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At the conclusion he invited the brahmans to a repast at the palace ; but before their arrival he commanded his servants to fill a number of vessels with filth, and cover them with plantain leaves. The brahmans, on their way to the place of refection, said among themselves that as they were about to receive food at the palace, it would be necessary for them to be very circumspect in their behaviour. When all were ready, the leaves were taken from the vessels at the king's command and the stench was most offensive ; but he further insulted the brahmans by saying, "As much as you please you may eat, and as much as you like you can take home, as it is all provided for you alone. You derided me before the people, and this is your reward." So saying, he ordered hisruf* fians to take them by the shoulders, and hurl them down the stairs, that had previously bee^ smeared with honey and the gum of the kumbuck tree, so that they speedily slid to the bottom, where they were attacked by fierce dogs. A few attempted to make their escape, but they fell into pits that had been dug to entrap them, or were devoured by the dogs. Thus perished the whole of the 500 brahmans ; but foi this crime the d^was destroyed the country by causing the nine kinds of showers to fall, until a space of 60 yojanas was covered with sand to the depth of 87 cubits. (Amdwatura), 8. Sampati Maha Brahma, The ruler of the brahma-16kas is 192 miles high ; his foot is 30 miles long; from his elbow to the tip of his finger is 48 miles; his span is 24 miles ; his robes are 256 miles in length ; and he can illumine 10,000 sakwalas at once, by the stretching forth of his finger. 58 A MANUAL OF BUDHISM. 9. The Yakds. There are Yakas in the world of men as well as those which reside upon Mem. They die here, and passing away from the state of a yaki, receive some other birth ; bat their dead bodies are never seen, nor is any stench from them ever perceived. The reason is, that they assume the appearance of dead chame- lions, worms, ants, grasshoppers, serpents, scorpions, centipedes, or some bird or beast. In the time of G6tama Badha there resided a merchant at Sn¶nta, who was called Pnnna ; but he embraced the priest* hood, and become a rahat. After his attainment of this high state, 300 of his former associates embarked on a distant voyage, with his yonnger brother at their head, who had pre* vionsly taken upon himself the five obligations. Bnt the mer- chants were overtaken by a storm, and were carried along until they arrived at a certain island. In the morning they set about preparing their food, but could find no kind of fuel except red sandal-wood, as there were no other trees in the forest. One of them, when this was discovered, said to his companions, " We may go further, but can find nothing more valuable than red sandal- wood ; so it will be well for us to heave our present cargo overboard, and load our ship with this timber, four inches of which are worth a lac of treasure." The others were willing to follow this advice, and many trees were cut down. But there were yak&s in that island, who became angry with the mer- chants for destroying their habitations, as they thus invaded their rights. They would have killed the intruders at once, but for the stench that was to be apprehended from their dead bodies ; and they therefore resolved upon punishing them after they had re-embarked. For this purpose they raised a violent storm, and appeared to the mariners in frightful shapes, so that they became greatly afraid, and each one cried to his d^was ; but the younger brother called for the assistance of Punna, the rahat. This was perceived by Punna, who went to their assist- ance through the air; and when the jak&B saw him coming, they became afraid in their turn, and fled away. After en- couraging the mariners, he asked them to what port they were going, and when they said their own, he directed the head of the vessel towards it, and conveyed them thither by his supernatural n. ORDERS OF SENTIENT EXISTENCE. 59 power. When tbeir families were informed of what had occnrred, they all received the five obligations from Pnnna. They were desirous to present a portion of the sandal-wood to the rahat, bnt he told them to erect therewith a residence for Bndha. After its completion, the teacher of the three worlds visited the place, and there remained several days, preaching to the people.* {Amdtoatura,) 10. The Asurs. The asnrs, who reside under Maha M6m,t a^e of immense size. Bdhu is 76,800 miles high ; 19,200 miles broad across the shoulders; his head is 14,500 miles round; his forehead is 4,800 miles broad ; from eje-brow to eje-brow measures 800 miles ; his mouth is 3,200 miles in size, and 4,800 miles deep ; the palm of bis hand is 5,600 miles in size ; the joints of his fingers, 800 miles ; the sole of his foot, 12,000 miles ; from his elbow to the tip of his finger is 19,200 miles; and with one finger he can cover the sun or moon, so as to obscure their light. 11. The Pretas. The inhabitants of the L<5k£ntarika naraka are pretas. Their bodies are twelve miles high, and they have very lai*ge nails. On the top of the head there is a mouth, about the size of a needle's eye. In the world of men there is a preta birth called Nijh&m6 tanhiL. The bodies of these pr6tas always bum. They con- tinually wander about, never remaining in any one place a * Bnhma put forth in darkness beings emaciate with hunger, of hideous aspects, and with long beards. Those beings hastened to the deitj. Such of them as exchumed, Oh preserve us ! were thenoe called rikshawas (from riksha, to preserve) : others, who cried out, Let us eat, were denominated firom that expression yakshas (from yaksha, to eat). — Wilson's Vishnu Pu- rina. The word jaksha may have some affinity to the Hebrew ^jjff^t to lay t " The (Tamul) nations of Ceylon beliere that in the earliest wars of the gods, three of the peaks of Maha M^ru were thrown down and diiven to different parts of the world : one of them is Koniswara-parwatiya, or Trin- oomalee, which thenceforth became, equally with Kailasa, the abode of Siva.'* — ^Forb<' Ceylon. The Hindu tradition is of a somewhat different character. " At the marriage of Shivu and Parvutee all the gods were present, and the faearens were left empty. Seising this opportunity Purunu, the god of the winds, flew to Sumeru, broke the summit of the mountain, and hurled it into the sea, when it became the island of Lanka (Ceylon)." — Ward's Hindoos. 60 A MANUAL OF BUDHISM. longer period than the snapping of a finger. They live thus an entire kalpa. Thej never receive food or water, and weep with* out intermission. All beings except the B6dhisats receive this birth, at some period or other of their existence. In this world there is also the pr6ta birth called Khuppipasa. These pretas have heads liA miles in size, tongnes that are 80 miles long, and their bodies are thin, bnt extremely tall. For the space of a Bndhantara they do not receive food or water. Were they to attempt to drink of the water of the ocean, it wonld disappear to them, as if it were dried np. Were a rishi to try to pour all the water of the five great rivers into their months, before they could taste a drop of it, it would be dried up, by the heat proceeding from their bodies. All beings except the Bddhisats are subject to the miseries of this birth. There is the pr6ta birth called Kdlakanjaka. These prStas continually chase and maim each other with fire and shining weapons ; and this birth is received by all beings except the Bddhisats. The pretas may receive food and drink from their relatives ; who can further benefit them by performing acts of merit in their name, such as the giving of food, alms-bowls, &c., to the priests. But there are many pretas who have so much demerit that they cannot in this way be assisted ; still, though the act be of no benefit to the pr6tas, it is to the person who performs it. The pretas derive no benefit from the weeping and lamentation of their relatives, and it is no advantage to them when their merits are proclaimed. A pr^ti, who had two sons, one day left them near the gate of the city of Anurddhapura, whilst she roamed through the streets to seek food. The sons, seeing a priest about to enter the city to receive alms, requested that if he met with their mother he would inform her that they were very hungry.