z:\ ambedkar\vol 011\vol11 07.indd MK SJ+YS 5 10 2013/YS 18 11 2013 524
524 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES
- “The queen then went to the king and asked:, ‘ Are you fond, sir, of your only daughter, the princess Vajira.’ ‘Yes, I am,’ replied the king.
VI
“ ‘If anything happened to your Vajira would you feel sorry or not?’ ‘If anything happened to her, it would make a great difference to my life.’ ”
“ ‘Are you fond, sir, of me,’ asked Mallika. ‘ Yes, I am.’
“ ‘If anything happened to me would you feel sorry or would you not ?’ ‘ If anything happened to you it would make a great difference to my life.’
“ ‘Are you fond, sir, of the people of Kasi and Kosala?’ ‘Yes,’ replied the king. ‘If anything happened to them would you be sorry or not ?’
“ ‘If anything happened to them, it would make great difference—how could it be otherwise?’
“ ‘Did the Blessed Lord say anything different?’ ‘No Mallika,’ said the king in repentance.”
§ 4. The Ardent Wish of a Pregnant Mother
Once when the Lord was staying in the Bhagga country at Sumsumara-gira in the Bhesakala grove, in the deer-park there, Prince Bodhi’s palace, called the Lotus, had just been finished but had not as yet been inhabited by recluse, Brahmin or any other person.
Said the prince to a young Brahmin named Sankika-putta: “Go to the Lord and in my name bow your head at his feet, ask after his health and invite him to be so good as to take his meal with me tomorrow and to bring his confraternity with him.”
The message was delivered to the Lord who, by silence, signified acceptance—as was duly reported to the prince.
When night had passed, the prince, having ordered an excellent meal-to be got ready in his palace and a carpeting of white cloth to be laid to the foot of the stairs of the Lotus palace, told the young Brahmin to announce to the Lord that all was ready.