formerly very anxious I'll now caused to be carried out." Calling together his ministers, brâhmans, householders, and the rest, he thus addressed them: "Perhaps you are aware by what means I came to the throne?" "No, sire; we are not acquainted with the circumstances," said they. "Pray did you," he asked, "ever on any occasion see me honour a certain banyan tree with perfumes and the rest, saluting, and paying due reverence to it?" "Yes, sire," they replied. "Well, at that time I made this vow, 'If I come to the throne I'll make offerings to thee, sprite.' By the power of this sprite I became king, and now I'll present offerings to it; so do ye quickly, without further delay, prepare suitable gifts for the sprite." "What shall we take, sire?" they asked. He replied, "Oh! when I petitioned the sprite I besought it thus, 'Whoever in my kingdom shall keep up and practice the taking away of life and the rest, together with the 'five immoral practices' included in the 'ten sinful actions' (akusalakammapatha), them will I slay and make offerings of their hearts and blood.' Do ye then make proclamation by beat of drum to this effect, 'Our king, when he was even viceroy, made the following vow, 'If I gain the throne I'll put to death all my subjects who shall be immoral, and offer them up.' He now, taking a thousand wicked men constantly practising immoralities of the five and ten kinds, intends, after putting them to death, to cause offerings of their hearts and the rest to be presented to the tree-sprites. And let the people pay attention to this matter.' After you have proclaimed this edict, whoever henceforth shall practise such ill deeds (as have been already mentioned), I'll take a thousand of them and make a sacrifice, so shall I get released from my vow."
In explanation of the matter he spake the following gâtha:—
"Of fools a whole thousand I've promised to slay,
And offer to wood-sprites their hearts and dear blood.
Full many unjust I've here in my realms,
To be quit of my vow I'll sacrifice them."
When the ministers and the rest had heard the words of the Bodhisat they promised to carry out his injunctions. They made proclamation by beat of drum in the city of Benares for twelve yojanas round.
