"Two wives of equal rank and worth, a bull and kine five score,
My benefactor! and I'll rule with justice evermore.

"Trade, farming, gleaning , usury, whate'er thy calling be,
See that thou sin not, but by these support thy family."

[423] When he heard these words of the king's, he answered, "No house or home for me; grant me, my lord, to become an ascetic." The king's consent given, he handed over the king's rich gifts to his wife and family, and went away to Himalaya, where he embraced the ascetic life, and cultivated the Eight Attainments, and became destined for Brahma's world. And the king clave to the Great One's teaching, and went to swell the hosts of heaven. The teaching endured for a thousand years.

This discourse ended, the Master said, "Thus, Brethren, long ago as now Ananda renounced life for my sake." Then he identified the Birth: "At that time, Channa was the huntsman and Sariputta the king, a sister was Queen Khema; some of the king's family were the father and mother, Uppalavanna was Sutana, Ananda was Citta, the Sakiya clan were the eighty thousand deer, and I was myself the royal stag Rohanta."

"To friends and courtiers, warrior king, do righteously; and so
By following a righteous life to heaven the king shall go.

"In war and travel, warrior king, do righteously; and so
By following a righteous life to heaven the king shall go.

"In town and village, warrior king, do righteously; and so
By following a righteous life to heaven the king shall go.

"In every land and realm, O king, do righteously; and so
By following a righteous life to heaven the king shall go.

"To brahmins and ascetics all, do righteously; and so
By following a righteous life to heaven the king shall go.

"To beasts and birds, O warrior king, do righteously; and so
By following a righteous life to heaven the king shall go.

"Do righteously, O warrior king; from this all blessings flow:
By following a righteous life to heaven the king shall go.

"With watchful vigilance, O king, on paths of goodness go:
The brahmins, Indra, and the gods have won their godhead so.

"These are the maxims told of old: and following wisdom's ways
The goddess of all happiness herself to heaven did raise."

In this manner did the huntsman declare the Law, as the Great Being had shown him, with a Buddha's skill, as though he were bringing down to earth the heavenly Ganges. The crowd with a thousand voices cried approval. The queen's longing was satisfied when she heard the discourse.

Footnotes

^257:1 No. 546, vol. vi. 329 (Pali).

^257:2 No. 533, vol. v. 333 (Pali).

^258:1 Mora jataka: No. 129, Vol. ii. p. 53.