法苑珠林 10.33

10.33

Furthermore, the Abhiniṣkramaṇa-sūtra says: At that time, Mahāprajāpatī and that Śākya maiden Yaśodharā took Rāhula, prepared offerings abundantly, brought various articles, and went to the place of that deity. That deity was named Rudraka; named after the deity, that garden was also called Rudraka. In that garden, in former days when the Bodhisattva was still at home, he constantly took massages and disported himself in that park. Within that garden there was a large stone upon which the Bodhisattva in former days had sat and risen. The Śākya maiden Yaśodharā at that time had Rāhula lie and rest upon that stone. Afterwards, she took the stone and threw it into the water, and then made a solemn vow, saying: 'Now I make a vow, true and not false! Excepting only the Crown Prince, no other man has ever had commerce with me. The child born of me is truly the issue of the Crown Prince's body. If this is not false, may this great stone float upon the water and not sink!' Then that great stone, according to her solemn vow, floated immediately upon the water; just like a plantain leaf floating upon the water, neither sinking nor submerging, it was even like this. Thereupon the great assembly, having seen and heard this, gave rise to a sense of the wondrous; cheering and whistling, their leaping and bounding was endless; crying out, jumping, dancing, singing, whirling their hems and fluttering their sleeves, they also made various sounds of music and entertainment, and further celebrated Rāhula's birthday. At the time when Yaśodharā gave birth to the child, the asura king Rāhula seized and devoured the moon, but within an instant seized it and released it again; hence he was named Rāhula. Rāhula was pleasing and handsome; whoever saw him was delighted. His complexion was yellowish-white like genuine gold; yet his head and neck were like an umbrella canopy, his nose was high and prominent like a parrot's beak, and both of his arms were slender and long, hanging down past his knees. In all his limbs and joints there was nothing lacking; his sense faculties were complete and perfect in every way.