Page 490 of: Yasastilaka and Indian culture (Study)

HOPE TUD APPENDIX II 467 going forth to behold Sirima.' When the young monk, lying thus, heard the
name Sirima, he leaped quickly to his feet. Someone said to him, 'The
Teacher is going forth to behold Sirima; will you also go?' 'Indeed I will go',
he replied. And tossing the rice out of his bowl, he washed it and put it in
his net and then set out with the company of monks.
The Teacher surrounded by the Congregation of Monks stood on one
side of the corpse; the Congregation of Nuns and the king's retinue and the
company of lay disciples, both male and female, stood on the other
side of the
corpse, each company in its proper place. The Teacher then asked
the king,
"Great king, who is this woman?" 'Reverend Sir, it
is Jivaka's sister Sirima.'
'Is this Sirima?' 'Yes, Reverend Sir.' "Well! send a drum through the
town and make proclamation, 'Those who will pay a thousand pieces of money
for Sirima may have her.'
have her.'
" Not a man said 'hem' or 'hum'. The
king informed
the Teacher, 'They will not take her, Reverend Sir.' 'Well then, great king,
put the price down.' So the king had a drum beaten and the following procla
mation made, 'If they will give five hundred pieces of money, they may have
her.' But nobody would take her at that price. The king then proclaimed to
the beating of a drum that anyone might have her who would give two hund-
red and fifty pieces of money, or two hundred, or hundred, or fifty, or
twenty-
five, or ten, or five. Finally he reduced the price to a penny, then to a half-
penny, then to a quarter of a penny, then to an eighth of a penny. At last he
proclaimed to the beating of a drum, 'They may have her for nothing.'
Not
a
man said 'hem' or 'hum'. Then said the king to the Teacher, '
Reverend Sir
,
no one will take her, even as a gift.' The Teacher replied, 'Monks, you see the
value of a woman in the eyes of the multitude. In this very city men
used to
pay a thousand pieces of money for the privilege of spending one night with
this woman. Now there is no one who will take her as a gift. Such
was her
beauty who now has perished and gone. Behold, monks, this body
diseased
and corrupt.' So saying he pronounced the following stanza:
147. See this painted image, this mass of sores,
huddled together,
Corrupt, once possessed of many thoughts, but
now possessing neither
strength nor stability."
APPENDIX III
SAIVA TEMPLES AND THEIR GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION
GUJARAT
The power and influence of Saivism is reflected in the numerous old
temples dedicated to Siva, which exist in various parts of India, and in
many
cases, go back far beyond the limits of the tenth century A. D.
We may com-
mence our survey with the celebrated temple of Somanātha
on the seashore,
in south-western Kathiawar, at Somanathapattana,
close to the modern port
of Veraval. Somanātha was no doubt earlier than the tenth
century, and