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JOURNAL, R.A.S. (CEYLON). [Vol. VIII. 



built. (5) Explanatory gdthds, gathas which explain, in 

 their own way, patent facts. (6) Descriptive gathas, gathas 

 which describe natural scenery. (7) Pastoral gathas, 

 gathas which describe the manners of the pastoral people, 

 and deal with the life of lower aDimals, and the life of the 

 peasantry. Thus, the gathds have a two-fold origin— the 

 monastic gathas and popular gathas. Stories, whether 

 monastic or popular, were soon crystallised into proverbs ; 

 thus, out of the stories the gathas grew ; these gathas, 

 therefore, had a two-fold origin, — monastic and popular. 

 And this was in accordance with the nature of the story 

 told either by a monk, practising his disciplinary lessons, 

 or by one ordinary man to another, while journeying or 

 reaping his harvest or watching his field." 



Proverbial stanzas summarizing well-known stories are 

 still common in the Mahrattha country. " Proverbs like 

 the following are always in the mouths of the people in 

 Maharashtra : 'Tupageien telagelen hali dhupata ne alen.' 

 The sense of this is : i Clarified butter is gone, oil is gone, 

 and an incense-pot remains in the hand/ Again, ' Bajaranta 

 turi ani bhata bhatni la mari. ? The sense of this is : c The 

 turi-pulse is in the bazaar, and the Brahmana quarrels 

 with his wife as to her turi-soup to be prepared, being 

 thick or thin, and beats her.' The stories for these gathas 

 are at first mere balanced prose-pieces (in rhythmical 

 prose?) which are in the course of time versified and 

 poetically expressed by well-known poets. The Mahrattha 

 poet Tukarama does this." And the Mahrattha preacher, 

 or Haridasa, still " recites a portion of a gatha as in the 

 Jataka-stories, and then builds upon it a mirupana or 

 vedanta. Dwelling upon it at considerable length, he 

 chaunts the gatha in full, and explains it at great length, 

 introducing into the explanation as much of his learning 

 as he can. And upon this foundation the anusandhana is 

 built. Similarly, when the Mahrattha ladies meet for 

 religious ceremonies, it is the custom for them to " narrate 

 festive stories, which poetically express their hopes and 

 aspirations. The ceremony itself is the paccuppanna vatthu. 

 The story told is the atita vatthu. The ladies call their story 

 kdkdni, a word which comes from the Sanskrit kathdnaka. 

 Some ladies are known for their power of telling a kakani, 



