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DECEMBER, 1881.]
FOLKLORE IN THE PANJAB.
347
This inscription probably recorded the pre- Purushottama's inscription at Gaya is of Asokasentation of some image of Buddha. The challa himself; and as Daśaratha is not spoken donor was Sahaņas a v&, a treasurer and de- of as having succeeded his elder brother, they pendent of Prince Dasaratha, the younger must be regarded as contemporaries and the inbrother of king A soka challa, who by his scriptions of about the same date. Hence we find name and titles is identified with the king the date of Buddha's Nirvana as derived from mentioned in the other inscriptions. And here this inscription to be about 1813 – 1182 = we have a date-74 years expired of the reign 632 B.c.95 of Lakshmaṇasena. The first numeral As the date of the Gayà inscription probably is clear enough, and the second though resem- precedes that of the last by a few years, it will bling 3, I consider as intended for S--the old give the date of the Nirvana in close agreement Bengali form of 4, and which is derived from with the Peguan date, and as Kartik Vad 1st the ancient letters , S. Thus I read the fell on & Wednesday, in Vikrama Samvat 1227 date with confidence as 74. Now the era of and 1233, viz. 28th Oct. 1170 and 20th Oct. Lakshmanasena, still occasionally used in 1176, and the Peguans and Burmese freTirhut," began in A.D. 1109. Assuming this quently visited the locality, and even erected to be correct, the date of the inscription is temples there, it is most probable that the date 74 + 1108 = 1182 A.D.
of the inscription coincides with A.D. 1176, and Now as this is of the time of prince Dasaratha, thus the date of the Nirvana assumed in it is the younger brother of king Asokachalla, and '638 B.C.
FOLKLORE IN THE PANJAB.
COLLECTED BY MRS. F. A. STEEL. WITH NOTES BY LIEUT. B. C. TEMPLE, B.S.C., F.R.G.S., M.R.A.S., &o.
(Continued from p. 333.) No. 11.-FOLK-TALE.
for 100 rupees. Not long after this he met a The Wonderful Ring. Told by a Párbid boy. man with a parrot. “How much do you want
There once lived. king who had two sons. for that parrot ?" asked he. "Not less than 100 Now when he died one of the sons squandered rupees," answered the man. So the king's son the treasure and money and jewels in such a bought the parrot also. He had now only 100 ruinous way that his brother said, “Take rupees left. your own share, and go." So he took his share At last he met a jogi carrying a serpent,' and and spent it all in a short time.
said “Oh jogi, what is the price of that serWhen he had nothing left he asked his wife pentP" "Not less than 100 rupees," answered to give him what she had. But his wife said the jôgi. So the spendthrift gave him 100 rupees "What have you left me P I have nothing but and took the serpent. this one small jewel, and take that if you will." He had now no money left at all and so was So he took the jewel, sold it for 400 rupees, forced to work for his living: but the hard and taking the money with him get off to labour wearied him dreadfully, for he was a make his fortune in the world. On the way he king's son and not accustomed to work. Now met a man with a cat which he wanted to sell. when the serpent saw this, it pitied him, and said, So the king's son bought it for 100 rupees. By- "Come, prince, with me to my house." So it and-by he met a man with a dog, and asked took him to its house, saying, “Wait you here the price. "Not less than 100 rupees," said the till I call my father.” Then the serpent went man. Then the king's son bought the dog too to its father, saying--" Father, I was caught by
** Conf. Bájendralkla Mitra's Buddha Gaya, p. 200.
* The Peguan date is 638 B.C. and a Chinese one cited by Klaproth, also 638 B.C. (Prinsep. Us. Tab. p. 165). The Jains of Bengal it seems date the Nirudna of Mahavira in 637 B.C. (Colebrooke cited by Stevenson, Kalpa Satra, prof. p. iii). I have added the following sentences above. and would point out here that, M B.C. 1 in followed immedistely by A.D. 1, and (not by a year marked "0"), in finding such a dato a the above, we have to add l to the difference, in order to get the proper year B.C.-ED.
jaio Ajab mundri, the Wonderful Ring. The mundrd is a ring either for fingers or ears made of glass or some material not metal, and worn by jôgls. It is a protection against evil and is supposed to bring the wearer whatever he wants-vide story. The responsibility of the correctness of the text of this tale lies with me.-R. C. T.
For jogi and serpent see former story, "Son of Seven Mothers," ante, p. 147.-B.C.T.
