Mahâ-Parinibbâna-Suttanta: The Book of the Great Decease

4. Ayasâya tela-doniyâ, where one would expect âyasâya, but my MS. of the Dîgha Nikâya confirms twice over here, and twice again below, § VI, 33, 35, the reading given by Childers. Buddhaghosa says, Âyasan ti suvannam, suvannamhi idha âyasan ti adhippeto, but here again we should expect the second time to find ayo or ayasam. The meaning of the word is also not {footnote p. 93} quite clear. It no doubt was origin ally used for bronze, and only later for iron also, and at last exclusively of iron. As kamsa is already a common word for bronze in very early Buddhist Pâli texts, I think âyasa or ayasa must here mean 'of iron.' When Buddhaghosa says it is here a name for gold, we can only conclude that iron had become, in his time, a metal which he might fairly consider too base for the purpose proposed.] p. 93 oil vessel of iron[1]. They then build a funeral pile of all kinds of perfumes, and burn the body of the king of kings. And then at the four cross roads they erect a dâgaba[2] to the king of kings. This, Ânanda, is the way in which they treat the remains of a king of kings. 'And as they treat the remains of a king of kings, so, Ânanda, should they treat the remains of the Tathâgata. At the four cross roads a dâgaba should be erected to the Tathâgata. And whosoever shall there place garlands or perfumes or paint, or make salutation there, or become in its presence calm in heart--that shall long be to them for a profit and a joy.'