The Mahavastu (great story)
by J. J. Jones | 1949 | 502,133 words | ISBN-10: 086013041X
This page describes visits to naga kings which is Chapter XXVI of the English translation of the Mahavastu (“great story”), dating to the 2nd-century BC. This work belongs to the Mahasanghika school of early Buddhism and contains narrative stories of the Buddha’s former lives, such as Apadanas, Jatakas and more..
Chapter XXVI - Visits to Nāga kings
Now while the Exalted One was taking his long walk up and down, Kāla,[1] the Nāga king, came to him. He bowed his head at the feet of the Exalted One, arranged his robe over one shoulder, raised his joined hands, and said, “Lord, former perfect Buddhas, the exalted Krakucchanda, Konākamuni and Kāśyapa, lodged in my abode. Well would it be if thou, Lord, would take pity on me and also lodge in my abode.” And so the Exalted One spent the fourth week in joy and ease at the abode of the Nāga king Kāla. Then at the end of the fourth week the Exalted One left the abode of Kāla the Nāga king.
The Nāga king Mucilinda[2] who also had shown respect to former Buddhas came to the Exalted One. Having bowed his head at his feet, he stood to one side with his joined hands raised and appealed to the Exalted One. “Lord”, said he, “former perfect Buddhas, the exalted Krakucchanda, Konākamuni and Kāśyapa, lodged in my abode. Well would it be if thou, too, Lord, would take pity on me and lodge in my abode.” And so the Exalted One spent the fifth week fasting in joy and ease at the abode of Mucilinda the Nāga king.
(301) Now in that week unseasonable rainy weather[3] came on. For the whole week it rained night and day. But Mucilinda the Nāga king threw his coils seven fold[4] around the Exalted One to form an envelope of half a yojana and covered him above with his broad hood. And so that the Exalted One should not be assailed by any poisonous or offensive smell the Nāga king named Mucilinda[5] emerged from his abode, threw his coils around him[6] and covered him for seven days with his splendid well-shaped hood, and thus begat rich merit. The Nāga king Vinipāta[7] also won merit, for he threw his huge coil around him for seven days.
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
See vol. 2, pp. 249, 284, 354.
[2]:
See p.
[3]:
Vārdala, not vārdalika as it is quoted in P.E.D. s.v. vaddalikā. Late Sk. vārdala.
[4]:
Saptakuttam. Cf. the account of the same incident at V. 1. 3.
[5]:
One would expect a different name here, for the action is more or less a repetition of the preceding one.
[6]:
The verb, finite (parikṣipe) or participial (parikṣipitvā), is wanting.
[7]:
Vinipātena. Edgerton (B.H.S.D.) would read instead vivipātena, “without quitting”, which would give the translation, “he (the Buddha) was enveloped (reading parikṣipto for ca puṇyaṃ prasūtam of Senart’s text) by the Nāga king without quitting (i.e., continuously), for he enveloped him for seven days.” Edgerton’s emendation, however, does not seem to take account of the yo sutam of the same two MSS. which give him parikṣipto. Further, as has already been remarked, the text clearly implies that more than one Nāga king contributed to the protection of the Buddha on this occasion. Now Mucilinda appears in the Mhvu. as one of a trio. See 3.138, and 254 (text) where he, Rāhu and Vemacitrin are three Asuras. Mucilinda on its second occurrence is clearly a mistake for another name (? Rāhu), and Vinipāta might well be a corruption (or another name) for Vemacitrin, Pali Vepacikin. The whole passage is difficult reading.