Part 1: Childhood of Ajita and Sagara

Lord Ajita was taken care of by five nurses^[1] appointed by Śakra; Sagara, on the other hand, was taken care of by five appointed by the King. Ajita Svāmin sucked the nectar inserted in the thumb of his lotus-hand by the gods. For the Arhats do not nurse. Sagara, on the contrary, sucked the nurse’s irreproachable breast at the proper time, like a forest-tree the water of a canal. The royal boys grew day by day, like two branches of a tree, like the two tusks of an elephant. In turn, or at the same time, they climbed on the King’s lap, like lion-cubs a mountain-slope. Their fathers smiled at their very charming smiles, but were astonished at their strong walking. Even when held by the nurses, they did not stay on their laps. Certainly the young of a lion do not stay in a cage.

Running about rapidly as they liked, they tired out their nurses running after them. Strength is a quality of the noble. The royal boys, surpassing the Vāyukumārakas^[2] in speed, caught birds, pleasure-parrots, peacocks, etc. By various kinds of flattery, the nurses halted the boys in their course as they wandered at pleasure like bhadra-elephants.^[3] Divine little bells, tinkling, tinkling, on the boys, looked like bees on lotuses. Necklaces of gold and jewels fastened on their necks, tinkling on the breast, looked like flashes of lightning in the sky. As they played at will, dangling golden earrings gave the impression of new suns reflected in water. As they moved, their waving top-knots looked like newly grown tails of young peacocks. They were passed from lap to lap by kings from curiosity, like rājahaṃsas from lotus to lotus by large waves. The King set them on his lap, breast arms, shoulder, and head, like jeweled ornaments. Smelling their heads again and again, like a bee smelling a lotus, with spontaneous delight, the King was not satisfied. Walking at both sides of the King, clinging to his fingers, they looked like the two suns of Meru. The King meditated on them constantly with supreme joy and agreeably, like a yogi on the supreme soul and the soul. The King often looked at them, as if they were wishing-trees that had grown up in the house, and often spoke to them, as if they were parrots. With joy on the part of the King and glory to the Ikṣvāku-family, they both gradually became more and more mature.