]40 CEYLON BRANCH — ROYAL ASIATIC SOCIETY, 



have many goods? It is true, Bagawa. Why have you pro- 

 cured them? Certainly I teach contentment with little; a re« 

 straining both of body and mind, and perseverance in the pursuit 

 of purity. Hearing these words of Budha he became angry, and 

 throwing off his upper-garments said, Then 1 will walk thus 

 without clothes, and stood in the midst of the assembly with 

 only one cloth on. Upon this Budha, to recal him to himself 

 said, Truly priest, you formerly sought for a sense of propriety 

 and modesty for a period of twelve years when you were a 

 water-demon : how then now, being a priest of this honorable 

 religion, can you throw off your upper-garments and remain with- 

 out shame or modesty in the midst of this eminent assembly? 

 Being by these words restored to a sense of propriety he re- 

 sumed his garments, and having worshipped Budha, sat down. 

 The priests not being acquainted with the event referred to 

 requested Budha to declare it, who said, 



Formerly Brahmadatta was King of Kasi. reigning in Bena- 

 res, and Bodisat was born of his principal queen and named 

 Mahinsasa. By the time he could run about the king had 

 another son who was called Chanda, and by the time he could 

 walk the queen died. Upon this the king took another female 

 as his principal queen, to whom he became passionately at- 

 tached, and had a son by her whom he named Suriya. The 

 king being much delighted when he saw the child said to his 

 queen, I will grant you any one thing you may request. The 

 queen said that she would prefer her request on a suitable op- 

 portunity. When her son was grown up she said to the king, 

 When my child was born your Majesty gave me the privilege 

 of prefering any request I wished : I now claim the fulfilment 

 of the promise ; appoint my son your successor in the kingdom. 

 The King replied, My two sons are glorious and resplendent 

 as two pillars of fire : I cannot deprive them of their right 

 and give the kingdom to your son. Although he thus refused 

 her, yet as she continued to press him from day to day, he 



