Part 4 - Queen Mahā-Māyā’s Journey from Kapilavatthu to Devadaha

Note: This subtitle too is not given in the orginal work. It is the translators’.

[Reference: Mahāmāyā’s Journey to Devadaha City]

In the story of Queen Mahā-Māyā’s visit from Kapilavatthu to Devadaha, it is written in the Jinattha Pakāsanī as follows:

“having cleaned and levelled the road of five yojanas long between Devadaha and Kapilavatthu, like a hardened plain ground...”

In the Tathāgata-Udāna Dīpanī however, the following is mentioned:

“having had the journey of thirty yojanas from Kapilavatthu to Devadaha, repaired by digging, enlarging and filling the potholes so as to make it agreeable...” The two writings are different.

In this Chronicle of Buddhas, however, we follow the Aṭṭhakathās of the Buddhavaṃsa and Jātaka where the distance between the two kingdoms, Kapilavatthu and Devadaha, is not given; these Commentaries simply describe the mending and levelling of the road.

The vehicle taken by Queen Mahā-Māyā is said in this work to be a golden palanquin in accordance with the same Commentaries. (It should not be wondered how the palanquin was carried by a thousand men, because, as in the case of the statement that “the Bodhisatta was suckled by two hundred and forty wet-nurses”, it is possible that they carried it in turn, or, it was probable that the palanquin was pulled by them simultaneously with long ropes of cloth.)

In the first volume of the Tathāgata Udāna Dīpanī, etc., it is unusually and elaborately written as follows:

“The whole journey of thirty yojanas was mended, improved and decorated extensively and magnificently. The Queen rode the stately chariot drawn by eight horses of white lotus colour and of Valīhaka Sindhī breed. King Suddhodāna was together with her, for he was accompanying her up to the distance on half a yojana, there, he saw her off and turned back after she had given him respect and he had said words of encouragement. The white horses merrily drew the chariot thinking “this service of ours by taking Queen Mahā Māyā with the Bodhisatta in her womb will bring us merit leading to Nibbāna.”

The Aṭṭhakathās of the Buddhavaṃsa and Jātaka as well as the Jinālaṅkāra Tīkā do not make such an account. All they tell us is that the journey was made in a golden palanquin;hence this treatise of the Chronicle is in accordance with the Aṭṭhakathās and Tikas.

The Sala Grove of Lumbinī

With reference to the Sala Grove of Lumbinī, two version: one from the Buddhavaṃsa Aṭṭhakathā and the other from the Jātaka Aṭṭhakathā, have been reproduced in this work. The clause reading in the second passage, “hovering around and enjoying the nectar themselves and carrying it for others as well” in brackets, is in agreement with the Ngakhon Sayadaw’s writing. It seems that the Commentary in the Sayadaw’s possession contains “anubhuttasañjārāhi”. In the Commentaries, whether older or the Chaṭṭha-Saṅgāyanā edition, there is “anubhuttapañjarāhi”. Dictionaries give “cage” as the meaning of pañjara of the Commentaries. Hence “cage” is not agreeable.

Again, “parabhata-madhukara-vadhūhi” is translated “with female bees carrying (the nectar) for others as well.” Though “parabhata” has “cuckoo” as its meaning in the Abhidhamma, that meaning does not fit in here; it finds no place in this case. Therefore, the Ngakhon Sayadaw has appropriately said “carrying for others” in his translation.

When a rational interpretation is thought of, one recalls the distribution of work among bees: (1) there are (female) bees bringing all available kinds of nectar from the four directions, (2) female bees that are waiting at the hive and are able to turn the nectar of different tastes into honey of sweet taste.

Here in this Buddhavaṃsa Aṭṭhakathā, it seems that the female (worker) bees are meant. Therefore, “parabhata-madhukara-vadhūhi” should be translated “Liquefying female bees able to make honey out of different kinds of nectar brought by other (nectar-carrying) bees”:

And it will be acceptable only if its paraphrase be given as follows:

“Liquefying female bees that can make honey of sweet taste from various types of nectar brought by nectar-bearing bees after flying around and around over trees big and small.”