132 CEYLON BRANCH — ROYAL ASIATIC SOCIETY. 



any means to give the children to your parents, do so. They 

 accordingly took the children to Rajagaha, and the mother sent 

 a message to her parents informing tbem of their arrival. On 

 hearing it her parents said, We regard ourselves as childless, 

 having neither son nor daughter: great is their crime against us 

 and we cannot admit them to our presence. Let them take 

 this property which we send them and live where they please, 

 but let them send us the children. The nobleman's daughter 

 received that which her parents had sent, and delivered the chil- 

 dren into the hands of the messengers. From that time they 

 lived in the house of their grand-father. Chulla Pant'haka was 

 very young, but Maha Pant'haka accompanied his father to hear 

 the discourses of Budha, and at length said to his grandfather, 

 If it meet with your approbation I desire to become a priest. 

 What do you say, child, replied the grandfather, of all other 

 persons you are most proper to enter the priesthood, if you 

 feel yourself competent to its duties. He accordingly conducted 

 him to Budha, and stating that he was his grandchild requested 

 him to be admitted into the priesthood. To this Budha as- 

 sented, and placed him under the care of a priest who gave 

 him the needful instructions. He soon obtained an extensive 

 knowledge of the doctrines of Budha, and upon attaining his 

 twentieth year was fully ordained priest. Accustoming himself 

 to meditation he became a Rahat, and enjoying the pleasures of 

 intellect he was desirous of introducing his brother Chulla 

 Pant'haka to the same. He acc ordingly waited on his grand- 

 father and said, Nobleman, if it meet with your approbation I 

 wjll make Chulla Pant'haka a priest. The grandfather con- 

 sented, and he accordingly initiated him, and subjected him to 

 the observance of the ten precepts ; but the novice Chulla 

 Pant'haka was exceedingly dull, and in four months could nofi 

 commit to memory the following verse. "Behold Budha! fra- 

 grant as the full blown odoriferous flowers of the red and 

 blue lotus ! Resplendent as the glorious sun in the fir- 

 smament, " 



