26G ON THE CHRONOLOGY 



perform, in honour of his anceftor, Vicatara, brought 

 an ill-natured prieft, of a molt lavage appearance, in 

 the expectation that the king might be tempted, from 

 dilguit at io offenfive an object, to offer fome affront 

 to the Brahmen, who, in revenge, would denounce a 

 curie againft him. The plan lucceeded to his wifh : 

 the king ordered the prielt to be turned out, and the 

 latter laid a dreadful imprecation upon him, fwearing 

 at the fame time, that he would never tie up his 

 fhica or lock of hair, till he had effected his ruin. 

 The enraged prieft then ran out of the palace ex- 

 claiming, whoever wifhes to be king let him follow 

 me. Chandra-Gupta immediately arofe, with eight 

 of his friends, and went after him. They croffed the 

 Ganges, with all pofuble dilpatch, and viiited the king 

 of Nepal, called Parvaltfwafa, or the lord of the 

 mountains, who received them kindly. They entreated 

 him to afliit them with troops and money, Chandra- 

 Gupta promising, at the lame time, to give him the 

 half of the empire of V radii, in cafe they fhould be 

 fuccefsful. Parvatefwara anfwered, that he could not 

 bring into the field a fufficient force to effect the 

 conquer! of (b powerful an empire ; but, as he was on 

 good terms with the Yavans or Greeks, the Sacas or 

 Jndo-Scythians, the people of Cambeja or Gayni, the 

 Ciratas or inhabitants of the mountains to the eait- 

 ward of Nepal, he could depend on their aihilance. 

 Ugradhanwa enraged at the behaviour of Chandra- 

 Gupta, ordered all his brothers to be put to death. 



The matter, however, is related differently in other 

 books, which ftate, that Nanda, feeing himfelf far 

 advanced in years, directed that, after his deceafe, 

 his kingdom fhould be equally divided between the 

 Sumalyadicas, and that a decent allowance fhould be 

 ^iven to the Mannas ox children of Mura, but the 

 Sumalyadicas being jealous of the Maufyas, put them 

 all to Heath, except Chandra-Gupta, who* being laved 

 through the prote^ion of Jjunus, out of gratitude af- 

 lumed the name of Chandra-Gupta, or faved by the 

 moon ; but to relume the narrative, 



Pan- a- 



