Konjaku Monogatarishū Vol. 2, Tale 1: Śuddhodana's Death #1 (part 8)

Fig. 1: 然レハ
諸ノ衆生皆俄
ニ踊リ騒ク

We continue the description of Śuddhodana's funeral from last time:

然（さ）レバ諸ノ衆生（しゅじょう）皆俄（にわか）ニ踊リ騒グ。

So many living things all suddenly [began] to hop up and down and make a racket  (fig. 1).

Fig. 2: 水ノ上
ニ有ル船ノ波
ニ値ヘルカ
如シ

The first word, 「然レバ」, can be read in modern Japanese as either 「しかれば」 or 「されば」, but a classical Japanese dictionary only lists the reading 「されば」, which is why I selected it.

Also note the use of the word 「踊リ」. The modern meaning of the verb 「踊る」 refers to dancing. But the original meaning was equivalent to the modern Japanese word 「飛び跳ねる」: to jump or hop up and down.

水ノ上ニ有ル船の波ニ値（あ）ヘルガ如シ。

They were like boats on the water being struck by waves (fig. 2).

Note the irregular use of the kanji 「値」 for the verb 「与える」. It seems like it was selected purely for its phonetic value here, as its meaning ("price"/"cost"/"value") is not used at all here.

Fig. 3: 其ノ
時ニ四天
王佛ニ
申シ請テ
棺ヲ荷ヒ
奉ル 

I'm not sure how to grammatically parse the phrase 「値ヘル」. Since 「ガ如シ」 has to be preceded by a verb in the attributive form （連体形）, 「ル」 is likely an auxiliary verb in that form. It is most likely the perfective verb 「り」, which itself is preceded by the perfective/realis form （已然形） of yodan verbs. This makes sense, since the yodan verb 「値フ」 would be 「値ヘ」 in the perfective form. However, I couldn't find an entry 「値フ」 in any dictionaries, so I'm not entirely sure.

Edit: Chris has suggested that 「値ヘル」 is actually a contraction of 「値（あ）ひ」＋「ある」.  However, it's still not clear exactly what the meaning of this is.

其ノ時ニ四天王（してんおう）仏ニ申シ請（うけ）テ、棺ヲ荷（にな）ヒ奉ル。

At that time, the Four Heavenly Kings asked the Buddha [for permission to] shoulder the coffin (fig. 3). 

The Four Heavenly Kings (caturmahārāja, or चतुर्महाराज, in Sanskrit) mentioned here "are the protectors of the world and fighters of evil."

Fig. 4: 佛
此レヲ許
テ荷ハシ
メ給フ

The word 「荷ヒ」 is related to the modern Japanese word 「荷なう」, and appears to have the same meaning: "to carry on [one's] shoulders".

仏此（こ）レヲ許（ゆるし）テ荷ハシメ給フ。

The Buddha permitted this, and had them shoulder [the coffin] (fig. 4).

Fig. 5: 佛ハ
香爐ヲ取テ
大王ノ前ニ
歩ミ給フ

The construct 「荷ハシメ給フ」 can be broken down into the previously encountered verb 「荷フ」 in the imperfective form （未然形）, followed by the causative auxiliary verb 「しむ」 in the continuative form （連用形）, followed by the honorific auxiliary verb 「給フ」, in the predicative form （終止形）.

仏ハ香炉こうろヲ取とつテ大王ノ前ニ歩あゆミ給フ。

The Buddha, holding an incense burner, walked in front of the Great King (fig. 5).

Fig. 6: 其
墓所ハ
霊鷲山
ノ上也

By "in front", I'm guessing it means "in the front of the procession", one with the Buddha in front and the Four Heavenly Kings following him, shouldering the coffin.

其（その）墓所（むしょ）ハ霊鷲山（りょうじゅせん）の上也（なり）。

The graveyard was on top of Vulture Peak (fig. 6).

Note that the reading used for 「墓所」 is not a modern one (which would be either 「はかしょ」 or 「ぼしょ」). Rather, it's the classical reading 「むしょ」.

Edit: in the comments, Chris has suggested that 「墓所」 could also be read using kun'yomi, as 「はかどころ」.

Vulture Peak, which we encountered in a previous post, comes up again in fig. 6.

Finally, we once again encounter the archaic copula 「也」. It has appeared before, in a previous Konjaku post (see fig. 2).