Muktālatā, Princess of Ceylon

MUKTÂLATÂ, PRINCESS OF CEYLON.

Kshemendra is a voluminous but not a great poet, and flourished in Kashmir in the eleventh century after Christ. His versification is fluent and graceful, and he seems to have condensed all that was best in older Sanscrit literature—poetry, rhetoric, tales, and fiction—into compact readable works. Buddhist stories too did not come amiss to him, and in his Kalpalatâ he gives us 108 Buddhist tales, one of which is given below. This work, Kalpalatâ, like most other Buddhist works, was lost in India, but my respected friend, Mr. Sarat Chandra Das, has during his journeys in Thibet recovered a copy of the work with a Thibetan translation, which is being published now by the Asiatic Society of Bengal.

1.

LIKE the bright moon’s golden crescent, Rising from the milky sea, She was born with heavenly beauty In Simhala^16 bright and free.

2.

On her birth a shower of bright pearls From the skies auspicious fell; Hence they named her Muktâlatâ,¹ Princess of Simhala’s isle.

3.

And she grew in grace and brightness, Lankâ’s royal house to bless; And as worth brings sweet contentment, So her years brought loveliness.

4.

Merchants from the famed Srâvasti, Happily it so befell, Crossed the vast and perilous ocean, Came to trade in Lankâ’s isle.

5.

And they sung the sacred Gâthâs, As their nightly sleep they sought; Sung the holy lay which teaches Precepts that our Master taught.

6.

From her inner palace chambers Muktâ heard the beauteous song; Bade the merchants to her presence, Asked them what it was they sung.

7.

And they told the raptured maiden, “Princess! it is Buddha’s word! He is bounteous to all creatures, Of all creatures he is Lord!”

8.

And the gentle-hearted princess Raptured heard great Buddha’s name; And a brightness flushed her forehead, And a tremor shook her frame!

9.

Eagerly the pea-fowl listens To the cloud, presaging rain; Eagerly the princess listened, Who this Lord?—she asked again.

10.

To the princess, pious-hearted, By her questions gratified, Spoke the merchants of great Buddha, Lord of all creation wide.

11.

By the merchants’ tale reminded Of her previous humble birth, Unto them she gave a letter For great Buddha, Lord of earth.

12.

And the traders crossed the ocean, Reached their own, their native land, Spoke to Buddha of the princess, Gave her letter in his hand.

13.

And our Master, all fore-knowing,— Knowing all by power of thought,— Moved by tenderness and mercy, Thus perused the maiden’s note!

14.

“Thy remembrance merit bringeth, Cures the longings of this world, And imparting righteous knowledge Is like nectar to me, Lord!”

15.

Thus our Master, blessed Buddha, Briefly read the loving note, And a gentle smile betokened All the workings of his thought.

16.

And with skill and knowledge wondrous, Which the painters never knew, For the princess of Simhala On a sheet his likeness drew.

17.

By his mandate all the merchants In their vessels sailed anew, Reached Simhala,—to the princess Gave the sheet our Master drew.

18.

And the people viewed the painting Placed upon a golden shelf, And with honour contemplating Seemed to attain the Lord himself!

19.

Written under that sweet likeness, All the people, wondering truly, Saw the holy Three Asylums, Saw the Five Instructions holy!

20.

And the Noble Eightfold Path, Sweetly writ, with wisdom rife, With the Doctrine of Causation,— Life to death, and death to life!

21.

Blazing bright in golden letters, On it shone the Holy Word,— Truth explained in beauteous language, Written by our blessed Lord.

22.

“Sufferers from life’s bitter sorrows! Issue from your mansions drear, Worldly objects snake-like strangle! Trust in Buddha, cast all fear.”

23.

And the monarch’s noble daughter Viewed the likeness fair and holy, And was freed from all the longings Bred of ignorance and folly.

24.

Tall and fair his golden likeness, Broad his shoulders, mighty arms, Eyes in contemplation closéd, Stately nose and manly charms!

25.

Beauteous all in nature’s beauty, Ears and locks by art unaided, Clad in russet bark,—like mountain By the evening’s red cloud shaded!

26.

Teaching duty by his bearing, By his bright face teaching good, Mercy and forbearance teaching,— Such the form the princess viewed!

27.

Bowing, till the budding blossoms From her ears and ringlets rained, With them earthly joys discarding, Truth supreme the princess gained.

28.

In a moment’s time achieving Truth divine and knowledge rare, Lost in joy and pious wonder Thus in gladness spoke the fair.

29.

“Chaser of the world’s illusions, Saintly Buddha, dwelling far, Present by this radiant likeness, Lovelier than the lotus fair!

30.

“I have crossed the world’s illusions, Heart’s true concentration found, Passions, troubles are discarded, Peace, like nectar, flows around!”

31.

Thus she spoke, and unto Buddha Pearls and costly jewels sent; For the use of holy Sangha With these gifts the merchants went.

32.

O’er the sea, unto our Master, In their ships the merchants came, Bowing unto him they rendered Pearls and many a costly gem.

33.

And our Master kindly listened To the tale the merchants told. Questioned by the monk Ânanda Unto him he thus revealed.

34.

“Rohikâ, a servant maiden, In a Sâkya’s house who stayed, She is born as Muktâlatâ, By her worth a princess made!

35.

“Mahâdhana, princely merchant, In Benares lived of yore, And his wife, a virtuous woman, Ratnâvatî name she bore.

36.

“And when died this Mahâdhana, Ratnâvatî, childless fair, On a lofty holy stûpa Placed a necklace rich and rare.

37.

“For this action, elevated, She as Muktâlatâ shone, Born as Lankâ’s beauteous princess Now she has Nirvâna won!

38.

“She it was, whom pride of treasures Maddened in a previous birth, Hence, a while, as servant maiden She was born and served on earth!

39.

“Deeds that are by mortals rendered, Good or bad on this our earth, Yield their fruits in equal measure Ripened in a future birth!

40.

“Virtue is a beauteous creeper, Rooted well in noble worth, Bearing fame as scented blossoms, Bearing fruits most sweet on earth!

41.

“Evil life is poisonous creeper, Rooted in dark deeds of blame, Yielding dire delusions only, Endless misery and shame!

42.

“In this life’s wild dreary desert, Shun, ye men, all deeds of sin; Bitter are the woes that follow, Sorrows and repentance keen!

43.

“In the acts of grace rejoicing, Ever deeds of virtue do, Moistened by the dew of Mercy Sweet the fruits of Virtue grow!”

From Kshemendra’s Kalpalatâ, VII.