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The princes of Kusanagara were called mallas, "strong or mighty heroes;" so also were those of Pava and Vaisali; and a question arises whether the language may not refer to some story which Fa-Hsien had heard, something which they did on this great occasion. Vajrapani is also explained as meaning "the diamond mighty hero;" but the epithet of "diamond" is not so applicable to them as to Indra.
The clause may hereafter obtain more elucidation. Of Kusanagara, Pava, Vaisali, and other kingdoms. Kings, princes, brahmans, each wanted the whole relic; but they agreed to an eightfold division at the suggestion of the brahman Drona. These "strong heroes" were the chiefs of Vaisali, a kingdom and city, with an oligarchical constitution.
Four yojanas to the east from this, the travellers came to the Charcoal tope, where there is also a monastery. Going on twelve yojanas, still to the east, they came to the city of Kusanagara, on the north of which, between two trees, on the bank of the Nairañjanâ river, is the place where the World-honored one, with his head to the north, attained to pan-nirvâna and died.
This event is of recent occurrence; but in all the succession from that time till now, there has always been a Sramanera head of the establishment. Rama or Ramagrama, between Kapilavastu and Kusanagara. The bones of the human body are supposed to consist of 84,000 atoms, and hence the legend of Asoka's wish to build 84,000 topes, one over each atom of Sakyamuni's skeleton.
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