BUIiLINGAME. — BUDDHAGHOSA's DHAMMAPADA COMMENTARY. 547 



all that Dhananjaya said. Dhananjaya then appointed eight sponsors 

 for Visakha, and directed them to try her in case any charges were 

 brought against her. He then entrusted his daughter to the care of 

 King Pasenadi and the treasurer, who returned with her to Savatthi. 

 So Visakha, arrayed in a magnificent parure, and accompanied by a 

 splendid retinue, entered Savatthi in the train of the King, and imme- 

 diately won the hearts of all the inhabitants. (397-9) 



That night Visakha's thoroughbred mare gave birth to a foal ; where- 

 upon Visakha arose, went to the stable, and bathed the mare. When 

 her father-in-law learned that she had left the house at night, he was 

 much displeased, but refrained from making further inquiries. Now 

 Migara was much attached to a certain sect of naked ascetics, who, 

 when they learned that a disciple of Gotama had become the wife of 

 his son, urged Migara to put her out of the house. Somewhat later, 

 at the close of a day on which Migara had entertained the naked as- 

 cetics, he overheard Visakha remark that he was eating "stale fare." 

 Migara then and there ordered her out of the house. Visakha, how- 

 ever, claimed the right of being tried before her eight sponsors ; accord- 

 ingly Migara had the sponsors summoned, and brought three charges 

 against his daughter-in-law : first, that she had accused him of eating 

 what was unclean ; secondly, that she had left the house at night ; 

 thirdly, that she performed the work of menials. Visakha cleared her- 

 self of guilt on the first count by explaining that all she meant to say 

 was that her father-in-law was living on stale merit instead of acquir- 

 ing fresh merit; then she explained that she had left the house at 

 night for no other purpose than to care for her mare ; the third charge 

 was withdrawn. (399-402) 



Migara then asked Visakha to explain the hidden meaning of the Ten 

 Injunctions. " The first," said Visakha, " means that I must not speak 

 of the faults of my mother-in-law, or father-in-law, or husband, to 

 others ; the second, that if I hear others speak of their faults, I must 

 not tell them what I have heard ; the third, that I should give to those 

 only who return borrowed articles ; the fourth, that I should not give 

 to those who fail to return borrowed articles ; the fifth, that I should 

 give to anyone in needy circumstances, whether or not he is able to 

 repay me ; the next three mean that I must not sit or eat or sleep until 

 I have first attended to the needs of my mother-in-law, father-in-law, 

 and husband ; the ninth means that I must look upon them as upon a 

 flame of fire ; the tenth, that I must look upon them as my divinities." 

 (402-404) 



Thereupon Migara, finding no fault in Visakha, asked her to pardon 

 him. She did so, but told him that now she should leave the house of 



