Dipavamsa, the Chronicle of the Island

The Chonicle of the Island - 89
28. titthigaṇe nimantitvā pavesetvā nivesanaṁ
mahādānaṁ padatvāna pañhaṁ pucchi anuttaraṁ. 195 |
28. After having invited the numbers of Titthiyas and having introduced them
into his palace and having bestowed on them great gifts, he asked them an
exceedingly difficult question.
29. pañhaṁ puṭṭhā na sakkonti vissajjetuṁ sakā balā,
ambaṁ puṭṭho labujaṁ vā byākariṁsu apaññakā. |
29. Being asked this question, they could not answer it by their own power; the
ignorant people answered like a man who being asked about the mango tree,
replies concerning the Lakucha tree.
30. anumattam pi sabbesaṁ alan te puna desanaṁ.
bhinditvā sabbapāsaṇḍaṁ haritvā puthuladdhike 196 | [44]
30. They all were content with low seats (?) (in the royal hall). 197 [149] After
having annihilated all the Pāsaṇḍas and defeated the sectarians, –
31. iti rājā vicintesi: aññe pi ke labhāmase
ye loke arahanto ca arahattamaggañ ca passanti? |
31. the king thought: “Which other men may we find who are Arahats in this
world or see the path towards Arahatship?
195 nimantetvā A. – nivesane YF. – 29b. puṭṭho A Z, °ṭṭhaṁ B G N, suṭṭhaṁ F. ambaṁ
puṭṭho (puṭṭhā?) labujaṁ va?
196 The king, as is related in the Samantapāsādikā, invited the ascetics to sit down on
what seats they judged due to themselves. They placed themselves on different kinds of
low seats, whereas Nigrodha took his seat on the royal throne. I therefore propose to
correct this line thus: anumattam pi sabbesaṁ alan tesaṁ nisīdanaṁ.
197 The king invited all the ascetics of different creeds to take the seats of which they
deemed themselves worthy. All were content with lower seats, except Nigrodha, a
Buddhist novice, who took his seat on the royal throne.