1838.] Pali BuddHstkal Annals. 805 



is a proof that wheresoever an individual may be born, he is subject to decay.' 

 Deeply afflicted in mind, giving up his excursion, he re-ascended his palace. The 

 raja inquired : * why has my son returned ?' ' Lord ! because he saw a person in a 

 decrepid state.' The indulgent monarch then ordered guards to be stationed at the 

 distance of half a y6janan. 



"■ Again on a subsequent day, the Buddho elect having visited the pleasure garden 

 and having beheld a diseased person, represented by the dewatd aforesaid; and hav- 

 ing made inquiries in the manner already explained, afflicted in mind, he then also 

 gave up his excursion, and reascended the palace. The raja, on hearing this, sent 

 a band of musicians (to amuse him) saying ' they will divert his mind from his de- 

 sire, to enter into priesthood ;' and giving up the former guard he established 

 others all round, at the distance of three gdwutdni. In the same manner having 

 beheld a corpse, on a subsequent occasion, the raja established guards at the dis- 

 tance of four gdwutdni. 



" And again on a certain day, the Buddho elect, while on an excursion to the 

 pleasure garden, noticed a well clad, and completely enveloped form, exhibited by 

 the same dewatd, and said, • My friend, charioteer, what is the name of this person?' 

 The chai-ioteer, from that period not being a boddhotp&do (an age in which the Bud- 

 dhistical creed prevails), was incapable of explaining either the nature of the sacer- 

 dotal state, or the merits appertaining to that sacerdotal state, excepting by the mi- 

 raculous agency of the dewatd ; replying therefore by their inspiration, he said» 

 4 that the person is a priest,' and explained the merits of the priestly state. 



"The Buddho elect, impelled by his desire to become a priest, repaired on that day 

 to the pleasure garden. Those Buddha elect, who are manifested in ages when the 

 term of human existence is protracted, beheld these predictive signs at intervals Of 

 one hundred years each, but our Buddho elect, having been manifested in a short- 

 lived age, visited the pleasure garden at intervals of four months. The Dighabhdna- 

 ka fraternity, however, assert that he witnessed all the four predictive signs on the 

 same day. 



44 There, having enjoyed the sports of the pleasure garden, during the day, and 

 having bathed in the reservoir appropriate to occasions of festivity, at the setting of 

 the sun, he seated himself on the rock of festivity, in order that he might redecorate 

 himself (after his bath). The dewd Wissakammo, ordered by Sakko, the king 

 of dewd, who knew his inmost wishes, repairing thither in the character of a barber 

 decorated him with the vestments of the dewd. 



44 While some from among his female bauds were playing airs on musical instru- 

 ments, and the beauties of the Sdkya tribes were yet hymning forth the canticles of 

 triumph and gratulations, peculiar to the brahminical observances then prevalent, unto 

 the Buddho elect, who was thus adorned with all his insignia of celestial majesty, 

 mounting his chariot, he departed. At that instant, (Yaso'dara') the mother of 

 Ba'hulo had given birth to a son ; and the maha raja Suddhodano, on hearing 

 this news, desirous of gladdening his son, sent him a message (to announce the 

 event). The Buddho elect, on receiving this announcement exclaimed, 4 Rahulo 

 being born creates (another) tie (in domestic affections).' The raja inquired (of 

 his messenger,) ' what did my son say ;' and learning what his exclamation was ; 

 said, ' let my grandson be henceforth called prince Ra'hulo.' 



"The Buddho elect mounting his superb chariot, re-entered the town, attended 

 by his retinue in great pomp and magnificence. At that moment, a virgin of royal 

 extraction named Kisa'gotami, who was in the bloom of personal beauty, and 

 endowed with graceful fascinations, was standing in the upper story of his superb 

 palace, and beheld the personal magnificence of the Buddho elect, who was in the act 

 of entering the mansion : and under the impulse of the fervour of her admiration, 

 she chanted forth this hymn of adulation. 



