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clouds" \ "Great cloud wheel" » etc. «By the utterance of these 

 names of Tathagatas, snake-king, all woes of all snakes are 

 set at rest, and [though] fraught with ills they create here in 

 Jambudvlpa showers in season and for a season, and make all 

 grass, shrubs, herbs, forest-trees, and corn to grow". At the 

 request of the Naga king the Buddha utters a Dharanl called 

 Mahakarunodbhava, "which causes rain in time of drought and 

 checks excessive rain", and invokes the Nagas: "0 mighty snakes, 

 bring rain here by the appointment of the truth of all Devas, 

 hail! By the appointment of the truth of Brahma, rain here in 

 Jambudvlpa, hail!" 



Then follow prescriptions for the Great Cloud-circle (or ivheel) 

 rite. "He who desires a mighty rain must perform this rite in 

 an open space, overspread by a blue canopy, shaded by a blue ban- 

 ner, on a clear spot of earth; (being) a prophet of the Law, 

 seated on a blue seat, fasting according to the ashtanga, with 

 well-washed limbs, clad in pure raiment, anointed with fragrant 

 odour, wearing the three white stripes, he must recite it for a 

 day and night continuously facing the east; he must place four 

 full vessels, filled with pure blue water, after prayers to the 

 Tathagatas also, according to his power, an oblation, and flowers 

 and odours; then the prophet of the Law, after having painted 

 towards the four quarters with liquid cow-dung on a reed, in 

 the eastern quarter three hastas high must depict the snake-king 

 called TriQirshaka (Three-crested), with cow-dung : in the southern 

 quarter him called PancaQirshaka (Five-crested) five hastas high; 

 in the western, seven hastas high, SaptaQirshaka (Seven-crested); 



in the northern, NavaQirshaka (Nine-crested), nine hastas high 



Afterwards, at a season of drought, he shall recite this chapter, 

 ' The Great-cloud-circle', for one day or for two, until it needs 

 shall rain seven nights". 



Then by numerous invocations the snake kings are summoned. 

 On p. 309 we read that this "Whirlwind" chapter, also called 

 "The Heart of all Serpents" must be recited by the prophet of the 

 Law, after three snake kings with their retinues having been 

 painted with cow-dung for thrice seven days uninterruptedly: 

 a triple-crested one in the East, a seven- crested one in the West, 



1 ■k^M.WiiaM- 



2 "^h ^ ffi^ -fyfj 5J5 . Cf. the name of the sutra itself: "Great Cloud wheel sutra 

 for asking rain", translated by Nanjo into, "Sntra on asking rain of the Great 

 Cloudwheel". 



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