[163] Thus have I heard. On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Kusinārā, at Upavattana, in the sal grove of the Mallas, between the twin sal trees, at the time of his final Nibbāna (parinibbāna). Then the Venerable Ānanda approached the Blessed One; having approached and paid homage to the Blessed One, he sat down to one side. Seated to one side, the Venerable Ānanda said this to the Blessed One: "Venerable sir, let the Blessed One not attain final Nibbāna in this little town, this jungle town, this branch town. There are, venerable sir, other great cities, namely: Campā, Rājagaha, Sāvatthī, Sāketa, Kosambī, and Bārāṇasī. Let the Blessed One attain final Nibbāna there. There, there are many wealthy khattiyas, wealthy brahmins, and wealthy householders who have deep confidence in the Tathāgata; they will perform the veneration of the Tathāgata's body."
"Do not say so, Ānanda; do not say 'a little town, a jungle town, a branch town.' Formerly, Ānanda, there was a king named Mahāsudassana, a khattiya anointed on the head, lord of the four quarters, victorious, who had attained stability in his realm. For King Mahāsudassana, Ānanda, this Kusinārā was the 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 in plenty. Just as, Ānanda, the royal capital of the devas named Āḷakamandā was prosperous and flourishing, populous, crowded with yakkhas, with food in plenty, even so, Ānanda, the royal capital Kusāvatī was prosperous and flourishing, populous, crowded with people, with food in plenty.
The royal capital Kusāvatī, Ānanda, was never quiet from ten sounds, by day and 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, 'Eat! Drink! Chew!'
The royal capital Kusāvatī, Ānanda, was surrounded by seven ramparts: one rampart was made of gold, one made of silver, one made of beryl, one made of crystal, one made of ruby, one made of emerald, and one made of all kinds of gems. The royal capital Kusāvatī, Ānanda, had gates of four colors: one gate made of gold, one made of silver, one made of beryl, one made of crystal. At each gate seven pillars were planted, three fathoms in girth, sunk three fathoms into the ground, and twelve fathoms in height: one pillar made of gold, one made of silver, one made of beryl, one made of crystal, one made of ruby, one made of emerald, one made of all kinds of gems.
The royal capital Kusāvatī, Ānanda, was surrounded by seven rows of palm trees: one row of palms made of gold, one made of silver, one made of beryl, one made of crystal, one made of ruby, one made of emerald, one made of all kinds of gems. The palm made of gold had a trunk of gold, and its leaves and fruits were of silver. The palm made of silver had a trunk of silver, and its leaves and fruits were of gold. The palm of beryl had a trunk of beryl, and its leaves and fruits were of crystal. The palm made of crystal had a trunk of crystal, and its leaves and fruits were of beryl. The palm made of ruby had a trunk of ruby, and its leaves and fruits were of emerald. The palm made of emerald had a trunk of emerald, and its leaves and fruits were of ruby. The palm made of all kinds of gems had a trunk of all kinds of gems, and its leaves and fruits were of all kinds of gems.
And when those rows of palm trees, Ānanda, were stirred by the wind, their sound was graceful, exciting, charming, and intoxicating. Just as, Ānanda, the sound of a five-piece ensemble, well tuned, well struck, skillfully played by masters, is graceful, exciting, charming, and intoxicating, even so, Ānanda, was the sound of those rows of palm trees when stirred by the wind—graceful, exciting, charming, and intoxicating. And whoever, Ānanda, at that time in the royal capital Kusāvatī were revellers, drunkards, and tipplers, they amused themselves with the sound of those rows of palm trees stirred by the wind."
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.