King Mahāsudassana 2.6

2.6.1

Tena kho panānanda, samayena rañño mahāsudassanassa caturāsīti nāgasahassāni sāyaṃ pātaṃ upaṭṭhānaṃ āgacchanti.

Now at that time his 84,000 royal elephants came to attend on him at daybreak and dusk.

2.6.2

Atha kho, ānanda, rañño mahāsudassanassa etadahosi:

Then King Mahāsudassana thought,

2.6.3

‘imāni kho me caturāsīti nāgasahassāni sāyaṃ pātaṃ upaṭṭhānaṃ āgacchanti, yannūna vassasatassa vassasatassa accayena dvecattālīsaṃ dvecattālīsaṃ nāgasahassāni sakiṃ sakiṃ upaṭṭhānaṃ āgaccheyyun’ti.

‘What if instead half of the elephants took turns to attend on me at the end of each century?’

2.6.4

Atha kho, ānanda, rājā mahāsudassano pariṇāyakaratanaṃ āmantesi:

He instructed the commander-treasure to do this, and so it was done.

2.6.5

‘imāni kho me, samma pariṇāyakaratana, caturāsīti nāgasahassāni sāyaṃ pātaṃ upaṭṭhānaṃ āgacchanti, tena hi, samma pariṇāyakaratana, vassasatassa vassasatassa accayena dvecattālīsaṃ dvecattālīsaṃ nāgasahassāni sakiṃ sakiṃ upaṭṭhānaṃ āgacchantū’ti.

2.6.6

‘Evaṃ, devā’ti kho, ānanda, pariṇāyakaratanaṃ rañño mahāsudassanassa paccassosi.

2.6.7

Atha kho, ānanda, rañño mahāsudassanassa aparena samayena vassasatassa vassasatassa accayena dvecattālīsaṃ dvecattālīsaṃ nāgasahassāni sakiṃ sakiṃ upaṭṭhānaṃ āgamaṃsu.