the Buddhas bathe at their own place, the paccekabuddhas at theirs, [258] the Brethren at theirs, the ascetics at theirs, the gods of the six Kama-heavens at theirs, and the goddesses at theirs. These two came thither and began to quarrel as to which of them should bathe first. Kalakanni said, "I rule the world: it is proper that I bathe first." Siri said, "I preside over the course of conduct that gives lordship to mankind: it is proper that I bathe first." Then both said, "The Four Kings will know which of us ought to bathe first": so they went to them and asked which of the two was worthy to bathe first in Anotatta. Dhatarattha and Virupakkha said, "We cannot decide," and laid the duty on Virulha and Vessavana. They too said, "We cannot decide, we will send it to our Lord's feet": so they sent it to Sakka. He heard their tale and thought, "Those two are the daughters of my vassals; I cannot decide this case ": so he said to them, "There is in Benares a merchant called Suciparivara; in his house are prepared an unused couch and bed: she who can first sit or lie there is the proper one to bathe first." Kalakanni hearing this on the instant put on blue raiment and used blue ointment and decked herself with blue jewels: she descended from the heaven as on a stone from a catapult, and just after the mid-watch of night she stood in the air, diffusing a blue light, not far from the merchant who was lying on a couch in the presence-chamber of his mansion. The merchant [259] looked and saw her: but to his eyes she was ungracious and unlovely. Talking to her he spoke the first stanza:

Who is this so dark of hue,
So unlovely to the view?
Who are you, whose daughter, say,
How are we to know you, pray?

Hearing him, Kalakanni spoke the second stanza:

The great king Virupakkha is my sire:
I am Misfortune, Kalakanni dire:
Give me the house-room near you I desire.

Then the Bodhisatta spoke the third stanza:

What the conduct, what the ways,
Of the men with whom you dwell
This is what my question prays:
We will mark the answer well.

Then she, explaining her own qualities, spoke the fourth stanza:

The hypocrite, the wanton, the morose,
The man of envy, greed and treachery:
Such are the friends I love: and I dispose
Their gains that they may perish utterly.

[260] She spoke also the fifth, sixth, and seventh stanzas:

And dearer still are ire and hate to me,
Slander and strife, libel and cruelty.

The shiftless wight who knows not his own good,
Resenting counsel, to his betters rude:

The man whom folly drives, whom friends despise,
He is my friend, in him my pleasure lies.

[261] Then the Great Being, blaming her, spoke the eighth stanza: