Vol. VI, No. 2.] Buddhist Legends of AsoJca. 67 



[N.8.] 



gama ; as the picks fell upon the Caitya, they broke in pieces. 

 Thus his attempts were useless there too. He broke open all 

 the Caityas at Allakappa, Pava, and Kusinara. but could not 

 find the relics, so he restored them to their original condition 

 and went to Rajagaha. There he caused the four classes of 

 disciples to be assembled and asked : ' ' Has anyone heard 

 before of the relics being deposited in this or that place?" 

 Thereupon a certain elder, aged one hundred and twenty 



My 



when 



the relics are deposited, but when I was seven years old, my 

 father, an eminent thero, giving the basket of garlands into 

 my hands, said to me, ' Come, Samanera, in the midst of a cer- 

 tain clump of trees is a stone stupa, let us go there.' Having 

 gone thither and worshipped, he said: 'It is fitting to pay 

 careful heed to this spot, Samanera/ So much do I know, 

 my lord," said the monk. " It is the very place, " said the 

 king, and having had the shrubs removed and the stone stupa 

 and the dust taken away, he saw underneath a plastered floor. 

 Then he ordered the plaster and bricks to be removed there- 

 from, and in due course descending to the cell, he saw the dust 

 of seven kinds of jewels and revolving wooden figures 1 with 

 swords in their hands. He invoked the aid of the yaksha- 

 servants and had oblations offered, but seeing that even this was 

 of no effect he made obeisance to the gods and said : " If I obtain 

 the relics, I will deposit them in the eighty-four thousand 

 monasteries and treat them with reverence ; let not the gods 

 defeat my purpose." Sakka, lord of gods, who was discharg- 

 ing his usual duties, perceived him, and summoning Vissa- 

 kamma, commanded : M GoandheJp king Asoka, the commander 

 of the Faith, to take away the wooden images, for he has gone 

 to the cell with an intention of taking the relics out." He, 

 disguised as a village lad with five locks of hair, 2 went a rid stood 

 bow in hand before the king, and said : " Your Majesty. I can 

 remove them." " Do so, my lad," said the king. He took 

 out an arrow and discharged it against the very joints of the 

 masonry. Everything was rent asunder. Then the king took 

 hold of the key-ring that was fastened to the string for opening 

 the door, and seeing the magic jewel, he deciphered the letters 

 engrave on it as follows * ' In future time let poor kings take this 

 jewel and pay reverence to the relics. 5 This made him angry 

 and he said : ■ Are kings like myself poor ? ' This was an improper 



penetrated within. The lamps that had 



pened 



two ] 

 as ev 



looked 



l Kattharilpakani samparivattakani (Buddhaghosa) °ntani (Rasa 



vahini). " — ..._ » «, 



« Pancaculasramadarakavesena, Buddhaghosa. Paficaculaka , Has. 



