[137] When this was said, the Venerable Ānanda said to the Blessed One: "Venerable sir, let not the Blessed One attain final Nibbāna (parinibbāna) in this little town, this barren jungle town, this mere branch township. There are, venerable sir, other great cities, namely Campā, Rājagaha, Sāvatthī, Sāketa, Kosambī, and Bārāṇasī — let the Blessed One attain final Nibbāna there. There are in those cities many wealthy khattiyas, wealthy brahmins, and wealthy householders who have deep confidence in the Tathāgata; they will perform the honoring of the Tathāgata's body."
"Do not say so, Ānanda; do not say so, Ānanda — 'a little town, a barren jungle town, a branch township.' Formerly, Ānanda, there was a king named Mahāsudassana, a wheel-turning monarch (cakkavatti), righteous, a king of Dhamma, whose dominion extended to the four quarters, victorious, who had attained stability in his country, possessed of the seven treasures. This Kusinārā, Ānanda, was King Mahāsudassana's royal capital, named Kusāvatī — twelve yojanas in length from east to west, and seven yojanas in breadth from north to south. The royal capital Kusāvatī, Ānanda, was prosperous and flourishing, populous, crowded with people, with food easy to obtain. Just as, Ānanda, the royal capital of the gods named Ālakamandā is prosperous and flourishing, populous, crowded with yakkhas, with food easy to obtain, even so, Ānanda, the royal capital Kusāvatī was prosperous and flourishing, populous, crowded with people, with food easy to obtain. The royal capital Kusāvatī, Ānanda, was never devoid of ten sounds, by day or by night, namely: the sound of elephants, the sound of horses, the sound of chariots, the sound of drums, the sound of tabors, the sound of lutes, the sound of singing, the sound of cymbals, the sound of gongs, and, as the tenth sound, the cry 'Eat! Drink! Chew!'
"Go, Ānanda; enter Kusinārā and announce to the Mallas of Kusinārā: 'Today, Vāsiṭṭhas, in the last watch of the night, the final Nibbāna of the Tathāgata will take place. Come forth, Vāsiṭṭhas! Come forth, Vāsiṭṭhas! Do not be remorseful afterwards, thinking: "The Tathāgata's final Nibbāna took place within the domain of our own village, and yet we did not get to see the Tathāgata at the last time."'"
"Yes, venerable sir," the Venerable Ānanda replied to the Blessed One; and having dressed, taking his bowl and robe, he entered Kusinārā without a companion. Now at that time the Mallas of Kusinārā were assembled in their council hall on some business or other. Then the Venerable Ānanda approached the council hall of the Mallas of Kusinārā, and having approached, he announced to the Mallas of Kusinārā: "Today, Vāsiṭṭhas, in the last watch of the night, the final Nibbāna of the Tathāgata will take place. Come forth, Vāsiṭṭhas! Come forth, Vāsiṭṭhas! Do not be remorseful afterwards, thinking: 'The Tathāgata's final Nibbāna took place within the domain of our own village, and yet we did not get to see the Tathāgata at the last time.'"
Having heard this from the Venerable Ānanda, the Mallas, the sons of the Mallas, the daughters-in-law of the Mallas, and the wives of the Mallas were stricken with anguish, dejected, filled with mental suffering (dukkha). Some, with dishevelled hair, wailed; stretching forth their arms, they wailed; they fell down as though their feet had been cut off; they rolled back and forth, crying: "Too soon will the Blessed One attain final Nibbāna! Too soon will the Sugata attain final Nibbāna! Too soon will the Eye in the World vanish!"
Then the Mallas, the sons of the Mallas, the daughters-in-law of the Mallas, and the wives of the Mallas, stricken with anguish, dejected, filled with mental suffering, went to the Mallas' sāla grove at Upavattana and approached the Venerable Ānanda. Then it occurred to the Venerable Ānanda: "If I have the Mallas of Kusinārā pay homage to the Blessed One one by one, the Blessed One will still remain unvenerated by the Mallas of Kusinārā when this night grows light. Suppose I were to station the Mallas of Kusinārā clan by clan and have them pay homage to the Blessed One, announcing: 'Venerable sir, the Malla of such-and-such a name, together with his children, his wives, his retinue, and his ministers, pays homage with his head at the feet of the Blessed One.'"
Then the Venerable Ānanda, having stationed the Mallas of Kusinārā clan by clan, had them pay homage to the Blessed One, announcing: "Venerable sir, the Malla of such-and-such a name, together with his children, his wives, his retinue, and his ministers, pays homage with his head at the feet of the Blessed One." Thus by this means the Venerable Ānanda got the Mallas of Kusinārā to pay homage to the Blessed One within the first watch of the night alone.
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.