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Y. My darling!

S. [with a touch of anger] Yasodhara, I wish you would not speak to him too much of his father.

R. Why should mother not mention father? I love him and I should know all about him. I want to join the Buddha's brotherhood.

S. Do you love him more than your grandfather?

R. I love my grandfather too, I love mother, and you, dear grandmother [turning to Pajapati]. You are always so kind to me. I love you all. But father I love in a different manner. I love him as Buddha. I clasp my hands to him as to a god; and so do you mother, do you not?

Y. [Puts her hand on Rahula's mouth] Hush! I thank you for the rose, my child; now run away and bring another rose to grandfather, and one for your grandmother Pajapati.

R. Yes mother, and one I keep for father when he comes.

[81]

V. Your grandson needs a father, Maha Raja!
And let me tender you my humble service.
I see Yasodhara, the noble princess,
Pine patiently away and spend in mourning
Her life's best years of youth and happiness.
She has been cruelly deserted, has
Been widowed by Siddhattha for a whim.
Give her to me in marriage, and I'll prove
A better father than that runaway,
A better father to your little grandson,
A better husband to his widowed wife.

S. You are at liberty to ask my daughter.

V. Fair Princess, cease to mourn, and grant my suit.
Thou shalt see better days than heretofore.

Y. I pledged my troth to Gotama Siddhattha,
And I shall never break my faith to him.

V. Siddhattha is no more, he has turned monk
And you are free, you are Siddhattha's widow.

S. My daughter, do not think that I oppose
Visakha's suit, for on the contrary
I do support it, and I wish you would
Accept him as a husband, for I need
Alliance with a brave and trusty man.

V. Princess Yasodhara, here is my hand,
Do not refuse me.

Y. Brahman, spare your words.

V. The time will come when you will sore regret.
O King, compel her to obey; make use
Of your good right as master of this house,
[82]For I alone can save the Sakya state.

P. O worthy Brahman, do not threaten us.

V. Decide, O Maharaja; thou art Lord!
Thy bidding must be done. Shall women rule,
Or art thou master still in thine own home?

S. I am master here; but not a tyrant;
Among our people master means a leader.
The Sakya yeomen justly pride themselves
On their free institutions. I'm the first
Among them, not an autocrat nor despot;
I serve them as adviser, guide and father;
Shall I who never would infringe upon
The right of any poorest peasant woman,
Compel a princess of the royal house
To marry 'gainst her will? No sir, not I.
I wished the Princess to accept your suit,
But I shall never say, She must be yours.

V. King of the Sakyas, you forget yourself,
I am a Brahman and of noble birth.
I served you faithfully for many years,
But now I quit your service, for I know
That Bimbisara, King of Magadha,
The mightiest of Indian rulers,
Will welcome me as friend and counselor.

S. I fear me that means war.

D. Indeed it does.[83]

If you remember, King, Visakha said
There was a subtle influence against you
At Bimbisara's court. It dawns on me
That he, Visakha, is the cause of it.
I saw him whisper with a courtier, then
He spoke in secret with a general,
And with the King too he was closeted.
The hypocrite has thrown away his mask,
And since he spoke out boldly, I know now
That he has been intriguing all the time.

S. He thinks I hate my son, but I do not.
I'm only angry, I am disappointed,
Because he did not heed my dearest wish.
I love him still and I invited him
To visit his old home and me, his father.
I sent Udayin with a kindly greeting.
Oh, I'd forgive him all, and e'en his flight,
Had only he not turned a mendicant.
It hurts my pride to see a Sakya prince,
And mine own son, go round from house to house
With bowl in hand to beg his daily food.

R. Grandfather, here is your rose, and grandma, here is yours. And oh! did you hear the news?

Y. What is it, boy? Why are you so excited?

P. Who told you any news?

R. The guards at the gate. They say that my father has come. All the people rush out of their houses and[84] greet him with clasped hands. They strew flowers on the road and hail him as the Buddha!

Y. [rises] Why, is it possible?

S. Stay here. Kala Udayin comes.

K. I bow in humble reverence before the King. And my respectful salutations to all the members of the royal house [turning to Gopa] and to you.

S. Bring you good news, Udayin?

K. Your noble son, my King, is coming.

S. Where did you find him?

K. At the Jetavana at Savatthi.

S. What kind of a place is that?

K. It is the most wonderful pleasure park I ever saw. O King, your garden here is a paltry affair in comparison with the Jetavana.

S. There he lives in luxury?

K. Oh no Sir. Not at all. He could live in luxury, if he wanted to, but he leads a simple life, as simple as the humblest servant in your home, and when he wanders through the country after the rainy season he lives like any mendicant friar. He overtook me on my way, and when he came hither to Kapilavatthu, his home, he did as usual. Last night he slept in the forest, and[85] this morning he went from house to house with bowl in hand, begging his food, and he spoke a blessing wherever people greeted him kindly, or gave him to eat.

S. Oh my son, my son! Why didst thou not go straight to the palace where thy father has food enough for thee and all thy disciples!

K. He always follows the rule of the mendicants.

S. Oh my son! Why dost thou shame thy father in his own home?

K. The Blessed One deems it no shame to beg. He is as modest as a pauper and shows no pride, but wherever he comes, he is greeted like a king, nay like a king of kings, and the wealthiest and most powerful rulers come to do him reverence.

S. And he is here, this wonderful man? And he is my son Siddhattha?

K. Yes, he is here, and it is your son, but no longer Siddhattha, the Sakya prince, but Sakya muni, the sage of the Sakyas, the Buddha, the Blessed One. When I spoke to him and gave him your message, he inquired for you and the Queen Pajapati [Yasodhara rises] and for you, most honored Princess and for Rahula. Yes, he inquired for you and how Rahula had grown.

Y. Did he speak kindly of us?

K. He always speaks kindly, and he is always calm.[86]