z:\ ambedkar\vol 011\vol11 03.indd MK SJ+YS 5 10 2013/YS 18 11 2013 170
170 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES
if Bhaddiya the Sakyan raja will renounce the world, you also may go forth with him.”
II
Then Anuruddha went to Bhaddiya and said to him : “My renunciation of the world, dear friend, is being obstructed by you.”
“Then let that obstruction, dear friend, be removed. I am with you. Renounce the world according to your wish.”
“Come, dear friend, let us both renounce the world together !”
“I am not capable, dear friend, of giving up the household life. Whatsoever else you can ask of me, that will I do. Do you go forth alone,” said Bhaddiya.
“Mother, dear friend, has told me that if you do so, I may. And you have even now declared, ‘If your renunciation be obstructed by me, then let that obstruction be removed. Even with you will I renounce the world according to your wish.’ Come then, dear friend, let us both renounce the world.”
And Bhaddiya, the Sakyan raja said to Anuruddha, “Wait, my friend, for seven years. At the end of seven years we will renounce the world together.”
“Seven years are too long, dear friend. I am not able to wait for seven years.”
Bhaddiya reduced the offer to six years and so on down to one year, to seven months and so on down to one month, and a fortnight. To each offer Anuruddha replied, “Too long a time to wait.”
Then the raja says : “Wait, my friend, for seven days, whilst I hand over the kingdom to my sons and my brothers.”
“Seven days is not too long. I will wait thus far,” was the reply.
So Bhaddiya the Sakyan raja and Anuruddha and Ananda and Bhagu and Kimbila and Devadatta— just as they had so often previously gone out to the pleasure-ground with fourfold array—even so did they now go out with fourfold array, and Upali, the barber, went with them, making seven in all.