The Twenty-Four Buddhas – 143
will certainly become a Buddha in the future.” Hearing the Buddha’s prophecy,
the Bodhisatta became very happy and resolved to fulfil the perfections even
more energetically.
Particulars of Nārada Buddha
Buddha Nārada’s birthplace was Dhaññavatī city.
His father was the Universal Monarch Sudeva and his mother was Queen
Anomā.
He reigned for 9,000 years.
His three palaces were Jita, Vijita and Abhirāma.
His chief consort was Vijitasenā, who had 43,000 maids of honour.
The number of the maids is given as 2 billion in the section on “royal
household life” but here it is mentioned as 43,000. The two numbers
therefore seems inconsistent. It should be noted, however, that the former
was the total number of maids serving the princess and the latter was the
number of maids in each batch that waited upon the princess at any given
time.
His son was Nanduttara.
Seeing the four omens, he went forth on foot without taking a vehicle.
He practised the austerities for seven days.
His two male chief disciples were Ven. Bhaddasāla and Ven. Vijitamitta.
His attendant was Ven. Vāseṭṭha.
His two female chief disciples were Ven. Uttarā and Ven. Phaggunī.
His Bodhi tree was a Great Soṇa tree (
Mahā-soṇa
).
His noble male lay attendants were the wealthy Uggarinda and Vāsabha.
His noble female attendants were Indāvarī and Vaṇḍī.
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Buddha Nārada’s height was 88 cubits. He was dignified in the 10,000 world-
element of births, like a column of gold erected as an object of honour.
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Or Gaṇḍī.