Maha Buddhavamsa - The Archery Display

Maha Buddhavamsa
The Great Chronicle of The Buddhas
by Tipitakadhara Mingun Sayadaw

Edited and Translated by
U Ko Lay and U Tin Lwin

 CHAPTER TWO
THE ARCHERY DISPLAY

The Bodhisatta's display or skill in archery

      After King Suddhodana the royal father had thus three palatial mansions constructed for his son in such grandeur and magnificence which no succession of kings had ever enjoyed before, he thought to himself "My son has reached the age of sixteen. After crowning him king with the white umbrella raised, I shall watch him enjoying the luxury and glory of kingship." He then ordered messages to be sent to his eighty thousand Sakyan relatives thus: "Dear Sakyan princes, my son has come of age and is skteen years old now. I will crown him king. All Sakyan princes should bring their daughters, who have come of age, to my palace."
      When the Sakyan princes received the royal message from King Suddhodana, they refused to comply with his request, replying in derogatory terms: "Prince Siddhattha lacks education, although possessing a pleasant personal appearance. Not having acquired any skill of a livelihood, he will not be able to discharge his obligation to support a family. So we cannot accede to the demands of King Suddhodana and give our daughters."

(These words are as given in the Commentaries on the Buddhavamsa, the Anguttara and also in the Jinalankara Sub-Commentary. However, in the Introduction to the Jataka Commentary, in the section on the Buddhavamsa, it is mentioned that Sakyan royal relatives made the derogatory remarks about Prince Siddhattha at one of their assemblies only when the Bodhisatta Prince Siddhattha had already been living in luxury in the three palatial mansions amidst forty thousand attendants headed by his Chief Queen Yasodhara Devi.)

      On receiving the replies from the Sakyan princes, the fathers of the princesses, King Suddhodana went to the Bodhisatta Prince and related the matter. Then the Bodhisatta asked: "My dear father, I do not have to learn anything. What skill do you want me to display?" King Suddhodana replied: "Dear son, you should demonstrate to the royal relatives the art of archery with a bow which requires one thousand units of weight (pala) to draw." Prince Siddhattha then said: "In that case, royal father, have it proclaimed by the beat of drums in the royal city that on the seventh day from today, there will be a display of archery by me" King Suddhodana accordingly had it proclaimed widely all over the kingdom of Kapilavatthu by the beat of drums.

      (With regard to the Pali term sahassathamadhanu the Samantacakkhu, Dipani Vol.I, says that it can also mean a bow which requires one thousand men to draw (in accordance with the expositions of the Tika-nipata of the Anguttara Commentary and its Sub-Commentary and the Commentary on the Budhavamsa). It adds: "If however, the Pali word is taken to refer to the force or weight, it should be translated 'a bow which requires a force equal to one thousand units of weight (pala,) to draw.'"

(The author continues to discuss the units of weight, pala, differently stated in Commentaries and Sub-commentaries and in the Candakinnari Pyo and Maghadeva Linka, which are famous works in Myanma literature. We have left them out from our translation.)

      After the proclamation had been made by means of the drumbeat, arrangements were made to prepare a site for the Bodhisatta Prince's demonstration of archery skills and to construct a decorated viewing pandal for the ministers, palace ladies, retinue, service personnel, soldiers, and distinguished royal relatives. On the seventh day, when all the arrangements were completed, the king with his ministers, military commanders and guests were all seated in their respective places; the Bodhisatta after taking his seat on the gem-studded throne in the centre of the open ground, took hold of the big bow handed over to him by the royal attendants. (The bow required one thousand men to draw; or the bow required one thousand units or two thousand units of weight, pala, to draw.)
      Sitting cross-legged on the throne, the Prince held the bow in his left hand, twisted the bow string round one big toe with which it was pulled to make it taut; then he struck the bow string with his right hand to adjust it. The vibrating sound emitted from the string was so loud that it echoed throughout the city of Kapilavatthu which appeared as if it was on the verge of flying up into the sky.
      Thereupon, some people asked: "What is that sound?"; and some people replied: "This is the roaring sound of thunder." Others, however, said: "Oh, you do not know; this is not the sound of thunder; this is the sound produced when the Sakyan Prince Siddhattha, so graceful in form and resplendant in complexion, drew the bow which requires one thousand men (or two thousand units of weight, palas,) to stretch, and struck the bow string."
      All the eighty thousand Sakyan princes and royal relatives witnessing the spectacular display by the Bodhisatta of striking and adjusting the bow strings were exceedingly delighted.

The demonstration of twelve minor types of archery

      The noble Bodhisatta sent for the most famous master archers of Kapilavatthu by the name of Akkhanavedhi, Valavedhi, Saravedhi, and Saddavedhi and let them assemble in the palace ground. As for himself (much like in a previous existence, when the Bodhisatta was born as young Jotipala, as mentioned in the Sarabhanga Jataka of the Cattalisa Nipata), he stood in the midst of the four kinds of audience with a majestic bearing like a serpent prince emerging from the earth or Sakka the King of Devas at a military parade. He was clad in martial attire studded with rubies, wearing on his head a diadem adorned with nine kinds of multi-faceted precious gems and girdled around his waist was a sash massively finished with seven kinds of gems. He was holding a crescent-shaped bow, made of an animal horn, with coral-coloured strings and slung over his shoulder was a quiver of emerald colour.
      The four aforesaid master archers were made to take up their positions at the four corners as those of a rectangular tank with their personal attendants carrying a supply of thirty thousand arrows each. He himself, however, held an arrow with a vajira diamond tip and called upon the four master archers to shoot at him simultaneously.
      (1) The master archers pleaded, "Son of our Lord, we are the most accomplished archers who can shoot and hit the target many times in a flash of lightning (Akkhanavedhi); who can split into two halves a target as small as the tail hair or feather of an animal as if it were a target such as a brinjal (Valavedhi); who can shoot an arrow to hit another arrow which was shot ahead of it (Saravedhi); and who can shoot to hit the target without seeing with the eyes but by listening to the sound (Saddavedhi). Your Highness is young and tender in age; we cannot have the heart to shoot at you."
      Replying, "Fear not! If you can shoot to hit, keep on shooting me," he stood erect, fearless like a golden lion in the centre of the open court. Thereupon, the master archers started shooting simultaneously thousands of arrows in a flash of lightning with all their might. The Bodhisatta Prince stopped all the incoming arrows, repulsing them by striking them only with a single arrow tipped with a vajira diamond and manipulating them not to fall in disarray but making the arrow heads, tails, leaves and stems group together in a regular pattern to form a large chamber of arrows (saragabbha). In this manner, the four master archers had exhausted the thirty thousand arrows allotted to each of them. When the Bodhisatta Prince knew full well that all the arrows had been used up, he jumped out of the chamber of arrows without disturbing it.
      At this demonstration of archery skill of stopping and warding off the incoming arrows (sarapatibahana), the spectators consisting of princes and princelings, Brahmins and rich people, etc., who filled the whole of the surrounding expanse, made joyous exclamations of praise and wonder, by the beating of breasts; and their tumultous applause reverberated in the sky almost causing the earth to tremble.

(This is in fact the kind of archery skill whereby all the incoming arrows from the enemies are stopped and struck down by one defending arrow, sarapatibahana.)

      (2) Thereupon, King Suddhodana asked his son: "Dear son, what do you call the archery skill that you have just demonstrated?" "Respected father, what I have demonstrated is the art of defending the incoming arrows of the enemy with one's own arrow, sarapatib7ihana. " King
      Suddhodana asked again: "Dear son, is there anyone other than you who had mastered this skill?" In reply, the Bodhisatta Prince said:
      "Respected father, there is no one who has skill in this art in the whole Jambudipa island besides myself" King Suddhodana then said: "Dear son, proceed to demonstrate to us other kinds of archery skill," Upon this the Bodhisatta Prince said, "These four master archers standing at the four corners were unable to shoot and hit my single self. Now I shall shoot with a single arrow and hit all the four master archers." Hearing these words of the Prince, the four master archers could not control themselves, shuddering with great fright.
      Then the Bodhisatta Prince had four banana plants to be planted in the four corners where the four master archers were previously positioned; tying a piece of red silk thread to the tail of the arrow tipped with a vajira diamond, he aimed at one banana trunk and released the arrow. The arrow bore through the first banana trunk but without stopping there proceeded to the second banana trunk which it pierced; again continuing to pierce through the third and the fourth banana trunks, it finally hit and bore again the banana trunk he had first aimed at and came to rest in the hand of the Bodhisatta Prince. The four banana trunks each pierced through with red silk thread stood interconnected by it. The spectators resoundingly exclaimed and shouted in approbation.
      King Suddhodana again asked his son, "Dear son, what is the name of the archery skill you have just demonstrated?" "Respected father, what I have just demonstrated is the archery skill of hitting all the intended targets in the form of a circle with a single arrow which returns (to the archer's hand). It is named cakkavedhi."

(This is in fact the kind of archery skill whereby a single arrow bores through all intended targets in a circular position and return to the hand of the archer, cakkavedhi.)

      Then King Suddhodana said, "Dear son, proceed with the demonstration of other kinds of archery skill." The Prince proceeded to display the following varieties of archery skill one after another:
      (3) Saralatthi skill, shooting the arrows continuously to form a stream resembling a long streched vine or creeper.
      (4) Sararajju skill, shooting the arrows continuously to resemble a series of strings.
      (5) Sarapasada skill, shooting the arrows into a formation resembling a terrace.
     (6) Sarasopana skill, shooting the arrows into a formation resembling a stairways with tiered roofs.
      (7) Saramandapa skill, shooting the arrows into a formation resembling a pavilion.
      (8) Sarapakara skill, shooting the arrows into a formation resembling a circular walling.
      (9) Sarapokkharani skill, shooting the arrows into a formation resembling a rectangular lake.
      (10) Sarapaduma skill, shooting the arrows in successive tiers into a formation resembling a multi-petalled paduma lotus flower.
      (11) Saravedhi skill, shooting the arrows in such a way that the preceeding arrow is hit by the succeeding one.
      (12) Saravassa skill, shooting the arrows to cause a shower of arrows resembling the falling of rain.
      These are the twelve minor skills in the art of archery.

The demonstration of the four major archery skills

      In addition, Prince Siddhattha demonstrated the following four major archery skills to his royal father King Suddhodana and assembled royal guests:
      (1) The major skill of Akkhanavedhi, shooting volleys of arrows instantaneously in a flash of lightning at a target without any miss.
      (2) The major skill of Valavedhi, shooting to split into two halves a tiny target such as a feather as if it were a brinjal.
      (3) The major skill of Saravedhi, shooting to hit every preceding arrow by the subsequent arrows.
      (4) The major skill of Saddavedhi, shooting to hit a target not by sight but by listening to the sound.

Demonstration of archery skill in piercing through seven kinds of massive bodies

      Besides, the Bodhisatta Prince also demonstrated the assemblage of people presided over by King Suddhodana the skill of shooting to pierce through seven kinds of massive bodies (satta mahakayapadalana).
      The seven kinds of massive bodies are enumerated as follows: (1) cammakaya, a great mass of hide; (2) darukaya, a great mass of wood; (3) lohakaya, a great mass of bronze; (4) ayokaya, a great mass of iron; (5) valikakaya, a great mass of sand; (6) udakakaya, a great mass of water; (7) phalakakaya, a great mass of planks.
      Of the seven kinds of massive bodies, (1) Other archers who could shoot to penetrate through a mass of hide were able to pierce through only one sheet of buffalo hide at their best. But the Bodhisatta Prince demonstrated by shooting through and through the mass of one hundred sheets of buffalo hide.
      (2-7) Whereas other archers could shoot to penetrate through one plank of udumbara (Ficus Glomerata) of the thickness of eight finger breadth, or one plank of panasa (Pentaptera Tomentosa) of thickness of four finger-breadth, the Bodhisatta Prince could shoot to pierce through one hundred such planks. Similarly, whereas other archers could shoot to pierce through only one copper sheet of two finger-breadth thickness or an iron sheet of one finger-breadth thickness, the Bodhisatta Prince could shoot to penetrate many layers of such copper and iron sheets. Although other archers could shoot an arrow from the front through a cart loaded with sand or planks or hay to let it come out from the rear, or from its rear to let it come out from the front, the Bodhisatta Prince could shoot to penetrate through many such carts either from the front or from the back. Whereas other archers could shoot to cover a distance of just four usabhasin water and just eight usabhas on land, the Bodhisatta Prince demonstrated shooting to cover many usabhas (or even yojanas if desired, in water or on land). (Reproduced from the Asadisa Jataka of the Dukanipata). ( usabha: a measure of length=140 cubits.)

(This in fact is the demonstration of archery skill of shooting through seven kinds of massive bodies, Satta Mahakaya padalana.)

The marvellous skill in archery of Bodhisatta Asadisa Prince

      The Bodhisatta demonstrated his skill in archery not only in his last human existence as Prince Siddhattha; he had also made the same kind of marvellous display of archery even while he was still in the early stages of Parami-fulfillment in his existence as Prince Asadisa. Here follows a brief account of this episode.
      The Bodhisatta, while still fulfilling the Perfections, was born in one of the existences as Prince Asadisa, the eldest son of King Brahmadatta of the City of Varanasi. When he attained the age of sixteen, he proceeded to the University town of Takkasila where under the world-famous teacher, Disapamokkha, he learned the three Vedas together with the eighteen branches of learning to the highest stage of perfection. In particular he had mastered without equal the archery skills. When he returned to Varanasi after completion of his study he refused the kingship offered to him as the elder son in accordance with the dying wishes of his father, King Brahmadatta. The ministers then elected the younger brother, Prince Brahmadatta, to be king. The elder Prince Asadisa continued to live the princely life in a peaceful manner. But the sycophants and opportune seekers serving the king, in order to sow the seeds of discord, maligned Prince Asadisa, saying to the king thus: "Prince Asadisa is planning to seize your throne." Believing these slanderous words, the king ordered the arrest of his elder brother, Prince Asadisa.
      On being informed of the said matter by a well-wishing palace attendant, the Bodhisatta felt deeply hurt and left the kingdom of Varanasi to go to another country. There he had words sent to the king that a master archer had arrived at the palace gate, seeking permission to be in the king's service. Summoning the master archer to his presence, the king questioned him as to the remuneration he sought for his services. Agreeing to be employed on a salary of one hundred thousand pieces of silver per annum, Prince Asadisa remained henceforth in the service of the king as an archer. The incumbent archers were jealous of the newcomer being thus paid a salary of one thousand a year, and spoke in disparagement of him.
      One day, while in the royal garden near the auspicious stone slab, the king saw a bunch of mangoes high up on the top of a big mango tree. Considering "It is impossible to climb up and pluck the mango bunch," the king summoned the old archers and asked them, "Can you shoot down that bunch of mangoes with an arrow?" They submitted unanimously, "Your Majesty, there is no trouble for us to shoot it down; but Your Majesty has seen our performance many a time. Let the new archer, who is earning much more than we do, bring it down."
      The king then sent for the Bodhisatta Prince Asadisa and asked him, "My son, can you shoot down that bunch of mango with an arrow?" The Bodhisatta Prince replied, "Your Majesty, if I have the permission to use the place where you are reclining, the job can be done." (He made this request as the stalk of the mango bunch was directly above the place where the king had been reclining.) The king moved out from his reclining position and permitted the Bodhisatta prince to shoot from there.
      Unlike other archers, the Bodhisatta did not go about carrying his bow in his hand ostentatiously. He moved about with his bow folded and wrapped up in cloth. The Bodhisatta had an enclosure formed of screens and curtains. Then entering the enclosure to take off the white outer garment, he changed into red attire. He also then girded up his loins and had a red sash wrapped tightly round his chest, after which he took out the sword from inside the bag and hung it on the left shoulder; he then put on a cloak of the colour of gold and with the quiver slung on the back, held the large bow made of a ram's horn, each sector of which was fastened properly at the joints and set the bow strings of 'coral red colour. And, with a frontlet of precious gems adorning his head, and rotating the sharp arrow with his finger nails, he parted the curtain and came out like a Naga youth emerging from the earth. Then going straight to the place for shooting, he asked the king, "Your Majesty, shall I shoot down the bunch of mangoes with the ascending arrow or with a descending one?" The king replied, "My son, I had seen many archers bring down (fruit) with the ascending arrow, but I have not seen archers shoot them down with the descending one. I want you to shoot and cut the stem with the descending arrow". The Bodhisatta Prince replied, "Your Majesty, this first arrow I am shooting will go up as far as Catumaharajika abode of Devas; I beseech you to be patient and wait for the arrow's descent from the said Deva abode." "So be it," said the king.
      The Bodhisatta further explained thus: "Your Majesty, this first arrow I am shooting on its way up will cleave half the stalk of the mango bunch and when it descends from the sky, it will cut the remaining half precisely without missing it even by a hair's breadth, and bring down the bunch. Behold now, Your Majesty". Uttering these bold words, the Bodhisatta shot the arrow accelerating its speed.
      The said arrow went up after cleaving half the mango stalk (as the Bodhisatta had said). The Bodhisatta, judging, "the arrow may have reached the Catumaharajika Deva abode by now", shot out a second arrow with greater force and speed than the first one. The second arrow went up and struck the tail-feather of the first arrow to make it turn and fall downwards; and then it went up and up till it reached the Tivatimsa abode of Devas where it was caught by the Tivatimsa Devas.
      The sound produced by the descending arrow cutting through strong winds in the atmosphere roared loudly like that of thunder as if to make the earth tremble. When people asked, "What is that sound?" the Bodhisatta replied, "It is the sound of the first arrow descending." He calmed the fears of the people who were feeling anxious lest the arrow might fall on them, saying, "Do not be afraid; the arrow will not be allowed to fall on the ground, I will catch it without causing harm to anyone."
      The said arrow on coming down cut the remaining half of the stalk of the mango bunch without veering even a hair's breadth from it in the full view of the spectators and fell downwards carrying the bunch of mangoes with it. The Bodhisatta Prince Asadisa clutched in midair the falling arrow with one hand and the mango bunch with the other, not allowing them to fall to the ground.
      The king and spectators marvelled at the astonishing and magnificent display and exclaimed, "We had never before witnessed such a wonderful demonstration." They applauded and praised the Bodhisatta Prince by clapping their arms with open hands, snapping their fingers and throwing up into the air their turbans and headgears by more than thousands. The king's audience, being pleased and delighted, lavished on him presents and rewards worth a crore of money; the king showered on the archer much bounty and a large retinue which may be likened to a heavy downpour of rain.

(This is a description of the wonderful skill in archery of the Bodhisatta, Prince Asadisa).

      In this manner, the Bodhisatta had demonstrated the extraordinary wonderful skill in archery also at the time when he was born as Prince Asadisa. In this last existence as Prince Siddhattha also he demonstrated to the same assembly not only the aforesaid skill in archery, namely, the twelve minor kinds, the four major kinds, the seven kinds of shooting to pierce through massive bodies, but all skills, dexterity and accomplishments which a prince should learn and master. Only then the doubts and suspicions of the eighty thousand royal relatives, "Does he ever have manly accomplishments?" were cleared away.