named Meghasvararâga, &c. In the north-east, monks, is the Tathâgata named Sarvalokabhayâgitakkhambhitatvavidhvamsanakara[1], the Arhat, &c., and, the sixteenth, myself, Sâkyamuni, the Tathâgata, the Arhat, &c., who have attained supreme, perfect enlightenment in the centre of this Saha-world[2].
Further, monks, those beings who have heard the law from us when we were novices, those many hundred thousand myriads of kotis of beings, numerous as the sands of the river Ganges, whom we have severally initiated in supreme, perfect enlightenment, they are up to this day standing on the stage of disciples and matured for supreme, perfect enlightenment In regular turn they are to attain supreme, perfect enlightenment, for it is difficult, monks, to penetrate the knowledge of the Tathâgatas. And which are those beings, monks, who,
- ↑ Var. lect. °bhayadevâgakkha°, and, according to Burnouf, °bhayâstambhitatva . The compound contains four epithets of Siva, the ruler of the north-east; sarvalokabhaya, the terror of all the world; agita, unconquerable (the var. lect. devâga is probably devâgra, the chief or supreme of gods); kambhitatvakara, he who causes stiffness; vidhvamsanakara, the destroyer. Kambhita is the regular Prâkrit form for stambhita, and here, without doubt, the original reading.
- ↑ Which seems to imply that Sâkyamuni is both the ruler of the north-west and the central point. As a ruler of the north-west we find Sikhin in Brihat Samhitâ, chap. 53, 51; in Buddhist writings Sikhin is synonymous with Brahma Sahâmpati. So it would seem as if Sâkyamuni in this passage were considered to be one with Brahma.
svara. Dîpa or pradîpa, torch, candle, light, is necessary, because the ruler of the north is the moon; meghasvara, sound of the clouds, must somehow denote the sky. Râgan, king, is king Soma (identified with the moon).
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