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journal e. a. s. (ceylon). [Vol. VII. , Pt. III. 



The reasons which have induced me thus to render the words 

 u etati mangalan uttamaii" will be seen from the following 

 condensed translation of the introduction of this discourse in the 

 Commentary. 



" What is the origin of mangalan suttan ? It was the 

 practice for people in Jambudipa to assemble at the gates of 

 cities, in meeting houses and other places, and to hear the recital 

 of various stories such as those of Sita, Bharata, &c. The people 

 discussed various subjects at these meetings. Each discussion 

 some time lasted for four months. On one occasion, the subject 

 of discussion happened to be that of mangalan (happy or auspi- 

 cious things i. e. good omens). What is a dittha mangalan 

 (a good omen of sight) ? What is a suta mangalan (a 

 good omen of smell or taste or touch) ? Do you know what a 

 mangalan is ?, said some of the audience present). One of 

 them, a believer in omens of sight {dittha maiigaliko), said, ' I 

 know what a mangalan is. For example, a man rising up early 

 in the morning sees a speaking bird,* tender fruits of the bilva 

 tree (y^Egle marmelos), a pregnant woman, a child, an orna- 

 mented brimming jar, a fresh cyprinus fish, a thorough bred 

 horse, or the likeness of one, a bull, a cow, a tawny coloured 

 cow, or any other object of an auspicious nature, — it is a 

 mangalan.'' Some of the audience accepted his theory, but those 

 who did not entered into a dispute with him. 



" A believer in omens of hearing (suta mangaliko) remarked 

 that the eye sees what is pure and what is impure, what is 

 good and what is bad, what is pleasant and what is unpleasant. 

 If what is seen by the eye be a mangalan (good omen), then 

 every object of sight must be one. What is seen therefore is 

 not a mangalan : that which is deemed a true mangalan 

 is that of hearing. If a man rising up early in the morning 

 hears a sound such as ' it has prospered,' ' it is prospering,* ' it is 

 full,' 'it is fresh,' 'it is delightful,' 'prosperity,' 'increase of pros- 

 perity' ' the lunar constellation,' 'to-day is auspicious,' ' a lucky 

 moment,' a ' lucky day,' or any other pleasant sound deemed 

 auspicious, this is said to be a mangalan. 



* Such as a parrot, mina, &c. 



