attended by glorious women. Seeing this, I say that a man, although wise, is not superior unless rich; a man, although ignorant, is superior if rich."

If it be asked who this Gòrimanda Sițu is, he is a Situ living in Mithila, possessed of eighty kelas of riches. His form is not fit to look upon. He has no relatives, no son, nor daughter. He does not know any science. When he talks, saliva pours down from his mouth, and as it falls. it is wiped off with two full-blown lotuses, which are then thrown into the street by two women fair as goddesses, who stand on either side of him, dressed in their richest garments. Now, when the toddy-drinkers require these lotuses, they go on their way to the "Toddy Hall" to his house, and say, "O lord, Gòrimanda Situ!" Then the Situ, hearing the words of the toddy-drinkers, says, What, my children?" as he stands at the window. When the Situ thus speaks, saliva pours down from both sides of his mouth; the two women, who stand on either side, dressed in their best, wipe off the saliva with the blue lotuses and throw them away. The toddy-drinkers then pick these up, wash them, and go to the toddy-cellar, wearing them. Such is the wealth of Gòrimanda Situ. Thus Sènaka brought this forward as an illustration.

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The king, hearing the words of Sènaka, said, "Well, Mahauṣadha Pandit! what now?"

To this Mahauṣadha Pandit replied, "O lord! what does Sènaka know? He is like a crow who picks up and eats scattered rice; he is like a dog who goes to eat milk curds, regardless of the clubs that may fall on its head; he seeks only for riches to be enjoyed in this world, and does not think of the clubs that may fall on his head, which are punishments, in hell. Hear me, therefore, my lord!" and he quoted the stanza which said, "When the ignorant one has obtained his happiness, he revels in it, and is callous to merit. Because of this callousness, he

commits sin; and distrained by grief for calamities that befall his relatives, he goes utterly astray. Enjoying and suffering both pleasure and pain, which the revolving wheel of time brings, he writhes like a fish taken out of water in summer and exposed to the sun. Seeing this, I say that it is the wise man who is superior and not the ignorant man, although he may be rich." The king having heard the statement of the Maha Bōsat, inquired of Sènaka, "How now, teacher?"

Then Sènaka replied, "My lord! what does this fellow know? Leaving man aside, of all the trees in the forest it is that which bears fruit that attracts birds." Speaking thus, he brought forward the same argument by a stanza :

"The tree growing in the jungle which bears sweet fruit is surrounded by all kinds of birds. Even so, the rich person who is possessed of silver and gold, food and raiment, is attended by many for their own personal benefit. Seeing this, I say that he who is rich, although ignorant, is superior, and the poor, but wise, man inferior." The king hearing the words of Sènaka said, "Son Mahausadha Pandit, what now?"

"Hear me," said the Bōsat; "the ignorant one, although he commands influence, is not superior, for he extorts his wealth from the people by acts of oppression, by blows and bonds. Such an ignoramus, even while he groans in the pangs of bitter repentance, is dragged off against his will by Yamapallò to that dreadful hell, where he suffers great torments. It is because of this that I say that the wise, although poor, is superior, and the ignorant, although rich, is not."

And again, when the king said, "Sènaka! what now?" Sènaka Pandit replied, "Brooks, rivulets, streams, and other running waters empty themselves into the river. There they all lose their former names of brooks, rivulets, and so forth. By the help of the union of these brooks,

streams, &c., the river runs on and enters the ocean, where the river also loses its former name, and is called the ocean. In this way all people depend upon the rich, and even the very wise when they come into contact with the rich lose their individual splendour as much as the river which runs into the ocean. It is because of this that say that the wise man is not superior, but the rich man is."

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And again, when the king said, "Mahauṣadha Pandit! what now?" the Pandit, saying, "My lord! hear me, brought forward another argument in a stanza :

"The great ocean has been brought forward as an illustration. Now into this great ocean all kinds of innumerable rivers and streams from different direction fall-the Ganges, Yamunà, Aciravati-and this great expanse of water is eternally studded with hundreds and thousands of great billows, which dart against the shore, and break against its impassable barrier. Even so, the words of an ignorant person do not conquer those of the wise. Even the rich, when in doubt as to important or trivial matters, go to the wise man, although he is poor, to have his doubts set at rest. Because of this, I say that the wise is superior, and the ignorant, although rich, is not." The king having heard what the Bōsat had said, inquired of Sènaka, "Well, Sènaka! what say you now?" Sènaka, saying, "Hear me, my lord!" continued to bring forward another argument, thus: "Although a man has no selfrestraint, either physical or moral, yet if he has wealth and followers, and if, attended by a retinue, he tells others anything in a court of law, whether it will do them good or harm in this world or the next, his words prevail in the assembly because of his power. Even if this influential man should advise them to deprive owners of their rights, or to do unlawful acts, Lakshmi (the goddess of wealth) makes his words acceptable in the assembly. The wise

one cannot do this. Because of this, I say that the wise man is not superior, but the rich man is."

And again, when the king said, "What now, son Mahauṣadha Pandit!" the Pandit replied, "What does this babbler know?" and brought forward another argument by a verse, thus:

"When the ignorant one tells a lie for his own benefit or for the benefit of some one else, he is publicly put to shame, and in the next world he goes to hell. Because of this also, I say that the wise is superior, and the ignorant, although rich, is not.”

And again, Sènaka brought forward another argument, thus:

"If a man whose wisdom is as unlimited as the world, but who for want of even a neli of paddy, rice or other grain, or even half a massa of wealth, barely lives from hand to mouth, takes his seat in the midst of the assembly and says anything, his words pass unnoticed. A person be he ever so wise is not attended upon by Lakshmi, unless he is also rich; but if a man is rich without wisdom, she will be his companion. Therefore, the wise man seems like a firefly before the blazing splendour of the rich. Because of this, I say that the wise is inferior, and the rich is superior."

And again, when the king inquired, "What, Mahauṣadha Pandit!" the Bōsat continued his argument, saying, "What does Sènaka know? He looks on wealth only as a means of pleasure in this world, and does not regard the torments of hell," and brought forward another argument thus: "The high-minded sage will not lie even for the sake of ruining another. He who strictly regards truth is honoured among men, for they know that his words are good. And because of his good speech he will in the next world go to heaven. It is because of this that I maintain that the wise is superior, and the ignorant, although rich, is not."

And again, when the king inquired,

Sènaka Pandit replied

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"What now?"

"O great king! hear me. Elephants, horses, cattle, buffaloes, and other riches, such as jewels, pearls, and stones-such gold ornaments as ear-rings set with stones, bracelets, toe-rings, and so forth; noble high-born damsels fair as goddesses, and all the other ordinary retinue of wealth-exist to satisfy the bodily and mental desires of the rich man. These do not fall to the lot of a poor man, although he is wise. It is because of this that I maintain that the rich is superior."

Thereupon the Pandit, saying, "What does this ignorant Sènaka know?" continued his argument in a verse: "Thoughtless actions, which produce no good either in this world or in the world to come, and foolishly speaking, ignorant persons, are repudiated and discarded by Lakshmi, as the snake casts off its slough. This shall be an illustration: In the first Kalpa, when the people did not know whether sin was black or white (knew not sin), when the years of man were many, there lived a king called Cètiya. From his body the sweet scent of sandal-wood emanated, and his mouth breathed the scent of lotus-flowers, and he possessed the supernatural (iddhi) power of sitting in the air cross-legged. He was constantly guarded by four gods of Kàma-Lòka, who watched over him incessantly night and day. He was chief king of that Dambadiva, ten thousand yadunas in extent, having an army of four hosts, viz., innumerable troops of elephants, horses, &c. Because of a lie spoken by this King Cètiya, powerful as he was, the smell of sandal-wood which emanated from his body, and the scent of lotus breathed forth from his mouth, ceased to exist, and foul vapours came forth from his person. The four guardian angels who watched over him on the four sides abandoned him and went away. He lost power of sitting cross-legged in the air, and whenever

his