123 CEYLON BRANCH ROYAL ASIATIC SOCIETY. 



The third, or Seriwanija Jatahan. 



Verse,— -If you now fail in attaining the advantages of true 

 religion, long and bitterly will you repent it, as was the case 

 with the merchant Seriwayo, 



Legend. — This discourse was delivered when Budha lived at 

 Sew at, in consequence of a priest having become discouraged in 

 his efforts to obtain spiritual illumination. Upon the case being 

 represented to Budha he said, Priest, it after becoming a priest 

 of this fruit giving religion you intermit your exertions, long * 

 will you regret it, as the merchant Sen way o regretted the 

 loss of the salver of solid gold worth a lack. At the soli-* 

 citations of the priests Budha related the circumstances, as follow*. 



Five kalpas previous to the present one Bodisat was a tra- 

 velling goldsmith in the country named Seriwa, and in company 

 with another person of the same profession named Seriwayo, 

 who was very covetous, he crossed the Telawahan river, and 

 came to a city called A ndhapura : they divided the streets of the 

 city between them, each commencing to sell his goods in the 

 part assigned to him. There was in the city a noble family 

 reduced to abject poverty : their property was lost, their re- 

 lations died, and only a girl and her grandmother remained alive, 

 the latter having to serve others to support herself and grand 

 child. There was in the house, a golden dish out of which the 

 nobleman used to eat ; but it had long been disused, and it was 

 so covered with dirt and filth that they did not know it to be 

 gold, and cast it among some useless lumber. The covetous 

 merchant entered the street in which they lived, crying, Buy my 

 jewels ! Buy my jewels ! and came to the door of the house. 

 The child said to her grand-mother, Mother, buy me an or- 

 nament. Child, replied the grand-mother, we are poor, what 

 shall we give to purchase one? Here is this dish, said the 

 child, it is of no use to us, give this and buy one for me. The 

 woman called the merchant, and having requested him to sit 



