LITERATURE OF THE BURMAS. 265 



means a weak fupport to an etymological reafoner. 

 Having thus endeavoured to colleft the various ap- 

 pellations beftowed on the god of the JBurmas, I pro- 

 ceed with the tranllation of 



A SHORT VIEW OF THE RELIGION OF 



GODAMA'', 

 " A CATHOLicK bifhop, redding at Ava fometime 

 *■' ago, allied the chief Rcihan, called Zarados URA,to 

 '' give him fome fiiort treatife, which would explain 

 " the heads of the law taught by Godama. The Za- 

 " RADO, willing to fatisfy the billiop, wrote for his ufe 

 " the following treatife: 



'' Thj: gods who have appeared in this prefent 

 *' world, and who have obtained the perfeft ftate 

 " Nieban^ are four; Chauchasam, Gonagom, Gaspa, 

 " and Godama, 

 '' Q. Of which of thefe gods ought the law at prefent 



" to be followed? 

 " A. Of the god Godama. 

 " Q. Where is the god Godama? 

 *'v4. Godama, at the age of thirty-five years, having 

 " attained divinity, preached his law for forty- 

 " five years, and brought falvation to all living 

 " beings. At eighty years of age he obtained 

 ^' Nieban^ and mis happened 2362 years ago.f 

 " Then Godama faid, After I Ihail have departed 

 " from this earth, I will preferve my law and difci- 



"ples 



* I HAVE little doubt, but that the author of this treatife was the fame 

 Zarado who wrote the Compendium kgis Barmanorum, of which 

 Paulinos gives us an account. The treatife however tranflated by 

 Sanger MAN o does not contain feveral of the circumftances faid to be 

 mentioned in that of the mufeum of the liberal and learned cardinal 

 Borgia. 



+ 1 AM not certain whether the original means, that Godama died 

 2362 years before the period at which thebifliop received the book from 

 the Zarado; or whel^el, m tranflating it, father Sangermano re- 

 duced the time to the /ear i 795, in which I faw him : I believe the latter 

 to be the cafe, ai'hough the difference will not be great, as the bifhop died 

 at Ava a few years ago. Much reafoning of Sir W i l l i am Jo n e s, on 

 the age in which Bouddha lived. may be feen in the Afiatick Refearches, 



(U, 



