z:\ ambedkar\vol 011\vol11 02.indd MK SJ+YS 4 10 2013/YS 18 11 2013 6
6 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES
had assembled. So he approached the door-keeper and said, “Go, man, inform the Raja that a sage is standing at the door.”
I
Then the door-keeper approached Suddhodana and with clasped hands said, “Know, O Raja, that an aged sage, old and advanced in years, stands at the door, and says that he desires to see you.”
The king prepared a seat for Asita and said to the door-keeper, “Let the sage enter.” So coming out of the palace the door-keeper said to Asita : “Please go in.”
Now Asita approached King Suddhodana and, standing in front of him, said, “Victory, Victory, O Raja, may you live long, and rule thy kingdom righteously.”
Then Suddhodana in reverence to Asita fell at his feet and offered him the seat ; and seeing him seated in comfort, Suddhodana said, “I do not remember to have seen thee before this, O Sage! With what purpose hast thou come hither? What is the cause?”
Thereupon Asita said to Suddhodana, “A son is born to thee, O Raja ! Desiring to see him, have I come.”
Suddhodana said,” The boy is asleep, O Sage ! Will you wait for a while ?” The sage said, “Not long, O King, do such great beings sleep Such good beings are by nature wakeful.”
Then did the child out of compassion for Asita, the great sage, make a sign of awaking.
Seeing that the child had become awake, Suddhodana took the boy firmly in both hands and brought him into the presence of the sage.
Asita observing the child, beheld that it was endowed with the thirty-two marks of a great man and adorned with the eighty minor marks, his body surpassing that of Sakra, Brahma, and his aura surpassing them a hundred thousand-fold, breathed forth this solemn utterance, “Marvellous, verily, is this person that has appeared in the world,”and rising from his seat clasped his hands, fell at his feet, made a