Mahaparinibbanasuttam (DN 16) - Ancient Buddhist Texts

The Sixth Chapter for Recitation - 244
evam-etaṁ bhūtapubban ti.
and so it was in former times. 273
Aṭṭhadoṇaṁ Cakkhumato sarīraṁ,
(There were) eight measures of the Visionary’s relics, 274
Sattadoṇaṁ Jambudīpe mahenti,
Seven measures are honoured in Jambudīpa,
Ekañ-ca doṇaṁ purisavaruttamassa
One measure of the most Noble Man
Rāmagāme Nāgarājā maheti.
The King of the Dragons honours in Rāmagāma.
Ekā hi dāṭhā Tidivehi pūjitā, 275
One tooth is worshipped in the Heavens,
Ekā pana Gandhārapure mahīyati,
And one is honoured in the city of Gandhāra,
Kāliṅgarañño vijite punekaṁ,
A further one in the realm of the Kaliṅga King,
Ekaṁ puna Nāgarājā maheti.
And the King of the Dragons honours one more.
273 The Commentary says these words were added at the 3rd Council. It also tells how Ven.
Mahākassapa later collected most of the relics together again and that King Ajātasattu built a
shrine for them. This was rediscovered by King Asoka who had them enshrined in the 84,000
monasteries he built throughout Jambudīpa. The story is obviously told to try to reconcile the two
traditions.
274 The following verses, which the Commentary says were added in Tambapaṇṇi (Śri Laṅkā),
also record the growing dispersion of the relics. They should be compared with the even more
advanced last chapter of Buddhavaṁsa, one of whose verses is quoted verbatim below and
another of which seems to be paraphrased.
275 Compare this verse with Buddhavaṁsa 29.6: Ekā dāṭhā Tidasapure, ekā Nāgapure
ahu, ekā Gandhāravisaye, ekā Kaliṅgarājino.