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248
KULLAVAGGA.
VII, 3, 12.
Even so, Sir, said those elephant-keepers in assent to Devadatta.
And when the Blessed One early in the morning had dressed himself, he entered Râgagaha duly bowled and robed, and with a number of Bhikkhus, for alms; and he entered upon that road. On seeing him the elephant-keepers loosed Nâlâgiri, and let it go down the road. And the elephant saw the Blessed One coming from the distance; and as soon as it saw him, it rushed towards the Blessed One with uplifted trunk, and with its tail and ears erect.
When those Bhikkhus saw the elephant Nâlâgiri coming in the distance, they said to the Blessed One: 'This elephant, Lord, Nâlâgiri, is fierce, and a manslayer, and it has got into this road. Let the Blessed One, Lord, turn back : let the Happy One turn back.'
Come on, O Bhikkhus. Be not alarmed. There is, O Bhikkhus, no possibility [&c., as in last section, down to the end]
[And a second and a third time the Bhikkhus made the same appeal, and received the same reply.]
12. Then at that time the people climbed up on to the upper storeys of the houses, and on to the balconies, and on to the roofs. And those of them who were unbelievers and without faith or insight, said, “Truly the countenance of the great Samana is beautiful ; but the elephant will do him a hurt?' But those who were believers, full of
The setting of this paragraph is parallel to $ 3 above in this chapter; the speech of the unbelievers is the same as that of the Galilas at Mahavagga I, 15, 4.
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