ROYAL ASIATIC SOCIETY. 



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thought, she will devise some mischief against my sons, and 

 calling them to him he said, children, when Suriya was born, 

 I pledged myself to grant his mother any one boon, and she 

 now requests the kingdom for her son, which request I am not 

 willing to grant. Sin is the very nature of woman, and she 

 may possibly devise some evil against you. Retire into the 

 wilderness, and upon my death, return to your native city, and 

 assume the Government : thus weeping, lamenting, and kissing 

 their foreheads, he dismissed them. They having bowed to 

 the king, descending from the palace, saw the young prince 

 Suriya amusing himself in the palace yard, and informed him 

 of what had occurred, when he said, brothers I will accompany 

 you, and went with them ; they then retired to the wil.lerness. 

 Having proceeded into it some distance, Bodisat sat down at 

 the root of a tree, and calling Suriya to him, said, go to that 

 lake, bathe and drink, and bring us a little water. 



That lake belonged to Wessawanna (king of the" demons) 

 who gave it in charge to a water demon, saying, you may de- 

 vour whosoever descends into this lake, unless he be acquaint- 

 ed with the doctrine of the gods.* If he have that knowledge, 

 you are not permitted to destroy him : neither have you any 

 power over those who do not descend into the water. From 

 that time, the demon enquired of those who descended into the 

 lake, do you understand concerning the gods ? If they did not lie 

 devoured them. The Prince Suriya going to the lake entered 

 the water without examination. The demon seizing him 

 said, do you know concerning the gods ? He replied, the 

 sun and moon are gods. You do not understand divinity a 

 said the demond, and dragging him down carried him to his cave 3 



Or, with Divinity, including the objects of worship. 



