ལས་བརྒྱ་ཐམ་པ་པ 19.3

19.3

The brahmin astrologers and augurs prophesied this about the two of them: “One will give birth to a universal monarch. The other will give birth to a youth graced with the signs.” When King Siṃhahanu heard this, he took them both to be Śuddhodana’s queens.

One day the Bodhisattva passed away and transmigrated from the Tuṣita Heaven and entered his mother’s womb. After nine or ten months had passed, she gave birth to a son. As he grew up, they made him study letters, and he mastered them. He also learned all the fields of knowledge. He mastered as well all the performing arts of dance, singing, and music.

Then King Śuddhodana thought, “Now we must train him in archery.” So he asked the Śākyas, “Who here is the greatest teacher of archery from whom a young person can learn archery?”

“Deva, you can forget all other teachers of archery,” the Śākyas told him. “King Suprabuddha’s son Sahadeva is the greatest teacher of archery. None can rival him.”

As soon as he heard this, King Śuddhodana dispatched a messenger to Sahadeva, saying, “Sahadeva, please teach this prince archery.”

“As you wish, Deva,” Sahadeva replied, and he began teaching the prince archery. The Bodhisattva learned everything he taught him. The Bodhisattva demonstrated other techniques that were not known in Sahadeva’s country, and Sahadeva was amazed upon witnessing the Bodhisattva’s discipline and these techniques that he had not seen before. He devoted himself to studying those archery techniques and learned them himself from the Bodhisattva.

When the Bodhisattva witnessed old age, sickness, and death,