________________
14
THE QUESTIONS OF KING MILINDA.
I, 20.
that the Order was expecting him! And vanishing from the mountain top, he appeared in the presence of the innumerable company of the brethren.
And the venerable Assagutta said to him: 'How now, venerable Rohana! When the religion of the Buddha is in danger of crumbling away, have you no eyes for the work of the Order ?'
It was through inadvertence, Sir,' said he. *Then, venerable Rohana, atone for it.' What, Sir, should I do?'.
There is a Brahman village, venerable Rohana, called Kagangala ?, at the foot of the Himalaya mountains, and there dwells there a Brahman called Sonuttara. He will have a son called Nâgasena. Go to that house for alms during seven years and ten months. After the lapse of that time thou shalt draw away the boy from a worldly life, and cause him to enter the Order. When he shall have abandoned the world, then shalt thou be free of the atonement for thy fault.'
Let it be even as thou sayest,' said the venerable Rohana in assent.
20. Now Mahasena the god passed away from the world of the gods, and was reborn in the womb of the wife of the Brahman Sonuttara. And at the moment of his conception three strange, wonderful things took place :-arms and weapons became all
1 Patimâneti. Childers does not give this meaning to the word. But it is the usual one. Compare Sumangala, vol. I, pp. 276, 280; Vinaya Pitaka IV, 212 ; Kullavagga VI, 13, 2; Gâtaka II, 423.
3 This is a famous place in Buddhist story. It is at the extreme limit, to the East, of the Buddhist Holy Land, the Middle Country. See Sumangala Vilâsini on D. 2,40 (p. 173); Mahâvagga V, 13,12; Gataka I, 49.
Digitized by Google
