眾許摩訶帝經

Fascicle 13

After King Suddhodana had spoken these words, he recalled the days and months during which the Buddha had practiced austerities in the mountains and forests, and suddenly shed tears. The King asked the Buddha in verse:

The Buddha replied:

The King asked:

The Buddha replied:

The King asked:

The Buddha replied:

The King asked:

The Buddha replied:

The King asked:

The Buddha replied:

The King asked:

The Buddha replied:

The King asked:

The Buddha replied:

The King asked:

The Buddha replied:

With the fragrance of precepts and wholesome Dharma-water,
The virtuous continually bathe.
Their bodies purified, they reach awakening’s shore;
Such is the teaching of the Noble Ones.

The King asked:

The Buddha replied:

The King asked:

The Buddha replied:

After hearing these words, King Suddhodana was exceedingly joyful and exclaimed in praise:

“Excellent! The Sakya clan has indeed produced a son who entered the world without being defiled by it.”

The King again reverently bowed to the Buddha and thought, “How fortunate I am to have a son who has attained such merit.” The King and his retinue then escorted the Blessed One to the Nyagrodha Monastery.

After entering the monastery, the Buddha took his seat. The King and the others gathered around and gazed upon him, while the devas dwelling in the sky joyfully praised the Buddha. Having examined and clearly understood the capacities of those present, the Buddha extensively taught the Dharma of the Four Noble Truths.

After the discourse, the King and seventy-seven thousand Sakyas all attained the fruit of stream-entry. The Buddha again contemplated where favorable conditions were complete. Seeing that the Dharma could be taught in the Forest of Brahma’s Manifestation, he went there with the great assembly, while innumerable people followed to hear the Dharma.

The Blessed One explained in detail the modes of practice associated with the Four Noble Truths. King Dronodana, the Sakyas, devas, and humans—another seventy-six thousand beings in all—attained the fruit of stream-entry. The Blessed One then went to the Rustaka Forest, where innumerable devas, Sakyas, and members of the populace likewise followed to hear the Dharma.

The Buddha again taught the Four Noble Truths, enabling King Amritodana and seventy-five thousand others to attain the fruit of stream-entry. In addition, some attained the fruits of once-returning, non-returning, or arhatship; some resolved to seek the fruit of a sravaka; some resolved to seek the fruit of a pratyekabuddha; some generated the aspiration for unsurpassed bodhi; some renounced the household life, eliminated their afflictions, and later attained arhatship; and others resolved to receive the Three Refuges.

At that time, Devadatta saw the Buddha display spiritual powers and expound the wondrous Dharma, but because he himself attained no fruit, jealousy arose in his mind. He spoke unwholesome words to many people:

“Everyone is blind, and that is why they believe in such magical tricks. Anyone can perform them.”

A Sakya named Pramanuh then said to Devadatta:

“You should not malign the Blessed One, that Great Man, in this way.”

Devadatta remained silent and said nothing. King Suddhodana thought, “In former times, devas, humans, and asuras received the offerings of the world. Now that the Buddha has appeared, it is truly time for the world reverently to make offerings to him.” At that moment, a Sakya youth praised the Buddha in verse:

Great Sage and noble man of the Sakya clan,
You pour down the wondrous rain of deathless Dharma,
Saving those who have fallen into places of darkness
And gradually leading them to liberation’s gate.

When King Suddhodana heard the youth praise the Buddha in verse, his heart was filled with joy. Yet because the King himself had not realized the truth, he thought that only the Blessed One was a Great Man endowed with immense majesty and virtue, and he took pride that no one else had a noble son like his.

The Blessed One contemplated, “King Suddhodana, my father, has not yet realized the truth because he is bound by two things: first, attachment to self; second, discriminating thought. If one can abandon these two states of mind, one will perceive the truth.” The Buddha further saw that Venerable Mahamaudgalyayana had past affinities with the King, and therefore said to him:

“Employ skillful means to free King Suddhodana from attachment to self.”

Obeying the Buddha, Venerable Mahamaudgalyayana went to the King. The King was delighted to see him. At once the Venerable One entered samadhi and appeared in the eastern quarter, displaying all four dignified postures of walking, standing, lying down, and sitting. From the upper part of his body he emitted water, and from the lower part he emitted fire. He radiated five-colored light like rays passing through a crystal sphere and reflecting one another. In the eastern quarter he manifested numerous forms in this manner, and he did the same in the southern, western, and northern quarters. In only a moment, he returned to his original place and stood before the King. The King asked him:

“Among the Buddha’s disciples, are there others like the Venerable One?”

The Venerable One answered the King in verse:

The Blessed One’s disciples possess great majestic virtue,
Complete with the three knowledges and six spiritual powers.
Transcending the three realms, they attain arhatship;
There are many peaceful sravakas like me.

At first, King Suddhodana had believed that only the Buddha had attained realization and spiritual powers, and thus attachment to self continually remained in his mind. When he witnessed the wondrous spiritual powers of Venerable Mahamaudgalyayana and heard this verse, he understood that many of the Buddha’s disciples had attained the path. From then on, he ended his attachment to self.

Wishing skillfully to liberate beings, the Blessed One formed this worldly thought: “How may devas such as Brahma, Sakra, and the Abhasvara devas come to hear me teach the Dharma? Why? Because even sravakas and bodhisattvas cannot know the mind of the Tathagata, whereas even lowly creatures such as worms and ants can comprehend a worldly mind—to say nothing of the devas.” Knowing this thought of the Buddha, Sakra, Lord of the Devas, instructed the deva prince Visvakarman:

“Go to the Nyagrodha Forest and magically create a great Dharma assembly. Within its towers and halls, place lion thrones, all adorned with jewels. Open four gates, each embellished with the four kinds of precious substances, and command the Four Heavenly Kings to guard them.”

The deva prince Visvakarman obeyed Sakra’s command. When everything had been completed, he went before the Blessed One and said:

“The Dharma assembly is ready. May the Blessed One honor it with his presence.”

The Blessed One, the noble assembly, Sakra and the other heavenly kings, Brahma, the Abhasvara devas, and countless hundreds of thousands of beings all came to the Dharma assembly in the Nyagrodha Forest.

When everyone had assembled, the Buddha mounted the lion throne and proclaimed the wondrous Dharma. At that time, Venerable Maudgalyayana accompanied King Suddhodana to the assembly. When they reached the gate, the Venerable One was admitted, but the King was barred. When the King asked why, a voice replied:

“Today the Buddha is teaching the Dharma to the devas. Ordinary people may not enter.”

The King asked:

“Which divine being guards this gate?”

The reply came:

“I am Dhrtarastra, the Heavenly King.”

The King asked again:

“Will they permit entry at the southern or eastern gate?”

The Heavenly King replied:

“I do not know.”

The King went in turn to all four gates. At the southern gate, Virudhaka, the Heavenly King, barred him; at the western gate, Virupaksa stopped him; and at the northern gate, Vaisravana likewise denied him entry. Seeing the separation between noble beings and ordinary beings, the King sorrowfully thought, “Though I am his closest relative, I remain so far removed.” From that moment, the King’s attachment to self and discriminating thought disappeared.

The Blessed One then knew that the King had eliminated thoughts discriminating between self and others. Seeing the depth of the King’s affection and fearing that some harm might befall him, the Buddha used spiritual power to make the pavilions, palaces, walls, and partitions transparent like crystal, allowing the King to see the Buddha. The King was overjoyed, bowed reverently, and sat to one side.

The Buddha taught for the King’s sake, enabling him to eliminate attachment to self and discrimination, and then continued by teaching the Four Noble Truths. When the King had heard the discourse, all his attachments to self were destroyed, as though twenty mountains had been shattered by vajra wisdom. He immediately attained the fruit of stream-entry. The King thought, “That I have now attained such a non-discriminating mind is due to the Tathagata’s loving filial compassion. For countless lives I have wandered through birth and death, my bones piling up like mountains and my blood and tears flowing like an ocean. At times I fell into the evil destinies. Only now have I entered the gate of liberation and joined the noble path.” Having reflected thus, the King praised him:

“Excellent! For innumerable kalpas, the Blessed One practiced austerities, never thinking of himself but only of sentient beings. I now wish to seek immense heavenly merit.”

Out of compassion, the Buddha asked the King:

“Royal Father, what blessed reward do you now wish to seek?”

The King immediately rose, joined his palms, bowed, and said to the Buddha:

“I wish to invite the Buddha and the noble assembly to enter the palace tomorrow and receive a meal. May the Blessed One compassionately accept.”

The Buddha silently indicated his acceptance. Knowing that the Buddha had agreed, the King rejoiced, bowed in farewell, and returned to the palace. Upon arriving, he summoned his three royal younger brothers, Suklodana, Dronodana, and Amritodana, to discuss relinquishing the throne, for the King had attained the fruit. Yet when he asked the three kings, each refused the throne, since they too had heard the Dharma and attained the fruit. The four agreed to choose a Sakya of sufficient ability and virtue to succeed to the throne.

After completing these arrangements, the King ordered the palace, inside and out, to be cleaned and beautifully adorned. He had rare and delicious dishes prepared for the next day’s offering to the Buddha and the noble assembly. He also arranged powdered incense, flowers, fragrant water, and every other requisite, leaving nothing lacking.

When the preparations were complete, the King sent an envoy to invite the Buddha and the noble assembly to enter the palace for the meal. When the Buddha arrived, the King and his retinue, each holding an incense burner, welcomed him into the palace. After the Buddha and the noble assembly had taken their seats, the King and royal family bowed, inquired after their well-being, and praised the Buddha and the noble assembly. The King then personally presented food as an offering to the Buddha. When the Buddha had finished eating, King Suddhodana poured water from a golden vessel to wash the Buddha’s hands and said:

“I now offer the monastery in the Nyagrodha Forest. May the Buddha use it as he wishes.”

As the King spoke, the water pouring from the vessel produced all five kinds of meritorious sounds. The Buddha then bestowed this blessing upon the King:

“Through the merit of this offering, may whatever the King and all the Sakyas seek be fulfilled.”

Hearing this blessing, the King and his retinue were overjoyed. They bowed to the Buddha and withdrew. The Buddha and the noble assembly then returned to the monastery.

On another day, when the Buddha had been invited into the palace for a meal, the King’s relatives discussed among themselves:

“The Buddha’s present disciples are all elderly. Their dignified bearing inspires great reverence, but no one is yet suited to serve as a close attendant to the Buddha. We should now select young men of gentle and wholesome character from among the Sakyas and have them renounce the household life to attend upon the Buddha. That would truly be fitting.”

After this discussion, the King commanded his relatives and close ministers:

“Sarvarthasiddha has now abandoned the throne of a wheel-turning king, practiced austerities, and become the Great Dharma King. You should choose your virtuous sons to renounce the household life and attend upon the Buddha, for that would truly be worthy of him.”

At that time, King Dronodana had two sons named Aniruddha and Mahanama. Mahanama was skilled in governing the kingdom but was greedy for wealth and gain. Aniruddha continually remained in the palace enjoying every pleasure. King Dronodana summoned Mahanama and said:

“Can you renounce the household life in obedience to the King’s command?”

Mahanama replied:

“I will not renounce the household life. Aniruddha always remains in the palace enjoying its pleasures. Royal Father should have him go forth.”

His father said:

“Your elder brother possesses great merit. You should not criticize him.”

Mahanama said:

“That is merely because our parents love him. If he truly possesses merit, let us test it.”

His father asked:

“How shall we test him?”

He replied:

“At mealtime, send him an empty tray. If he truly possesses merit, food will appear by itself.”

The King ordered a palace maid to carry an empty covered tray to Aniruddha and instructed her:

“If the Prince asks what food is there, say that the tray contains every kind of food.”

Sakra, Lord of the Devas, observed what was happening and knew that Aniruddha had formerly offered food to a pratyekabuddha. Knowing that he should now assist him, Sakra magically filled the tray with rare and delicious food. When the maid arrived, Aniruddha asked:

“What food is there?”

Because she was angry, the palace maid did not answer as instructed but replied:

“There is no food at all.”

Aniruddha thought, “Why have my parents sent me an empty tray?” He uncovered it and saw rare, delicious food unlike anything he had ever beheld, its fragrance spreading everywhere. Astonished, Aniruddha asked the maid again:

“Is there truly no food?”

The maid replied:

“Truly, there was only an empty tray.”

The Prince immediately presented the food to his parents. The King and Queen were even more astonished. They took the food to show Mahanama and said:

“See this food manifested by your elder brother. Everyone cherishes Aniruddha. We told you that he possessed merit beyond comparison with yours. At first you did not believe us, but now it has been proven.”

Mahanama then said to his parents:

“My elder brother possesses merit, so he should be permitted to renounce the household life. I am without merit and therefore cannot go forth.”

His parents then said to Aniruddha:

“The King has commanded that candidates be selected to renounce the household life. Will you go forth?”

Aniruddha asked:

“What benefits come from renunciation, and what disadvantages come from household life?”

His parents said:

“One who renounces the household life will attain nirvana and may receive offerings from devas and humans. Whether dwelling at home or having gone forth, those who abandon sensual desire also receive offerings from devas and humans. But if one remains a householder while falsely claiming to have gone forth, one will suffer the retribution of falling into an evil destiny.”

Aniruddha said:

“I now clearly understand the benefits and disadvantages of renunciation and household life. I wish to renounce the household life in obedience to the King’s command.”

His parents said:

“Your words are truly auspicious.”

Aniruddha had a friend of the same age named Bhadraraja. The two were deeply compatible, so Aniruddha went to tell his friend. Just as he reached the gate of Bhadraraja’s home, a string on a lute broke, leaving its music incomplete. Aniruddha had a keen ear and knew from the sound that a string had broken. He therefore stopped and did not enter. Only after he knew the string had been repaired did he send someone inside to announce his arrival. Bhadraraja invited him in and asked:

“When did you arrive?”

He replied:

“I reached the gate just as the lute string broke. I waited until it had been repaired before sending someone to announce me.”

Bhadraraja praised his discernment, invited him to sit, and asked:

“What brings you here today?”

He replied:

“King Suddhodana has commanded members of the Sakya clan to renounce the household life and attend upon the Buddha. Knowing that you cherish what is wholesome, I came to inform you.”

Bhadraraja said:

“I too know of the King’s command. If you renounce the household life, I shall accompany you. Please stay and sleep at my home tonight.”

Aniruddha agreed. Bhadraraja had a sleeping place prepared, but Aniruddha did not sleep peacefully that night. In the morning, Bhadraraja asked:

“Did you sleep well last night?”

He replied:

“The mat spread upon the bed was one used for the sick, so I found it difficult to sleep.”

Bhadraraja summoned a servant and asked:

“How did this happen?”

The servant replied:

“When you had just been born, this mat was spread out and was long enough for you. Later, when you became ill, this mat was used for you.”

Bhadraraja praised him, saying:

“How marvelous! The Sakya clan has produced such an extraordinary son.”

Bhadraraja then continued:

“If I renounce the household life, Devadatta will succeed to my throne.”

He immediately sent a servant to summon Devadatta and asked him:

“In obedience to the King’s command, we shall all renounce the household life. What will you do?”

Devadatta thought, “If I say that I will not renounce the household life, Bhadraraja will not go forth.” He therefore spoke rashly:

“I too shall renounce the household life.”

Bhadraraja immediately wrote an official memorial to King Suddhodana. King Suddhodana then proclaimed throughout the palace and beyond: “Bhadraraja, Aniruddha, and Devadatta, together with five hundred members of the Sakya clan, have requested permission to renounce the household life.” Everyone who heard the news rejoiced. Devadatta alone was distressed and thought, “I said that only because I wanted Bhadraraja to renounce the household life. If I now break my word, I fear being guilty of falsehood; but if I go forth, I will lose the throne in the future. For now, I shall simply endure it and follow the others into renunciation.”

At that time, wishing future generations to know the nobility of his clan, King Suddhodana ordered everything inside and outside the city—the roads, walls, and citadel—to be thoroughly cleaned and magnificently adorned. The roads were sprinkled with fragrant water and decorated with banners, canopies, incense, and flowers to bid farewell to Bhadraraja and the five hundred Sakyas departing for the homeless life. Their parents stood along the road all the way to the city gate to watch and see their children off. The King also stationed an expert physiognomist at the city gate to determine who would attain the path through practice and who would not.

Bhadraraja passed first, and the physiognomist praised him:

“This man will certainly attain the path after renouncing the household life.”

Aniruddha came next, and the physiognomist predicted that he would attain the path before long. When Devadatta passed, the cap upon his head suddenly fell off. Seeing this, the physiognomist declared that he would commit evil karma and certainly fall into hell.

Next came Samudradatta. As soon as he reached the city gate, he uttered evil words. The physiognomist knew that he bore the karma of speech because he had formerly slandered sravakas and would certainly fall into an evil destiny in the future.

Upananda rode an elephant through the city gate, and the jeweled necklace around his neck suddenly fell to the ground. He dismounted to retrieve it, and the physiognomist judged him to be miserly and certain to fall into hell. In this manner, all five hundred Sakyas passed by one after another, and the physiognomist reported the good or evil signs of each to their parents.

The five hundred departed from the city of Kapilavastu, circumambulated the garden, and went before the Buddha to request ordination. The Buddha thought, “Although these Sakyas now seek renunciation, some sincerely wish to go forth, while others do not.” The Buddha then liberated them all through the Four Dharmas and admitted them into the Sangha.

At that time, King Suddhodana had an attendant named Upali who was highly skilled at cutting hair. The King sent him to shave the heads of the Sakyas who had just gone forth. Upon arriving, however, Upali did not begin his task but sorrowfully wept and lamented. Bhadraraja asked:

“What is wrong?”

Upali said:

“I obey the command of one person; I am not the servant of all of you. I would rather die than shave your heads.”

Bhadraraja admonished him:

“Do not speak that way! You are obeying the King, not being ordered about by everyone. This is a good thing, so do not grieve.”

Bhadraraja then said to the assembled Sakyas:

“Now that you have gone forth, you can no longer use your fine caps, beautiful garments, and ornaments. Place them together in one location and entrust them to Upali.”

Everyone gladly piled their caps and garments into a single heap. Only then did Upali shave their heads. When he had finished shaving them, he thought, “These Sakyas are all still young, yet they have abandoned wealth and honor to renounce the household life. I am poor and lowly; what have I to cling to? I should abandon worldly affection, leave affliction behind, and escape wandering through birth and death.” Upali again appeared thoughtful. Seeing this, Venerable Sariputra asked:

“Why do you appear so troubled and unhappy?”

Upali replied:

“It is not that I am unhappy, but there is something upon which I am reflecting.”

He then truthfully explained his concern to the Venerable One. Venerable Sariputra said:

“The Blessed One liberates people without distinguishing between noble and lowly. The proper time has now come; you should be courageous.”

The Blessed One knew that Upali’s causes and conditions had matured. At that same moment, Sariputra brought him before the Buddha. The Venerable One bowed until his body touched the ground, reverently paid homage to the Buddha, and said:

“Blessed One, Upali wishes to renounce the household life in accordance with the true Dharma. May the Buddha compassionately accept him.”

The Buddha then said to Upali:

“You have attained the holy life.”

As soon as the Buddha had spoken, Upali’s hair and beard fell away by themselves, and a kasaya appeared upon his body. Seven days later, his hair and beard grew again, and he displayed the dignified appearance of a bhiksu with one hundred years of seniority. He then spontaneously spoke this verse:

The Buddha then said to the great assembly of bhiksus:

“From this day onward, all who renounce the household life shall be ranked as senior or junior according to their years of ordination. This rule shall also be followed in the future. Upali is to be regarded as equal to the Sakyas.”

Bhadraraja then bowed in succession to everyone. When he came before Upali, he refused to bow and went to tell the Buddha:

“Upali was a servant. It is truly improper for me to bow to him now.”

The Buddha said:

“You have renounced the household life and must therefore abandon attachment to self. Since he has greater ordination seniority, you must honor him.”

Bhadraraja then bowed to Upali, causing the great earth to quake in six ways. Devadatta likewise refused to bow to Upali and went to speak to the Buddha. The Buddha also instructed him to relinquish attachment to self. Devadatta and all the Sakyas then came and bowed to Upali. They wondered, “For what causes and conditions did the great earth quake in six ways when Bhadraraja bowed to Upali?” They brought this question to the Blessed One and asked him to explain. The Buddha recounted:

“In a past life, in Jambudvipa, there was a king in the country of Varanasi named Brahmadatta. His country was prosperous, and its people lived in peace and happiness. At that time, there was a female singer in the city named Bhadra, who was beautiful in appearance and beloved by many. A man named Sundaramanavaka approached the singer and expressed his admiration. She replied, ‘Bring a full five hundred coins, and only then may you meet with me.’

“Because the man was poor, he could not fulfill her demand. Seeking a way to remain near her, he moved his home beside hers and frequently presented her with gifts of flowers and fruit. On the occasion of a festival, men and women went out to enjoy themselves, adorned and wearing beautiful fresh flowers. That day Bhadra thought, ‘It would be more enjoyable if Sundaramanavaka came to join me.’ A moment later, he arrived. The woman joyfully said, ‘Go and gather flowers so that we may enjoy ourselves together.’

“That day, because something had distressed him, he had been unable to sleep throughout the night. He fell into a deep sleep only near dawn and consequently rose late. All the beautiful flowers had already been picked by others, and only sirisa blossoms remained. He therefore gathered them and brought them to the woman’s home. She was displeased and spoke this verse:

“She then told him to seek and gather other flowers. It was early autumn and the weather remained very hot, yet he became so absorbed in seeking flowers that he continued singing until midday, forgetting the heat entirely. At that time, King Brahmadatta happened to be resting from the heat beneath a tree at the forest’s edge. Suddenly hearing the singing, the King sent soldiers to find the singer and bring him there. When the man arrived, the King asked, ‘In such oppressive heat, how are you able to sing?’

“He answered in verse:

“Seeing that the flower-gatherer spoke eloquently, the King kept him there for conversation. The King said, ‘The heat overtook me on the road, so I entered here to rest in the cool shade. Say something that will relieve me of the heat.’

“Sundaramanavaka was naturally quick-witted and skilled at discerning the King’s thoughts. He therefore spoke of the benefits of conquest in a manner perfectly suited to the King’s wishes. The King praised him as extraordinary and entirely forgot the heat. The King asked a great minister, ‘According to our country’s customs, what is the highest reward that should be given to one who relieves the King’s hardships?’ The great minister replied, ‘He may be appointed Crown Prince.’

“The King immediately ordered the great minister to register the man in that position. He also announced within the palace and throughout the city that preparations should be made for the ceremony of bringing him to the palace and installing him as Crown Prince, where he would enjoy rare delicacies and sleep upon the finest soft bed and cushions. Sundaramanavaka thought, ‘The position of Crown Prince is exceedingly noble, but it can easily cause a person to covet the royal throne.

If I usurp that throne, I will certainly suffer karmic retribution in the future.’ Reflecting in this way, he could not sleep. He left the bed and lay down upon the ground until morning. The King sent an official to observe him.

Seeing him sleeping upon the ground, the official returned and reported to the King, ‘He is truly unworthy to be Crown Prince; he is only a lowly man.’

“The King asked, ‘How do you know?’

“The official then recounted what he had witnessed. The King said, ‘He is a person of great wisdom, not a lowly man.’ He ordered the man summoned and asked the reason: ‘Why did you sleep upon the ground last night instead of upon the bed?’

“The man replied, ‘Wealth and honor are not true happiness, and therefore I did not feel at ease.’

“The King asked, ‘What do you desire?’

“He replied, ‘I now desire only to renounce the household life.’

“The King asked again, ‘I do not understand this matter. What is renunciation, and what merit does it bring?’

“The man replied, ‘One seeks a secluded place and diligently practices austerities. Without a teacher and without seeking companions, one contemplates the truth and thereby realizes the bodhi of a solitary awakened one.’

“The King approved and permitted him to renounce the household life. After attaining realization through practice, the man came before the King and displayed spiritual powers in the sky. Witnessing this, the King developed profound faith, bowed until his body touched the ground, and spoke this verse:

“After speaking this verse, the King continued, ‘If people like Manavaka renounce the household life to seek the path, I shall rejoice with them.’

“At that time, a close minister named Khadgapala heard this verse and was filled with joy. He always remembered it as a reminder to his own mind not to indulge in sensual desire. From then onward, the King likewise constantly encouraged himself not to be infatuated with the inner palace but to delight in seeking secluded places. Later, seeing that the King was pleased, Khadgapala requested permission to renounce the household life. The King consented. Khadgapala then took his leave and entered deep into the forest. There he encountered the ascetic sage and followed him to study the path. Through diligent practice, he later attained the five spiritual powers. He too came before the King and displayed every kind of spiritual transformation. The King asked, ‘Have you attained such merit?’

“Khadgapala replied, ‘I have attained it.’

“The King gave rise to reverence, lowered his head, and bowed. The instant his head touched the earth, the great earth quaked. The King’s mother then examined whether this event was genuine and spoke this verse for Khadgapala:

“The Buddha told the bhiksus:

“‘King Brahmadatta of that past life is now Bhadraraja, while Khadgapala of that time is now Upali. In the past, his bow caused the great earth to quake; his bow in the present has likewise done the same. Bhiksus, I have clearly explained these events of the past. Having heard them, you should believe and uphold them.’

After hearing these words, the bhiksus all rejoiced. They reverently bowed to the Buddha and withdrew.