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354
NOTE II,
to sit on; 5000 others, holding caps of state in their hands, sprinkled before her on the ground perfumed water; 50,000 Brahma devas, holding golden pitchers, saluted her with expressions that she might live 10,000 years; 20,000 Nâgas with necklaced bodies, 20,000 white elephants with pearlcovered bodies, 20,000 chariots with flags and jewelled canopies surrounded her, and behind these 40,000 armed attendants, heroes of marked courage, and Bodhisattva himself in the rear. Moreover, on this occasion there were countless . thousand Devas, who caused to appear in space in a moment yellow golden parapets, along which they offered worship to the mother of Bodhisattva. On that night Bodhisattva was conceived in the womb, on which occasion 20,000 damsels attendants on Mâra, proceeding from the great and superblyadorned palace of the Kâmaloka heavens, and holding in their hands precious silken tiss wait on the mother of Bodhisattva ; and so likewise 20,000 men (male Devas ?) with highly decorated bodies, to do honour to the occasion. On that night between every two attendant women was one Apsarasl; the attendant women beholding the beauty of her face felt the risings of desire. And now by the power of the divine merit of Bodhisattva in the midst of this great city of Kapilavastu, 500 nobles, all of the Sakya race, each laid the foundation of a palace for residence, 500 in all, so that when he entered the gates of the city, they addressed him as they paid him reverence and said, 'Oh! would that Sarvårthasiddha would condescend to enter this divine abode (place?), this perfectly pure abode. Oh! thou whose eye beholds all things (samantakakshus), thou hast come down into this world (yeou=bhava), (condescend to enter) this great palace called “Hu-tsing-fa” (defendpure-flower), a fitting residence for Bodhisattva.'
Then the great Brahmakârins and the principle princes of
I take this from the French translation of the Lalita Vistara; the Chinese expression is ** *
• Ku-tien-kü; the French translation from the Tibetan renders this God above gods,' and so in the next phrase, tsing.tsing-kü, perfectly pure abode or place,' the Tibetan refers this also to Bodhisattva, and translates it, 'Oh! thou pure being. I do not see how to bring the Chinese text into harmony with the Tibetan in this passage.
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