In course of time, monks, those sixteen novices grasped, kept, and fully penetrated the Lord's teaching.
Subsequently, monks, the Lord Mahâbhigñâgñânâbhibhû, the Tathâgata, &c., foretold those sixteen novices their future destiny to supreme, perfect enlightenment. And while the Lord Mahâbhigñâgñânâbhibhû, the Tathâgata, &c., was propounding the Dharmaparyâya of the Lotus of the True Law, the disciples as well as the sixteen novices were full of faith, and many hundred thousand myriads of kotis of beings acquired perfect certainty 1.
Thereupon, monks, after propounding the Dharmaparyâya of the Lotus of the True Law during eight thousand iEons without interruption, the Lord Mahâbhigñâgñânâbhibhû, the Tathâgata, &c., entered the monastery to retire for the purpose of meditation 2, and in that retirement, monks, the Tathâgata continued in the monastery during eighty-four thousand kotis of iEons.
Now, monks, when the sixteen novices perceived that the Lord was absorbed, they sat down on the seats, the royal thrones which had been prepared for each of them, and 3 amply expounded, during eighty-four hundred thousand myriads of kotis 4, the Dhar-
Nirvi£ikits£pr&pta; a var.lect. has vi^ikitsdprdpta, which means exactly the reverse, at least if we take vi^ikitsi in its usual acceptation.
Pratisamlayana, seclusion, retirement for the purpose of meditation, absorbing oneself in meditation; Pdli pa/isalla«a.
In one MS. added in the margin, 'after rendering homage to the Lord M., the Tathâgata.'
One would expect eighty-four thousand kotts, the same number as above. Burnouf has in both cases eighty-four thousand Æons, and that would seem to be the preferable reading.
