Part 6: Ajita’s rule as king

Now, Ajitanātha, endowed with all the powers, directed the earth as easily as his own child. While he was guiding the earth, his subjects without fines, etc. kept to the path like the horses of a good charioteer. While Ajita Svāmin, thunder for the peacocks of his subjects, a wishing-tree for requests, ruled the earth, there was grinding only of grain, tying only of cattle, cutting only of jewels, beating only of drums, heating of gold only, sharpening of weapons only, the digging up of houses only, crookedness of women’s brows only, striking of balls only, cleaving of only the earth of the fields, casting into wooden cages of only birds, suppression of only disease, remaining in water of only lotuses, burning of aloes only, crushing of sandal only, churning of curds only, pressing of sugar-cane only, drinking of honey only by bees,^[1] rising of mada^[2] only in elephants, strife only in friendship, fear of censure only, greed only for groups of good qualities, and intolerance for only one’s own faults.

Kings honored him, considering themselves his footmen, though proud. For other gems are servants before the thought-gem. He did not employ punishment; he did not even frown. The earth was submissive to him, like a loving woman to her beloved.

He absorbed the glory of the kings by his own powerful splendor, like the sun the water of pools by its rays. The earth of his palace courtyard was turned into mud daily by the mada of the elephants that were presented to the King. All the directions were trod upon, like the ground by lines of vehicles, by the King’s beautifully stepping horses. No one was able to count the number of infantry and chariots, which were like the waves in the ocean, in Ajita Svāmin’s army. Elephant-riders, horsemen, charioteers, infantry were merely insignia of rank of the Lord abounding in strength of arm. The Lord did not take pride in unique power; he was not arrogant from unequaled strength of arm; he did not consider himself fortunate because of his beauty, though incomparable; he was not intoxicated by his extensive possessions; he was not proud because of the other sources of pride,^[3] either; but, on the contrary, considered everything like straw, knowing their impermanence. Thus directing the kingdom, the Lord passed happily fifty-three lacs of pūrvas from youth.