CEYLON BRANCH— ROYAL ASIATIC SOCIETY. 148 



Bodisat, Pundit ! I am pleased with you ; I will give you 

 one of your brothers : which one shall I bring ? He said, 

 Bring the younger. Pundit ! said the demon, you only know 

 concerning the gods : you do not practise what you know. 

 How is it that you leave the elder and say Bring the younger ; 

 and thus place the elder last ? Demon, I both understand res- 

 pecting the gods and practise what I know. We came on his 

 account into this forest : his mother solicited for him, from my 

 father, the kingdom : but my father would not grant that re- 

 quest, and commanded us to live in the forest for our safety. 

 That Prince would not stay behind, but accompanied us. Should 

 I say, A demon has devoured him in the wilderness, who would 

 believe me ? Afraid, therefore, of reproach I have said, Bring 

 the younger. Excellent, Pundit ! most excellent ! You not only 

 understand about the gods but practise what you know. The 

 demon thus, with a delighted mind having praised Bodisat, brought 

 him his two brothers and gave them to him. 



Bodisat then said to him, Friend, in consequence s of your 

 former sins you are born a demon, eating the flesh and drink- 

 ing the blood of others. If you continue to sin you cannot es- 

 cape the torments of hell. From this time forsake sin and live 

 virtuously. Having thus converted the demon, he lived with 

 him in security. One day, consulting the stars, he saw that 

 his father was dead : and taking the demon with him returned 

 to Benares. He there ascended the throne, appointing Prince 

 Chanda Vizier, and Prince Suriya Commander of the Forces. 

 He then prepared a residence for the demon, and had him sup- 

 plied with garlands of flowers and food, and having ruled in 

 justice died, and went to his reward. 



When Budha had declared this, the rich priest entered the 

 first path leading to Nirwana. Budha further said, the demon 

 is now the rich priest : Prince Suriya is now Ananda, (Budha'g 

 personal attendant and relative) the Prince Chanda, is now Sa- 



