His counsellors, being unable to answer the king, went to his mother and told her about it. She came in hot haste [179] and asking him, "Is this true what they say, dear son, that you long to be an ascetic?" she repeated two stanzas:

Ill-fated was the day, alas! that I
Was hailed as mother to a son like thee,
For heedless of my tears and bitter cry,
Thou art resolved, O king, a monk to be.

Accursed was the day, alas! that I,
O Sutasoma dear, gave birth to thee,
For heedless of my tears and bitter cry,
Thou art resolved, O king, a monk to be.

While his mother thus lamented, the Bodhisatta uttered not a word. She remained apart all by herself, weeping. Then they told his father. And he came and repeated a single stanza:

What is this Law that leads thee to become
Eager to quit thy kingdom and thy home?
With thy old parents left behind to dwell
Here all alone, seek'st thou a hermit's cell?

On hearing this the Great Being held his peace. Then his father said, "My dear Sutasoma, even though you have no affection for your parents, you have many young sons and daughters. They will not be able to live without you. At the very moment when they are grown up, will you become an ascetic?" and he repeated the seventh stanza:

[180] But thou hast many a child, I ween,
And all of tender years,
When thou no longer mayst be seen,
What sorrow will be theirs!

Hearing this the Great Being repeated a stanza:

Yes, I have many a child, I ween,
Of tender years are they,
With them full long though I have been,
I now must part for aye.

Thus did the Great Being declare the Law to his father. And when he heard his exposition of the Law, he held his peace. Then they told his seven hundred wives. And they, descending from the palace tower, came into his presence, and embracing his feet they made lamentation and repeated this stanza:

Thy heart in sorrow, sure, must break
Or pity is to thee unknown,
That thou canst holy orders take,
And leave us here to weep alone.

The Great Being, on hearing their lamentation as they threw themselves at his feet and cried aloud, repeated yet another stanza:

My heart in sorrow may not break,
[181] Though I feel pity for your pain,
But holy orders I must take,
That I may heavenly bliss attain.

Then they told his queen consort, and she being heavy with child, though her time was well nigh come, approached the Great Being and saluting him stood respectfully on one side and repeated three stanzas:

Ill-fated was the day, alas! that I
O Sutasoma dear, espoused thee,
For heedless of my tears and bitter cry
Thou art resolved, O king, a monk to be.