for a long time have I thought of entering the garden for the purpose of religious meditation-supposing in every case, O Maharåga! the idea is not displeasing or troublesome to you; in which case I would at once resort thither to reflect silently on the words of the sacred books.' The king thereupon answered, 'Willingly do I consent, saintly lady, that you should go forth to contemplate the flowers of the trees now in full bloom--for at this season, around the palace and its lovely dwellings, are countless kinds of trees, whose fruit and fragrant blossoms cannot but afford unmixed delight (to all beholders).' The queen, hearing these words, was filled with joy. Then the king commanded the precious chariot known as the cloudmother' to be prepared and decorated; followed by a retinue of servants, and surrounded by attendant women, thus the queen went forth to behold the trees in the Lumbini? garden. The conductors of the inferior chariots were all similar in appearance and colour, distinguished for their splendour as they rode, dazzling the eyes of men. Two hundred white elephants followed and preceded the cortége, all decorated with gems and pearls. The elephants were furnished with six tusks. The king of the elephants, in the midst, was covered with a golden network, to which bells were attached that sounded melodiously as the wind blew them one against the other; in other respects also they were fully caparisoned and armed. At this time there was concord and goodwill in the world, an absence of a contentious spirit. Thus surrounded, the queen wandered
· The expression is tsae'
• The Chinese is Lin-ping' for. Lumbini;' in the glossary the sound ping' is given as equal to P(ing)-(m)i, i.e.'pi.'
• The sounds produced by gems striking one another. See glossary.
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