DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.641#0270
THE HINDOO MYTHOLOGY. 263
austerities, asking him why he thus reduced his body to a
skeleton; why he brought upon himself so much sorrow ?
—reminding him, that his death was near, and that it was
wise so to act as to secure happiness in a future state»;
that he was the son of a king; that he ought to seek riches,
to enable him to make gifts, and present offerings to the
gods, which were meritorious actions, and would be re-
warded by corresponding fruits ; but thafcat present he was
bearing sufferings without any hope of reward. Booddhii's
meditation was broken by this language, and he replied,
' Oh ! wicked friend, dost thou not know what I am doing ?
I am performing yogii, in doing which, it is necessary first
to perfect the body by austerities, to purify the blood, the
flesh, the bones, the heart, and the mind. Death is better
than continuance in a body so vile that meritorious actions
will not proceed from it. I will subdue my evil desires,
indisposition to religious services, hunger and thirst, dis-
position to conversation, covetousness, falsehood, sorrow,
&c; as an unbaked pot melts in the water, so will I, by
yogii, subdue or dissolve all these.' Niimooehee, hearing
this reply, departed. At the close of the six years' yogii,
Booddhii arose, and went to an adjoining village to obtain
refreshments; after which, walking seven times round a
sacred tree, and making a seat of the grass, he sat down
under the tree, and made the following vow: ' On this seat
may my body, blood, and bones, become dry; though life
depart, I will never abandon this yogii called sumyiik-
siimbodhee.' The attending gods, hearing these reso-
lutions of Booddhii, were filled with astonishment, and
taking offerings, worshipped him as a god.
* By performing acts of charity, and the ceremonies of religion, in-
stead of injuring his body by austerities.
VOL. II. M m
austerities, asking him why he thus reduced his body to a
skeleton; why he brought upon himself so much sorrow ?
—reminding him, that his death was near, and that it was
wise so to act as to secure happiness in a future state»;
that he was the son of a king; that he ought to seek riches,
to enable him to make gifts, and present offerings to the
gods, which were meritorious actions, and would be re-
warded by corresponding fruits ; but thafcat present he was
bearing sufferings without any hope of reward. Booddhii's
meditation was broken by this language, and he replied,
' Oh ! wicked friend, dost thou not know what I am doing ?
I am performing yogii, in doing which, it is necessary first
to perfect the body by austerities, to purify the blood, the
flesh, the bones, the heart, and the mind. Death is better
than continuance in a body so vile that meritorious actions
will not proceed from it. I will subdue my evil desires,
indisposition to religious services, hunger and thirst, dis-
position to conversation, covetousness, falsehood, sorrow,
&c; as an unbaked pot melts in the water, so will I, by
yogii, subdue or dissolve all these.' Niimooehee, hearing
this reply, departed. At the close of the six years' yogii,
Booddhii arose, and went to an adjoining village to obtain
refreshments; after which, walking seven times round a
sacred tree, and making a seat of the grass, he sat down
under the tree, and made the following vow: ' On this seat
may my body, blood, and bones, become dry; though life
depart, I will never abandon this yogii called sumyiik-
siimbodhee.' The attending gods, hearing these reso-
lutions of Booddhii, were filled with astonishment, and
taking offerings, worshipped him as a god.
* By performing acts of charity, and the ceremonies of religion, in-
stead of injuring his body by austerities.
VOL. II. M m