94 Captain James Low on Bupp,Ha and the Phrabdt. 
These snakes inhabited the regions beyond Jambu Dwip (Himala), 
and they fought with the Aszrs, or evil spirits, who defeated them. 
The snakes fled to the heaven Chattu Maha Rachéka ; and here, in the 
outskirts of the hill Assakan, they encountered Garupa. The Cashmerians, 
we are told, have an account of about five hundred snakes, or kings we 
may suppose, of different kinds; besides which there are inferior princes. 
Such are 
P hothé Muhk ha. 
Ak,hé Mukk,ha. 
Latha Mukk,ha. 
Katha Mukkha, &c. 
That these kings of snakes were really princes who formerly governed 
kingdoms, is probable from many circumstances; and they are supposed by 
the changes of the metempsychosis to have migrated into the bodies of snakes. 
The Siamese have a legend respecting the great progenitor of the snake 
dynasty, extracted, they informed me, from the Bali Satéawécha; and which 
runs thus : 
«Every seventh day the mighty Rasa Naca issues forth from his 
palace, which lies in the region Badan; and, having ascended a high 
mountain, there pours out his soul in ardent devotion. On one of these 
excursions he accidentally met with a 7\han Somp,han, or Brahman, who 
supposing him to be a mere snake, threw a stone, and hit him on the 
back. 
“ Raza Naca suppressed his resentment, saying to himself, ‘ This 
wretch deserves that I should kill him by a bite for his audacity ; but he 
is a priest, I will therefore overlook his ill-nature. Rasa Naca then 
rolled away in haste, and, assuming a human shape, he suddenly presented 
himself before the Brahman, and propounded to him the following ques- 
tion: ‘If any one should harbour an intention to kill another, does he 
thereby commit sin? The Brahman said, ‘1 would know whether the 
intent will be followed by acts,’ Rasa Nacea rejoined, ‘He will first 
design to kill; but, repenting, will abandon the attempt.’ The Brahman 
said, ‘ He will then be guiltless.’ 
“The Brahman changed the discourse, and complained of a lumbago. 
Rasa Naca gave him somerice of the species oryza glutiosa, telling him 
not to let any one taste of it except himself. The Brahman went home, 
and gave the rice to a lad to dress. The lad spoiled the rice in cooking it, 
