གསར་མདག་ག་སྔན་གྱ་སྦྱར་བ་ཞས་བྱ་བ 5

5

happy, well provisioned, pleasant, and bustling with many people—before long you will be empty and bereft of people!’

“After weeping sorrowfully for a moment, King Kanakavarṇa thought, ‘Those who are rich, wealthy, and prosperous will be able to support themselves, but those who are poor, with little wealth, and with little to eat and drink—how will they survive? Let me collect all the foodstuffs in Jambudvīpa, build a storehouse for all the villages, cities, and market towns, as well as for the royal capital,⁴⁵ and distribute an equal share to all the people of Jambudvīpa.’

“King Kanakavarṇa then summoned his accountants, ministers, courtiers, gatekeepers, and councilors, and ordered, ‘Sirs, go and collect all the foodstuffs in Jambudvīpa, count them and measure them out, and place them in a storehouse for all the villages, cities, and market towns, as well as for the royal capital.’

“The accountants, ministers, courtiers, gatekeepers, and councilors did as King Kanakavarṇa had ordered, and when they had stored the foodstuffs in the storehouse, they went to King Kanakavarṇa and said, ‘Your Majesty, please know that the foodstuffs from all the villages, cities, and market towns,