LITERATURE OF THE fiURMAS. ' 21t 



" Nat of this habitation, like thofe of the higher kinds, 

 " do not require the light of the fun or moon, the light 

 " of their own bodies being fufficient : for they fliine 

 " like fo many funs or ftars." 



" XIX. It has been mentioned*, that the mountain 

 " Mienmo is fuftained by three feet of carbuncle t. 

 *' Now the fpace that lies between thefe is the habitation 

 " of a kind of Nai named Ajfura. Although thefe Nat 

 " inhabit a different abode, yet are they exaftly of the 

 " fame kind with the Tavateinza : for they were driven 

 " by guile from that habitation, which formerly they 

 " occupied. The manner in which this happened, is re- 

 " lated as follows in the Bur7na writings. Godama, be- 

 " fore he became a god, when he was in the ftate of a man 

 " in Zabudiba, with thirty-two other men of the fame 

 " village, by the good w^ork of repairing the high ways, 

 " and by other virtuous a£lions, deferved after death 

 '• to become Nai Tavateinza. On their arrival the an- 

 " cfent inhabitants of that happy abode, in fign of their 

 " joy, and with flowers in their hands, defcended half 

 " way down Mienmo, in order to welcome their future 

 " companions. Godama, who then was called Maga J, 

 " began to contrive, how he might drive thefe Nat 

 *' from their ancient poffelfions. He and his compa- 

 " nions afccordingly pretended to have drank wine : 

 " but what they drank, was not true wine. The former 

 " Nat Tavateinza, imitating the example of thefe men, 

 " drank real wine, and became intoxicated. Then 

 " Maga making a fignal to his companions, they drag- 

 " ged the Nat, while infenfible with wine, by the heels, 

 " and caft them out of the abode Tavateinza. But as 

 " the lot, acquired by the merit of the good aftions of 

 " thefe Nat, was not expired, a habitation formed it- 



P 2 "felf 



* Page 176 of this Volume. 



+ In place of faying that Meru is fupported by three feet, the Brahvient 



alledge, that it is placed on the back of a prodigious tortoife. 



i Godama is faid by the Brahmens to be the fon of Maga or Maja. 



