No- 11 - 1858-y.] SINHALESE MYTHOLOGY. 



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consigned him. This is represented to take place in a grove 

 of Asoka trees, where Kama incurred the wrath of the 

 three-eyed god. Although Europeans have frequently dwelt 

 upon the want of .affection in the matrimonial relations amongst 

 Asiatics, it is nevertheless a fact, that they are muck 

 attached to their wives, who reciprocate the feelings of love 

 to an extent even unknown in the fictions of the west 

 Various passages may be cited from the books illustrating this 

 position ; but one will suffice from a Hindu poet, who thus 

 feelingly describes the lament of Uma, when Kama was 

 blasted by the lightning of Siva's sccrching eye : - " She 

 swoons" ; but 



Too soon lier gentle s?oul returned to know 

 The pangs of widowhood, — that word of woe I 

 ' Speak to me Kama' ! why so silent ? give 

 One word in answer,- doth my Kama live ? 

 There on the turf his dumb cold ashes lay- 

 That fiery flash has scorched the soul away... 

 Bure woman's heart is strong, for can it be 

 That I still live while this is all of thee ?' 



A remarkable passage occurs in the Buddha va/is-a, in which 

 three of the divinities to whom we have already alluded, are 

 compared to Gautama, upon his first appearance in public, 

 after attaining the position of the Great Teacher. I extract 

 it entire : — 



4< Among themselves these people kept saying one to another, ' Friend 

 who is this ? can it be the full moon descended among us out of dread of 

 Edhu, concealing the rays with which he is endowed ? such a one was 

 •never seen before.' Smiling at his suggestion, another said, 1 This is the 

 god of love with his floral banner ; dignified in person he has come to 

 revel among us, having observed the great personal beauty of our 

 monarch and of our fellow-citizens.' Laughing at him, another said, 

 'Friend, art thou mad? the god of love has half of his body destroyed by 

 the fire kindled by the jealousy of Isso (Siva), it is not he, it is the chief 

 of the deva, the thousand-eyed deity (India) who has come h<*re, imagining 

 that this m the celestial city.' Another again, playfully ridiculing him, 

 said, 4 Friend, what nonsense art thou talking ! where are his thousand 



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