attendants are the Nagas, a kela-laksha . in number, who have 

 red garments, hold a sword and shield of coral, and are mounted 

 on red horses" '. 



GatJNWEDEL ^) states that the attributes of this Virupaksha, one 

 of the four lokapalas or Guardians of the World, also called 

 the "Four Great Kings" (Oaturmaharajas), are a caitya (a sanc- 

 tuary) or a jewel in the form of a caitya in the right, and a 

 serpent in the left hand. 



Before Gautama's attainment of Buddhahood a Naga king, 

 Kala by name, became aware jof the approaching event by the 

 sound the Bodhisattva's golden vessel produced when striking 

 against the vessels of the three last Buddhas in Kala's abode. 

 For they all had, like Siddhartha, flung their golden bowls into 

 the river ^. 



As we shall see below, the Naga king Mucilinda, who lived 

 in the lake of this name, by his coils and hoods sheltered the 

 Lord from wind and rain for seven days. The Indian artists often 

 represented the Buddha sitting under Mucilinda's extended hoods. 



Not always, however, were the Naga kings so full of reverence 

 towards the Buddha; but in the end, of course, even the most 

 obstinate one was converted. Nandopananda, e. g., tried to prevent 

 the Lord's return from the Tashita heaven to the earth, but was 

 conquered by Maudgalyayana in the shape of a Garuda, and 

 was then instructed by the Buddha himself*. When the Master 

 had delivered a sutra in one of the heavenly paradises, the Devas 

 and Nagas came forward and said: "We will henceforth protect 

 correct doctrine" ^ After Buddha's death the Naga kings struggled 

 with the kings of the Devas and eight kings of India to obtain 

 a share in Buddha's relics ", and got one third, and Ashoka gave 

 Nanda a hair of Buddha's moustaches, while he threatened to 

 destroy his kingdom if he refused. Nanda erected a pagoda of 

 rock crystal for it on Mount Sumeru '. 



According to Northern Buddhism Nagarjuna (± 150 A.D.), the 

 founder of the Mahayana doctrine, was instructed by Nagas in 

 the sea, who showed him unknown books and gave him his 

 most important work, the Prajna paramita, with which he returned 



t P. 24. 



2 Mythologie des Buddhismus in Tibet und der Mongolei, p. 181. 



3 Kern, Manual, p. 19; Hist, du Bouddhisme dans I'Inde, Vol, I, p. 70 (64) (there 

 he is called "roi du monde souterrain"). 



4 Hardy, 1.1., pp. 302 seq. 



5 Edkins, 1.1., p. 39. 6 Edkins, 1.1., p. 58. 

 7 Ibidem, p. 59. 



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