1836.] Tumour's Hist, of Ceylon, mid Trans, of the Mahawanso. 405 



The said thero Majjhantiko, instantly repairing thither through the 

 air, and alighting on the lake Aravalo, walked, absorbed in profound 

 meditation, on the surface of the water. The nagas seeing him, en- 

 raged (at. his presumption), announced it to their king. The infuriated 

 naga monarch endeavoured in various ways to terrify him: a furious 

 storm howled, and a deluge of rain poured down, accompanied by 

 thunder; lightning flashed in streams; thunder-bolts (descended) 

 carrying destruction in all directions; and high peaked mountains 

 tottered from their very foundations. 



il The nagas assuming the most terrific forms, and surrounding him, 

 endeavoured to intimidate him. He himself (the naga king) reviling 

 him in various ways, spit smoke and fire at him. The thero by his super- 

 natural power averted all these attempts to terrify him ; and displaying 

 his omnipotence, thus addressed the naga monarch : " O, naga ruler I 

 even if the devos were to unite with the (human) world to strike terror 

 into me, their efforts would prove nugatory. Nay, if uplifting the 

 whole earth, together with its ocean and its mountains, thou wert to 

 keep them on my head, even then thou wouldest fail to create in me an 

 appalling terror. O, naga monarch, let thy destruction of the crops 

 be arrested. 5 ' 



" To him who had been subdued on hearing this reply, the thero 

 propounded his doctrines. Whereupon the naga king attained the sal- 

 vation and state of piety of that faith. 



" In like manner, in the Himawanta (or snowy) regions, eighty-four 

 thousand nagas, and many gandhabbos, yakkhos, and kumbhandakos ^ 

 (were converted). 



" A certain yakkho called Panchako, together with his wife Harifa 

 and five hundred youths, attained sowan (the first stage of salifica- 

 tion). He then thus addressed them : " Do not hereafter, as former- 

 ly, give way to pride of power, and vindictive anger ; but evincing your 

 solicitude for the happiness of living creatures, abstain from the de- 

 struction of crops : extend your benevolence towards all living crea- 

 tures : live, protecting mankind." They who had been thus exhorted 

 by him, regulated their conduct accordingly. 



" Thereupon the naga king placing the thero on a gem-set throne, 

 respectfully stood by, fanning him. 



" On that day, the inhabitants of Kasmira and Gandhara, who had 

 come with offerings to the naga king (to appease his wrath and arrest 

 the desolation of the crops), learning the supernatural character of 

 the thero, bowing down to him (instead of the naga king), stood reve- 

 rentially at his side. 



" The thero preached to them the " asivisopaman" discourse (of 

 Buddho). Eighty thousand persons attained superior grades of religi- 

 ous bliss : one hundred thousand persons were ordained priests by the 

 thero. 



