Then they opened out the master’s relics and in eight parts equally divided them.  Themselves paid reverence to one part, the other seven they handed to the Brahman; the seven kings having accepted these, rejoiced and placed them on their heads; and thus with them returned to their own country, and erected Dagobas for worship over them.  The Brahmakarin then besought the Mallas to bestow on him the relic-pitcher as his portion, and from the seven kings he requested a fragment of their relics, as an eighth share.  Taking this, he returned and raised a Kaitya, which still is named “the Golden Pitcher Dagoba.”  Then the men of Kusinagara collecting all the ashes of the burning, raised over them a Kaitya, and called it “the Ashes Dagoba.”  The eight Stupas of the eight kings, “the Golden Pitcher” and “the Ashes Stupa.”

Thus throughout Gambudvipa there first were raised ten Dagobas.  Then all the lords and ladies of the country holding gem-embroidered canopies, paid their offerings at the various shrines, adorning them as any golden mountain.  And so with music and with dancing through the day and night they made merry, and sang.  And now the Arhats numbering five hundred, having forever lost their master’s presence, reflecting there was now no ground of certainty, returned to Gridhrakuta mount; assembling in King Sakra’s cavern, they collected there the Sutra Pitaka; all the assembly agreeing that the venerable Ananda should say, for the sake of the congregation, the sermons of Tathagata from first to last:  “Great and small, whatever you have heard from the mouth of the deceased Muni.”

Then Ananda in the great assembly ascending the lion throne, declared in order what the lord had preached, uttering the words “Thus have I heard.”

The whole assembly, bathed in tears, were deeply moved as he pronounced the words “I heard”; and so he announced the law as to the time, as to the place, as to the person; as he spoke, so was it written down from first to last, the complete Sutra Pitaka.  By diligent attention in the use of means, practising wisdom, all these Arhats obtained Nirvana; those now able so to do, or hereafter able, shall attain Nirvana in the same way.  King Asoka born in the world when strong, caused much sorrow; when feeble, then he banished sorrow; as the Asoka-flower tree, ruling over Gambudvipa, his heart forever put an end to sorrow, when brought to entire faith in the true law; therefore he was called “the King who frees from sorrow.”  A descendant of the Mayura family, receiving from heaven a righteous disposition, he ruled equally over the world; he raised everywhere towers and shrines, his private name the “violent Asoka,” now called the “righteous Asoka.”

Opening the Dagobas raised by those seven kings to take the Sariras thence, he spread them everywhere, and raised in one day eighty-four thousand towers; only with regard to the eighth pagoda in Ramagrama, which the Naga spirit protected, the king was unable to obtain those relics; but though he obtained them not, knowing they were spiritually bequeathed relics of Buddha which the Naga worshipped and adored, his faith was increased and his reverent disposition.  Although the king was ruler of the world, yet was he able to obtain the first holy fruit; and thus induced the entire empire to honor and revere the shrines of Tathagata.