526 PROCEEDINGS OF THE AMERICAN ACADEMY. 



Book II. Story 7. Mahali's Question. 



ILLUSTRATING STANZA 10 = 30. 



One day a Licchavi prince named Mahali, who had heard the Sut- 

 tanta entitled Sakka's Question recited by the Teacher, went to the 

 latter and asked him, " Did you ever see Sakka ? " " Oh, yes," replied 

 the Teacher. " It must have been a counterfeit of Sakka," returned 

 Mahali, " for it is a difficult matter to get a look at Sakka." " Never- 

 theless," said the Teacher, " I am well acquainted with Sakka ; and 

 what is more, I know all about the meritorious deeds by means of 

 which he rose to the lordship of the gods." Then the Teacher enum- 

 erated Sakka's meritorious deeds in his human existence as Magha. 

 " Tell me all about Magha," said Mahali. " Well, then, listen," replied 

 the Teacher, and then told the following story of the past : (263-5) 



Magha. 30 



Once upon a time a youth named Magha went about his native vil- 

 lage in the kingdom of Magadha doing all manner of good works ; and 

 in the course of time gathered others about him, until finally there 

 were thirty-three persons in the village keeping the Five Precepts and 

 doing works of merit. The village headman observed their actions, 

 and said to himself, " If these men would only drink strong drink and 

 do as other men do, I should get something out of it." Accordingly 

 he said to them, " What 's this you 're doing 1 " " Treading the Heav- 

 enly Path." " That 's no occupation for householders ; why don't you 

 eat fish and flesh, drink strong drink, and have a good time 1 " Magha 

 and his companions rejected his suggestion ; whereupon he determined 

 to destroy them. (265-7) 



The village headman went to the king and told him that there was 

 a band of robbers in the village. The king immediately ordered them 

 to be trampled to death by elephants. But the elephants refused to go 

 near them. When this was reported to the king, he concluded that 

 there must be a reason for it ; accordingly he had the thirty-three 

 youths summoned before him, told them the charge the village head- 

 man had brought against them, and listened to their story. The result 

 was that he begged their pardon for having so misunderstood them, 

 made the village headman their slave, gave them an elephant to ride 

 on, and placed the entire resources of the village at their disposal. 

 (267-8) 



At this the youths rejoiced greatly and resolved to abound yet more 



80 Cf. Ja. i. 199-206. 



