and Nanda pitched their camp not far from the hermitage. Then the king bathed and arrayed himself in all his splendour, and, escorted by one hundred and one kings, he came with the sage Nanda in great state and glory and entered the hermitage, to beg the Bodhisatta to forgive his brother. Then the father of the Bodhisatta, on seeing the king approach them, inquired of the Bodhisatta and he explained the matter to him.

[322] The Master, in making this clear, said:

On seeing him all in a blaze of glory standing near,
Surrounded by a band of kings, thus spoke the aged seer:

Who marches here with tabour, conch, and beat of sounding drums,
Music to cheer the heart of kings? Who here in triumph comes?

Who in this blaze of glory comes, with turban-cloth of gold,
As lightning bright, and quiver-armed, a hero young and bold?

Who comes all bright and glorious, with face of golden sheen,
Like embers of acacia wood, aglow in furnace seen?

Who comes with his umbrella held aloft in such a way,
That it with ribs so clearly marked wards off the sun's fierce ray?

Who is it, with a yak-tail fan stretched forth to guard his side,
Is seen, like some wise sage, on back of elephant to ride?

Who comes in pomp and majesty of parachutes all white,
And mail-clad steeds of noble strain, encircling left and right?

Who hither comes, surrounded by a hundred kings or more,
An escort of right noble kings, behind him and before?

With elephants, with chariots and with horse and foot brigade,
Who comes with all the pomp of war, in fourfold host arrayed?

Who comes with all the legions vast that follow in his train,
Unbroken, limitless as are the billows of the main?

It is Manoja, king of kings, with Nanda here has come,
As though 'twere Indra, lord of heaven, to this our hermit home.

His is the mighty host that comes, obedient in his train,
Unbroken, limitless as are the billows of the main.

[323] The Master said:

In robe of finest silk arrayed, with sandal oil bedewed,
These kings approach the saintly men in suppliant attitude.

Then king Manoja with a salutation took his seat apart, and, exchanging friendly greetings, spoke a couple of stanzas:

O holy men, we trust that you are prosperous and well,
With grain to glean and roots and fruit abundant where you dwell.

Have you been much by flies and gnats and creeping things annoyed,
Or from wild beasts of prey have you immunity enjoyed?

Then these stanzas were spoken by them as question and answer:

We thank thee, king, and answer thus: We prosper and are well,
With grain to glean and roots and fruit abundant where we dwell.

From flies and gnats and creeping things we suffer not annoy,
And from wild beasts of prey we here immunity enjoy.