Vimanavatthu3.8

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3.8 MALLIKA'S MANSION (36) (Mallika-vimana) After the Bhagava(Lord Buddha), refuge of the world, had fulfilled his Buddha duty from the time of setting in motion the Wheel of Dhamma(path of eternal truth) up to the time of instructing the religious wanderer, Subhadda; and towards dawn of the full moon-night in the month of Visakha, between a pair of sala trees in Upavattana, the sala grove of the Malla kings in Kusinara, had passed out(died) completely in the element of nibbana that has no substrate (remaining) and while homage was being paid to his body by devas(angels) and men, a laywoman follower of Kusinara, Mallika of the line of the Malla kings, wife of Bandhula, with faith, happily, washed with scented water her "great creeper" parure(jewellery set) which was like the parure of the great laywoman follower Visahka, polished it with a pad of fine cloth, and taking an abundance of other things, perfume, garlands and the like, paid homage to the bodily remains of the Bhagava(Lord Buddha), This is a summary here, but Mallika's story occurs at length in the Commentary on the Dhammapda. Afterwards Mallika died and was reborn among the Thirty-three(heaven). Because she had so paid homege she had magnificent incomparable deva(angel)- bliss. Robes, ornaments, mansions, resplendent with the seven jewels, having altogether the radiance of purest gold utterly lustrous, made all the directions of the colour of gold, sprinkling them as it were with sprays of gold essence. Now the venerable Elder Monk Narada, going about among the devas(angels) saw her and went near, She greeted him reverently, and stood with her hands clasped before her in an attitude of devotion. He questioned her: 1 "Lady of the goldern-yellow dress and banner, adorned with golden-yellow jewelry, with beauteous upper robes of golden-yellow, you shine even without (these) ornaments. 2 Who are you who wear bangles and bracelets and are adorned with chaplets of gold, covered with a golden net, wreathed with strings of divers gems.  3 Things wrought of gold and wrought with rubies, wrought with pearls and wrought with beryI, cat's-eyes jewels and rubies, resplendent with gems clear as pigeon's eye?  4 Here is the lovely cry of the peacock, here of the king of the ruddy geese, and here the cuckoo's sweet cry—heard is their pleasing song as though the fivefold instrumental music was being played.  5 And your fair chariot shines, handsome, with divers gems inIaid, well proportioned in its parts of varied form.  6 You whose forms is like a golden image, who standing in this chariot, shine upon this place, devata(angel), when asked, tell of what deed this is the fruit(result)," And she answered : 7 "A golden net bright with jewels and gold, thick with pearls, covered by a net of gold, I with a mind of bliss, gave as an offering when Gotama(Buddha), the immeasurable, passed out completely(died, achieved Nibbana).  8 I, having performed that deed of righteousness praised by the Buddha, rejoice without grief, happy and healthy." And at the time of the Council this matter was recited by the venerable Elder Monk Narada to those who were compiling Dhamma(path of eternal truth) exactly as he and the devata(angel) had then said it and they (the compilers) added it just as it was to the Collections.