The Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha - Bhikkhu Nanamoli [332]
5. “Then, after giving the boon of a village to his barber and after carefully instructing the prince, his eldest son, in kingship, in the Makhādeva Mango Grove he shaved off his hair and beard, put on the yellow robe, and went forth from the home life into homelessness.
“He abided pervading one quarter with a mind imbued with loving-kindness, likewise the second, likewise the third, likewise the fourth; so above, below, around, and everywhere, and to all as to himself, he abided pervading the all-encompassing world with a mind imbued with loving-kindness, abundant, exalted, immeasurable, without hostility and without ill will.
“He abided pervading one quarter with a mind imbued with compassion…with a mind imbued with altruistic joy…with a mind imbued with equanimity, likewise the second, likewise the third, likewise the fourth; so above, below, around, and everywhere, and to all as to himself, he abided pervading the all-encompassing world with a mind imbued with equanimity, abundant, exalted, immeasurable, without hostility and without ill will.
6. “For eighty-four thousand years King Makhādeva played childish games; for eighty-four thousand years he acted as viceregent; for eighty-four thousand years he governed the kingdom; for eighty-four thousand years he led the holy life in this Makhādeva Mango Grove after shaving off his hair and beard, putting on the yellow robe, and going forth from the home life into homelessness. By developing the four divine abodes, on the dissolution of the body, after death, he passed on to the Brahma-world.
7–9. “Now at the end of many years, many hundred years, many thousand years, King Makhādeva’s son addressed his barber thus:...(as above, §§4–6, reading “King Makhādeva’s son” throughout)...[77, 78]...By developing the four divine abodes, on the dissolution of the body, after death, he passed on to the Brahma-world.
10. “The descendants of King Makhādeva’s son to the number of eighty-four thousand kings in succession, after shaving off their hair and beard and putting on the yellow robe, went forth from the home life into homelessness in this Makhādeva Mango Grove. They abided pervading one quarter with a mind imbued with loving-kindness...with compassion...with altruistic joy…with equanimity…without ill will.
11. “For eighty-four thousand years they played childish games; for eighty-four thousand years they acted as viceregents; for eighty-four thousand years they governed the kingdom; for eighty-four thousand years they led the holy life in this Makhādeva Mango Grove after shaving off their hair and beard, putting on the yellow robe, and going forth from the home life into homelessness. By developing the four divine abodes, on the dissolution of the body, after death, they passed on to the Brahma-world.
12. “Nimi was the last of those kings. He was a righteous king who ruled by the Dhamma, a great king who was established in the Dhamma. He conducted himself by the Dhamma among brahmins and householders, among town-dwellers and countryfolk, and he observed the Uposatha days on the fourteenth, fifteenth, and eighth of the fortnight.
13. “Once, Ānanda, when the gods of the Thirty-three [79] had met together and were seated in the Sudhamma Assembly, this discussion arose among them: ‘It is a gain, sirs, for the people of Videha, it is a great gain for the people of Videha that their King Nimi is a righteous king who rules by the Dhamma, a great king who is established in the Dhamma. He conducts himself by the Dhamma among brahmins and householders, among town-dwellers and countryfolk, and he observes the Uposatha days on the fourteenth, fifteenth, and eighth of the fortnight.’
“Then Sakka, ruler of gods, addressed the gods of the Thirty-three: ‘Good sirs, do you want to see King Nimi?’—‘Good sir, we want to see King Nimi.’
“Now on that occasion, it being the Uposatha day of the fifteenth, King Nimi had washed