The fire was extinguished, and the water became
cold. In the middle of the caldron there rose up a lotus flower, with
the bhikshu seated on it. The lictors at once went and reported to the
king that there was a marvellous occurrence in the naraka, and wished
him to go and see it; but the king said, "I formerly made such an
agreement that now I dare not go to the place." The lictors said, "This
is not a small matter. Your Majesty ought to go quickly. Let your former
agreement be altered." The king thereupon followed them, and entered the
naraka, when the bhikshu preached the Law to him, and he believed, and
was made free. Forthwith he demolished the naraka, and repented of all
the evil which he had formerly done. From this time he believed in and
honored the Three Precious Ones, and constantly went to a patra tree,
repenting under it, with self-reproach, of his errors, and accepting the
eight rules of abstinence.
The queen asked where the king was constantly going to, and the
ministers replied that he was constantly to be seen under such and such
a patra tree. She watched for a time when the king was not there, and
then sent men to cut the tree down. When the king came, and saw what had
been done, he swooned away with sorrow, and fell to the ground. His
ministers sprinkled water on his face, and after a considerable time he
revived.
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