Part 4: Vaijayantī’s dreams

Sumitrā’s wife, Vaijayantī, also called Yaśomatī, saw these same dreams that night. Then Vijayā and Vaijayantī passed the rest of the night awake, rejoicing like blooming night-lotuses. At dawn Lady Vijayā related the dreams to Jitaśatru and Vaijayantī to Sumitravijaya. After he has considered with an honest mind the dreams of Queen Vijayā, the King explains the fruit of the dreams as follows: “By these dreams, O Queen, a son, eminent in the three worlds, will surely be born to you, like the increase of glory by merit, like the acquisition of superior knowledge by study of the scripture, like the illumination of the world by the sun’s rays.”

While the King was considering the fruit of the dreams according to his knowledge, Sumitravijaya came, announced by the door-keeper. After bowing to the King like a god, the ground touched by five parts of the body,^[1] Sumitravijaya sat down in the proper place. The Prince waited, a moment, bowed again to the King with devotion and, his hands joined together, related:

“Last night in the last watch your sister-in-law Vaijayantī saw these dreams entering her lotus-mouth. First, a mighty elephant, surpassing the elephants of the quarters in trumpeting; a bull with a white figure and a high hump, bellowing; a lion with a massive mane erect and open mouth; Śrī, being sprinkled by elephants at both sides; a wreath of five-colored flowers like a rainbow; a full moon like a full pitcher of nectar; then a sun, as if the brilliance of every sun had been taken; a tall flag-staff made of divine jewels with a fluttering banner; a full pitcher with its mouth covered with fresh white lotuses; a lotus-lake with a thousand eyes, as it were, with its blossoming lotuses; an ocean with waves wishing to bathe the sky, as it were; a magnificent palace resembling a palace of the Sāmānikas; a heap of jewels with light bursting forth, like the essence of Ratnācala; and a smokeless fire which filled the sky with shoots of flames. These dreams were seen. Your Majesty alone knows correctly their fruit. Your Majesty alone shares their fruit.”

The King said: “Queen Vijayā also saw these dreams clearly in the fourth watch last night. If these great dreams have equally great fruit, they will create joy, like the rays of the full moon. Nevertheless, we must question experts to know exactly the fruit of the dreams resembling moonlight producing joy for night-blooming lotuses.”

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

See I, n. 327.