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335
So he started begging from one end (35).
It became widely known throughout the city that Prince Siddhartha, the noble soul, was begging in the city Out of curiosity, the citizens stood at their respective windows to witness the unusual scene.
Rāhula's mother, Princess Yasódharā also beheld him from her own window. It occurred to her,
"At one time, Āryaputra (husband)used to drive through the city in a golden chariot with full pomp and dignity; but now with his hairs and bear cut, with saffron robes on, with his forehead held in his hand, he is out to beg. Does it look nice"?
She drew the attention of the king. Shaken with nervousness, the king hurried to the Buddha and said,
"Bhante! Why do you put me to an awkward situation? Why do you beg? Do you want to prove that I do not have enough food to feed you monks"?
The Buddha - "Mahārāja ! This is the practice of my line".
The king - "Bhante! Ours is a great Ksatriya line started by Mahāsammata. None from this line has ever begged".
The Buddha - "Mahārājā! You belong to that royal line. But I belong to the line of the Buddhas laid by Dipankara and others. Thousands of Buddhas in the past had been begging mendicants. They had laid down this way to livelihood".
The king received the Buddha's bowl in his own hand and with the entire body of monks, he returned to the palace. They were served with excellent food. After the dinner, all the inmates of the harem, except Rāhula's mother, came and bowed before him. Rāhula's mother had only one explanation,
"If I have merit, then the Aryaputra will come to see me. and then I shall bow before him".
