Pdli Buddhistical Annals. [Sept. 



supremacy of dhammo : and we shall be blessed with the sight of the many attributes 

 of his Buddhohood, and with the hearing of his dhammo. It is from this cause that 

 we rejoice.' 



" Thereupon the said dewata, the tdpaso, on hearing this announcement of theirs, 

 descending from the supreme Dewaloko, enchanting with its golden glitter; and 

 entering the palace of the monarch Suddhodano, seated himself on the pre-eminent 

 throne erected therein. He then thus addressed the raja who had accorded to him 

 a gracious reception. ' Kaja ! to thee a son is born: him I will see.' The raja 

 caused the infant, richly clad, to be brought, in order that he (the infant) might do 

 homage to the tapaso, Dewalo. The feet of the great elect, at that instant, perform- 

 ing an evolution, planted themselves on the jdtd (topknot of Ddwalo) which glit- 

 tered, from its hoariness, like unto the fleecy white cloud impregnated with rain. 

 There being no one greater to whom reverence is due than to a Buddho elect, who 

 bad attained the last stage of existence, — instantly rising from the throne on which 

 he was seated {Dewalo), bowed down with his clasped hands raised over his head, to 

 the Buddho elect ; and the raja also, on witnessing this miraculous result, likewise 

 bowed down to his own son. 



" The tdpaso having perceived the perfection of the immortal attributes of the 

 elect, was meditating whether he would or would not become the supreme Buddho ; 

 and while thus meditating, he ascertained by his power of perception into futurity, 

 be would certainly become so; and smiling said, 'This is the wonderful mortal.' 

 He again thus meditated : 'am I, or am I not destined to behold his achievement of 

 Buddhohood ?' and said, ' No I am not destined: dying in the interval, though a 

 thousand Buddha be henceforth manifested, it will not be vouchsafed to me to par- 

 ticipate in such a blessing : 1 shall be regenerated in realms inhabited by incorporeal 

 spirits : never shall I behold the wonderful mortal : a mighty calamity is impending 

 over me.' Having thus divined, he wept. 



*' The bystanders remarking, * Our ayyo (revered teacher) having this moment 

 smiled, has now commenced to weep,' inquired, ' Is there any misfortune impend- 

 ing over the infant of our ruler ?' The tapaso replied, ' Unto him there is no im- 

 pending calamity : beyond all doubt he is destined to become Buddho.' ' Why dost 

 thou then weep ?' ' I am not destined to see so wonderful a mortal as this, on his 

 attaining Buddhohood : m8st assuredly unto me this is an awful calamity. I weep 

 in the bitterness of my own disappointment.' 



" Thereafter on the fifth day after the birth of the elect, having bathed his head 

 and nursed him, ' let us (said the officers of the court) decide on his name.' Per- 

 fuming the palace with the four regal incenses, decorating it with the four prescribed 

 descriptions of flowers, and causing rice to be dressed in pure milk ; and then 

 assembling eight hundred* brahmans who had achieved the knowledge of three 

 weda, — seating them — feasting them on the milk-rice, and paying them due honor — 

 they required of them to examine the indications (about the person of the elect), 

 saying ' what is he to become ?' Among them there were eight named Rdma, &c. who 

 were the interpreters of signs. Of these, seven raising two fingers up, declared* 

 4 He who is endowed with these signs, if he lead the life of a layman, is destined to be 

 a Chakkawatti raja ; and if he enter into the sacerdotal order, a Buddho.' The young- 

 est among these, a brahman whose patronimic was Kondanno, seeing by the su- 

 preme attributes which attached to the signs of the Buddho elect, that he was not 

 destined for a lay life ; — raising up one finger only declared : ' Most assuredly 

 exempted as he is from the dominion of sin, he is destined to be Buddho.' Then 

 those who were conferrers of a name, as he was destined to be the (sabbaloka-siddhi- 

 karanatti) ' establisher (of the faith) throughout the world,' gave him the name 

 of Siddha'tto' (the establisher). 



* From other passages it would appear that this numeral was 108. 



