the mahavansi - Forgotten Books

THE MAHAVANSI ,

THE RAJA- RA TNAGA R I ,

AND

THE RAJA- VALI,

FORMING THE

! ata ri arm fiism r ital 33003 5 o f m y

A L SO,

A COLLECTION OF TRACTS

ILLUSTRAT IVE OF THE DOCTR I NES AND L ITERATURE47W

;OF BUDDHISM

filtr anslatm fr om the So ingbalzse.

E D IT E D BY

ARD UPHAM , P.S.A.

Om AND DOC'

I R INES O F BU DDEISM , THE HISTORY O F

OTTOMAN EM PI R E , Sec . 810 .

IN THRE E VO LUM E S .

VOL . I.

LO N D O N

TO THE

KING’

S MOST EXCELLENT MAJESTY .

SIRE ,

IT is with s e n time n ts o f the deepest

g r atitud e, that I r e ce ive Yo ur Maj e sty’s g ra cio us

pe rmissio n to d edicate to Yo ur Maj esty the

Sacre d an d Histo r i cal B o o ks o f Ce ylo n .

The se w o r ks, c o llected by Sir Ale xan d e r

Jo hn sto n , while Pre side n t o f Yo u r Maj e sty’s

Co un cil, fo r the use o f himse lf an d o the r m e m be r s

o f the Go ve rnme n t, a r e re co gn ise d as authe n tic

an d valuable Re co rds Of Buddhism, an d pre se n t

the o n ly histo r ical acco un ts o f tho se ce le brate d

Mo n archs, who se wisdo m an d virtue have at

vario us pe rio ds so powe rfully co n tribute d to the

pro spe rity o f Ce ylo n .

Em in e n t a s a r e the b e n e fits a ttribute d by

the g rate ful an n alists o f this b e autiful islan d to

the sag acity an d tale n ts o f he r n ative S o ve r e ig n s,the y in n o de g re e b e a r a co m pa r iso n with the

in e stim able b o o n which Ce ylo n e xclusive ly o w e s

I i DED ICAT ION .

to the e n lig hte n e d views o f Yo ur Maj e sty’

s

Go ve rnm e n t, fo r the privile g e o f a Co de Of

Laws adapte d to the lo ca l cir cumstan ce s o f the

c o un tr y, r e spe ctin g the p e culia r fe e lin g s an d

r e lig io n Of the pe o ple , an d fo un de d o n the

u n ive rsa l prin ciple s o f abstr a ct justice .

The p r o g r e ss an d succe ss o f the se me asure s

in Ce ylo n have r e n de r e d he r an o bj e ct Of in

te r e st an d atte n tio n thro ug ho ut In dia , an d a r e

calculate d to display that b e n ig n e n de avo ur to

c o m m un icate the b le ssin g s Of co n stitutio n al

libe r ty to e ve r y cla ss Of Yo ur Maj e sty ’

s subj e cts ,which will e ve r s e cure fo r Yo ur Maj e sty the ir

d e vo te d attachm e n t an d g r a titude .

I have the ho n o ur to b e,

With p r o fo un d ve n e r atio n an d r e spe ct,

Yo u r Maj e sty ’s

Fa ithfu l an d d e vo te d

Subj e ct an d Se r van t,

EDWARD UPHAM .

La n d/m , 16 , 183 3 .

SU BSCRIBER S.

HIS MAJESTY’S LIBRARY .

HIS ROYAL HIGHNES S THE DUKE o r SU S SEX, S .

THE HONOURABLE EAST IND IA COMPANY . (40 co pie s . )

THE RIGHT HON . CHARLE S GRANT , M .P .,P r e s ide n t o f

the Bo a r d o f Co n tr o l . co pie s . )

THE COLON IAL OFF ICE . (3 co pie s . )

THE RIGHT HON . LORDWILL IAM HENRY CAVEND I SHBENT INCK

, G .C .B . &c ., GOVERNOR - GENERAL OF

IND IA . ( 2 co pie s . )

HIS H IGHNESS THE PRINCE D E LIEVEN , K.S.A.

Am bassa d o r fr o m the Em pe r o r o f Russ ia .

HIS EX CELLENCY THE COUNT D E MOLTKE , Am ba ssa do rfr o m the Kin g Of D e n m a r k .

HIS EX CELLENCY BARON VON BULOW, Am ba ssado rfr o m th e Kin g o f P r ussia .

HIS EX CELLENCY THE CHEVAL IER FALCK Am bassado rfr o m th e Kin g o f th e N e the r lan ds .

THE DUKE D ’

ALBERG ,Mun ich . (2 co pie s . )

BARONWILL IAM VON HUMBOLDT .

P r o fe sso r FRED ERICWILKEN , P r in cipa l Libr a r ian to

His Maj e sty the Kin g o f P r uss ia .

COLONEL ASP INWALL,Am e r ican Co n sul . ( 2 co pie s . )

VOL . I . b

ii SUBSCR IBERS’ NAMES .

The Ro ya l As ia tic So c ie ty Of Gr e at B r ita in an d I r e lan d .

( 2 co pie s . )

The Im pe r ia l Un ive r sity , Ca san .

The Wa r d e n Of New Co lle g e , Oxfo r d .

The Libr a r y Of O r ie l Co lle g e .

Tr in ity Co lle g e , Dublin .

The L ibr a r y Of th e D e a n an d Chapte r o fWin che ste r .

The Libr a r y Of His Maj e sty the K in g o f P r ussia .

The B r isto l City Libr a r y .

Th e Ba th In stitutio n .

The Daw lish Bo o k So cie ty .

The Alfr e d In stitutio n .

P r o fe sso r E r a sm us Ra sk , Co pe nhag e n .

P r o fe sso r F . E r dm a n n,Ca sa n .

The Che va l ie r J o se ph Vo n Ham m e r,Aul ic Co un se l lo r ,

V ie n n a .

D r . Spike r , Lib r a r ian to His Maj e sty the Kin g o f

P r uss ia .

Acla n d , Sir Tho m a s Dyke,Ba r t.

,Kille r to n .

Aitkin , A . Esq ., Wate r lo o P lace , Edin bu r gh .

Ar ta r ia , Me ssr s , Bo o kse lle r s , Man n he im .

Bath, the Mo st No ble the Ma r que ss o f .Be xle y, the Rig ht Ho n . Lo r d .

Ba r ke r,Re v .Wm .

, Si lve r to n .

B r acke n r idg e , Ge o r g e Esq . B r o m we l l Ho use .

Bur r ow e s ,Willo ughby , Esq .

Butle r , Cha r le s , Esq .,G r e at O r m o n d Str e e t.

Bo o th ,Mr .

, Bo okse lle r , Duke Str e e t, Po r tlan d Plac e .

(6 Co pie s . )

SUBSCR IBERs’ NAMES .

Cam e r o n ,J . C .

, Esq . G r o ve Ho use , Ham pste ad .

Ca r n ac, Maj o r Jam e s R ive tt, Uppe r Ha r le y Str e e t.

Chapm an,Capta in I . J Ve r e Str e e t.

Cha r le tt, Co lo n e l N ewpo r t, Han dle y Co ur t,Wo r ce ste r .

Cha tfie ld , C .,Esq .

, An g e l Co u r t.Co le , Be nj am in ,

Esq . Fr o gn all .

Co l lin s , Mr .,Libr a r y , Bath .

Dan by, William ,Esq .

,Sw in to n Pa r k ,

Yo r ksh ir e .

Daub e n y , Lie ute n an t- Co lo n e l , Ro ya l Cr e sce n t, Ba th .

Dun can ,J . S.

,Esq .

, Ba th .

Fow le r,Mr s

,Staple to n Lo dg e , B r isto l .

Fo x,E . L .

,Esq . ,

M .D . ,B r isl in g to n Ho use .

Fo x,the Re v . W . B .

,Exe te r . (2 co pie s . )

Fr an ckl in ,Co lo n e l , 1, Bu r l in g to n Str e e t, Bath .

Gau lte r , He n r y , Esq .

,M .D . , Man che ste r .

Gr e g o r y , Richa r d , Esq . Dubl in .

G r infie ld , Rev . Edwa r d W . Ke n sin g to n .

Go dw in , Mr .,Bo o kse lle r , Bath .

Ha r dw icke,Maj o r - Ge n e r a l

,the Lo dg e , So uth Lam be th .

Ha r r iso n ,William ,

Esq ., Lin co ln

’

s In n F ie lds .

Hig g in s , Go dfr e y, Esq . Ske llow Gr an g e , Do n ca ste r .

Ho a r e,Cha r le s

,Esq .

,Lusc o m be Ca stle , Dawl ish .

Ho llan d,He n r y

,Esq . Mo n tag ue Squa r e .

Hum e , J o se ph ,Esq .

, M .P . , B r yan sto n Squa r e .

J ohn sto n e , Pe te r , Esq . ,Ca r n sallo ch, Dum fr ie s .

Lan sdown e , the Mo st No ble the Mar que ss o f.

in SUBSCR IBERS’ NAME S .

Lun e-ll, Sa m ue l , Esq .

, B r isto l .

Mun ste r , the R ight Ho n . the Ea r l o f, B e lg r ave Str e e t .

Maj o r - Ge n ,Sir J o hn Ma lco lm ,

K.L .S.

Macb r id e , D r . P r in c ipa l o f Mag da le n Ha ll , Oxfo r d .

Ma r sde n ,William

,Esq .

,5 0 , ! u e e n An n Str e e t.

May e r , the R e v . R .

,7,P a r k P lace , Isl in g to n .

M o u lto n ,Esq . P ilg r im Str e e t, Ludg ate Hill .

M ill ike n ,M r .

,B o okse lle r to the Un ive r s ity , Dublin .

N o r thum be r lan d , His G r ace the Duke o f,K.G .

Nico l , D r . Al e xan d e r , P r o fe sso r o f Ar abic , Oxfo r d .

Og le , Nathan ie l , Esq . , 11, D e vo n shi r e P lace .

P r udho e , th e Right Ho n . Lo r d,Albem a r le Str e e t .

Pay n tc r , J o hn ,Esq .

,Bla ckh e a th .

Pe r ig a l, Edwa r d , Esq ., So m e r se t H o use .

P e tit,Lo u is H aye s

,Esq .

,M .P .

P e ttig r ew ,T . J Esq .

,Saville Str e e t .

Pa r b u r y , Alle n , an d Co . ,Me ssr s ,

Bo okse lle r s , Le ade nha ll Str e e t. ( 100 co pie s . )

! uilte r , J am e s,Esq .

,Re g e n t

’

s Pa r k .

Ra n do lph,Re v . D r .

,Banw e ll V ica r ag e .

Re n n e ll,the V e r y Re v . D r .

,D e an o fWin che ste r .

Re n o ua r d , Re v . G . C .

,VVr a n sco m b e

,K e n t.

R icha r dso n ,R .

, Esq ., M .D .

,37

,Russe l l Squa r e .

Ricke tts , H e n r y , Esq .,B r isl in g to n .

Ricke tts , Mo r daun t, Esq .,Lake Ho use

,Che lte n ham .

Russe ll , the Re v . D r ., P r e be n da r y Of Ca n te r bu r y .

Sa l isbur y , the R ight Re v . the Lo r d Bisho p o f.Se am an

,Will iam

,Esq .

Sk in n e r , the Re v . Ge o r g e , J e sus Co lle g e , Cam br idg e .

Sp r o ule , Ro be r t, Esq .,Che lte n ham .

Stan le y , Rev . Edwa r d,Alde r le y Re cto r y

,Kn utsfo r d .

Staun to n,Si r Ge o r g e T .

,Ba r t .

,17, D e vo n sh ir e Str e e t.

Sto ck,Thom as , Esq .

, He n bu r y .

Tulk, Cha r le s Aug ustus, Esq .,19, Duke Str e e t, We st

m in ste r .

Upham ,Mr . Libr a ry , Bath . (12 co pie s . )

Wa it, Re v . D r . St. John ’

s Co l le g e , Cam br idg e .

Wa lke r , B r ig a d ie r - Ge n e r a l Al e xan de r .W' atschu r ch , Esq . Be lvide r e , Bath .

Wilso n ,Wa lte r , Esq .

,Pu lte n e y Str e e t

,Bath .

Wilso n , Ho r ace Haym an,Esq . , P r o fe sso r o f San scr it,

Oxfo r d .

Wr ig ht, Re v . Mr .,Be llem Ho use , D o n ca ste r .

Win n , C .W., Esq . , No ste l P r io r y, Yo r ksh i r e .

Wh ittake r an d Co ., Me ssr s , Bo o kse lle r s . (3 co pie s . )

CALCUTTA .

Sir J o hn P e te r Gr an t,Kut.

Wa ll ich , Nathan ie l , M .D .

Ell is , Re v . J o hn , Baptist M issio n Ho use , Ca lcutta .

S UBSCR IBERS’ NAMES .

P e r M e ssr s . THACKERAY , Ca lcutta .

Bo le r o , J . S.,Esq .

,O .S.

,Ma r adab o o .

Fitzg e r a ld , B .,Esq . ,

O .S., In do r e .

Gubbin s , J . F . ,Esq .

,O .S . , D e lh i .

Ho dg so n ,B . H.

,Esq .

,O .S. , Nepa l .

Ke n n away , W . R .,Esq .

, C .S. , Luckn ow .

Tho m pso n ,G . F . ,

Esq .

,O .S.

, Ba r e illy .

Tho m pso n ,W . F . , Esq .

, O .S . d itto .

Tr usco tt, C .W.

,Civil Se r v ice , Gha z e p o o r .

BOMBAY .

The Bo m bay B r an ch o f the Ro ya l As ia tic So cie ty .

Th e Lite r a r y So c ie ty o f Su r a t.

An de r so n ,Ge o r g e William ,

Esq ., Bo m bay Civi l Se r v ice .

Be ckw ith ,Lie ut. - Ge n . Sir Sidn e y .

Bi r d,J am e s, Esq .

, M .D . , Civil Sur g e o n a t Sa ltam .

Bo yd ,W . S.

,Esq .

, Co lle cto r , Can d e ish .

Dun lo p, J ohn A., Esq .

, Bo m bay, O .S.

Dun ste r ville , Maj o r , 12 th Re g . Native In fa n tr y .

Fa lco n e r , Capta in S . I . C ., Ar tille r y , Bo m bay .

Fr e n ch , Lie ut. an d Adjutan t, P . T .,2 3 d Re g . N.I.

Gibbo n , Lieut.- Co lo n e l Jam e s , 5 th Re g . B .N . I .

Gib r e n e , Li e ut. Cha r le s , 16th Re g . N . I.

Go o de , Re v . A., Chapla in ,

Bo m bay Establ ishm e n t.

SUBSCR IBERS’ NAMES . vii

G r an t, Ge o r g e , Esq . Ass istan t- Judg e , Sur at.

Jam e so n ,Cha r le s

,Esq . Ma d r as Me d ica l Se r vice .

JOpp,Capta in J D e puty Sur ve yo r - Ge n e r a l .

Ke n n e tt, Co lo n e l B r ackle y , Bo m bay In fan tr y .

Ke n tish,J o hn

,Esq .

, Bo m bay , O .S.

Laur e n ce , Capta in H . P . N i zam ’

s Se r vice .

Lidde l l, Lieut. Jam e s , 1st Bo m bay L ig ht Cava l r y .

Mack in to sh ,Capt. Ale x . Ahm e dn ag a r .

Ma le t,Ar thu r , Esq .

,Bo m bay Civi l Se r vice .

Ma r r io tt, Savil e , Esq .,C .S . ,

Po o n ah .

M i le s, William ,Esq .

,Po l itica l Ag e n t a t Pale lan p o r e .

Mo o r e , Capta in , 18th Re g . N .I.

Og i lv ie , Capt. W . D e puty Judg e Advo cate Ge n e r a l .

Ro be r tso n , Lieut.- Co l . Ar ch iba ld , Bo m bay Establish

m e n t. (2 co pie s . )

Ro be r tso n ,Maj o r H . D .

,9th Re g . B .N . I . (3 co pie s . )

Sco tt, Capta in J 2 3 d Re g . N. I.

Skipp e r , Lieut . E . ,7th Re g . N .I . , Bo m ba y .

Suthe r lan d,J o hn

, Esq .,Me m be r Of Co un c i l .

Suthe r lan d , Capta in Jo hn ,3 d Re g . Bo m bay Cava l r y .

Syke s,Lie ut .

- Co l . W . H.,2 2 d Re g . N. I.

Tw e n low ,Capta in G . , Be n g a l A r tille r y .

Wi ll iam s, Jam e s , Esq .

,Re side n t a t Bawda .

Yo llan d , Capta in R . S.

,Mad r a s Ar tille r y .

SUBSCR IBERS’ NAME S .

P e r Mess r s . SHO T TEN a nd CO .

Bo m bay L ite r a r y So c ie ty .

Mhow M il ita r y Libr a r y .

Bi r d,J.

,Esq .

J o hn so n ,J o hn Lew is , Esq .

Ke n n e dy, Lie ut.- Co lo n e l V .

, Judg e Advo cate Ge n e r a l .

MADRAS .

P e r M e ss r s . F RAN CK , COL E , a nd CO .

The Ho n . H . S . G r aem e .

The Ho n . Sir Ralph Pa lm e r , Ch ie f Justice .

The Ho n . Sir R . Buckle y Co m yn,Pu isn e Judg e .

The Ho n . Sir Ge o r g e William R ick e tts,Puisn e Judg e .

Maj o r - Ge n . Si r J o hn D o ve to n,K.C .B .

Aitk in ,J . Esq .

,M . D .

Allan,Capta in R .

A r buthn o t, J o hn A.

, Esq .

Bla n e,T . L .

,Esq .

, O .S .

Br o wn,C . J.

,Esq .

, O .S .

Bu r r o w,J o se ph

,Esq .

Ca ssam aj o r , Ge o r g e , Esq .

,

Ca te r , Pe te r , Esq .

Co nw ay , Lie ut .- Co l . T . H . S

, C .B .

C r aw fo r d , S ,Esq .

,C .S .

Cub b o n, L i e ut .

- Co lo n e l M .

SUBSCRI BERS’ NAMES .

Da lz ie l , C . J. , Esq .

Dan ie l , T ., Esq . , C .S.

Ea le y,Mr . T .

,Co lo m bo .

Fi lso n,D r . R .

Fo r syth, W . A., Esq .

, O .S.

G r aem e , H S . , Esq ., O .S.

G r an t, F . A. , Esq .

, O .S.

Ha r kn e ss , Capta in He n r y .

J e r em lah , Mr . J .

Jo ll ie , J . H.,Esq .

Ke r r ick, J . M., Esq .

,O .S.

Lew is , R . F . , Esq .

Lowd e r,J.

, Esq ., M .D .

Mack , J.,Esq .

, M . D .

Ma itlan d R . A.,Esq .

, O .S .

Mo n tg o m e r ie , Capta in D .

Mo o r at, G . J., Esq .

Mo o r e , Ge o r g e , Esq ., C .S.

Ne r fe r, R .W.

, Esq . , O .S.

Newnham,Tho m as , Esq .

,O .S.

O l ive r , William , Esq .

O r m sby , Lie ut. -Co lo n e l .V OL . I .

J! SUB SCR I BERS NAMES .

Owe n ,Tho m a s , Esq .

O tto ,Lie ut.

- Co l . R . B .

Pe n d e r g r e st, Lie ut. Co lo n e l J .

Po ul in , He n r y , Esq .

Ro y , Re v . D r .

Russe l l , F .W.,Esq . Bo m bay

,

She r m an , Lie ut. J . S .

Sm yth , D r . W . R .

Sto ke s, J. , Esq ., O .S

Sr ahan , Maj o r W .

Tul lo ch , Maj o r A .

Tu r nbull , J . G . , Esq .,

Wa lke r , J o hn , Esq ., O .S.

We bb, Na than ie l , Esq ., O.S.

I NTRODUC T I ON .

THROUGH the labo ur s o f Sir William J o n e s, o f Mr .

Wilkin s,Mr . Co le b r o o ke

,a n d o the r distin g u ishe d O r i

e n ta l scho la r s, the r ich an d va r ie d sto r e s o f San scr itl ite r atur e ha ve be e n la id Ope n to the We ste r n w o r l dw ith n o spa r in g han d ,

n o t o n ly have the l ighte r p r oducts— the pe a r ls a n d flowe r s— o f Hin du im ag in atio nbe e n in tr o duc e d to th e n o tice o f the le a r n e d an d the

ta ste ful in Eu r o pe , b ut the m o r e seve r e an d co m ple x ,a n d m o r e p r o fo un d a n d subtle po r tio n s o f its lo r e

,ha ve

be e n a lso studie d an d e xpla in e d by th e pe r se ve r in g an d

e n l ighte n e d ze al Of o u r co un tr ym e n in the Ea st. The yha ve n o t bo un de d th e ir labo u r s with havin g r e n de r e d theph ilo so ph ica l a n d e th ical systems o f the Hin dus co m

p a r ative ly fam il ia r to o u r m in ds, b ut the y have ve n

tur e d,an d n o t un succe ssfully , to de ve lo pe the abstr use

do gm a s an d m yste r io us te n e ts o f the B r ahm an ica l fa ith .

Much,it is tr ue , r e m a in s to b e do n e e ve n in th is

b r an ch o f O r ie n tal r e se a r ch ; b ut wh ile o ur kn owle dg eha s be e n so w ide ly e xte n d e d w ith r e sp e ct to the Op in io n s a n d le a r n in g o f the fo llow e r s o f B r ahm a

,~ - wliile

the y them se lve s ha ve , a s it w e r e, be e n m a de to g ive

e vid e n c e o n th e se a n d o the r in te r e stin g po in ts , —w e

ha ve be e n le ft alm o st in to ta l ig n o r an ce r e spe cting theh isto r y , the r e l ig io n , a n d th e o pin io n s o f the d isciple s

VOL . I .. b

VI INTRODUCT ION .

o f th e g r e at r iva l r e l ig io us system o f In d ia a n d th e

su r r o un d in g co un tr ie s ; a bo dy wh ich , in e ve r y po in t

o f View ,m e r its a t le ast e qua l a tte n tio n ,

a n d its l ite

r atur e e qua l r e se a r ch , w ith the m o r e o r tho do x w o r

sh ippe r s Of the Hin du Pan the o n an d th e i r im po r tan t

r e co r ds . Ye t have w e be e n le ft, a s it w e r e , to g r o p e

o u r way am id th e co n fl ictin g statem e n ts o f p e r so n s

who ha ve l e a r n e d th e l ittl e the y kn o w o n th e subj e ct

fr o m auth o r itie s e ithe r d e cid e dly in im ica l to , o r,a t the

be st, ve r y im pe r fe ctly acqua in te d w ith, the system the yp r o fe sse d to e luc idate . Th e scan ty an d Obscu r e info r m atio n o cca sio n a lly g l e an e d fr o m the Buddh ist r e

co r ds the m se l ve s , o w in g to the va r iatio n s bo th in the

syste m itse lf an d its p r actice , wh ich ha ve be e n in tr oduce d by its te ach e r s an d p r o fe sso r s in the va r io usco un tr ie s in wh ich it p r e va ils, have te n d e d r a the r to

pe r pl e x by the i r co n tr adictio n s, than to g ive co n fid e n ceby th e i r authe n tic ity . To e xpatiate o n the va lue o f

auth e n tic an d o r ig in a l e xplan atio n s an d il lustr atio n s o f

Buddh ist fa ith an d pr actice , a s the o n ly autho r itie s o n

wh ich w e can o r o ught to de pe n d fo r fo r m in g o u r

judg m e n t as to th e m e r its o r d e fe cts o f th is w ide lySp r e ad , an d the r e fo r e im po r tan t d o ctr in e , is quiten e e dle ss ; a n d it is , co n se que n tly, w ith in c r e a se d ple asu r e th a t, wh ilst w e Obse r ve in o the r qua r te r s in dicatio n s o f a tte m pts to dispe r se the m ist, we pr e se n t inthe se vo lum e s the fi r st spe c im e n Of an o r ig in a l an d

g e n u in e Buddh ist h isto r y tha t has be e n Offe r e d to the

p ub hc .

The co n te n ts o f th e se m an usc r ipts co m p r e he n d th r e eh isto r ica l wo r ks , o r ig in a lly w r itte n in the Pa l i lang uag e , d e sc r ib in g the r e vo lutio n s an d o the r e ve n ts o f

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

vii i I NTRODUCT ION .

the Ro ya l Asia tic So c ie ty , p r e se n ts us w ith the e so te r ic

d o ctr in e o f Nip ale se Buddh ism a n d thus an im po r tan t

o utl in e o f In dia n Buddh ism ,a n c ie n t an d m o d e r n ,

is

n ow la id Op e n . May sim ila r l ibe r a l v i ew s di r e ct a n d

ca r r y o n the se e n l ighte n e d e xe r tio n s ! th e n w ill th eda r k ve il b e r e m o ve d wh ich n ow o bscur e s th e m o st

in te r e stin g po r tio n s o f an c ie n t Buddh ist h isto r y .

To the Cha ir m a n a n d D ep uty Cha ir m a n of the

Co u r t of D i r e cto r s .

19, Gr e a t Cum be r la nd P la ce , 1 3 th No v . 18 2 6 .

GENTLEMEN,

I HAVE the ho n o u r,at the r e qu e st Of Mr .

Upham ,to e n clo se to yo u a le tte r fr o m him so lic itin g the

patr o n ag e o f yo ur ho n o u r able co u r t to an En g lish tr an slatio nwhich he is abo ut to publish o f the thr e e wo r ks c alle d theMahava n s i, the Rajavali, a n d the Raj ér atnaca r i . The fir stis w r itte n in the Pali

,an d the o the r two in the Sin ghale se

lan g uag e , an d the y a r e a ll thr e e e xplan ato r y o f the o r ig in ,

do ctr in e s , an d in tr o ductio n in to the islan d o f Ce ylo n ,o f the

Buddhi st r e lig io n .

The En g lish tr an slatio n was a sho r t tim e ag o g ive n by m e

to Mr . Upham ,upo n his e xpr e ssin g a wish to publish so m e

g e nuin e acco un t o f a r e lig io n which,whate ve r m ay b e the

n atur e an d te n de n cy o f its do ctr in e s,de se r ve s the co n side r a

tio n o f the philo sophe r an d the state sm an,fr o m the un lim ite d

in flue n ce which it at pr e se n t e xe r c ise s o ve r so m an y m illio n so f the inhab itan ts o f Asia .

The c ir cum stan ce s un de r which I r e ce ive d the thr e e

wo r ks to which I have just a llud ed, affo r d such str o n g

e vide n ce Of the i r authe n ticity, an d o f the r e spe ct in which

the y a r e he ld by the Buddhists o f Ce ylo n,that I shall take the

l i be r ty o f statin g the m to yo u ,that yo ur ho n o ur able co u r t

I NTRODUCT ION . ix

m ay fo r m so m e j udgm e n t as to the de g r e e o f e n co ur ag e m e n t

which y o u m ay b e justifie d in g ivin g to Mr . Upham .

Afte r a ve r y lo n g r e side n ce o n Ce ylo n as chie f justice an d

fi r st m em b e r Of his m aj e sty’s co un cil o n that islan d , an d afte ra co n stan t in te r co ur se , bo th lite r a r y an d Official , fo r m an yye a r s , w ith the n ative s Of e ve r y caste an d o f e ve r y r e lig io us pe r sua sio n in the co un tr y

,I fe lt it to b e m y duty to

subm it it, as m y o ffic ia l Opin io n , to his m aj e sty’s g o ve r n m e n t,

that it w as abso lute ly n e ce ssa r y, in o r de r to se cur e fo r the

n ative s o f C e ylo n a po pula r an d a r e a lly e ffic ie n t adm in is

tr atio n o f justice , to co m pile , fo r the ir separ ate use, a Spe c ia l

c o de Of laws,which a t the sam e tim e that it was fo un de d

upo n the un ive r sa lly adm itte d , an d the r e fo r e un ive r sa llyapplicable abstr act pr in c iple s o f justice

,sho uld b e scr upu

lo usly adapte d to the lo ca l c ir cum stan ce s o f the co un tr y, an d

to the pe culia r r e lig io n ,m an n e r s , usag e s , and fe e lin g s o f the

pe o ple . His m aj e sty’s g o ve r n m e n t fully app r o ve d o f m y

o pin io n,an d Offic ia lly autho r ise d m e to take the n e ce ssa r y

ste ps fo r fr am in g such a co de .

Havin g publicly in fo r m e d all the n ative s o f the islan d o fthe u se an d b e n e ficia l o bj e ct which his m aj e sty

’

s g o ve r n m e n t

had in view,I ca lle d upo n the m o st le a r n e d an d the m o st

c e le b r ate d o f the pr ie sts o f Buddha , bo th tho se who had be e ne ducate d o n Ce ylo n , an d tho se who had b e e n e ducate d inthe Bu r m e se e m pir e , to co - o pe r ate w ith m e in ca r r yin g hism aj e sty’s g r ac io us in te n tio n in to e ffe ct ; an d to pr o cur e fo rm e

,as we ll fr o m b o o ks a s o the r so ur ce s , the m o st authe n tic

in fo r m atio n that co uld b e Obta in e d r e lative to the r e lig io n ,

usag e s , m an n e r s , an d fe e lin g s o f the pe o ple who pr o fe sse dthe Buddhist r e lig io n o n the islan d Of Ce ylo n .

The pr ie sts,afte r m uch co n side r atio n am o n g st the m se lve s

,

an d a fte r fr e que n t co n sultatio n s with the i r fo llowe r s in e ve r ypa r t o f the islan d , p r e se n te d to m e the c o pie s which I n owpo sse ss o f the Mahava n s i , Rajava li , a n d Rajar atnaca r i, a s

x INTRODUCT ION .

co n ta in in g , acco r din g to the j udgm e n t o f the be st in fo r m e do f the Buddhist pr ie sts o n Ce ylo n ,

the m o st g e nu in e acco un twhich is e xtan t o f the o r ig in o f the Budhu r e lig io n , o f its

do ctr in e s , o f its in tr o ductio n in to Ce ylo n , an d Of the e ffe cts,

m o r al an d po litical , which tho se do ctr in e s had , fr o m tim e to

tim e,pr o duce d upo n the c o n duct o f the n ative g o ve r nm e n t

,

a n d upo n the m an n e r s an d usag e s o f the n ative inhab itan tso f the co un try . As the pr ie sts them se lve s , a s we ll a s a ll

the pe o ple Of the co un tr y , fr o m be in g awa r e o f the o bj e ctwhich I had in View

,fe lt the m se lve s dir e ctly in te r e ste d in the

authe n tic ity o f the in fo r m atio n which I r e ce ive d , an d as the yall co n cu r r e d in Opin io n with r e spe ct to the authe n tic ity an dva lue o f the in fo r m atio n which the se wo r ks c o n ta in

,I have

n o do ubt whate ve r that the a cco un t which the y g ive o f the

o r ig in an d do ctr in e s o f the Buddhist r e lig io n is that which isun ive r sa lly b e lie ve d to b e the tr ue acco un t by all the Buddhistinhab itan ts o f Ce ylo n .

The co p ie s o f the se w o r ks which w e r e pr e se n te d to m e

by the pr ie sts , a fte r havin g b e e n ,b v m y dir e ctio n ,

co m pa r e dwith a ll the be st c o pie s o f the sam e wo r ks in the diffe r e n tte m ple s o f Buddha o n Ceylo n

,w e r e ca r e fully r e vise d a n d

c o r r e c te d by two o f the able st pr ie sts o f Buddha o n that

islan d .

An En g lish tr an slatio n Of the m wa s the n m ade by m yO ffic ia l tr a n slato r s , un de r the supe r in te n de n ce Of the laten a tive ch ie f o f the c in n am o n de pa r tm e n t

,who was him se lf

the be st n ative Pali an d Sin ghale se scho la r in the co un tr y ;an d tha t tr a n slatio n is n ow r e visin g fo r Mr . Upham by theRe v . Mr . Fo x

,who r e side d o n Ce ylo n fo r m an y ye a r s as a

\Vc sle ya n m is s io n a r y , an d who is the b e st Eu r o pe an Palia n d S i n ghale se scho la r a t p r e se n t in Eur o pe .

I have the ho n o ur to b e , Ge n tle m e n ,

Yo ur m o st o b e d i e n t hum b le se r van t,(Sig n e d ) ALEx. JOHN STON.

I NTRODUCT ION . xi

I f the te stim o n y o f Sir A . J o hn sto n ’

s le tte r p r o ve sthe value in wh ich the se o r ig in a l Sin gha l e se an d Pa l iMSS . a r e h e ld by the Buddh ist p r ie stho o d , th e substan ceo f two le tte r s r e la tive to the se wo r ks fr om the g e n tle m an

r e fe r r e d to a t the c lo se o f tha t d o cum e n t, Viz . the Re v .

W . B . Fo x, is e qua lly d e m o n str a tive o f his appr e c iatin gth e se tr an slatio n s a s be in g fa ithfully m ade fr o m th e

o r ig in a ls an d his o pin io n be co m e s tr uly im po r tan t fr o mthe co n sid e r a tio n that Mr . Fo x had da i ly Oppo r tun itie sOf co m pa r in g th e pr a ctice s o f the Sin gha le se w ith the

a cco un ts g ive n in the se bo o ks .

To a cute o bse r va tio n o f the da ily r itua l an d ce r e

m o n ie s o f Buddh ism ,Mr . Fo x un ite d the r e qu isite qua

lifica tio n o f a p r o fo un d an d in tim ate kn ow le dg e o f the

Pa l i an d Sin gha le se lan guag e s an d l ite r a tu r e . By tho sehow e ve r wh o , l ike the e dito r , a r e a cqua in te d w ith hispe r so n a l cha r a cte r , his ph i lo lo g ica l atta in m e n ts w i ll b ea lto g e the r pa sse d by a n d fo r g o tte n , in th e supe r io r inte r e st w ith wh ich the y w ill r e g a r d the a r d e n t an d p e r

se ve r in g e xe r tio n s o f his m issio n a r y life am id the sce n e r yan d na tive s o f Ce ylo n .

D EAR SIR,

HAV ING ve r y ca r e fully c o m pa r e d the tr an slatio n s o f the thr e e Sin ghale se bo o ks subm itte d to m e w ith theo r ig in a ls , I can safe ly pr o n o un ce the m to b e co r r e ct tr an s

latio n s, g ivin g , w ith g r e at fide lity, the se n se o f the o r ig in al

c o pie s .

A m o r e judic io us se le ctio n in m y judgm e n t co uld n o t

have b e e n m ade fr o m the n um e r o us Buddhist w o r ks e x

tan t, e ste em e d o f autho r ity am o n g the pr o fe sso r s o f Bud

dhism , to g ive a fa ir View o f the c ivil an d m ytho lo g ica l histo r y o f Buddhism ,

a n d c o un tr ie s pr o fe ssin g Buddhism .

INTRODUCT ION .

The Mahavan si is e ste em e d a s Of the highe st autho r ity,

a n d is un do ubte dly ve r y a n c ie n t. The c o py fr o m which thetr an slatio n is m ade is o n e Of the te m ple Co pie s

,fr o m which

m an y thin g s fo un d in c o m m o n Co pie s a r e e xclude d,a s n o t

be in g fo un d in the an c ie n t Pa li Co pie s o f the w o r k . Eve r yte m ple I have visite d is fur n ishe d w ith a c o py o f this wo r k

,

an d is usually place d n e xt the Jatakas o r in ca r n atio n s o f

Buddha .

The Rajar atn aca r i is also an an c ie n t c o m pilatio n fr o mthe Olde st Buddhist r e co r ds , an d is n e xt in autho r ity to theMahavan si ; it has , a fte r the e a ste r n m o de

,be e n m uch e m

b e llishe d,an d by this pe rhaps r e al o ccur r e n ce s have be e n

o bscu r e d .

The Rajavali is n o t co n side r e d o f equa l autho r ity, b utis un ive r sally e ste e m e d a s an histo r ical r e co r d

,a n d is m o r e

g e n e r a lly kn own am o n g the n a tive s o f Ceylo n,the style Of

lan g uag e be in g m o r e e a sily in te llig ible than the two fo r m e r .

This wo r k se e m s to have be e n co m pile d by fo u r diffe r e n tautho r s in co n tin uatio n Of e a ch o the r

’

s labo ur s, ca r r yin g o n

the w o r k fr o m a g e to ag e this is appa r e n t fr o m a chan g e in

the style o f wr itin g .

So m e o f the o ld le tte r Co pie s d o n o t b r in g down the histo r ylate r than two r e ig n s b e fo r e the a r r iva l Of the Po r tug ue se o n

Lankadw ip a ,o r Ce ylo n ; the m o r e m o de r n Co pie s ca r r y it

o n to the co nqu e st o f Ceylo n by the Dutch. By whom thisc o n tin ua tio n wa s m ade I was n e ve r able to g a in suffic ie n tin fo r m a tio n to de c ide : that pa r t I co n side r to b e ve r y im pa rtially w r i tte n .

The s e thr e e wo r ks , w ith a tr an slatio n o f a po r tio n o f the

j utaka s , will fur n ish the Eur o pe an public w ith a ll that the

Buddh i sts ca n u r g e e ithe r o n the subj e ct o f the ir histo r y o rm ytho lo gy a n d e ve r y e n la r g e d m in d which fe e ls an in te r e stin kn o win g the Opin io n s Of l be lie ve n o t fewe r than o n e hun

d i e d a n d se ve n ty o r e ighty m illio n s , dispe r se d in the e xte n

I NTRODUCT ION . xiii

s ive r e g io n s o f Birm ah,Thibe t, Chin a , an d m any o f the n e igh

ho u r in g distr icts an d islan ds , w ill fe e l o blig e d to yo u fo r thespir ite d Un de r takin g Of g ivin g to the public , in an in te llig iblefo r m

,the m o st authe n tic do cum e n ts o f the Buddhist m ytho

lo g y . I am n o t awa r e that an y co m ple te tr an slatio n Of an yo f the abo ve wo r ks e xists , e ve n in m a nusc r ipt, e xc ept tho sein yo u r po sse ssio n

,n o r wo uld it have be e n e asy fo r an y n um

b e r Of pr ivate in dividuals to ha ve Obta in e d tr an slatio n s so

fa ithful as tho se yo u p r o po se to m ake public .

IN a few place s the r e se em s to b e a little o b

scur ity in the chr o n o lo gy , which pe rhaps o n ly the H in duhisto r ie s will r e m o ve . Fr o m a car e ful e xam in atio n o f Clo ugh’

s

Sin gha le se Dictio n a r y , a wo r k Of g r e at value , it appe a r s to m e

that som e o f the difficultie s in the way Of m akin g a pe r fe cttable o f the chr o n o lo gy o f Sin gha le se histo r y, an d Of theco un tr ie s co n n e cte d w ith that histo r y

,a r ise fr o m the n um be r

Of n am e s g ive n to the sam e pe r so n ,an d diffe r e n t histo r ian s

m akin g use o f diffe r e n t n am e s ; an d the sam e histo r ian fr eque n tly u sin g diffe r e n t n am e s . An o the r difficulty a r ise s fr o mthe in de fin ite m an n e r in which , in the m o r e an c ie n t pa r ts o fthe se histo r ie s , n um b e r s a r e use d . I have tr ie d va r io usm o de s o f r e duc in g the m to pe r io ds o f so be r histo r y ; I haven o t y e t succe e de d , b ut d o n o t de spa ir Of acco m plishin g it,e spe cially if the H in du histo r ie s sho uld m o r e de fin ite ly fixso m e o f the g r e at e po chs co m m o n to bo th. What appe a r sin the se histo r ie s as fabulo us , be cause lite r a lly im po ssible , ism e r e ly the highly fig ur a tive lan guag e e m plo ye d

,which is

qu ite fam ilia r to the Asiatics .

As a n illustr atio n , a co n ve r satio n I had with a B uddhistpr ie st is in po in t . I a ske d how it was that the de m o n s had

n o t n o w such powe r a s the y a r e sa id to have po sse sse d info r m e r ag e s

—he an swe r e d , witho ut he sitatio n ,tha t the p r e

se n t chie f dem o n lo st his fathe r b e fo r e he was e ight ye ar s o f

xiv I NTRODUCTION .

a g e , an d be fo r e he had le a r n e d to r e ad , and that co use

qu e n tly he co uld de r ive n o advan tag e fr o m his fathe r ’sl i b r a r y—a ll the kn o wledg e he had was e n tir e ly fr o m pe r so n a lObse r vatio n . I aske d how it wa s tha t n o g ian ts had e ve rbe e n se e n in I n dia s in ce the Eur o pe an s m ade se ttle m e n ts

the r e,—he r e plie d

,The g ian ts a r e he r o e s , so m e in str e n g th ,

an d so m e in wisdo m we sho uld call yo u a g ian t be causey o u e xce l in wisdo m . I do ubt n o t b ut the tr ue histo r y OfC eylo n an d I n dia w ill b e fo un d in the tr an slatio n s Of theRo ya l Asiatic So c ie ty

,b ut so m e labo ur an d pa in s w ill b e

n e ce ssa r y in fo r m in g can o n s . I co n ce ive o n e im po r tan t a id

has be e n o ve r lo o ke d . In Ceylo n ,the study Of a str o n o m y is

co n side r e d de g r adin g , an d is cultiva te d o n ly by low e r ca ste s,

pe rhaps fr o m its be in g a sso c ia te d with j udic ia l astr o lo g y an dB a a lism ; the y have , ho we ve r , m any table s

,which a r e a s

co r r e ct a s plan e tr ig o n o m e tr y can m ake the m — b ut o f sphe

r ical tr ig o n o m e tr y the y kn ow n o thin g . An exce lle n t m an,

r e co m m e nde d to m y n o tice by Sir A . J o hn sto n,at m y r e

qu e st calculate d se ve r al e clipse s , at pe r io ds po in te d o ut bym e

,a n d ,

in the m e a n tim e,1 calcula te d the m by Fe r g uso n ’

s

an d Me ye r ’s table s ; he p r o ve d c o r r e ct in all thin g s e xceptthe tim e

,which ,

in so m e c ase s,wa s half a n ho u r w r o n g ,

b ut,in a pa r ticula r Situatio n o f the m o o n , the r e sult wa s the

Sam e a s fr o m o u r table s . They have a n um be r Of bo o ksde fi n ite ly m a r kin g the appe a r an c e s o f the he ave n ly bo die s atthe pe r io d o f g r e a t e ve n ts

,b ut the r e is g r e a t difficulty in

o bta in in g a s ight O f the m ,the pr o fe sso r s O f this sc ie n ce kn o w

in g the y a r e e ste e m e d by Eur o pe a n s a s c o nju r o r s, an d a s

havin g In te r c o u r s eWi th de m o n s ; a n d be in g in the lo we r ca ste s ,Eu r o pe a n s have b ut l ittle in te r co u r se with the m . In o n e Ofthe n a tive a lm an acs I pe r c e ive d

,that in the pr o phe tic pa r t

r e fe r e n ce wa s m ade to se ve r al g r e at e ve n ts in the histo r y o fpa st tim e s

,whe n it was sa id that Rahtl had swallowe d the

m o o n (a to tal e cl ipse Of tha t lum in a r y) , a n d tha t he wa s

xvi I NTRODUCT ION .

w r itin g s Of the Buddh ists , an d is wr itte n th r ougho ut in

Pa l i . SO ca r e fully ha s the w o r k be e n han de d d own ,

tha t th e disc r e pan cie s fo un d to e xist be twe e n the m o r e

a n c ie n t an d m o d e r n co pie s a r e v e r y Sl ight in de e d .

The date a t wh ich it wa s co m po se d ha s n o t be e na sc e r ta in e d , b ut th e r e is n o d o ubt o f its havin g e xiste dfr o m the tim e tha t th e sac r e d bo o ks Of Ce ylo n w e r e

fi r stwr itte n . Its co n te n ts a r e , The D o ctr in e , Race , a n dL in e ag e o f Buddha , co m p r is in g , in fact, th e authe n tica n n a ls Of Ce ylo n e se Buddh ism .

The Rajar a tn aca r i w as w r itte n by a p r ie st n am e dAbej a - r aja—p ir ivan a : it is c o m po se d Of e xtr acts fr o ma n c ie n t bo o ks , an d co n ta in s a h isto r y Of the Buddha

,

ab r idg e d fr o m the Mahav an si . It is h e ld in h ighe stim a tio n

,be in g r e cko n e d l ittle in fe r io r in autho r ity to

the Mahavan si itse lf. It r e co r ds the e r e ctio n o f the

tem ple s,an d the hi sto r y Of th e k in g s, fr o m Vij e ya—r aja,

who wa s the fi r st, in 540 B . C . , to th e se ttlem e n t o f the

Po r tug ue se o n th e islan d .

The Rajavali is the w o r k Of d iffe r e n t b an ds , an d

co m pile d fr o m lo ca l h isto r ie s : it is u se d a s a co r o lla r yo r additio n to the two p r e ce din g w o r ks , co n tin uin g then a r r a tio n th r o ugh the str ug g le s be tw e e n th e Po r tug ue sea n d the i r r iva ls the Dutch

, un ti l the latte r po w e r,

havin g succe e d e d in e xpe ll in g the i r Oppo n e n ts, g a in e d

po sse ss io n o f Co lo m bo , wh ich u ltim ate ly le d to the

subjug a tio n o f the who l e Of the m a r itim e distr icts Ofthe islan d .

The fi r st po r tio n o f the Mahéva n si w il l w ith m a n yr e ad e r s d e r ive a p e cul ia r in te r e st

,fr o m the a cco r dan ce

wh ich its de ta ils in se ve r a l pa r ticula r s m ay b e fa i r lyd e e m e d to e xhibit w ith the p r im e va l a cco un t Of the

INTRODUCT ION . XVI I

fi r st ag e s Of the wo r ld fo r the se Buddh ist pag e s r ep r ese n t e a r th the n a s a sce n e o f pe ace

,lo n g e v ity, an d j o y ,

r u le d . o ve r by a de sce n da n t o f the sun ,be a r in g the title

Of Chakr a va r ti - r aja, an d its inh abitan ts a s e nj o yin g an

e xiste n ce e n dur in g fo r a tho usan d ye a r s, un a llo ye d w ith

g r ie f o r pa in . The r e is a lso a le g e n d Of o n e o f the r o ya ld e sce n dan ts Of Maha- Sam m ata be in g e le vate d to the

supe r io r he a ve n s w itho ut un de r g o in g th e un ive r sa l p en a lty o f d e a th , appa r e n tly by th e e fficacy o f his p r aye r sthe n fo l lows a d e scr iptio n o f th e chan g e p r o duce d inth e co n diti o n Of the hum an r ace by th e da r in g im pie tyo f m an ,

fo ste r e d by the pr ivile g e o f such a le n g th e n e dstate Of e xiste n ce , wh ich ,

how e ve r , be co m e s fo r fe ite dthr o ug h his d e pr av ity an d sin , am o n g the cause s Ofwh ich a r e m e n tio n e d the e n tr an ce Of fa lseho o d an d

m u r de r in to th e w o r ld . Such a r e , in pa r t, th e in ter e stin g a cco un ts o f th e fir st ag e s o f Buddh ism ; a n d ,

a ltho ugh the l in ks a r e lo st wh ich co n n e ct the m w iththe m o r e im po r tan t da ta o f h isto r ica l e ve n ts w ith r e fe r

e n ce to tha t e a r ly pe r io d , y e t the y a r e stam pe d w ith a n

appe a r an ce Of tr uth wh ich n o th in g can de str o y .

The Rajar atn aca r i , a s a l r e ady o bse r v e d, r an ks o n ly

o n da r y in im po r tan ce to the Mahavan si itse lf,

be in g , l ike it, pr e se r ve d a s a sacr e d r e co r d in a ll the

Viha r is o f th e islan d ; an d it is c ite d an d appe a le d toas a do cum e n t o f ackn owle dg e d ve r a c ity , a ltho ugh itsm a te r ia ls a r e ch ie fly de r ive d fr o m the Mahfivan si

,in

co n n e xio n w ith th e h isto r y o f th e th r e e Buddha s a n

te r io r to Guadm a ; an d , a s h ithe r to l ittle ha s be e nkn own be yo n d the n am e s Of the se pr e de ce sso r s o f

Guadm a,

e ve n the se sl ight n o tice s a r e im po r tan t,e spe cia lly a s th e wo r k a lso r e co r ds , in r e fe r r e n ce to the

xvii i I NTRODUCT ION .

e r a o f Buddha , the a n cie n t n am e s o f the islan d o f

Ce ylo n ,a n d tho se Of so m e Of its ch ie f c itie s, g a r de n s , &c .

Afte r tr ac in g the Sin gha le se an n a ls to th e sam e e xte n ta s th e Mahavan si , the Rajar atnaca r i subj o in s the n a r

r a tive down to the a r r iva l Of the P o r tug ue se o n the

isla n d , an d the i r e stabl ishm e n t a t Co lo m bo .

The Rajavali o pe n s w ith a co n de n se d an d use fule pito m e o f th e Buddh ist co sm o g o n y , e xh ibitin g a lso a

l ist o f th e a n c ie n t n am e s Of n um e r o us c itie s, an d Of thea dj ace n t k in g do m s

, wh ich m ay affo r d m uch va luablein fo r m a tio n . It a lso m ake s a br ie f r e fe r e n ce to In dianh isto r y r e lative to the wa r o f Ravan a , an d th e tr aditio nth at Ceylo n r e m a in e d un pe o ple d save by d e m o n s fo r

the Spa ce o f 1844ye a r s . The h isto r ica l de ta ils Of theRajavali w e r e p r in c ipa lly co m pile d fr o m th e Maha

va n si an d the Rajar atn éca r i b ut it is co n s id e r e d o f

m uch im po r tan ce , a s b r in g in g th e d e ta ils down to the

e xpuls io n o f the Po r tugu e se by the co m bin e d e ffo r ts Ofth e Dutch a n d the Sin gha le se , an d th e a cqu isitio n o f

Co lo m bo by th e fo r m e r in th e ye a r 15 2 2 .

Wh il e th e se vo lum e s p r in cipa lly un fo ld the h isto r ica n n a ls o f Buddhism ,

to g e the r w ith th e fa ith a n d d o c

tr in e s Of Guadm a a s e stablishe d in Ce ylo n, the i r e a r l ie r

r e co r ds e xc ite in n um e r o us pa ssag e s the d e e pe st r e g r e t,

a s the y im p r e ss upo n us the co n victio n that w e have inthe m b ut the r e l ics a n d fr ag m e n ts Of a fa r m o r e r e fin e da n d in te lle ctua l co d e , wh ich pa ssag e s m an i fe st a syste mOf e th ics so m uch supe r io r to the m o de r n do g m ata o f

the Buddha Guadm a, tha t w e can n o t h e lp lam e n tin g

the cause wh ich ha s an n ih ila te d the e vid e n ce s o f the i rm o r e in tim a te co n n e xio n ,

a n d o n ly a llow e d us to su r

m ise , fr o m ve r y in sufficie n t g uide s, wha t tha t m o r e

INTRODUCT ION . xix

a n c ie n t an d pur e r d o ctr in e r e a lly wa s . Whe r e , in d e e d,can w e a t p r e se n t lo o k fo r the so lutio n Of th is inte r e stin g p r o ble m ? Whe r e a r e w e able cle a r ly to tr acethe so ve r e ig n sup r e m acy o f th is system ,

a n d the o r ig inan d p r o g r e ss o f th o se san gu in a r y str ug g l e s in wh ich itsp r o fe sso r s w e r e e n g ag e d w ith tho se o f a r iva l an d m o r e

im po s in g fo r m o f fa ith ? We can o n ly co nj e ctur e tha tsuch w a s the ca se , a n d tha t th e r e tr e a t o f the pe r secute d vo ta r ie s Of Buddh ism pe o ple d an d c iv ilise d theIn do - Ch in e se co un tr ie s, an d e ve n spr e a d the i r te n e ts

am o n g the ba r ba r o us com mun itie s o f the Ea ste r nA r ch ipe lag o , wh ile its in flue n ce wa s a lso a ckn ow le dg e dby the vast co un tr ie s a r o un d the ba se Of the sn owyHim a laya ; thus e xe r c is ing a powe r ful sway o ve r m o r e

than a hun d r e d an d e ighty m il l io n s Of the hum an r ace ,

in who se va r ie d an n a ls w e m ay tr ace in th is r e spe ct a

co r r o bo r a tive un ifo r m ity o f e r a .

Of the po in ts wh ich r e qu i r e e luc ida tio n in r e fe re n ce to Ea ste r n a n tiqu itie s , a n d o n wh ich w e m ay

ho pe to r e ce ive ve r y m ate r ia l a ss istan ce fr o m Buddh istw r itin g s, a s it is to them that w e m ust lo o k e ve n tua llyfo r a satisfacto r y so lutio n , th e fo llow in g a r e n o t Ofthe le a st str ikin g in te r e st : the p r io r ity o f the co m

p a r ativ e an tiqu ity Of the two g r e a t syste m s in In dia,

the B r ahm an ica l an d the Buddh ist ; the e po ch a t

wh ich the se e ds w e r e sown Of tha t bitte r an d in

ve te r ate hatr e d wh ich th e vo ta r ie s Of the r e spe ctivec r e e ds have bo r n e fr o m tim e im m em o r ia l , an d d o stillbe a r towa r ds e a ch o the r a cla ssificatio n Of the n am e s

an d cha r acte r s o ccu r r in g in the Buddh ist w r itin g s ,so a s to e xpla in wh ich a r e pu r e ly m ytho lo g ica l an dwh ich a r e h isto r ica l

, a n d o n wha t da ta the Ch in e se

XX INTRODUCT ION .

g r o un d the i r e r a Of 1043 B . C . thus plac in g th e in tr oductio n o f Buddh ism in to Ch in a five ce n tur ie s an te r io rto the pe r io d state d by the In do - Chin e se an d Sin ghale se

,—the se an d m an y o the r qu e stio n s Of im po r tan ce

to o u r acqua in tan ce w ith th e g e n u in e h isto r y o f Bud

dh ism ,a r e a s y e t, an d it is m uch to b e fe a r e d a r e l ike ly

to r e m a in fo r so m e tim e , am o n g the de side r ata OfO r ie n ta l l ite r a tur e .

As it is a dm itte d that the p r e se n t vo lum e s d o n o t

th r ow m uch l ig ht o n the e so te r ic syste m o f the Buddh istlawg ive r s, it is que stio n ab le how fa r th e e d ito r is ca lle do n to e xpla in he r e h is View s o n tha t pa r t o f the subj e ct ;y e t, if the se sacr e d a n n a ls Of the Sin gha le se fa il toe xh ibit the pu r e r ph ilo so phy an d e th ics o f Buddhism

,

the y a t le ast sh ew the p r a ctica l e ffe ct Of th e se do ctr in e s,as adapte d to a pa r ticula r r ace Of p e o ple , an d m o difie dto su it th e ir che r ishe d p r ejudice s . The y o pe n a lso a

cu r io us an d n o ve l l in e Of h isto r y, e xe m plifie d in the

actio n s an d cha r acte r s o f in d ividua ls r e spe ctin g wh o mw e p r e vio usly kn ew n o th in g , an d e ve n n ow have n o

o the r so u r c e s o f in fo r m atio n . It is by thus tr acin g ,h owe ve r in distin ctly, the cha in Of in flue n ce

,fr o m the

p r actica l r e sults up to the system by wh ich the y a r e

p r o duce d , tha t w e can ho pe to fo r m a n appr o xim ate

ide a o f the c la im s o f the Buddhist d o ctr in e, a n d m ay

e xpe ct in tim e to un fo ld m o r e cle a r ly an d sa tisfacto r ilythe a r can a o f its p r o fo un d a n d m yste r io us sch em e .

Tha t it d e se r ve s such e xam in a tio n , the fa ct o f its

e xte n s ive ado ptio n p r o ve s un he sita tin g ly ; a n d it w illb e m a tte r o f n o sm a ll co n g r a tula tio n whe n the r e se a r ch

Sha ll have be e n acco m plishe d .

In the ske tch o f the Buddhism o f N ipa l, co m m u

INTRODUCT ION . xxi

n icate d by Mr . B . H . Ho dg so n to the Ro yal As iaticSo cie tyfi

f we a r e fur n ishe d w ith m o st va luable h in ts ,fr om o r ig in a l autho r itie s, fo r the r e co n str uctio n o f a

part o f the ' an cie n t an d r efin e d system ; an d w e can

nOt he lp e xp r e ssing an Op in l o n , that the se e xplan atio n sin

‘

a g r e at de g r e e r em o ve the cha r g e o f a th e ism wh ichhas be e n pe r tin ac io usly br o ug ht ag a in st the do ctr in e s o fBuddha

,fo un de d o n the use Of str o n g e xpr e ssio n s, r e

qui r e d to co n ve y the ful l fo r ce o f the p a ssive p r in cipleo f the sche m e .

The o ccas io n a l in te r m ixtur e o f B r ahm an ica l pe r so nag e s an d do ctr in e s in the Buddh ist scr iptur e s is a lsocle a r ly an d satisfacto r i ly acco un te d fo r by Mr . Ho dg so n ,

who justly attr ibute s it to the low e stim atio n in wh ichthe m o st sacr e d char acte r s o f Hin duism a r e he ld bythe Buddhists, as the active an d sti r r in g m achin e r y Ofthe fo r m e r cr e e d is str ik in g ly o ppo se d to the quie tism ,

o r a tta inm e n t Of Ni r vén a , wh ich fo r m s the g r e at

do gm a o f the latte r .We a r e fur the r in debte d to the w r itin g s Of N ipa lfo r the fo llow in g p r in ciple o f the e so te r ic do ctr in e , co nta in in g the v iew Of A

’di Buddha Th is e te r n al, in

fin ite , in te lle ctua l m o n ad po sse sse s, a s pr o pe r to his

own e sse n ce,five acts o f w isdo m . Fr o m the se b e , by

five se pa r ate acts o f Dhyan , c r e ate d five Dhyan i

Buddhas the se , l ike A’d i Buddha,a r e quie sce n t in the

syste m ,

”&c . N e ithe r A’d i Buddha , n o r e ithe r o f the

five Dhyan i Buddhas , e ve r m ade a de sce n t, tha t is tosay , the y we r e n e ve r co n ce ive d in m o r ta l wo m b, n o r

had the y fathe r o r m o the r ; but ce r ta in pe r so n s o f

V ide Tran s . vo l . ii . p . 2 2 2 .

VOL . I . C

xxii INTRODUCT ION .

m o r ta l m o uld have , by d eg r e e s , atta in e d to such ex

ce lle n ce Of n a tur e a s to have be e n g ifte d w ith d ivin e

w isdo m ,an d taught the B6ddhi

- cha r ya an d Buddha

m érga ; an d the se we r e se ve n in n um be r . In the

Sa tya - yug a we r e thr e e ; viz . Vipasya , who was bo r n

in Vin dum a ti- n ag a r , in the ho use Of Vin d fim an Raja ;Sikhi , in U r n a Desa ; Visvabhu, in Anupam a Désa , inthe ho use o f a kshatr iya . In the Tr eta- yug a two pe r so n sbe ca m e Buddhas , o n e , Ka rkutchan d , in Kshém avati

n ag a r , in the ho use o f a br ahm an the o the r, Kan aka

m t’

i n i , in Sfi bhavati- n ag a r , in the ho use o f a br ahm an ;

in the Dwapa r- yug a , o n e pe r so n ,

n am e d Kasyapa , inVar anas i - n ag a r , in the ho use o f a br ahm an ; an d in the

Ka l i - yug a , Sakya , the n ca lle d Sa r var tha Siddha , in theho use o f SudhOdan a Réja, a Sz

’

tkyavan si, in the c ity OfKapalvastfi,

’

which is n e a r Gan g a sagar . Of the se p e r

so n ag e s, o n ly the fo ur la st n am e d a r e e n um e r ate d inthe pag e s Of the Sin gha le se h isto r ie s . Re fe r e n ce s a r e

in de e d o ccasio n a lly m ade to an an te r io r Buddha but

a s n o n am e o r pa r ticular s a r e g ive n , w e a r e ch ie fly iadebte d fo r o u r kn ow le dg e Of the se p r e ce din g Buddhas,viz . Vipasya , Sikh i , an d Visvat

’

I , to the Nipale se an d

Chin e se w r itin g s . The Sin gha le se h isto r ie s r e co r d m an yin te r e stin g pa r ticula r s Of the Buddhas Of this ca lpa , n o tfo un d in the Nipale se w r itin g s ; but n e ithe r o f them

sta te the epo chs at which the se te ache r s flo ur ishe d . The

Sin gha le se a n n a ls, howe ve r , a r e ve r y m inute in g ivin gthe n am e s o f the islan d

, an d its sacr e d place s, at the irse ve r a l v isits , to g e the r w ith m an y acce sso r y c i r cumsta n ce s Of co n s ide r able m o m en t. The plag ue which

V ide Raj aratnacar i, vo l. Ii. p . 7.

xxiv I NTRODUCT ION .

The e xpo sitio n Of the e so te r ic do ctr in e o f Buddhismwhich is g ive n by M . Abe l Rém usat, in his Oh

se r va tio ns sur que lques p o in ts d e la D o ctr in e Sam a

née n n e , e t e n p a r ticulie r sur les n o m s d e la Tr ia d e Su

p r em e chez les d ifiér ens p eup les B ouddhistes,”autho r ise s

us to co n side r the spe cim e n s the r e in quo te d a s an a la

g o us , In the i r tr a in o f tho ught an d r e a so n in g , to the

Scr iptur e s o f N ipa l , a s w ill b e se e n in the subjo in e de xtr acts

La supr em e in te llig e n ce (Adi Bo uddha) ayan t,p a r sa pe n sée (Pr adjn a o u Dha r m a ) , p r o du it la m ul

tiplicité (san g a ) d e l’

existe n ce d e ce tte tr iade,n aqui

r e n t c in q abstr actio n s (Dhyan ) o u in te l lig e n ce s du p r em ie r o r dr e (Bo uddha ) , le sque lle s e n g e n d r er e n t cha

cun e un e in te llig e n ce du se co n d o r d r e , o u fils (Bo d

hisato ua ) ; c’

e st de ce n o m d e Bo dhisato ua, que le s

Chin o is o n t, p ar abr éviatio n , fo r m é ce lu i d e Pho usa

,

’

co m m un, n o n seulem e n t a ce s cin q in te ll ig e n ce s se co n

da ir e s, m a is a to ute s le s am e s qui o n t su atte in d r eau m em e dég r é d e pe r fe ctio n . 11 y a do n c un ce r ta inn om b r e d e Bo dhisato uas désig n és pa r d e s n o m s differ e n s ; e t le vo cabula i r e p e n tag lo tte e n r appo r t Vin g tse pt, que M . d e Guig n e s a pu r eg a r de r co m m e ap

p a r te n an t a un e m em e divin ité . Ko uan - chi- yn y e ste ffe ctivem e n t placé au p r e m ie r r an g ; m a is Padm a

n e tr ah (oe il d e n énupha r ) e st le n o m d ’un e autr e

d ivin ité d e la m em e e spece . Le n o m San sc r it d e lap r e m ier e e st Pa dm a Pan i ; c

’

e st a ce tte étr e que l’

On

attr ibue la cr éatio n d e s étr e s an im és, co m m e o n attr ibuela co n str uctio n de s diffé r e n te s pa r tie s d e l’un ive r se aViswa Pan i , so us le n om d e Man dj o u- Sr i . Padm a

Pan i , a r a iso n d e sa pu issan ce pr o ductr ice , r epr ése n te ,pa r m i le s ag e n s d e la cr éatio n

,le se co n d te r m e d e la

INTRODUCTION . XXV

tr iade , o u la Sci e n ce (Pr adj n a) aussi, dan s la do ctr in ee xté r ieu r e , lui do n n e - t- o n que lques- un s d e s sig n e s quica r acté r ise n t un e d ivin ité fe m e lle . 11 a r e gu plus ieur sn o m s, e t e n tr e autr e s ce lu i d’Avalokitéswa r a , o u le

Se ig n e ur co n te m plé . C’

e st ce n o m,m al an a lysé p a r

le s tr aducte ur s, su ivan t la r e m a r que d ’

un savan t Chin o is, qui a - fo r m é ce lu i d e Ko uan - chi- yn , o u

,la vo ix

co n tem plan t leDan s la Sam an éism e Or ie n ta le

,le culte d e s sa ints

a p r e sque e ffacé l’ado r ati_

o n d e s d ie ux ; e t dan s le s p assag e s OR l

’

o n r e n co n tr a it le n o m d e Bo uddha (F0 ) , o na touj o ur s cr u qu ’

il s’ag issa it d e Shakia Mo un i, o u to ut

au - plus d e que lque s - un s de s hom m e s qui l’

ava ie n t p r écédés dan s la ca r r ier e d e la divin isatio n . Ma is o n

aur ait évité ce tte e r r eu r e n l isan t a ve c plus d ’

atte n tio n

le s e n d r o its o n le n om de Bo uddha n e pe ut desig n e rn u etr e hum a in , mem e pa r ve nu au plus haut dég r éd e pe r fe ctio n . I1 e n e st OI

‘

I le Bo uddha supr em e e st

n o m m é ave c se s deux aco lyte s d e la tr iade théistique ,

Dha r m a e t San g a ; la lo i e t le l ie n , o n l’

un io n ; c’

e st

a in s i que co m m e n ce n t to us le s in vo catio n s attr ibuée s auxse pt Bo uddha te r r e str e s , e t dan s le sque ls ils débuten tp a r r e n d r e ho m m ag e a l

’

etr e tr iple e n ce s te r m e s

Nan - wo n FO - tho -

ye

Nan - wo u Tha - m a -

y e

Nan - wo n Se n g- kia—ye

An !

C’

e st- a- dir e, e n r e stituan t le s m ots San scr its

Nam o Bo uddhaya

Nam o Dha r m aya

Nam ah San g’

ayaOm

No uv . Jo u r n . As iat. to m e Vi i . p . 2 86 .

xxvi INTRODUCT ION .

On sa it que cc d e r n ie r m o n o syllable , do n t l’

usag e

e st co m m un aux B r ahm an e s e t aux Bo uddhiste s , e st le

sym bo le d e ’

étr e tr in ,do n t il r e pr ése n te le s tr o is

te r m e s r éun is e n nu se ulIt is we ll kn own to e ve r y stude n t Of In dian d o ctr in e

w ith what r e ve r e n ce th e ce leb r ate d m o n o syllable Aum

has be e n r e g a r de d ; it is, how e ve r , Obse r ve d by Mr .

Ho dg so n ,tha t it is p r o bable that th is m ystic syllable

is a lto g e the r a com pa r ative ly r e ce n t im po r tatio n in toBuddh ism .

TO r e tu r n ,howe ve r , to the wo r ks wh ich m o r e im

m e diate ly fo r m the Obj e ct o f the se r em a r ks , we m ay

o bse r ve , that it is cle a r that m o de r n Buddhism ,

a s it n ow e xists in Ce ylo n , in the In do Ch in e seco un tr ie s , an d o the r e xte n sive r e g io n s o f the East, wa sin tr o duce d by Guadm a . The e ve n ts co n n e cte d w ithhis l ife , which a r e c ir cum stan tia lly n a r r ate d in the se

v o lum e s , a lso e stabl ish the fact o f his In dian o r ig in ,

a n d Of his be lo n g ing to the Kshatr iya , o r wa r r io r caste ;an d , co n n e ctin g w ith his le g e n d the p r in ciple o f the

in ca r n atio n inhe r e n t in Buddhism , he fur n ishe s a

str ikin g e xam ple o f an able an d am biti o us cha r acte r

applyin g the d e e ply - r o o te d be l ie f Of a n atio n to pur

po se s Of se l f- agg r a n disem e n t. What the system o f

Avatii r ism thus e ffe cte d fo r the Buddha Guadm a,it

had do ubtle ss a lso acco m plishe d in the m o r e r em o te

e r a s o f the a n cie n t fa ith fo r m an y o the r p e r so n s . The

d o ctr in e Of Guadm a cla im s n o h ighe r o r ig in than abo ut540 B .C . ; but the r e a r e o the r e po chs assig n e d , the

date s o f which a r e so w ide ly diffe r e n t a s to m an ife stthe i r appe r ta in in g to in dividua ls, who , l ike the law

No uv . Jo ur n . As iat. to m . vu . p . 2 64.

INTRODUCTION . XXVI!

g ive r o f the Singhale se , m ad e the pecul ia r do ctr in e s o fBuddhism the i r stepping - sto n e to r ank

, an d powe r ,an d ve n e r atio n am o n g the i r fe l low - m e n . As it m ay b e

in te r e sting to so m e Of o u r r e ade r s, we g ive the date sa ssign e d to the appe a r an ce s Of the se va r io us Buddhas

,

a s we ll as a few o the r im po r tan t o r ie n ta l e po chs, as fa ra s the m o st appr o ve d w r ite r s a r e ag r e e d o n the i r accur acy, in a n o te at the e n d o f this In tr o ductio n .

The m e taphysics an d co sm o g o n y o f the do ctr in ewhich the Sin gha le se r e ce ive d fr o m Guadm a

, a r e a s

m uch in acco r dan ce w ith the Buddhism o f Nipa l a sa system o f e th ics, fo un de d o n pr e scr iptive do ctr in ean d r ule s appl icable to the r e latio n s Of so cie ty, can ag r e e

w ith do gm as appe a l in g o n ly to the pe r ceptio n s o f the

ph ilo so phe r , an d appr o achable a lo n e by such subtle a n din tr icate r atio cin atio n s a s few m in ds a r e able succe ss

fully to un r a ve l and fo llow o ut to the i r e xtr e m e r e

sults . The y co n cur , it m ay he r e b e m e n tio n e d , ina ssig n in g the ultim ate bliss Of N i r van a to tho se te r r e s

tr ia l Buddhas a l r e ady adve r te d to , who the n ce fo rwa r de xe r ci se n o fur the r ag e n cy in the cr e atio n . The system

,

howe ve r,is n o t le ft witho ut so m e supe r in te n de n ce , fo r

the powe r s an d co ur se Of the n atu r a l wo r ld a r e,in

e ach sphe r e , r e spe ctive ly place d un de r the guidan ceo f be in g s w ith e n dowm e n ts adapte d to the i r co n tr o lth is class o f supe r io r in te ll ig e n ce s co m m un icate w ithm an fo r his g uidan ce an d suppo r t a s a m o r a l an dacco un table be in g an d the sche m e o f Guadm a pr e se n tsa co de o f do ctr in e fo r his r e g ula tio n ,

base d o n the

se ve r e ly - r e tr ibutive p r o ce ss Of the m e tem psycho sis, fr o mwh ich the r e is n o e scape , a s the stim ulan t to its Ob

se r vanc e . This View Of tim e , an d o f life thr o ugh an

xxvin INTRODUCT ION .

e n dle ss succe ssio n o f e xiste n ce s—po ssibly the m o st

m ise r able , whe r e in all o f m an that can suffe r m ay

e n dur e fo r e ve r y chan g e th r o ugh co un tle ss pe r io ds ;w o uld b e to o d r e adful to b e bo r n e , had n o t the d o c

tr in e Offe r e d a r e so ur ce fo r its fo llow e r s in the p r inciple o f the d ivin e p e r fe ctibil ity to wh ich m an m ay

a tta in ; an d to such an e xte n t is this do g m a ca r r ie d,

tha t e ve n the dem o n s a r e de cla r e d n o t to b e deba r r e dfr o m the po ssibility Of be in g r e scue d fr o m the i r d e spe r ate co n ditio n ,

an d , thr o ugh the r e vo lutio n s Of e xistcn e e s, Of Obta in in g supr em e g lo r y . Ge n u in e Budhism

,

”it is r e m a r ke d by Mr . Ho dg so n ,

n e ve r appe a r sto co n tem plate an y m e a sur e s o f acceptan ce w ith the

d e ity ; but, o ve r le apin g the ba r r ie r be twe e n fin ite an d

infin ite m in d , ur g e s its fo llow e r s to aspi r e,by the i r

own e ffo r ts,to tha t divin e pe r fe ctibility Of wh ich it

te ache s that m an is capable,a n d by a tta in in g wh ich

m an be co m e s Go d .

”

Whe the r the e so te r ic do ctr in e o f Buddh ism fullybe a r s o ut the r e m a r k which fo llows Ge nu in e Buddhism has n o pr ie stho o d ; the sa in t de spise s the p r ie st,the sa in t* sco r n s the a id Of m e diato r s ,” w e have n o

m e an s o f judg in g fr o m what we kn ow o f m o de r n d o ctr in e , a s displaye d in the p r e ce pts o f Guadm a

, o r the

e xam ple s an d p r actice r e co r d e d in the se h isto r ie s . The

e xtr act o n the Buddha , the Law ,a n d the P r ie sts

,

which we have take n fr o m M . Abe l Rém usat’

s Ob se r

vatio n s, p r o ve s the i r va st in flue n ce in a system wh ich

thus, as it we r e , ide n tifie s the m w ith its te n e ts . The r e

a r e also in n um e r able passag e s in the se histo r ie s an d

Mr . Ho dg so n p r o b ab ly r e fe r s to asce tics,b ut such ar e n o lo n ge r

fo un d i n m o de r n Buddhi sm .

INTRODUCT ION . xxix

tr acts e vide n cing !the in tim ate bo n d Of un io n existingbe twe e n the pe o ple a nd the p r ie sts the hon o ur an d

Obe die n ce pa id to the latte r,an d the m e r it attache d to

such Obse r van ce s . We p r o ce e d to in dicate a few Ofthe m o r e str iking Of the se n o tice s .

‘ Dha r m a‘So ka

,

o n e Of the m o st illustr io us so ve r e ig n s o f Ce ylo n, who

flo ur ishe d in the 2 3 6th ye a r o f the Buddha - ve'

r o use,

inflam e d w ith a de s i r e to beho ld the Co br a d e Cape lla

, o r Raja Naga, m ade a v ow to the Buddha,

an d e xp r e sse d it in the se te r m s, AS tr ue a s I am

ste adfast in the be l ie f o f Tr ivida r atue , th is g o lde n cha inSho uld im m e diate ly g o an d br in g the King Maha

Kal i .” The sam e phr a se (the c om pr ehe n sive m e an in go f wh ich w ill b e e xpla in e d pr e se n tly) is ag a in use d inco n n e xio n w ith the Kin g Datug o m e n i, who se r

'

e ignis de picte d as an e xam ple o f vir tue an d b e n efice n ce

,

in the to uch in g de scr iptio n o f his last ho ur s, when thepr ie st

, who e n de avo ur s to fo r tify his sou l ag a in st thete r r o r s o f im pe n din g de ath, e xpr e sse s h im se lf thus :Tho u hast m ade Offe r in g to Tun o r owan th r o ughout

the who le kin g do m Of Lan ka , at five tim e s, an d e ach

tim e o f fo ur days’ co n tinuan ce .

The n e xt passag eWhe r e in the ph r ase occur s is a lsotaken fr o m the Mahavan si ; it has r e fe r ence to the

d e ath - b e d Of ano the r so ve r e ig n , King Par ak r am ab ahu,who , havin g co lle cte d a r o un d him his So n s: and n e phew,

the passag e g o e s o n to state,that the k in g a ssem ble d

the p r ie sts and the la ity, an d inqu ir ed o f them to

whom the y thought pr o pe r to g ive cha r g e Of the r e a lm .

”

Upo n th is the pr ie sts r e plie d , that all the pr in ce s we r ee qua l in w isdom, in va lo ur , an d e ve r y o the r capacity ;but the P r in ceWij eyab ahu , the kin g ’

s e lde st so n , had

XXX INTRODUCTION .

fr o m his in fan cy a dhe r e d to Tr ivida r atue , an d it the r efo r e r equ ir e d n o fa r the r inqu i r y .

”

We pr o ce e d to subjo in the e xtr act fr om the wo r k o f

M . Rém usat to wh ich we be fo r e a llude d ; an d it w illa t o n ce shew the va st im po r tan ce a ttache d to thissin g le w o r d , co m p r i sm g a s it do e s the e n ti r e fo rm ula Ofthe Buddh ist fa ith ,

an d fully r e co g n isin g the Buddha ,the Law ,

an d the P r ie sts .

”

In e ach o f the in stan ce s w ehave br ought fo rwa r d o f its applicatio n , the sce n e is a

so lem n o n e , an d is co n n e cte d , in the case o f Dha r m a

Soka , w ith a ve r y r e m a r kable shadowing fo r th”o f

the fo r m e r Buddha s, m ag ica lly efl'

e cte d by the RajaNag

-a,to g r atify the kin g

’

s de si r e o f beho ld in g the p r ed e ce sso r s o f Guadm a ; to Da tug o m e n i it is a dduce dfo r his co m fo r t in the dyin g ho u r ; an d w ith Pa r akr am abahn it is m ade the m e an s o f g uid in g his cho ice Ofthe succe sso r to his th r o n e . I f the ve r y e m in e n t qualitie s a scr ibe d to the cha r acte r s Of the se p r in ce s b eco n side r e d , an d the pe cul ia r c ir cum stan ce s un de r wh ichthe ir r e sp e ctive r e co gn itio n s Of this sym bo l o f the i rfa ith w e r e g ive n ,

b e a lso take n in to the acco un t, the

subj e ct be com e s o n e Of g r e at in te r e st, an d the Ch in e see xplan atio n s pa r ticula r ly va luable .

M . Schm idt, qui a r appo r té le s n om s San scr its, le sin te r pr ete aussi ave c e xactitude : Buddha

, d ie Leh r e ,un d d e r Ve r e in d e r Ge istl ichke it.

’ Ma is il r e ste to uj o ur sa d ete r m in e r la place qui peuve n t o ccupe r dan s un e

system e d e thé o lo g ie ce tte lo i, e t su r to ut ce pr etr e , o u

ce tte asse m blé e du cl e r g é , auxque ls le s sa in ts e t le s

dieux ad r e sse n t d e s in vo catio n s,e t qu i so n t qualifies de s

p r in cipe s d e c r o yan ce s subl im e s e t in e stim able s . II

faut co n cilie r’

d e s an n o n ce s qui sem ble n t inco hér e n s, e t

XXXII INTRODUCTION .

Whate ve r difficultie s Guadm a m ight e n co un te r a t

the in tr o ductio n Of his do ctr in e in to Ce ylo n ,w e m ay

sa fe ly in fe r , fr o m the acco un ts r e co r d e d Of his succe s

so rWij e ya , that its r o o ts a t the pe r io d Of his d e ce a sehad str uck bo th de e p an d fir m . Re ce n tly fo un de ddyn a stie s a r e usua l ly l iable to co n vuls io n an d chan g e ;

but a ltho ughWij eya die d ch ildle ss, an d wa s succe e de dby his ch ie f m in iste r , in le ss than a ye a r he a lso wasd isplace d by the n e phew o fWij e ya , appa r e n tly w itho utvio le n ce , as n o such is m e n tio n e d in the h isto r y ; th isfact p r o ve s a str ikin g chan g e fr om the co n ditio n OfCeylo n at the tim e o f Guadm a

’

s fi r st visit, whe n itstur bule n t an d un c ivil ise d sta te is r e p r e se n te d by a se ve r eco n te st w ith the dem o n s an d n ag a s, m o st p r o bably thein dig e n o us an d savag e tr ibe s o f the islan d , who we r ewo r sh ippe r s o f dem o n s an d se r pe n ts— the m o st an cie n ta n d m o st lastin g o f all the he athe n supe r stitio n s . The r e

is an o the r po in t we can dwe ll o n w ith ple asur e , n am e ly,the r apid an d r em a r kable pr o g r e ss o f the Sin gha le se ine ve r y br an ch o f n atio n a l im pr o vem e n t, wh ich se em s to

have fo llowe d the be n ig n influe n ce o f Buddh ism ,a s

co m pa r e d w ith the state in wh ich it fo un d them . The ys ca r ce ly appe a r , in the se n a r r atio n s, to have e n te r e d o nthe car e e r Of c ivil isatio n e r e w e fin d them ,

un de r Pand nwa s an d his succe sso r s , fo un din g citie s, buildin g temple s , a n d

,abo ve all, fo r m in g im m e n se lake s fo r facil i

tatin g the Ope r atio n s o f ag r icultur e — the tr ue r iche sOf a state . The se e xtr ao r din a r y e xcavatio n s r iva lle d them o st r em a r kable labo u r s o f an tiquity , an d we r e ha r dlysur pa sse d by the ce leb r a te d kin d r e d wo n de r s Of Eg ypt.

The r e m a in s Of the se n atio n a l m o num e n ts de m o n str ate

a n am o un t Of po pulatio n an d a state Of p r o spe r ity in

INTRODUCT ION . xxxiii

fin ite ly supe r io r to what e xists at pr e sen t, o r ha s fo r a.

lo n g pe r io d e xiste d, in Ceylo n ,an d the r e fo r e sho uld

r e co m m e n d so m e co n side r atio n o f the m o de Of g o ve r nm e n t an d c iv il adm in istr atio n wh ich so e sse n tia lly co ntr ibute d to the ag g r an disem e n t an d p I

‘

OSp e l‘Ity o f this

be autiful islan dNo t le ss str ikin g than the se lake s a r e the va st

m o un ds, tem ple s, an d m auso leum s, wh ich a r e g e n e

r a lly adj ace n t to the ir bo r de r s, an d the r em a in s o f

which a t the pr e sen t day atte st the fo r m e r sple n do u ro f the state . Little o r n o th in g is kn own in Eu r o pe o f

the r e a l cha r acte r an d exte n t Of the r em a in s o f o n e o f

the m o st ce le br ate d o f the Buddh ist tem ple s in Ce ylo n,

the n am e Of which Often o ccur s in the p ag e s o f the se

vo lum e s,an d wh ich fo r m e d the subj e ct Of a ve r y in te

r e sting m em o ir by Capta in J . J . Chapm an,Of the Ro ya l .

En g in e e r s, who Visite d the se in te r e stin g r uin s - in the

ye a r 182 8 . In the cour se o f his d e scr iptio n o f the

va r io us build in g s Of the tem ple , Capta in Chapm an

pr e se n ts all the in fo r m a tio n he wa s able to co lle ct o n‘

the spo t,fr o m tr aditio n ,

r e lative to the r em o va l Of theBo g aha - tr e e to Ce ylo n , an d its be in g plan te d a t Anu

r adhe pur a, whe r e it still e xists in the e n clo sur e s o f the

te m ple Of Ruanwe lly . The se r em a in s fu r n ishe d Capta in Chapm an w ith a va r iet y o f subj e cts fo r his pe n c il .The lake sce n e r y; a lso , he de scr ibe s as m o st str iking ,a s we ll fo r its n atur a l be autie s as the vast e xpan se o f

its wate r s and the dur abil ity o f its fo rm atio n . The r e

was o n e cu r io sity to wh ich the g u ide s pa r ticula r ly dir e cte d Capta in Chapm an

’

s atte n tio n ,a ltho ugh they

w e r e un able to g ive any acco un t Of the o r ig in o f‘

the

r e ve r e n ce in which it was he ld : the y ca lle d it the Ho le

xxxiv INTRODUCT ION .

Of the Co br a d e Cape lla . Little in fo r m atio n was to b e

g a in e d fr o m the n ative s o n the spo t a s to the h isto r yo f the se an tiqu itie s ; an d Capta in Chapm an wa s the r e

fo r e h ighly g r a tifie d whe n ,o n his r e tu r n to En g lan d ,

he be cam e acc ide n ta lly acqua in te d w ith the pr e se n tpublicatio n , the n in p r o g r e ss ; th e pe rusal o f wh ich ,m uch to the satisfactio n Of the e d ito r , e n able d Capt. C .

to fix the lo ca l ity a n d e r a o f the bu ildin g s, a s we ll a sthe o the r ch ie f an tiqu itie s Of this in te r e stin g Spo t. In

the Rajar atn aca r i, w e a r e to ld that th is c ity, un de rthe n am e Of Abaya - pur a , e xiste d in the tim e Of theBuddha Ka r kutchan d . Be this , howe ve r , as it m ay ,

the Mahavan si state s that P r in ce An ur adhe g ave hisn am e to the c ity dur in g the r e ign o f his br o the r - in - law

Pan duwas, abo ut s ixty - n in e ye a r s subse que n t to the

de ath Of Guadm a . As the h isto r ie s r e fe r,a t a lm o st

e ve r y im po r tan t e r a , to th is c ity an d the dag o b ah OfRuanw e lly , the m a in te n an ce an d e m be ll ishm e n t Of then atio n a l m o n um e n ts w e r e e vide n tly co n s ide r e d a s Ofthe highe st im po r tan ce , an d the i r ca r e ful p r e se r va tio no r n e g le ct as in vo lvin g the cha r acte r o f the r e ign in gm o n a r ch ,

which is a cco r din g ly de picte d in te r m s o f

e ulo gy o r tho se o f ce n sur e an d disg r ace . The r e ade rm ay Obse r ve the co r r e ctn e ss o f this Obse r vatio n at

a lm o st e ve r y pag e , pa r ticular ly in the leg e n d o f Patissaplan tin g the Bo g aha - tr e e , wh ich is the subj e ct Of o n eOf the tr acts in the thir d vo lum e ; co n ta in e d a lso inthe m in ute de ta ils Of the co n se cr atio n o f Ruanwe lly byDatug o m e n i, an d the a sce n t Of the p r ie st So n n uttr afr o m the abo de o f the Co br a de Cape lla in the ce n tr e

o f the e a r th, he a r ing w ith him the datu o f the Buddha,

r e qui r e d fo r the co m ple tio n Of the wo r k, as r e co r de d in

INTRODUCTION . XXXV

Mahavan si . The te m ple n ow l ie s in ru in s,the to m bs

a r e co ve r e d w ith the r an k g r a ss Of the jun g le , an d thesta tue Of the r e n own e d a n d illustr ious Datug o m e n i is

thr own pr o str ate in the a r e a o f the tem ple which heso r ichly ado r n e d ; b ut, howe ve r tim e m ay have la idlow the m o num e n t e r e cte d by his pie ty , and le ve l le dhis statue to the e a r th, his n am e w il l su r vive , r e co r de din the se histo r ie s as that o f the m o st wa r like as we l la s m un ifice n t an d vi r tuo us m o n a r ch Of Ce ylo n . Wepe r use w ith de e p in te r e st the to uch in g de sc r iptio n wh ichis the r e g ive n Of the la st ho u r s o f th is n o ble so ve r e ig n ,

and a r e powe r fully im pr e sse d by the so lem n appea lwhich he fr u itle ssly pr o ffe r s to b e p r o te cte d ag a in stthe all- po te n t han d o f d e ath !

The r e co r d Of the e ve n ts wh ich m a r ke d the r e ig n OfPa r ak r am ab ahu, a s w e l l as that o f Datug o m e n i

,

p r o ve s that the powe r o f the Sin gha le se k in g s r epe ate dly r e acte d o n In dia

,a n d by the ir victo r ie s a ve n g e d

the suffe r in g s o f Buddhism o n its an cie n t an d co n tinue de n em ie s . The wa r fa r e wh ich wa s wag e d in te r m in ablybe twe e n the Ma laba r s an d Sin gha le se m ay b e tr ace d

cir cum stan tia lly in the r e co r ds o f the r e spe ctive r e ig n sOf the r ajas o f the latte r pe o ple , un ti l the a r r iva l Ofa distan t but fa r m o r e powe r ful e n em y co m bin e d w ithin te r n a l disco r d to o ve r tur n the sup r e m acy Of the Sin

ghale se th r o n e . Eve n in the last sce n e Of he r fadin gg lo r ie s, whe n th is o n ce flo ur ish in g islan d was divide din to co n te n din g a n d e n fe eble d factio n s, a cha r acte r

appe a r e d to g il d the clo se Of he r h isto r ic pag e s .

Sinha Raja, a ltho ugh be se t w ith the g r e ate st d iffi

cultie s, succe e ded at le n g th in r eun iting the se pa r ate d

d istr icts un de r o n e ban n e r,an d had e ve r y pr o spe ct o f

xxxvi INTRODUCT ION .

te rm in atin g his car e e r in tr ium ph, whe n the in vas io no f the Po r tug ue se fr o m Go a , an d the co n se quen ce sr e sultin g the r e fr o m ,

pr o duce d a co m plicatio n o f m is

fo r tun e s wh ich p r o ve d to o m uch fo r the lo fty spir ito f the he r o . Bo r n e down by the supe r io r tactics an d

disciplin e Of Eur o pe an tr o o ps , but n o t subdue d in Openco n te st, he fe l l a t le n g th, a fte r a m ag n an im o us str ug g le ,the victim Of tr e ache r y an d po iso n o us a r ts ; an d whe n

he d ie d , the r e g r e t o f his co un tr y g ave e vide n ce howwe l l h e m e r ite d the pr o ud title Of the Lio n King .

Such a r e the in dividua ls who a r e laude d a nd he ldup to ho n o ur an d r e spe ct in the se ve n e r a te d pag e s o f

Buddhist histo r y . It m ay in de e d b e sa id , that tho ughBuddh ism has lo n g ce a se d to e xh ibit cha r acte r s wh ichco uld vie with the m o r tificatio n s an d r e n un ciatio n s o f l ifeso co m m o n am o n g the asce tic vo ta r ie s o f B r ahm an ism

,

its do ctr in e s have be e n appl ie d to fa r g r e ate r advan tag eby r e co m m e n din g active be n e vo le n ce an d the p r acticeOf the use ful a r ts, e spe c ia lly ag r icultur e an d its a n n a lsdwe ll w ith e ve r y e xpr e ssio n Of applause o n the co n ductOf tho se so ve r e ig n s who , by the fo r m atio n Of tanks o r

o the rw ise faci l itatin g the labo u r s Of the i r pe o ple , g avee vide n ce o f the ir w ish to be co m e the be n e facto r s Of the i rcoun tr y n o r can th is fact b e be tte r i llustr ate d than bya quo tatio n fr om the Mahavan si itse lf, w ith wh ich w esha l l ve n tu r e to te r m in ate th is im pe r fe ct Ske tch . It

co n ta in s the last cha r g e o f Datug o m e n i to his br o the rTissa , who wa tche d his dyin g ho ur , an d be cam e his

succe sso r . My br o the r Tissa , whe n tho u sha lt co m

p le te the wo r k in a r r e a r Of m y d ag o b ah ,Offe r at it

e ve r y m o r n ing an d e ve n in g w ith flowe r s an d l ighte dlam ps , an d thr e e tim e s a - day w ith m usica l playin g ,

I NTRODUCT ION . xxxvii

such a s chanks,”tan d fa i l n o t thy a lm s - de e ds a s I p e r

fo r m e d them . Ne g le ct n o t a ll the n e ce ssa r y dutie stowa r ds the g r e at p r ie sts , .

b e ca r e ful Of thy own l ife ,d o n o ha r m to the pe o ple o f Lan ka , an d r ule thy

kin g do m w ith justice .

’

An d whe n he had thus ad

vise d his br o the r , h e la id h im se lf down

Whe n ,upo n the de a th Of Sinha Raja, the Sin

ghale se so ve r e ig n s r e ti r e d to the i r m o un ta in - fa stn e sse s ,

th e y g r adua l ly r e l in qu ish e d the po sse ssio n Of the m a r itim e pr o vin ce s to the i r Eur o pe an in vade r s ; a t wh iche po ch the se h isto r ie s te r m in ate , w ith the

.

o ccupatio nOf Co lom bo by the Dutch ,

an d the e xpulsio n o f the

Po r tugue se fr o m the islan d .

The co n ch- she ll,Sa nka, a sp e cie s o f buccin um ; use d as a

trum p e t

1 Vid e vo l. i . p . 2 08.

JVo te r ef e r r ed to a t p . xxvii . of this In tr o ductio n .

ERAS .

The Chin e se place that o f Xa ca Sinha a t 102 9 B .C .

Acco r din g to a San sc r it in sc r iptio n at Buddha - Gaya ,a nd Sir W . Jo n e s , a Buddha was bo r n 1014B . C .

The Mo n g o lian acco un ts place his b ir th,acco r din g to

De Guig n e s , at 103 6 B .C .

The calculatio n s o f M. Ba illy m ake it 103 1 B .C.

The Tib e tian acco un ts,949 B .C .

VOL . I . d

xxxviii INTRODUCT ION .

In the 9th vo lum e o f the Asiatic Re se a r che s , a chan g e

o f dyn asty in the r o yal r ace Of Mag adha is state d to haveo ccur r e d abo ut 1000 B .C .

The In do - Chin e se co un tr ie s acco r d with the Sin ghale sebo o ks in a ssig n in g the e r a o f Guadm a to 543 B .C .

M . Klapr o th, in his Asia Po lyg lo tta , pr e se n ts the fo llo win g cur ious co in cide n ce o f O r ie n ta l date s

The No achic flo o d , acco r din g to the Sam a r itan B . C .

3 044Be g in n in g o f the Cali - yug a am o n g the H in dus 3 10 1

The c o m m e n ce m e n t o f the Chin e se e m pir e 3 082

D r . H ale s,in his H isto r y, vo l . i . p . 199 , r e duce s the co m

m e n ce m e n t Of the Chin e se e m pir e un de r Yao to 2 057B .C .

B e sid e s the Céli - yug a , the r e ar e two o the r p r in c ipal e r a sin use am o n g the H in dus ; n am e ly

,the Sam vat

, o r e r a OfVicram ad itya , B .C . 5 6 ; an d the e r a Of saca , fr o m the de atho f Rajé Sékla

,A .D . 79 .

2 MAHAWANSE.

the Budhu De ep ankar afi did e xpre ss his wish

to attain to the state o f Budhu, to save theliving be in g s, a s twe n tyfour subse que n t Budhus j'

had do n e ; from whom also , he ha ving Obtain e dthe ir asse n t, an d having don e char itie s o f vario usde scriptio n s, be cam e san ctifie d an d o m n iscie n t : j;b e is the Budhu, the m o st high lo rd Guadm a ,

who re de em e d the living be ings fro m all the irmise rie s . This pe rso n age , in his e xiste n ce as

Kin gWe ssan tar a ,§ co n tinuing in his usual char itable an d pio us co nditio n , an d, at his e xpiratio n ,

be ing bro ught in to the life in the he ave n ,

calle d To o sepur a ,”whe re he having e nj o ye d

In the Budhist do ctr in e the r e ar e to b e five Budhus in

the pr e sen t Kalpe Meha De van am,Goutam a , De e panka r a ,

the se have alr e ady existed , an d a r e in Nirwén a ; Guadm a,

the fo ur th, is the Budhu Of the p r e sen t system , which haslaste d 2 372 ye a r s in 183 0 ; the Budhu ve r o use o r e r a , acco r din g to the g r e ate st num be r o f co incide n t date s , having co mm e n ced about the ye ar 540

,B .C.

f The Lo uto ur o o Budhus ar e in fe r io r pe r so n s , be in gusually the com pan io n s o f the Budhu

,fo r the ir ze al an d

fide lity exalted to the divin e pr ivile g e s .

1 It will b e subseque n tly se e n that this te rm m ust n o t be

unde r sto o d as in r e fe r e nce to the usual m e an ing o f the wo r dOm n iscie n e e : its scope is he r e afte r m o r e fully explain e d inthe Do ctr in e .

£3We ssan tar a . This Jutaka will he r eafte r b e co m m e ntedo n , be ing a ve ry im po r tan t po r tio n o f the Buhdu

’

s existe n ce .

HThe fo ur th pr o batio n ar y he ave n , an d the g e r m in ating

MAHAWANSE . 3

much happin e ss fo r a co n tinue d pro digio us time , (akale Of ye ars) whilst he was thus co n tinuing, here so lve d, o n the praye r Of the divin e be ings calle dDewas a nd Br achm as o f te n tho usan d sakwalafie

(wo rlds), an d o n pe rce iving that it was time toe n te r in to

,the state Of Budhu, an d in co n side ra

tio n that the ro yalty Of Cap ilawasto o pur a, unde rMad

’ha Be saya , in Jam budwe e pa , was at thattim e o f a supe rio r dign ity, an d Obse rving that theQue e n Maham adewe was to live te n mo nths an dse ve n days, he in carn ate d in the womb o f the

said Maham ad ewe , the que e n o f the King Sudho dan a ; was bo rn ; an d , having attain e d his sixte e n th y e ar, was m arr ie d to the Prin ce ss Bim‘b awdawe , &c . &c .l

*

On the day that Prin ce Rahula was bo rn to

him, he abdica te d his ro yal autho rity, mo un te do n the ho rse Kalukan am , an d at the rive r Ner an ga r an am be came a prie st, putting o n the

prie stly ro be which was bro ught to him by the

g o d Maha—Cam b ahu ; in which situatio n he co n

abo de (if it m ay b e SO te r m e d) Of e ve ry futur e Budhu .

The r e in is n ow place d Maitr i, the fifth expe cted Budhu at

the clo se Of the pr e se nt Kalpe , whe n its cir cle Of 5 000 ye ar sis co m ple ted .

A Sakwalla im po r ts the un ive r se . Fo r fur the r e xplan atio n , se e Do ctr in e s o f Budhism

,

” fo lio , p . 78 .

1 This le g e n d is fin ishe d in a futur e acco un t Of theBudhu Guadm a .

4 MAHAWANSE .

tinn e d fo r six ye ars, living o n charitie s ; an d o n

the se ve n th ye ar he be cam e Budhu, o n Tue sday,the day o f full m o o n , in the m o n th Wasak, at

the co ur se Of the co n ste llatio nWe sah, afte r hehad a sce n de d o n a thro n e Of tran spar e n t sto n e*

that sprun g up from the e arth, &c . &c .

This ble sse d Budhu pr o ce e de d to Issipatan a ,o n the pr aye r Of the g o ds Br achm as, whe re hepre ache d the se r m o n Suttr a—de san awa , san ctifie dan im m e n se num be r o f Br achm as an d o the rs,an d co n se crate d se ve ral pe rso n s fo r prie sts, &c .+

In the n e xt place , he we n t with a re tinue Of

Eve ry cir cum stan ce po in ts o ut this as the ce lebr atedYu Sto n e , o r tr an spar e n t ag ate , the chie f depo sito ry o f

which is fr o m the r ive r s which flow fr o m the Him m aleh ,

par ticula r ly in Mo n g o lia , n e ar Ya rkun ; whe n ce they a r e

tr an sm itte d to the co ur t Of Chin a , an d o the r fo llowe r s o f

the Budhu , as the m o st pr e cio us o f substan ce s . It was o f

this ag ate that the sceptr e s an d o the r pr e se n ts m ade byKian g Lo uan g to Ge o r g e I I I . we r e fo r m e d ; it is co n side r e das po sse ssin g a talism an ic powe r Of asce r tain in g the cha r ac

te r and vir tue s o f the hum an r ace ; it fo r m ed the m ag icalco uch o r Min ny Phalan g e o f the Budhu, sim ilar to that o n

which eve ry statue is r epr e se n ted it fo rm s the se at On whichthe g o d Sekkr aia judg e s Of the m o r al and r e lig io us state Ofm an

, a s is e xhibited in the do ctr in e o f the m yste r ie s ; an dit fo r m e d the beque st o f Go utam a to Sam an Dewa

, fo r the

co nve r sio n Of the Nag as , o r ido late r s Of Ceylo n .

1 Made m any Maha - Te r o own ahan se y, o r pr ie sts o f super io r o rde r .

MAHAWANSE . 5

tho usands o f pe rso n s Of ho ly o rde r to the cityRajgaha Nawara , in co n side ratio n Of the pre vio uspraye r Of the King Bin sara, whe re he m ade a

se rmo n to the king, who atte n de d the re withabo ut fo llowe rs, san ctifie d the kingan d o the rs, &c .

On the n in th mo n th afte r his atta inm e n t o fthe ho ly state o f Budhu, he cam e in to Lakdiwa

(Ce ylo n ), at the co urse Of the co nste llatio nPo o sa, o n the day o f full m o o n , in the m o n thDur o o tu, an d , appe arin g in the sky ,

’16 cause d a

n o ise a s we ll in the sky as o n the e arth, alsoa darkn e ss, acco m pan ie d with sto rm an d rain ;by which havin g te rrifie d the de vils, he appe are dto them, an d to o k his se at, spre adin g a misto ve r the crowd Of the de vi ls,1' an d cause d fir e topro ce e d from the fo ur e n ds Of the clo udy mist,an d to pass the sam e in the te n dire ctio n s, bywhich all the de vi ls we re drive n to the se a sho re ,

This powe r o f appe a r in g in the a ir is the te st Of supe r io r Vir tue

,and the g r e at de sir e o f all the Budhu

’s fo llowe r s .

The cur io us r e ade r is r e fe r r ed to a statem e n t o f a som e

what s im ilar e xhibitio n pr actise d o u the tr ave lle r Eb n Batuta ,and n a r r ated in his Tr ave ls , tr an slated so ably fo r the Or ie ntal Tr an slatio n Co m m itte e by P r o fe sso r Le e . It is also ve rysin gula r that, at the pr e sen t day , a Br am in has be e n e xhibitin g Ope n ly a sim ilar fe at at Bo m bay .

1 Se e the be autiful tale Of Sim o ustapha and Se te lpe

do ur , fo r a sim ilar po we r e xe r cise d by the e vil g e n ius Bashle b o n l o n Sim o ustapha

—Ar a bia n Ta le s , We be r ’s e ditio n .

6 MAHAWANSE.

fro m whe n ce the y we re ban ishe d to the islan dYakg ir iduva , &C.

* An d afte r this pe rfo rman ce ,he de live r e d a se rmo n to the g o d Maha - Sam an

Dewe , an d m any o the r de itie s who assem ble dthe re o n this o ccasio n , po in tin g out to them the “

way fo r Nirwan a ;T at the same tim e he gave toMaha - Saman Dewe a han dful o f his hair, an d

pro ce e de d to Ur o o dan awa, &c . &c .

In the fifth ye ar Of this ble sse d Budhu, he

having pe rce ive d that a gre at num be r o f sn ake swe re kille d in a war be twe e n two bro the rs, thekin g s o f sn ake s, n am e d Chulo dar a an d Mahodara , o n acco unt o f a j ewe l calle d Min ipalan g a f,

‘

was mo ve d with co m passio n towards them , an d

cam e to the re side n ce o f the sn ake s ; whe r e he ,appe arin g in the sky , de live re d a se rm o n to

them , by which he appe ase d them ,bro ught

tho usan ds o f them to a pio us life ,§ &c . &c . , an d

pro ce e de d to Dawr an - wabara .

This will he r e afte r appe a r to b e the wo o ds an d fo r e stsOf the Him m aleh, whe r e in the se dem o n s n ow r e side .

f This state is tr e ate d o f in the Budhist Do ctr in e,pp

.

74, 75 , 76 . It is im po ssible to m ake Guadm a’s Budhism te ach

an n ihilatio n fr o m the athe o lo gy Of its m o de r n pr o fe sso r s : it iscle a r ly a tr an scr ipt o f the Olde r and pur e r pr e cepts Of an cie n tBudhism

,the e sse n ce Of which e scape s us in o ur in co m p e

te n cy to catch the full Scope Of the e so te r ic te r m .

1 The Yu o r Ag ate se at o f powe r , alr e ady n o tice d .

He r e a po rt io n Is le ft o ut, be ing a quo tatio n fr om a

bo o k called Nag a - de e pa Gam an a .

MAHAWANSE . 7

On the e ighth ye ar, afte r o ur Budhu Obtaine dthe sacre d state , he pro ce e de d with a re tinue ,co n sisting o f five hundr e d prie sts,ale to the p o pulo us co un try So o n apar attaka, o n the praye r o f thehigh prie st So o n apa r atakan am Maha Te t o o n awahan se ; the re he to o k his re side n ce in a hallOf san de rs at Mahulun am Aram aya, and co n

ve rte d man y pe o ple ; from the n ce pro c e e de d toNem m adan am - ganga , made a se rmo n to the

King o f Sn ake s, calle d Nam m adan am—naraja,who re side s the re , co n ve rte d man y sn ake s,pre sse d the mark o f his fo o tj

'

at that statio n ,upo n the praye r o f the king ; an d we n t to the

moun tain Sadab an daka, se t. the mark o f his

fo o t o n the to p o f the moun ta in , upo n the

praye r o f the prie st Sadab an dakan am Te r o o na

wahan se , who re side s the re , &c . &c . &c.

Whe re as o ur Budhu is supe rio r e ve n thanAg az ika

—mun i, Ann agar ika- m un i, Seka -mun i,

Rab ats, o r pr ie sts, fo r the ir san ctity inve ste d with the

powe r o f m ir acle s , appe ar in g in the a ir,& c .

1 The tr aditio n Of an im pr e ssed fo o tstep in asce ndin g tohe ave n is un ive r sa l thr o ugho ut the East. Dive r s Budhiststatio n s ar e r e fe r r ed to in the se vo lum e s. He r o do tus ,, lib . iv.cap . 82 , also n am e s a fo o tstep o f He r cule s (a Budhist de ity),n e ar Tyr as, o n the r ive r Dn ie ster ; and als o o f Pe r se us, atChem m is , in Egypt. The m a r k o n the ce leb r ate d m o un taino f Adam ’

s Pe ak ,in Ceylo n , altho ugh,

it has, fr o m . the Po r tugue se , be e n called Adam ’

s Fo o tstep , is a sim ilar r e lic .

8 MAHAWANSE .

Asseka - mun i, Ar ag atta - m un i, an d Pratyeka - m u

n i, he is calle d Maha-mun i : he de sce n de d fromthe ro yal family Of Mahasam m ata ; the g e n e a

lo gy is, that in the tim e calle d the first Antagkalp a Of Mahab addr a , the re was a kin gcalle d Mahasam m ata , the so n Of the Sun , who

came into the wo rld by the o pe ratio n n am e dOpapatika ; he was cho se n as kin g by the

ge n e ra l agre em e n t Of the pe o ple ; he had the

powe r Of go ing thro ugh the air a sm e ll Of sande rs pro ce e de d fro m his pe rso n , which re ache dthe distan ce Of fo ur g ows ;

916 from his m o uthpro ce e de d the sm e ll Of the flowe r Mahan e l,

which re ache d the distan ce Of o n e y o dun , &c .

This kin g re ign e d o ve r that who le part Ofthe wo rld calle d Jam budwe e pa in all pro spe rity,happin e ss, an d re st, fo r the pe ri o d Of an a ssan

kaya Of ye ars ; at that tim e all be ings live d an

assankaya Of ye ars, n o sin was in the wo rld ; theim 1n e n sity j

~

(gre at duratio n ) Of the ir live s m adethem fo rg e t the ir birth an d de ath ; the y did n o t

Fo ur g ows a r e about IBé En g lish m ile s .

1‘ The se statem e n ts a r e e vide n tly m o r e accur ate tr an

scr ipts Of patr ia r chal histo ry, than an y o the r r e co rds at p r ese n t extan t. The r e is n o thin g in the r e lics o f Be r o sus, o r them yths Of Br am in ism an d Gr e e ce , that co m pe te s with the Simp lic ity o f the e a r lie r Budhist n a r r ative s , howeve r o ccasio n allyd isfigur ed .

10 MAHAWANSE .

His so nWar am an datan am - raja re ign e d an

assankaya o f ye ars .

His so n Ghar an am - raja re ign e d also an assan

kaya o f ye ars .

His so n Upachar an am- raj a also re ign e d an

assankaya o f ye ars .

His so n Chatiyan am - raja also re ign e d an as

sankaya o f ye ars : this kin g re so lve d to appo in tthe Br am in Co r akam b akan am - Cam o o n a, who was

o n e that was bre d up at the same scho o l withhim

, to the situatio n o f the king’s supreme ad

vise r ; de ce iving him by a falseho o d, as be ingse n io r to the king’s advise r, Cap ilan am - purob itayan ; which re so lutio n o f the king s be in gspr e ad in the re alm, the inhabitan ts crowde dfrom e ve ry part, saying, We will se e this daywha t falseho o d is, whe the r it is white , black, r e d,o r On this o ccasio n the se e r Cap ilan ammaha Irshan in te rfe re d to pre ve n t the e xe cutio nOf the king’s re so lutio n , but it was in va in ; so

The m e an ing o f this se n te n ce is as fo llows - the Bud

hist do ctr in e te aching that all g o o d g ifts flow fr o m the dewaLo ka he ave n s, and falseho o d be ing un kn own , they a r guedupo n it a s a g ift o f so m e be n e fic ial n atur e

,and co n clude d

tha t they sho uld b e able to tr ace its o r ig in by n o ticin g itsco lo ur , which would at o n ce r e fe r it to o n e o f the four dir e ctin g g o ds, who se appr opr iate co lo ur s we r e white

,black , r ed

o r r uby,blue o r sapphir e .

MAHAWANSE. 11

the falseho o d came in to the wo rld, and the kingan d his city we re swallowe d up by the e arth .

ale

This king had five so ns , and by the powe r OfCap ilan am

- irshan o n e Of them re ign e d in the

re gio n Of Hastipur a , o n e in Aswapur a , o n e in

Sinhapur a , o n e in Dadar apur a, an d the o the r in .

Pan chala - nuwa r aya ; the ir n arratio n appe ars inthe bo o k calle d Chatiya—jatakaya ; an d kn ow y ethat, from this pe rio d, all the wi cke dn e ss an d

falseho o d came first in to the wo rld, an d Sin cethat time the kings have fo rfe ite d the divin ea ssistan ce .

Alo owalan am - raja , the e lde st so n Of the Kin gChatiya

—raja , who succe e de d his fathe r, be in gte rrifie d with the misfo rtun e Ofhis fathe r, re ign e dfo r the public we lfar e an d pro spe rity, so tha this re ign was an assankaya Of ye ars. His so n

Mo o chalin dan am - raja also re ign e d a n assankaya

Of ye ars. His so n sag ar an am- raja re ign e d . an

assankaya Of ye ars ; he had abo ut Sixty tho usan dso n s, who , having divide d Jam budwe ep a amo n gthemse lve s, e ach Of them re ign e d in se parate .

c itie s ; and afte r a gre at num be r o f ye ars the irde sce n dan ts be came unkn own to e a ch o the r ,j

~ by

The co in cide n ce o f the pun ishm e n t, as a Sign al displayOf Divin e ve n g e an ce , with the te r r ible e n d o f Ko r ah an d

Abir am ,is par ticula r ly str ikin g an d n o tice able .

Jr He r e a wide and r adical dispe r sio n is hin ted at, while

12 MAHAWANSE.

which we re made diffe re n t ro yal familie s fromthe ir de sce ndan ts ; but in the be gin n in g all the

king s we re Of the ro yal class calle d Mahasam

m ata .

The King sagara, who was the e lde stam o ngst the sixty tho usan d kings, re ign e d an

assankaya o f ye ars ; his so n Kin g Bharata ,re ign e d also an assankaya o f ye ars ; his so n Ba

g e e r ata re ign e d the sam e num be r o f ye ars ; hisso n Ro o chy re ig n e d the sam e num be r o f ye ars ;his so n So o r o o chy re ign e d the sam e numbe r Ofye ars ; his so n Pur tap a re ign e d the sam e num be rOf ye ars ; his so n Maha -

pur tap a re ign e d the

sam e numbe r o f ye ars . This kin g o rde r e d hisown so n , Prin ce Dam pal, to b e kille d at the ag e

Of se ve n m o n ths, o n acco un t that the que e n ,

having the child o n he r lap , di d n o t stan d up

from he r s e at whe n the kin g cam e in an d im

m e diate ly afte r, the e arth o pe n e d an d the kin gwas take n in an d cast in to he ll : an d sin ce that

in the g o dlike r ace o f the Mahasam m ata class we se e m an ytr ace s Of an te d iluvian r e co r d and histo ry .

The r e m ust b e so m e c r im e im putable to this tr an sactio nbeyo nd the m e r e pe r so n al dis r e spe ct Of the pr in ce ss in n o t

standin g up at the e n tr an ce o f Maha Pur tapa : we co n stan tlyr e ad o f the m o n a r chs stan din g up an d do in g r eve r e n ce to the

Budhu and h is m in iste r s ; m o st pr o bably, the r e fo r e , this o ut

r ag e , so sign ally and d ivin e ly pun ishe d , was co n n e cted withan a r r o g an t assum ptio n Of divin e ho n o ur s .

MAHAWANSE. 13

pe rio d the crime o f m urde r has pre vaile d in thewo rld ; an d as crime s so pro duce d we re alwaysb e fo re avo ide d by the kings, the y did n o t le sse nthe ir ag e , but the y he n ce fo rth have lo st the irbo dily be auty .

The Kin g Pan awda , the so n Of the KingMa

hé—pur tap a re ig n e d an a ssankaya o f ye ars ; hisso n Maha- panada re ign e d also an assan kaya o f

ye ars ; his so n So o da r san a re ign e d the sam e

num be r o f ye ars ; his so n Maha - so o dar san a

re ign e d the sam e numbe r Of ye ars : he was a

Chackr awar ty king, an d cause d to b e made a

gre at city, e xte n din g twe lve y o dun s : his so n ,

King Ne yr o o , re ign e d an assankaya Of ye ars his

so n ,Kin g Maha- n e yr o o , re ign e d the same num

b e r o f ye ars ; an d his so n , Kin g Asm at, re ig n e d thesam e num be r o f ye ars ; SO thatMahasam m ata , RO

jaya , Wara - r o jay a , Calyan aya , Wara—calyan aya ,Up o staya , Man dhato o ya , Wara - m an dhato o ya ,

Cha r aya , Up a cha r aya , Che ytiya , Alo o chalin daya ,

Mo owhalaya , Sahar aya , Sag ar aya , Bhar ataya ,

Bag e e r ataya, Ro o chiya , So o r o o chiya , Pur tap aya ,

Maha-

ptutapaya ,Pan adaya , Maha-

pan adaya ,So o

da r san aya , Maha- so o dar san aya, Ne r o o ya , Maha

n e r o o ya , an d Aswam atta , be in g twe n ty- e ightkin g s,

’ler e ign e d an assankaya Of ye a r s e a ch : the ir

Itwill b e fo un d that the Tr an sla to r has he r e va r ied fr omthe pr e vio us histo ry , by in tr o ducin g thr e e additio n al n am e s

,o f

'

l4 MAHAWANSE .

co n stan t re side n ce was in the thr e e gre at citie s,calle d Cusawaty

- Nuwazr a , Rajayaha - Nuwara ,an d Me yn lOO

- Nuwar a . The fo llowing kin g s byde g re e s le sse n the ir ag e an d be auty.

The so n s an d g ran dso n s o f the last- m e n

tio n e d kin g , Asm at, did n o t atta in to the ag e Ofassankaya , b ut did to that o f kale . The first gre yhair ap pe are d upo n him : o n se e in g the sam e , he

re sign e d the thro n e to his so n Makhadewa , an dre tire d to an he rmitage in to the arbour ca lle dMak

’

hadan am - uyan a , whe re he rem ain e d fo r

e ighty- fo ur tho usan d ye ars, an d from the n ce hetran sm igra te d in to the he ave n ca lle d Brahm a

LOkaya ;*

an d sin ce that time the ro yal title OfMahasam m ata was change d in to the title o f

Mak’hadewa .

With this title Of Mak’ha - dewa the re we ree ighty- fo ur tho usan d kings from the de sce ndan tso f e ach o the r

,all Of who m , o n se e in g the g re y

ha ir , re tire d to an he rm itage , in pur suan ce to thehabit o f the fo rm e r kin g s, an d afte rwa r ds tran sm ig rate d in to the he ave n Brahm a - LOkaya , afte rhavin g be e n e ach Of them in the state Of life fo r

who m he fur n ishe s n o pa r ticula r s ; b ut as the Cin gale se te xthas the se n am e s

,they a r e Of co ur se r e tain ed , as without them

the r e wo uld o n ly b e twe nty - five fr om Mahasam m ata to Asm at,o r Aswam atta , as it is spe lt in the list.

Se e Do ctr in e s o f Budhism ,

” p . 63 .

MAHAWANSE. 15

ye ars : but the succe e ding king s did n o tre tire to the he rm itage , tho ugh the y fe lt theinfirm ity Of the Old ag e in a gre ate r de gre e ;an d the title Of Mak

’

hadewa was chang e d in tothe title OfAssOka ; the so n Of the last king, Calar anjan aka , was AssOka his so n bo re the title OfOkkaka , sin ce which time the ro ya l ge n e ratio nwas ca lle d Okkaka tribe .

The first king Of this tribe was o ur gra cio usBudhu, in his fo rm e r e xiste n ce as Kin g CI

'

Isa ;

afte r him o n e hundr e d tho us an d kin g s o f thistribe , n ame d Dili -paya, Rag o o ya , Anjaya , Assarathaya ramaya , &c . &c . re ign e d by that title , s om e

fo r fifty thousan d ye ars, so m e fo r fo rty tho usan dye a rs, some thirty tho usan d ye ars, an d SO o n bydim in ishing pe rio ds .

In succe ssio n to tho se king s came in to there ign Kin g Bite e sadakkata , his succe sso rs, fromtime to tim e , we re o n e hun dre d thousan d kings

,

n am e d Udayabhaddaya Dan anjaya, Co r awyayaWe dag e ya, Sanjaya,We ssan tar a , Singhawahanay e , &c . &c . : the ir ag e wa s te n tho usan d ye arsan d downwards .

At the co n clus io n Of the re ign o f the sa idkings, Am b atta , the so n o f the Kin g SOOjata,came to the thr o n e , with the title o f Tr e e tiya

Okkaka . This king had five que e n s, calle d Hasta ,Chittra, Jan to o Jalin e e , an dWisaka : the Que e n

16 MAHAWANSE .

Hasta had fo ur so n s, n ame d Ulkam o oka , Co o lan

do o ka, Hastin i, an d Sir in e epur a ; an d also five

daughte r s, calle d Priya , Supriya , Nan da ,Wijita ,an dWij itasan a . This que e n havin g the se n in echildr e n ,

departe d this life , an d the king cho sean o the r be autiful wom an in he r r o om ,

who havin gbe e n de live re d o f a so n , bro ught him be fo re thekin g an d sa id, Se e he r e , 0 kin g , yo ur so n , how

be autiful he is !” upo n which the kin g , e xpre ssin ghis j o y , de sire d the que e n to ask fr om him an y

thing that she wishe d, which he wo uld g ive he r .

The que e n replie d, that she wo uld a sk fo r itwh e nshe sho uld have o ccasio n . Whe n the sa id so n ,

who se n am e was Jan to o , had attain e d his pr o pe rag e , the que e n addre sse d the king, -b y re m em

be ring an d putting him in'

min d o f his pr o m i se ,an d re que ste d him to cre ate he r so n a s kin g ;b ut he be in g m uch o ffe n de d with the im p r o

p r ie ty o f he r re que st, as he had fo ur o lde r so n swho we re we ll qualifie d fo r that situatio n , he

de sir e d the que e n to co n side r he r m istake , an dre tire d to his b e d - ro o m .

So m e tim e afte rwa r ds, the que e n again r e

min de d the kin g o f his wo rd, at the sam e tim e

co m plain in g abo ut his co n duct in re pe aling hispro m ise . The kin g , be in g co nvin ce d o f his e rro r,calle d his fo ur o lde r so n s, co m m un icate d to themhis e n g ageme n t, an d the n e ce ssity o f fulfill

18 MAHAWANSE .

e lde st siste r as the ir m o the r, an d the fo ur o the rsiste rs, a cco rding to the ir ag e , sho uld m arry withe ach o f them ; which, acco r din g ly, havin g ce leb r ate d , e a ch o f. the prin ce sse s bro ught fo rthe ight so n s an d e ight daughte r s, so that the ybro ught fo r th all to g e the r sixty - fo ur childre n .

The se ro yal pe r so n ag e s chan g e d the ir illustr io usn am e o f Okkaka in to that o f Sakkir ja - wan se ya ;

an d o f this class the re we r e , fro m tim e to tim e ,

2 2 2 771 kin g s, afte r who m'

the r e was a kin g,n am e d Sinhahan e o , the so n o f the Kin g Jay e san ,

an d the g ran dfathe r o f a Budhu .

This kin g be g o t, by the Que e n Case sin , five

so n s, n am e d Sudd o dan a , Am ito dan e , Do to dan e ,Sucko dan e , an d Gattito dan e , an d two daughte rs,n am e d Am ita an d Paur e ly . At the de ath o f the

kin g , the Prin ce Sudd o dan a asce n de d the thr o n e ,an d in his r e ig n , with all happin e ss, o ur g r acio usBudhu, who was at that tim e in the he ave ncalle d To o sitepur a , re so lve d, o n the praye r o f

g o ds, to co m e in to the wo rld o f m an kin d, an d,

in co n side r ing what tribe wa s pro pe r fo r hisbir th

,he pe r ce ive d, that fr o m the sun de sce n d

in g , the tr ibe Maha sam m ata was supe r io r : fro mthe Kin g Mahasam m ata to the King Sudd o dan a ,the r e we re 707787kin g s in n um be r, an d thatthis tr ibe wo uld b e suitable fo r his birth ; m o r e

o ve r, be cause he him se lf was o f that tribe in his

MAHAWANSE. 19

fo rm e r e xiste n ce s, an d r e ign e d as king, to wito n ce by the n am e o f King Mahasam m ata, o n ce

by the n am e o f Maham an dato o Chackr awar ti,

o n ce Mahaso o dar se n a , On ce Mahahadawa , o n ceTim y , o n ce Gusa , o n ce Raco m a , o n ce Kin gUday e b adduj e , o n ce Kin g Mahin saka, o n ce Kin gCan tahar y , &c . &c . , an d at last, that he was

Kin gWe ssan tar a ,ale in which state o f life he

having be e n charitable an d pio us in a gre atde gre e , he tran sm igrate d in to the divin e wo r ld,calle d To o sita , whe re he was a divin e prin ceSatto o sita ; an d he fur the r pe rce ive d that thekin g at that tim e , n ame d Suddo dan a , was o f thero yal tribe o f Mahasam m ata , an d that he in hisfo rme r e xiste n ce s having be e n ve r y charitablean d virtuo us, did wish to be co m e the fathe r o f aBudhu, an d the re fo re he de se rve d the sam e ;

the n he lo o ked in the Man o ep e le Lo ka hum an

wo rld, whe the r the re was a w o m an , who o ughtto have be e n wishe d, fo r the tim e o f

calpas, to be co m e the m o the r o f a Budhu,be in g a pe rso n o f the be st fam ily, an d fre efrom the day o f he r birth fro m the five

We ssan ta r a’s sto ry co m bin e s e ve ry fe atur e o f Budhist

e xce lle n cy ; its cha r acte r , eve n ts , deve lopem e n t, an d r ewa r d .

a r e c ir cum stan tially g ive n i n the c e leb r ate d Jutaka o f tha t

title . Do ctr in e s o f Bud lusm , p p . 3 6 to40.

2 0 MAHAWANSE .

sin s ; upo n which o ur Budhu pe rce ive d that

the daughte r o f Mahasupp r abudda , king in the

city Co liya, an d n am e d Maha—Maya - D ewe , who

was at that tim e the que e n o f the Kin g Sudd odan a, was a pe r so n who , having the sa id tale n ts,de se rve d to be co m e his m o the r.

The g e n e r atio n o f Maham ayad ewe is as fo l

lows : That afte r the be fo re - m e n tio n e d thre e

g e n e ratio n s, n am e d Mahasam m ata , Makahadawa ,

an d Ockawka , the re wa s the tribe calle d Sacku

jawan saya ; o f this tribe , wa s Ockawka the

Thir d, who wa s king in Cap ilapur a, an d had

fo ur so n s : the se fo ur bro the rs susta in e d the irs iste rs ; an d while the y we re passin g the ir dayswitho ut r e g ar ding the ir tribe , the ir e lde st siste rPr iya be cam e lepr o us, an d h e r who le bo dy b ecam e as white as a flowe r o f ko bo lie la upo nwhich the pr in ce s co n sulte d to g e the r that thatilln e ss was o f such a n ature that wo uld in fe ct allwho asso ciate d with he r , which having te rrifie dthem , the y pr o po se d to the prin ce ss to g o to

am use them se lve s in the ir co un tr y se at, an d

Tho u shall n o t k ill .Tho u shall n o t ste al .Tho u shall n o t com m it fo r n icatio n .

Tho u shall n o t say an y m an n e r o f falseho o d .

Tho u shall n o t d r ink any into xicatin g liquo r .

MAHAWANSE . 2 1

to o k he r in to a co ve re d carriage , an d bro ughthe r in to the midst o f a wilde rn e ss, an d le ft he rin a cave un de r gro un d, with all so rts o f p r o

visio n s an d e ve ry o the r thing n e e dful fo r he rsuppo rt, co ve re d the cave in pro pe r o r de r, an d

the pr in ce s re tur n e d with te ars in the ir e ye s.

While this pr in ce ss was livin g in that state , aking o f Jam budwe e pa , n am e d Rawm a , was se ize dwith the sam e di se ase ; upo n which his que e n san d o the rs o f the family de te ste d him , whichto r m e n te d the king ; he abdicate d his autho rityin favo ur o f his so n , an d e n te re d the wilde rn e ssin de spair.

The king, wan de ring in the wilde rn e ss, beganto e at fruits, le ave s, barks, an d ro o ts o f all tre e she m e t with, an d by the e ffe ct o f the sam e , the

kin g was cure d, an d his bo dy be cam e as brighta s go ld ; the n the king, lo o king fo r she lte r, hefo un d a cave in a la r ge tr e e , calle d Ko lo n ,

inWhich he dwe lt at n ight, un de r the n o ise o f the

ro arin g o f all so rts o f wi ld an im a ls . On a ce r

ta in mo r ning, while the king was in his sa idre side n ce , a tig e r, who was lo o kin g fo r his pre y,cam e to the cave whe re in that prin ce ss was, an dpe rce ivin g the sm e ll o f a hum an be ing, to o kaway the e arth with his fe e t, ra ise d up the

bo ards, saw the prin ce ss , an d alarm e d he r withhis ro arin g ; upo n which the te rro r of the

2 2 MAHAWANSE .

prin ce ss m ade he r shriek, an d the n atural fe a r

o f the be ast fo r the hum an vo ice m ade the tig e rr un away. Afte r sun rise , the king rem em be rin gthat he he ard the ro arin g o f the tig e r , an d at

the sam e tim e a hum an vo ice in a ce r tain dir e ctio n o f the wilde rn e ss, he de sce n de d fro m the

tr e e , an d in pr o ce e din g to that dire ctio n ,he p e r

ce ive d the so litary place whe re in the prin ce sswa s, an d by lo o king in thr o ugh the o pe n in gm ade by the tige r, he saw in the cave a hum an

be ing, The king aske d he r who she wa s ; she

sa id that she was a female ; upo n which the

kin g , havin g in fo rm ed he r that he wa s a m ale ,de sir e d he r to co m e up , but the prin ce ss r e fuse d,saying that she was the Prin ce ss Priya , the

e lde st daughte r o f the Kin g Ockawka , an d .

tho ugh she should fo rfe it he r life , she wo uldn o t suffe r that he r tribe sho uld b e disgra ce d.

Upo n which the king replie d that he was Rawm a , the Kin g o f Ba r e n as, so the y bo th in co m

pa r iso n we r e just a s the wate r o f the rive r, an dthat o f the rain ; the n the prin ce ss sa id that she

was subj e cte d to a lepr o us dise a se , which n o

m an o ught to se e, the r e fo re , that she wa s unfit

to co m e o ut ; in r eply to this, the king havingin fo r m e d he r how he wa s e xpo se d to the sam e

dise ase and cure d afte rwar ds, he m ade a ladde r,le t it down in to the cave , an d by that m e an s

MAHAWANSE . 3

to o k he r o ut. The n the king co n ve ye d the

prin ce ss to his re side n ce , an d admin iste rin g tohe r the sam e me dica l he rbs which he use d,cure d he r in a sho rt tim e ; up o n

‘

this, the ap

p e ar an ce o f the prin ce ss’s bo dy be cam e as be autiful a s the flowe r kim

’

b e r y . The se two ro yalpe r so n s, whe n the y we re so cur e d, re garde de ach o the r with a ffe ctio n , an d un ite d to g e the ran d be go t two so n s ; an d , in sim ilar births o f

twin s, the y g o t thirty - two so n s within the tim e

o f sixte e n year s . On a ce rta in day , a m an o f

Bar e n as, while he was g o in g thr o ugh the wilde r n e ss, havin g se e n the kin g, appro ache d himan d in quire d whe the r he kn ew him ; the kin ghaving re plie d in the n e g ative , the m an d e

scribe d his pe rso n , upo n which the kin g in quire dfro m the m an abo ut his so n an d the state o f his

kingdo m : while the m an was co m plyin g withthe kin g

’

s de sire , the thir ty- two prin ce s cam e

the re , who se sight surprise d the m an : he a ske dthe kin g who the y we re ? an d whe n he was info rm e d that the y we re the king’s childre n , he

o bse rve d to the kin g, how gre at a pity it was todwe ll in a wilde r n e ss with such childre n , an d

begg e d the kin g to re turn to his city.

The kin g havin g re fuse d , the m an we n t awayan d info r m e d the kin g

’

s so n , who was the n o n

the thro n e , o f his fathe r’s circum stan ce s ; upo n

24 MAHAWANSE .

which the so n e n te re d the wilde rn e ss, with a

g re at m ultitude o f his pe o ple , in se arch o f his

fathe r ; an d fin din g him , he pr o strate d him se lfbe fo re the o ld kin g , an d be g g e d him to re turnto his kin gdom, an d take charg e o f the g o ve rnm e n t : but the o ld kin g r e fus e d his so n ’

s praye r ;upo n which the yo un g kin g cause d to b e builtthe re , by his gian ts, a gre at city pro vide d withe ve ry thin g n e ce ssary, put a stro ng guard ine ve ry dire ctio n , an d re tir e d to his ow n city .

The n ew city, havin g be e n built'

o n the spo twhe re the tr e e calle d Co liya sto o d, it was n am e dthe city Co liya ; an d as the said pr in ce s we rebo r n in the habitatio n o n the Co liya tre e , the irtr ibe is calle d Co liya - wan se ya .

While the se prin ce s we r e passin g the ir daysin this city, the que e n calle d o n ce to he r so n s,

an d to ld them that the fo ur kin gs who re ign e do ve r the co un tr y ca lle d Capilap o o r a we r e the irun cle s, an d that the y fo ur had thirtytwo daugh

te rs, who m the y m ight so licit fo r marriag e if the ycho se them ; upo n which the thirtytwo pr in ce sse n t m e sse n g e r s w ith

’ pre se n ts, e ach se pa r ate ly,to the ir un cle s, r e que stin g the prin ce sse s in m ar

r iag e ; b ut tho se kin g s r ej e cte d the r e que st,upbra idin g them fo r pe r so n s o f low birth an d

bo rn in the ho llow o f a tre e . Upo n this the

p r in ce s , thr o ugh se cre t comm un icatio n with the

2 6 MAHAWANSE .

the y did n o t co ve t the o the rs’ pro pe rty ; the ydid n o t kill e ve n a lo use ;* an d the y had e n te r

ta in e d a re so lutio n n o t to se e a m an , till the ysho uld se e the m an wo rthy to the ir re ce ptio n .

It was fo re to ld that the se two prin ce sse s sho uldbr in g fo rth two prin ce s, o n e o f who m sho uldbe co m e a King Chackr awar ty , an d the o the r a

to de ce ive Guadm a , the Budhu o f the pr e se n t e r a , by m e an s

o f a po iso n e d to ast in to ddy . Se e “ As . Re s .

” vi . 2 07; Do c

tr in e s o f Budhism ,

” p . 60.

A c e r tain pr ie st co n ce ive d a vio le n t likin g fo r a be autiful r obe , which he p r e se r ve d m o st ca r e fully fr o m be in gwo r n . It so happe n e d that whe n he die d he was im m e diate lychan g e d in to a lo use , which to o k up its r e s ide n c e in the

favo ur ite r o be . Acco r din g to custo m,the o the r p r ie sts d ivide d

am o n g st them the e ffe cts o f the de ce ased,an d we r e abo ut to

cut up the r o be,whe n the lo use , by his g o in g an d fr eque nt

co m in g , and by his e xtr ao r din ar y g e stur e s , shewe d that thedivisio n o f the r o be wo uld b e by n o m e an s ag r e e able to hisfe e lin g s . The p r ie sts

,be in g asto n ished , co n sulte d Go d o n

the o ccasio n ,who co m m an ded that they sho uld d e lay fo r

seve n days the ir in te n de d divisio n ,le st the louse sho uld b e

e n r ag ed , and o n that o ccasio n de sce n d in to a state o f m ise ryye t m o r e wr e tched .

”As . Re s . vi . 2 15 . Rid iculo us a s this

e xtr act fr o m a Budhist sacr e d bo o k m ust appe a r,it is n o t the

le ss ce r ta in that an y m ind which can b e so da r ke n e d a s to

adm it fo r tr uth the fable o f the m e tem psycho sis m ust the r e

with acc r e dit all the fictio n s o f an im als be co m ing tabe r n acle sfo r the hum an so ul . Str a n g e a s it m ay appe a r , the r e have n o t

be e n wa ntin g tho se who have tu r n e d fr o m the b r ight light o fr eve aled tr uth to the se absurditie s , e ve n in the p r e se nt e r a .

MAHAWANSE . 2 7

Budhu. This n ews be in g spre ad thr o ugh the

who le o f Jam b udwe e pa , the kings o f sixty- two

tho usan d kin g do m s co n tinue d to se n d pre se n ts ;o f which the King Sudd o dan a be ing in fo rme d, here so lve d that the two prin ce sse s, who we re r e

late d to him , sho uld n o t b e g ive n to an y o the rpr in ce : so he m arrie d them bo th, an d m ade themhis chie f que e n s .

The Que e n Maha—m ayad ewe was in the

habit o f o bse rving the five co m m an dm e n ts ; shewa s virtuo us, an d ve ry co urte o us . In the tim e

o f the BudhuWipassy , afte r havin g o ffe re d o f thebe st kin d o f r e d san de rs to Budhu, she lo nge d tobe co m e the m o the r o f a Budhu : so she was a

wo m an who had that ble ssing o f be coming them o the r o f a Budhu .

"e

In tho se days, o ur ble sse d Lo rd, whilst hestan ds upo n the praye r o f go ds an d b r achm as

o f te n tho usan d wo rlds, lo o ke d in the hum an

wo r ld j'

an d pe rce ive d that Maha - m ayadewe , the

que e n o f the Kin g Suddo dan a, was a ble sse dwoman , an d the re fo re re so lve d to be come he rso n , which he acco rdi n g ly did .

Whe n he was bo rn , he was n am e d Pri n ce

The histo r y he r e take s up the n a r r ative fr o m the co m

m e n cem ent o f the dig r e ssio n at pag e 2 0, to e xhibit the

de sce n t o f Maha - m ayad ewe .

!r The wo r ld o f m e n, as distin guished fr o m the wo r lds o f

g o ds , se r pe n ts , devils , & c .

2 8 MAHAWANSE .

Sidda r ta ; he wa s e ste em e d like the crown o f

the flowe r s that ar e wo rn o n the he ad o f all

o the r prin ce s ; he m arr ie d the Pr in ce ss Yaso dar adawy , the daughte r o f the Kin g Supp r abudda ,an d live d in that state o f m atrim o n y fo r the

tim e o f twe n ty- n in e ye ars . This prin ce live din gre at frie n dship with the Kin g Bim b isawr a ;the fathe r o f them bo th did the sam e . Our

Lo r d was five ye ars o lde r than the King Bimb isawr a . Whe n Prin ce Rahula was bo r n fo r

o ur Lo rd, he re tire d to p e n ite n ce’le

an d suffe rings, in which state he havin g co n tinue d fo r thetim e o f six ye ars, succe e de d by de g re e s to the

wisdo m o f Budhu, an d to o k his re side n ce at the

King Bim b isawr a , in the city Raj e g aha - n o owar a .

In tho se days the Kin g Bim sar a , in the p e r io d o ffifte e n ye ars, cam e to the thr o n e at the de atho f his fathe r, an d re ign e d with m uch pr o spe rity.

On the sixte e n th ye ar o f the re ign o f this kin g ,o ur Lo r d Budhu made hi s se rm o n . This kingre ign e d fifty - two ye ars ; an d o n the thirtyse ve n thye ar o f his r e ign the r e was bo rn a so n to him ,

who se n am e was Ajasat : he m ur de re d his fathe r,

Thus Zam o lxis, the disciple o f Pythag o r as, who taught

the Ge te s the Budhist do ctr in e , an d who se n am e , in the Th r ac ian lan guag e , m e an s skin o f the be ar ,” the im po r t o f whichs ig n ifie s the in itiated ,” be g an his car e e r by r e n o un cing thew o r ld , a nd a ssum in g the g ar b o f asce tic life , sim ila r to the acto f the Budhu Guadm a

, a s r e co r ded in this passag e .

MAHAWANSE . 2 9

an d re ign e d thirtytwo ye ars . On the e ighthye ar o f the re ig n o f this kin g, o ur Lo rd Budhude parte d this life .

The Se co nd Chap te r of the Tr ibe of Mahasam

m a ta in Mab awanse .

AFTER o ur Lo rd acquir e d the wisdom o f Budhu,

he live d fo r tyfive ye ars ; durin g which tim e , b e

havin g co m ple te d the pe rfo rm an ce s o f a Budhu ,

the n r e tir e d to the city Co o sin ar a - nuwara , an d

the r e he de pa r te d this life . Upo n this o ccasio nwe re assem ble d the re an in num e rable m ultitudeo f g o ds, b r achm as, &c . , o f tho usan ds o f wo rlds,to g e the r with sattr ias, b r am in s, waissias, sud

dras, an d se ve n hun dre d tho usan d pr ie sts . S omeo f the se prie sts so assem ble d, an d who se co n ductwas n o t virtuo us, havin g wrappe d up the co rpsein fin e silk, place d it o n the fue l o f san de rs ;upo n which the kin gs, who to o k upo n them the

pe rfo rm an ce , labo ure d dur in g se ve n . days to

kindle the fir e , with tho usan ds o f valuable fan s,but in vain . Upo n this the prie st n ame d Maha

cassiyapastawir a , havin g appro ache d at the side

o f the fe e t o f the Lo rd, pro strate d in ado ratio n ;the n it cam e to pa ss, that his fe e t appe a r e dlike two brillian ts se t in a wall o f g o ld ; whichfe e t the prie st Maha - so p te r unwahan sa , takin g o n

3 0 MAHAWANSE .

his arm s, pr aise d with se ve n g a tha s, o r ve rse s .

The n the r e pro ce e de d a flam e fro m the midsto f the fue l . Fr o m this fir e it cam e to pa ssthat the lif e o f in se cts, e ve n o f the sm alle stthat we re upo n the hal- tre e s n e ar the spo t, ar en o t de str o ye d . On the to p o f this flam e the

birds playe d, like the bir d Diyakawa o n the co o lwate r, an d the le ave s an d flowe rs o f the tre e sn e ar that fir e di d n o t withe r.While the m ultitude was lo o king at

'

the se

miraculo us appe aran ce s, with the e xclam atio no f j o y , the pri e stMaha - cassiyap asta

- wira r e tir e d ;an d o n his way fro m the city Awto o m an am - nu

wara to the city Co o sin awr a - nuwa r a , he re late dthat a wicke d an d mischie vo us prie st,who was angry aga in st the Budhu, be cause he to ld him o n ce

o f the im pro pr ie ty o f acce ptin g alm s n o t d e di cat

e d to him ,havin g he ard o f the de ath o f Budhu,

rej o ice d him se lf, an d at the sam e tim e appr o achin g e ach o f the prie sts that we re lam e n tin g thede ath o f Budhu, addr e sse d to them , sayin g ,We ll, prie st, why d o y o u b ewail at pre se n t ?We a r e n ow rid o f that prie st who co n tinually

to rm e n te d us all by sayin g , This is acce ptable ,this is n o t acceptable —this is allowe d to b e

do n e , an d this is n o t —this is the fact, an d

this is n o t the fact. Co n se que n tly we m ay d o

what we ple ase ; the re fo r e we o ught to b e g lad ,

MAHAWANSE . 3 1

in ste ad o f m o urn ing . In co n se que n ce o f this ,se ve n

'

days afte r the de ath o f Budhu, the highpri e st Ca ssiyapastawi r a e xpre sse d his wish to

take o ff the ro be s o f such wicke d prie sts, an d

to tur n the m o ut fr o m the ir so c ie ty ; but hesa id afte rwa r ds that it wo uld b e im pro pe r to d othat so so o n afte r the de ath o f Budhu, an d thathe wo uld take such m e asure s a s we re r e quir e dafte rwards .

“ In the m e an tim e it m ake s it n e ce ssary,

”sa id Cassiyapastawir a , that the scripture

in Pa le e lan guag e sho uld b e se cure d, in o rde rthat it sho uld n o t b e de stro ye d by such wicke dprie sts ; but if it is n e gle cte d, the wicke dn e sswill g row m o re , an d the virtue le ss ; the e r uditio n will dim in ish, an d the ign o ran ce will b e info rce .

”On he arin g o f the se r e aso n s, the pe rso n s

in ho ly o rde r s addre sse d to Cassiyap astawir a ,

an d sa id, “ If it is so , le t the scripture b e se cure d,by m akin g the sam e in to se ve ra l pa r ts .

”To

which purpo se Cassiyap astawr r a cho se fo ur hundre d an d n in e ty- n in e prie sts, an d sa id, that a s

so o n a s the pr ie st An an das - tawir ayan had o b

tain e d the powe r o f disapp e a r in g i“ to in clude

him in the said num be r o f prie sts . He fur the r

The g r e ate st d e si r e o f the fo llowe r s o f the Budhu is , bype n an ce s an d san ctity , to be co m e a Rahat, that is , to have thepowe r o f wo r kin g m ir acle s

,such as , be co m in g invis ible a t

w ill,appe ar in g in the a ir , com m an din g the e le m e n ts , & c .

3 2 MAHAWANSE .

fixe d fo r the ir m e e ting at the city Raje g ahan uwe ra . The n tho usan ds o f kin g s pre pa r e d e ve r ythin g n e ce ssar y fo r the de po sito ry o f Dawto o ,

ale

by m aking a place fo r that purpo se in the midsto f the city, o rn am e n tin g the sam e with all so r tso f silk an d lin e n , flo we rs an d fruits, &c . &c .

The sa id Dawto o b e in g wr appe d up withhundr e ds o f lin e n , place d o n the e le phan t o f

state , r o un d who m stan d e le phan ts with te e th,having upo n them tho usan ds o f um bre lla s, an d

un de r the so un d o f all so r ts o f m usic, was ca r rie dto the city ; whe r e the sa id Dawto o havin g be e nplace d in the mag n ifice n t tem ple m ade fo r thatpurpo se , an arm e d gua r d . sur ro un de d the sam e

the n fo llowe d a cir cle o f e lephan ts, the n o f

ho r se s, an d the n o f gian ts : so that it fo r m e d acircle to the distan ce o f o n e y o dun ; an d the

crowd o f the pe o ple to the pla ce whe r e the

Dawto o was, will appe ar in the histo r y calle dTo o p awr am a Cawtawa .

On the e ighth ye a r o f the re ign o f the KingAjasat, an d o n the thir d we ek afte r the de ath o f

Budhu, the prie sts assem ble d, de parte d fro m the

The Le g e nd o f the Budhu expla in s this passag e by theacco un t that the Budhu

,just be fo r e he expir e d , g ave po r tio n s

o f his bo dy to b e p r e se r ve d as o bj e cts o f ve n e r atio n ; an d

Dawto o im p o r tsi

the to o th, ha ir , o r an y r e lic o f the Budhu

’

s

pe r so n ,which he thus le ft fo r the wo r ship o f his fo llowe r s .

34 MAHAWANSE .

up thro ugh the o pe n ing, an d to o k his se at o n

the place that was le ft va can t fo r him . The

prie st Cassiyapastawir ayan havin g pe rce ive d thatAn an dastawir ayan had Obtain e d that powe r o f

r aha t, he said, That if at this tim e Budhu wa s

a live , he wo uld have gi ve n a sho ut in tr ium ph o f

An an dastawir ayan ; the re fo re le t us do the sam e

a s he would have do n e . SO sayin g, the y all

g ave a sho ut thre e diffe re n t time s .

The n Maha - Cassiyap astawir ayan re quire dfro m the a ssem bly to

‘

kn ow with what part o f thescripture the y cho se to be gin first ; be in g replie dthat the part o fthe scripture calle dWin n a -

pittaka*

is the life o f the do ctr in e o f Budhu, an d if it isse cur e d, the pr e cepts will b e in fo rce the re fo re ,that the y sho uld begin first with Win n a—p ittaka .

Upo n this, Maha - Cassiyap astawir an de sire d to b ein fo rm e d who the pe rso n sh o uld b e that wo uldbe g in fir st to e xpla in Win n a—pittaka . The n the

a ssem bly an swe re d, saying, that in the life timeo f the ble sse d Budhu, he had place d in e xplainin g the high Pale e the prie st Upalistavvir a ;

The Ban a po t, o r r e lig io us bo o ks, ar e o f thr e e classe s ,a de tailed list o f which will appe ar in the supplem e n t o fBudhist Tr acts : the se classe s a r e m o st im po r tan t to the

deve lopem e n t o f the do ctr in e , as they ar e thus e a r ly r e co gn ise d as be in g the i r scr iptur e s . The ir classe s a r e Win n ap ittaka , So o ttr a

-

p ittaka , and Ab ida rm a-

p ittaka .

MAHAWANSE. 3 5

the re fo re le t him b e the p e r so n'

to that purpo se ;On this pro po sal, Upalistawir a to ok le ave fromthe assem bly, asce n de d the pre aching- chair whichwas in the m idst Of the hall, an d e xpla in e d all

the passag e s in Win n a—p ittaka , which Cassiya

pastawir ayan de live r e d to the prie sts, with dir e ctio n to o bse rve the sam e pun ctually by them an d

by the ir disciple s .

The n the prie st Maha - Cassiyap astawir ayan

addre sse d the a ssem bly, in o r de r to e xplain thepassag e s in that par t o f the scripture calle dSo o ttr a -

p ittaka ; an d the prie st An an dastawir ahavin g be e n re co m m e n de d to that purpo se , Ca ssiyap a stawir ayan in te r r o gate d him in m atte rse xplan ato ry Of the passage s in So o ttr a—p ittaka .

While An an dastawi r a was go in g o n illustratingthe do ctrin e o f Budhu in an adm irable m an n e r,to the gre at a sto n ishm e n t o f all the bystan de rs,o n e o f the go ds that was pr e se n t at this o ccasio n ,am o n g st the m ultitude o f dewas* an d b r agm as,

tho ught to him se lf, This An an da stawir a is a

pe rso n age o f the tribe Of Sackiya—wan se ya ; he isthe yo unge r bro the r o f the Budhu Lo uto o r u ; heis de clar e d, in the life tim e o f Budhu, to b e a

pe rso n skille d in high Pale e lan guag e ; he is

Dewas, g o ds o f the Dewa Lo ka , and the b r agm as o f

the highe r he ave n s . Se e Do ctr in e s o f Budhism .

3 6 MAHAWANSE .

in te lligible an d bo un tiful, an d he is qualifie d inhis pr o fe ssio n : so he m ust have Obta in e d the

wisdo m o f Budhu , an d is n ow de live r in g thedo ctr in e in the m idst o f the prie sts .

An an dastawir a pe r ce ive d by the in spiratio n 93s

the tho u g hts o f the g o d ; an d fe e lin g unwo rthyo f such praise , he de clare d in the pre se n ce o f

the assem bly o f all the go ds that he had n o t

o btain e d the state o f Budhu ; that he was a pupilo f Budhu, an d was e ducate d in the scie n ce sby the Budhu . He furthe r de clar e d, that theble sse d Budhu o n ce , whe n he was in the

buildin g at Jatawan e y e , which was ra ise d bythe Prin ce Jatawan e , the re in had de live re d thedi sco urse in So o ttr a -

p ittaka ; at which tim e he

havin g be e n pr e se n t, he he ard it as he spo ke ,but did n o t o bta in the state o f Budhu : so he

r em o ve d all the do ubts in the min ds o f the g o ds .

This de claratio n ple ase d ve ry much the go dsan d the pr ie sts ; co n se que n tly the y all gave a

The ce lebr ated ascr iptio n to the Budhu , o f kn owin g thepast, pr e se n t, an d futur e , m e an s n o mo r e in the do ctr in ethan the who le e ffe ct o f the m e tem psycho sis o pe r atin g upo nthe c r e ated be in gs o f his e r a . Guadm a

’

s e r a was to co n sisto f 5 000 ye ar s ; his kn owledg e , the r e fo r e , is in this bo o klim ite d to this po in t o f tim e : an d thus , also , it was with eve r yo the r Budhu ; a ve r y diffe r e n t spe c ie s o f be lie f fr o m the

sublim e de cla r atio n o fJeho vah , I am that I am .

MAHAWANSE . 37

sho ut. The n it cam e to pass that it ra in e d*

swe e t - sm e lling wate r, un de r the n o ise o f a

musica l so un d, an d m an y o the r miraculo uspe rfo rm an ce s .

So the prie st An an da stawir a thus illustrate dall the passag e s that we re subm itte d to him byMaha - Cassiyap astawir ayan , an d thus m ade thevo lum e s with the title o f Die r g an ikawy e , co n

sisting o f sixty- two Ran a - wa r a , in thirtyfo urSo o ttr a o f the thre e so rts o f rule s .

The Thir d Chap te r , ca lled Pe r te r n e - da r m e san ~

g e e ty , of the B o o le Mahawanse , m ade f o r the

Rep e n ta nce of r ig hte ous Me n .

AFTERWARDS Maddim e n ikaya, a bo o k o f Budhu’

s

se rmo n s, be in g a par t o f So o ttr a -

pittaka pre ache dto m en ,

co n tain in g Ban a - wara ,1~ havingbe e n co m pile d an d arran ge d, was de sire d to b eco m mitte d to m em o ry by the first pupil o f Damse n ewise r r in t- Maha—Te r o o nwahan se y .

Afte rwar ds San inkte n ikaya , a part o f Budhu’

s

se rm o n - bo o k calle d So o ttr a -

p ittaka , co n ta in ing

Se e Dewa Lo ka He ave n s,

” Do ctr in e s o f Budhism ,

an d “ As . Re s .

” vi . 192 , fo r an e xplan atio n o f this o ccu r

r e n ce .

4; A Ban a - wa r a has 2 5 0 g ahtas o r ve r se s .

3 8 MAHAWANSE .

100 Ban e - wara having be e n compile d an d

arrange d in due o rde r, was de sire d to b e co m

m itte d to mem o ry by Maha - Casse pastawir ayan

an d all his pupils .

Afte rwards An g o tte r n ikaya , a part o f Budhu’

s

bo o k o f se rmo n s calle d So o ttr a -

p ittaka , co n tainin g 2 000 Ban a—waras, havin g be e n a r ran ge d indue o rde r, was de sire d to b e co m m itte d to

m em o ry by Anuruddasta - wir e yan an d his firstpupil .Afte rwards was co m pile d the bo o k calle d

Ab ida r rn a -

p ittaka, which was pre ache d to g o ds,an d was arrange d in due o rde r by 5 00 Budhuprie sts .

Lastly, having com pile d an d arran ge d thefo llowing infe rio r bo o ks in due o rde r, —n ame ly,Sfr tte r n ipata , Dar m e pade ya , Ittiuttekaya ,Wiman e -Wastuwe , Pr é’ tewaStuwe , The r e gahta , Ther igahta , Yateka, Nir de e sa, Pe r tisam b idaw, Ap e

dawn e ,Buddewan se ,Char iya—p ittaka , &c . pre ache dby all the prie sts .

The se di ffe re n t laws we re compile d an d co m

ple te d in se ve n mo n ths byMaha - cassiya-

p astawir a ,

with 5 00 pr in cipal prie sts to ge the r with him, in

o rde r that the y m ay last fo r 5 000 ye ars .

The said Maha - cassiya-

p astawir a , the chie fprie st, an d all the o the r in fe rio r prie sts, who ,like pr e cio us sto n e s, sho n e with wisdo m , afte r

MAHAWANSE . 3 9

wards gradually departe d this life , an d be camelike que n che d lamps .

The re fo re , m e n o f wisdo m sho uld n o t thinko f the va in e nj o yme n ts o f the wo rld, an d de layo f do ing charity, which is pro fitable bo th to thisan d the n e xt wo rld .

The Four th Chap te r , ca lled D ewen isang e e ty , ofthe B o ok Mahawan se , which was m ade f o r

the Rep e n tance of r ig hte ous Men .

THE King Udde yab adde , the so n o f the afo r en ame d Ajasat the parricide , kille d also his fathe rthe said Ajasat,

'

an d re ign e d sixte e n ye arsThe King Anur udde , the so n o f the sa id

Udde yab adde , having kille d his fathe r Udde yabadde , to o k the kin gdom .

The Kin g Anur udde , was kille d by his so n

Mudda , who to o k the kin g do m ,o f his fathe r :

bo th the se last kings re ign e d e ighte e n ye ars .

The Kin g Nag adaseka , havin g kille d hisfathe r the sa id Mudda , had re ign e d twe n ty- fo urye ars . Whe n the se kin gs we re thus re ign ingby killin g the ir fathe rs, the inhabitan ts rebe lle daga in st them , an d ban ishe d the king fro m the

kingdo m ; de clarin g, at the sam e tim e , that the

tribe o f tho se kin g s we re parricide s ; an d afte rwa r ds the public the n cho se to b e the ir king o n e

40 MAHAWANSE .

Susan ag a , a m in iste r who was a righte o us m an ,

an d pr o claim e d him the kin g . He re ig n e de ighte e n ye ar s .

The so n o f the sa id Susan ag a , by n am e

CalasOka, re ign e d afte r his fathe r twe n ty- e ightye ar s .

Afte rwards the r e re ign e d a king, calle d Ajate se str o o , who re side d at the city Pate le puttathis city was built at the villag e Pate ly , lyin gn e a r the bank o f the rive r Gan g a ,*by a Br ahmincalle dWassekar a , with an in te n tio n to co n que rthe cityWisalam aha , in which the re re ig n e d7707kin g s, the de sce n dan ts Of Br ahm e datte ,

the King o f Bar e n as . Afte r the de ath o f thiskin g , the r e re ign e d six kings, o n e afte r theo the r , n am e ly, Udd e yab adde , An n r udd e , Mudda ,

Nag adaseka, an d Susun ag a- daseka ; afte r them ,

the King calasoka o n the te n th ye a r o f his re ig n ,

it was e xactly 100 ye ars in Budhu - Ve r o use , o r

the ye ar o f Budhu .

The who le o f this passag e , to the e nd o f the pa r ag r aph,is evide n tly an in te rpo latio n to intr o duce K in g Ajate se str o o ,as the six fo llo wm g kin g s a r e alr e ady n am e d in the pr e ce din ga r ticle . The pr e cedin g chapte r s b r in g the r e ade r acqua in te dwith the chie f e ve n ts which o ccur r ed in the fir st ce n tury Ofthe Budhist faith ,

at that tim e spr e ad o ve r a co n side r ablepo r tio n o f the so uthe r n pr o vince s o f India , an d co ntem po r a

n e o us to the ye ar 3 5 0 B . c .

42 MAHAWANSE .

ings . On the se supplicatio n s, the king, whohad n o n o tio n o f the r e ligio n , the n se n t his arm ywith o rde r s to o ppo se the prie st Yasa an d

tho se who we re with him , fro m e n te ri n g hiscity : this army was le d by the powe r o f de itie sthro ugh a wro ng ro ad. On that day , at n ight,the king happe n e d to dr e am that he was cast

with his bo dy an d s o ul in to the H e ll Lo hocurn b o o , which m ade him awake ; an d he co uldn o t sle ep aga in till the n e xt m o rn in g. The

n e xt day , whe n he m e t his siste r Je ste b agin y , apr ie ste ss, he in fo r m e d he r o f the sam e ; whe nshe e xpla in e d to him the b ad co n se qu e n ce s o f

giving powe r to such im po sto rs, who e rre d themse lve s an d we re a ctin g again st the law o f Budhu ;an d we re livin g witho ut Obse r vin g the law, e a chacco rding to his o v‘

Vn ple a sur e : she fur the r state d,that he who do e s the se things is subj e ct, a cco rding to the sayin g o f Budhu, to the pa in s o f the He llLoho curn b o o in the n e xt life , an d e ve n in this heis like o n e who is in that he ll : she furthe r exho r te d the king to avo id fie r ce n e ss, m a lice , p assio n , an d fe ar, an d to e n co urag e such pri e sts a s

ar e pio us an d a ssist in the diffusio n o f the Bud

hu’

s re lig io n , which shall last fo r 5 000 ye a r s ;an d to d o charity, that he might Obtain hap

p in e ss in this an d the n e xt wo rld, during the

tim e o f a ca lp a .

MAHAWANSE. 43The same day , the king we nt to the cityWisalah, an d put o ut tho se impo sto rs (in numbe r

abo ut fro m pe rfo rming any re ligio us fun ctio n s ; an d from twe lve Lacse o f Budhu *prie sts,calle d Rahato o n s, who assemble d the re , the kingin vite d Sabb e Cam y, a prie st o f high o rde r, theprie st Yasa , an d diffe re n t o the r prie sts, calle dRahato o n s, alto ge the r ’700 prie sts, who assem

ble d at the place calle dWalucaw- ram e , in the

cityWisalah, whe re the king made an in quiryfr o m tho se prie sts to uchin g the law calle d Istewi r r ewade , an dWin e ya, an d co m mitte d them to

writin g in e ight mo n ths . At that tim e tho seim po sto r s who we re cast o ut by the pio us prie stwe re wan de r in g abo ut in diffe re nt o the r co un

trie s, se archin g fo r aid , an d the y fo un d the Kin gMan de lica , who was ign o ran t Of m o ral dutie s,dispo se d fo r the ir a ssistan ce ; whe reupo n , the yto o k co un se l to g e the r to bre ak the laws o f the

pio us prie st, an d to ado pt an o the r by thems e lve s ; acco rdingly, the y had fo rm e d laws an d

pro claim e d them a s if the y we r e o f Budhu’

s

laws , n ame ly, Ham ewatta , Raj e gir y, Siddar te

The r e a r e thr e e classe s Of Budhus : the Passe - Budhu ,o r tho se who we r e fo llowe r s o f the B udhu Guadm a ; the

Lo uto ur a Budhus , o f which m e n tio n is m ade o f twe n ty- two ,

who se histo r ie s a r e lo st ; and the chie f Budhus , n am e ly, thepr e de ce sso r s o f Guadm a an d him se lf.

44 MAHAWANSE .

caya , Pfir we sayly , Asse r a—Sa ily, an dWaj rr iyawady Laws, in n um be r twe n ty- fo ur diffe re n t lawsin the co urse o f 100 ye a r s : an d in this m an n e rthe y turn e d m e n fro m vir tue to vice , as if thepo iso n o us fruits ca lle d hinn am , which ar e as swe e tas ho n e y, we re g ive n to the blin d to e at. The r e

pre vaile d in the islan d o f Ce ylo n two Nicay e s o rfalse do ctrine s, calle d Da r m e r utchiya , sag aliya ;

but the do ctr in e Of Budhu , calle d Istewir r ewade ,had its pre vale n ce o ve r g o ds an d m e n e ve r sin cethe de ath o f Budhu up to this day : an d it is

unm ixe d with any false do ctrin e whate ve r, an d

is ho ly an d a s pur e ’

as the str e am o f the rive rGan g a , the pr e cio us sto n e jatir an gay , an d as the

be am s Of the full mo o n .

The Fifth Chap te r , ca lled Tr itiy a - Sang ity , of the

bo okMahawa nse , m ade f o r the Rep en tance ofthe P ious .

THERE we re te n so n s Of the said CalasOka king ,by n am e Badde se n ah, COr an dewa r n e , Mangure ya , Sa r watn e g a , Jalika , Ub e ca , Satche ya , COrawa , Nan diwar dde n e , an d Pan tcheweke ya , who

re ign e d twe n ty- two ye ars .

Afte r them the fo llowing kings, n am e lyUg g a se n ah

- Nan de ya , Pan d fr cah- Nan de ya , Pan

dficag aty- Nan de ya , Bupala - Nande ya , Ratte pale

MAHAWANSE . 45Nan daye , Go visan ah

- Nan de ya , D ase sittica - Nan

de ya , an d Dan e pala- Nan de ya re ign e d twe n ty

two ye ars : the la st- m e n tio n e d king, Dan e palaNan de ya , was kille d by the Prin ce Chan dr agutta ,Of the city calle d MOr iya , thro ugh the m e an s

Of a brahmin , calle d Chan acca : this king wa san Offspr in g Of o n e o f the prin ce s o f the ro ya lfam ily ca lle d Sacca, who cam e fro m the cityCap ilewasto e o f Widu—dam ba - san g r awm a ; an d

to o k his kin gdo m Pe lle lup , an d re ign e d thirtyfo ur ye a r s . On his de ath, his so n , Prin ceBin dusar a , was pro claime d the king o f the cityPe lle lup ; he had 100 childre n , an d he re ign e dtwe n ty - e ight ye ars : this king, in his life tim e ,

appo in te d his e lde st . so n ,Prin ce Sum an a, the

se co n d kin g ; an d an o the r so n , calle d Prin cePr iyadase , be ing the e lde r so n , which he had byo n e Of his que e n s, who was calle d Dar m ah, she

be in g an o ffsprin g o f the ro yal family, calle dChOr y ; this que e n had also an o the r so n , calle dTissa, by he r husban d the sa id kin g, who r e

side d at Awan tiy e r r a . Be ing se n t by his fathe r,he we n t to the city ca lle dWe ttisa , which layfifty y o dun s distan ce fro m the city Pe lle lup in

which the prin ce Of the r o yal fam ily, calle dSécca , who r an away fro mWidudam b a San

g r awm a , r e side d, an d was m arrie d to the pr in ce ss,calle dWe ttisa , o f the r o yal fam ily calle d sacca

46 MAHAWANSE .

(this prin ce ss was a s be autiful as a he ave n lywoman ,) —an d be cam e king o f the city Ude n yhe had o n e so n an d a daughte r by his Que e nWe ttisa . As this kin g was ‘

p r o sp e r o us in e ve r ything, he was style d Aso ca Prin ce . On e day

this kin g having le arn e d that his fathe r wasinfirm , he im m e diate ly pro ce e de d an d cam e to

the city Pe lle lup , whe r e he saw his fathe r ; an dhe live d at his fathe r’s co urt an d succo ur e d him .

In the co urse o f that tim e this prin ce wa s p r oclaim e d Kin g o f Cusum epur a , which be lo nge d toPe lle lup , at his re que st, by his o ld fathe r. The

Prin ce Sum an a , _ who wa s the se co n d king o f

Pe lle lup city, havin g he ar d Of this, m ade wa rag ain st the n ew kin g , calle d AsOca o f Cusum e

pura , an d AsOca was the c o n que ro r.This co n que ro r be cam e so ve r e ig n kin g o ve r

the who le Jam bud Dwe e p a ,*an d his br o the r Tissawa s an n oun ce d by him the se co n d king. Tribute swe re paid to this king by cr own e d kings.

He had ple asure wo m e n ; an d o n e Asan dim ittr ah was his fir st que e n an d supr em e o ve r them.

As this king was sca r ce ly le ss e n lighte n e d than hisbro the r, he was calle d also by the n am e Chan desOke . It is sa id that this king re ce ive d pre se n tse ve n fro m g o ds, an d was min iste re d

.

to by be asts

Budhu - Ve r ouse 2 18.

MAHAWANSE . 47an d birds : in his re ign , the re we re usually fe d da ilyat his palace , as it was do n e in the tim e o f his

g ran dfathe r an d fathe r, 6000 he athe n prie sts. On e

day , the king happe n ing to se e thr o ugh a win

d ow the se he athe n s Of a ro ugh de po rtme n t an dspe e ch, sitting atme at an d giving shouts, tho ughtwithin him se lf to kn ow the co n se que n ce s Of g ivin g this alms, an d the re fo re se n t fo r his min iste r s,an d de sire d them to bring tho se he athe n s, whowe re usua lly fe d by them , in to the town , a s he

was de siro us to give them a lms o f himse lf : e acho f the min iste rs, acco rdingly, bro ught the diffe r e n t awkward, di rty, an d base , f alse prie sts,who we re

.

fe d by e ach o f them se parate ly, an d

in tro duce d to the kin g, as if the y we re the

prie sts, calle d Rahato o n s, who pr o cure them the

happin e ss an d ble ssing, by de stro ying the ir sin ;upo n which the king place d diffe re n t s e ats tothem’

in his palace , an d bid them to sit a s the yple ase d ; the reupo n , the se he athe n s, witho utm aking the le ast d iffe re n ce be twe e n the highan d the lowe r in rank an d ag e amo ngst themse lve s, some sat upo n high an d some upo n lowse ats, an d some sat o n the flo o r, by spre adingthe ir clo ths o n it : the king, afte r having fe dthem ple n tifully, se n t them away, an d the n e xtday he di d the sam e . On that day the king Ob

se rve d that tho se who had sat o n high se ats the

48 MAHAWANSE .

day be fo re we re n ow sitting o n low, an d tho se who

sat o n low se ats, sittin g o n high se ats ; an d fro mthe ro ughn e ss in the ir behavio ur ,he ve rily be lie ve dthat the y we re n o m o r e than im po sto r s . The

kin g , who was se archin g fo r pio us prie sts,in a

few days afte r this, se e in g the Budhu pr ie st Niggro de , o f the Sam e n ér e o rde r, who happe n e d topass by the way, an d Obse rving his m e ek di spo sitio n an d g e n tle behavio ur , was ve r y m uchple ase d with him . This Nigg r Od e Sam e nEr e

had be e n ,in a fo rm e r life , a bro the r o f the said

King AsOka , to wit : “ In a fo rm e r life the rewe re thre e bro the rs in the city Ba r e n e s, whowe re de ale rs in ho n e y, by which m e an s the yhad suppo rte d the ir diffe r e n t famili e s ; the e lde sto f them use d to g o to the in te rio r o f the

co un try an d buy ho n e y fro m diffe r e n t inhab itan ts fo r re tail ; the n e xt bro the r was in ‘

the

habit o f car r yin g down to the city such ho n e ywhich was co lle cte d by the e lde st, an d to de live rthe sto r e to the yo unge st bro the r, who so ld the mwith pr o fit. In the se days, a ce rtain PaseBudhu ,

ale who r e side d in a cave rn o n the mo un

Pas e - Budhu is an in fe r io r kind o f Budhu, b ut highe r

than the pr ie sts o f a ny o r de r . It is evide n t, fr o m the fo llo win g par ticula r s , that he wa s an asce tic , an d had r e ti r e d to theHim m aleh m o un ta in s, inhabiting a cave r n , and pr actisin g the

5 0 MAHAWANSE .

we n t up to the ma r ke t - place Of the ho n eyde ale r, he , the de a le r , im m e di ate ly g o t up an d

cam e n e a r to the Pa se - Budhu, an d havin g p r ostr ate d be fo re him ,

to o k his patr a - cupfi‘e

an d

placing it down , the de ale r bro ught a p o t o f

ho n e y an d po ure d it in to the patra - cup ; it wa s

fille d o ve r an d abo ve , so a pa r t o f the ho n e y wasspilt o n the g ro un d : the de ale r , who saw this,was o ve rj o ye d at it, an d pr aye d thus : Byvirtue o f this charity o f givin g ho n e y fille d up

in this patra - cup , le t m e , in m y n e xt life , b e theso ve re ign kin g o ve r Dam b e dwip a , which is in

e xte n t y o dun s ; an d so as the ho n e y waso ve rfille d an d fe ll o n the gro un d, likewise le tm y influe n ce pre va il a s far as o n e y o dun

’

s di s

tan ce in the sky , an d the sam e distan ce un de rthe e ar th, &c Afte r which the de ale r han de dthe cup to the Pase - Budhu with g re at r e ve r e n ce :the Pase - Budhu ble sse d the de ale r an d cam e away.

Now the m a id- se rvan t, who po in te d o ut

the ho n e y- m ar ke t to the Pase - Budhu, tho ughtwithin he r se lf, that a s the Pase - Budhu had g o tho n e y, she sho uld o ffe r him he r clo th which

The Budhu Patrya , a dish o f the Budhu,is r e nde r e d

sac r e d , as in the do ctr in e it is m ade the sym bo l o f e ach

Budhu atta in in g to that e levatio n , by pa r taking o f r ice an d

flin g in g the go lde n dish in to the r ive r Kasi, which flo atsfo r thwith ag ain st the str e am ,

& c .

MAHAWANSE . 5 1

she had , an d aske d him, with the usual r e

ve r e n ce , what the de ale r’

s pr aye r was . Whe nthe Pase - Budhu had info r m e d he r o f it, she

be gge d him to have co m passio n o n he r to staythe re a little while , an d she im m e diate ly r an

back to he r ho use , un dre sse d he r clo th whichshe had , by putting o n he r an Old pie ce o f r ag ,

an d she washe d the clo th which she had un

dr e sse d, br o ught it to the Pase - Budhu , an d

Offe re d it to him to ke e p,it un de r the patra

cup : thus do ing, she praye d that she sho uldbe co m e , in he r n ext life , the que e n o f the ex

p e cte d so ve re ign king o fDam b e dwipa , the ho n e yde ale r at that time . The Pase - Budhu said tothe wo m an , Be it

‘

so to y o u as y o u havepr aye d fo r an d afterwards the Pase - Budhua sce n de d to the sky while she was be ho lding,an d we n t to the m o un tain Gan dem ade r r e in a

mo m e n t, as quick as if a b ird, calle d Swa r n akie ra , had flown away, taking by his bill a

Dam be - fruit ; an d he he ale d by that ho n e y theso re Of the o the r Pase - Budhu .

Afte rwards, o n a ce rtain day , the thr e e b r othe r s who we re the de ale rs in ho n e y cam e to g e the ran d pr o ce e de d to clo se the ir a cco un ts, an d fin dinga de ficie n cy Of o n e p o t o f ho n e y, the two e lde rbro the r s a ske d the yo un g e st what had be co m e o f

the m o n e y‘

o f o n e p o t o f ho n e y ; the yo un g e r

5 2 MAHAWANSE.

an swe re d an d said, that he had made an o ffe r o f

it to a Pase - Budhu who cam e to b e g fo r ho n e y,an d that if the y wan te d to b e partake rs withhim o f the ble ssing Of it, the y m ight, o r e lse , thathe wo uld p ay them the value Of

,it, o r an o the r

p o t o f ho n ey in ste ad o f that ; upo n which,

Bro the r (said the two e lde r ) we ar e n o t to

take fro m y o u the value o f the ho n e y which y o uhave e xp e n de d ; but had y o u so ld the ho n e ywhich we de live re d to y o u, it wo uld have be e npro fitable bo th , to y o u an d us ; an d what we

r e quir e to kn ow ‘ fr o m yo u is, what kin d o f a

pe rso n he wa s to who m y o u o ffe r e d the ho n e yThe yo unge r r eplie d an d sa id, Yo u o ught

n o t to he sitate at it, be cause I g ave it to a

pio us Pase - Budhu who had a ye llow ro be o n .

’

Br o the r (sa id the e lde st), low- cast m e n also

g o un de r ye llow dr e sse s, an d I think that y o um ight have give n it to - such a o n e .

’

DO y o u

te ll us (said the o the r e lde r bro the r, with an g e r ) ,

the go o d characte r Of yo ur Pase - Budhu ? do cast

him o ve r the se a .

’ Upo n which, the yo un g e rbro the r spo ke to them so o thin g ly, an d to ld themo f the be n efits an d ble ssin g s which m ight b e der ive d by do ing char ity, an d also the ill co n se

que n ce s that ar e to b e m e t with in the n e xt lifeby sin n in g , an d be gg e d them n o t to call illn am e s to such Ba se - Budhus ; and b e fur the r

54 MAHAWANSE .

On the de ath o f the abo ve - n am e d King Bindus

'

ahar a , the se co n d Kin g Suman a de sire d to g e this kingdom , an d fe ll in the battle : when

"

this washe a r d b y ’

his Que e n Suman e , who was the n pregn an t, she fle d away thro ugh fe ar, an d cam e n e arto a n igg r o da , o r n aga - tre e , which

‘

sto o d n e ar theho use o f the chie f he r dsm an ,

'

in the villag e whe rethe ke epe rs o f cattle dwe lt, n e ar that city. Whenshe cam e the r e , the De ity, who dwe lt in the sa idn aga—tre e , ca lle dOut to he r by n am e to come tothe tre e ; be cause that which was co n ce ive d inhe r was a ble sse d o n e . The que e n , havin ghe ard the vo ice o f the De ity, we n t to him , whe n

the De ity, by his powe r, cre ate d the re a ho use,

an d de siring the que e n to live in it, he we n taway : o n that n ight the que e n bro ught fo rth a

so n in that ho use , un de r the n aga—tre e ; an d

this child, as he was bo rn in the ho use whichwas cr e ate d un de r the n ag a

- tre e , was calle d bythe n am e o f Prin ce Nigg r Oda . The chie f he rdsm an having happe n e d to ‘

se e this que e n , he had

assiste d he r in e ve ry thing, an d fro m that tim e

he had be e n se r vin g he r a s if he was he r own

se rvan t, be side s which he pro vide d he r withe ve r y n e ce ssary o f life . In this m an n e r she

re side d the r e fo r se ve n ye ars, whe n a Budhuprie st, calle d Mahawar un a, bro ught he r so n

Nigg r Oda- Prin ce to his temple , wh e re the prie st

MAHAWANSE . 5 5

shave d the hair o f his he ad and made him a

Budhu prie st ; the sam e day the n ew prie st,Niggr Oda , attain e d the state o f rahat ; thisNigg r Oda, o n a ce rtain mo rn in g , afte r havin gatte n de d his tuto r a s usual, an d putting o n his

ye llow ro be s, an d taking in his han d a patracup , pro ce e de d with an in te n tio n to g o to the

ho use o f his m o the r, the que e n ; the sa id Nigg r Oda was to e n te r the

'

city o f Pe lle lup , thro ug hthe so uthe rn gate , an d the n go ing along thestre e t, to pa ss the e aste rn g ate , to g o to his

m o the r ; an d while he was go ing thro ugh thecity, e ve r y o n e who saw him was m uch ple ase dwith him , be cause he was o f a m e ek dispo sitio n ,

walking ln slow steps, an d witho ut casting hise ye s to se e o bj e cts ro un d about him whichmight lay at the distan ce o f a plo ugh

’

s le n gthfro m him , be cause that is the le ngth which a

prie st is o rdain e d that he sho uld ca st his e ye s tose e r o un d him , an d n o t furthe r The prie stwho was thus walking was se e n by the KingChan dasdca thro ugh a win dow, who was walk ingto an d fr o , o n the uppe r ro o m o f the palacethe kin g , who saw this prin ce , tho ught withinhim se lf, that e ve n m an y grown - up m e n d o n o t

co n duct them se lve s so pro pe rly a s this littleyo uth do e s, which is n o t to b e e xpe cte d in a

child o f his ag e ; o n that acco un t that he m ust

5 6 MAHAWANSE.

b e a ble ssed o n e . SO the king lo ve d him , as it

was the pr e de stin atio n o f the prie st, an d the nse n t o n e o f his min iste r s to call the pr ie st.Whe n the prie st came to the king, he de sir e dthe prie st to sit down o n an y se at he ple ase d ;the prie st lo o king ro und, an d se e ing n o o the rsupe rio r prie sts. the re but him se lf, he we n t up tothe highe st se at, an d givin g his patra - cup in tothe hands o f the king, an d with the suppo rt o f

the kin g’

s han d he m o un te d it, an d sat him se lf.The king who o bse r ve d this, tho ught in his

he art, that the‘

prie st be cam e that ve ry day

the first pe rso n o f his palace ; an d afte rwar dsthe kin g o rde re d the se rvan ts to give m e at o ff

his own table to the prie st. Whe n the prie st haddo n e e ating, the kin g kin dly a ske d the prie stwhe the r he kn ew the mo ral laws Of Budhu, who

replie d, Ye s, but a little , as I am late ly be co m e

a prie st. The kin g re que ste d him to re latesom e o f what he kn ew. The prie st fir st o f all

thought in his he art what so rt o f a se rmo n that hesho uld pre ach him , as he was to o harsh, an d had n oregr e t in killin g an imals ; an d tho ught pro pe r topr e ach him o f the do ctrin e calle d App e r m adawarg a : an d whe n he had said the two fir st lin e so f the ve r se calle d Gatah o n ly, the king wassatisfie d, an d said to the prie st n o t to tire .

him se lf by furthe r pre aching, an d to m ake an

5 8 MAHAWANSE .

is un de r the co n tro l Of this king, is .

y o dun s in e xte n t, an d it co n ta in s kin gdo m s, 5 6 go ld villag e s, in which ar e m in e s o f

Ofo ld, Dr Ouem ukka , an d 96 ke lle lakse s o f

Patunugam villag e s . Be side s the re ve nue s da ilyco lle cte d in them , the re we re co lle cte d e ach dayfive lakse s in cash, a s fo llows at the fo ur g ate so f the city Pe lle lup , ar e daily co lle cte d fo urlakse s, an d o n e in the co urt o f justice , which isin the middl e o f the city ; the o n e laksa , co l

le cte d in the co urt o f justice , was appli e d fo rm e dical a id to Budhu prie sts ; an d o n e o ut o f

the fo ur lakse s co lle cte d at the fo ur g ate s o f

the city wa s appli e d fo r supplyin g rice - flowe r s

an d light - Offe rin g s to Budhu ; o n e laksa was

applie d to buy victuals fo r the prin cipal prie sts ;o n e ditto fo r the co m m o n prie sts ; an d o n e

laksa was da ily applie d to de fray the e xpe n se sfo r supplyin g the fo llowing to the pr ie st Nig

g r Oda , viz . the re we r e o ffe re d to him e ar ly inthe m o r n in g e ve ry day thre e siwo o r us, o r ye llowr o be s, 5 00 am m o n am s Of pe rfum e s, an d 5 00

bo xe s o f flowe r s, which ar e lo ade d upo n an

e le phan t, an d ca r r ie d in g re at pro ce ssio n ; an d

in like m an n e r, o n ce at n o o n an d o n ce in the

e ve n in g , o ffe r in g s ar e made to the pr ie st Nigg r Oda .

The Kin g Da r m aso ca use d to chan g e his

MAHAWANSE . 5 9

clo th thre e time s a - day , an d at e ve ry time whe nhe

_

chan ge d his clo th he'

n e ve r lfaile d to ask

whe the r ye llow ro b e s we re sen t to the prie stNigg r Oda . The ye llow ro be s which the prie st thusre ce ive d an d chan ge d thre e tim e s a day we reke pt apart, an d g ive n by him to such prie stsa s cam e to visit him ; an d in this man n e r a lm o stall the Budhu prie sts o n tho se days at Dam bedwipa wo re the ye llow ro b e s which we re g ive nfo r charity to them by the prie st Nigg r Oda ; an dman y prie sts we re also suppo rte d - b y him . In

the fo urth ye ar o f the re ign o f the Kin gDar m aso ca , his yo un g e r br o the r Tissa , the

se co n d kin g , an d the P rin ce Aggib r ahm a ,

the husban d o f San g am ittr awa , to ge the r withthe n um be r o f Lacse m e n , put o n ye llowr o b es, an d be came rahat prie sts .

On a ce rtain day , the kin g havin g sum m o n e dhis co urtie rs, an d sa id thus, Had I be e n bo rnin the days Of Budhu, I wo uld have o ffe re d himthe who le co un try calle d Dam b e dwip a ; an d had

I be e n bo rn the kin g Of go ds, I wo uld haveOffe re d him Nirwan a ; but a s I wa s n o t bo rn inhis days, I de sire that I m ight Obta in the ble ssingsby se e in g his pe rso n . Upo n which the co urtie rsre pli e d an d said, that th e r e can b e n o n e who

might have se e n Budhu,b e cause it wa s the n

2 2 1 ye ars sin ce the de ath o f Budhu, which

60 MAHAWANSE .

make s two ce n turi e s ; b ut that the re was a

co ve r cap e l calle d Maha - cala , who r e side s be lowthe place calle d Manj e r ie a - n ag ab awe n a,

*an d

living fro m m an y ce n turie s back ; an d that hehad se e n all the late fo ur Budhus o f this calpa . ;

an d also thathe had the powe r o f e xhibiting theshape o f the pe rso n s o f the diffe re n t Budhus, ifh e wo uld .

The king, de siro us to se e from the co ve rcape l the fo rm o f Budhu, cause d to b e m ade a

go lde n cha in , which he to o k in to his han ds, an dsa id thus : As true a s I am ste adfast in the

be lie f o f Tr ivide r atue j' this g o lde n cha in

sho uld im m e diate ly g o an d brin g the Kin gMahacale - co ve r cap e l ;

”

an d , so sayin g, the king

put the go lde n chain o n the g ro un d. The

g o lde n cha in im me diate ly pie rce d the g ro un d,an d we n t to the co ve r cap e l, an d to uche d hisfe e t. Upo n that the co ve r cap e l, se e in g by hishe ave n ly e ye s, kn ew the de sire o f the king an d

im m e diate ly the Kin g Co ve r cap e l, with a n um be rOf fo llowe r s, pro ce e de d fro m Nag ab awe n a , an d

cam e an d appe ar e d be fo re the king at his pala ce .

This kin g , the n , se e ing the co ve r cap e l with his

In the Mytho lo gy, the r e side n ce o f co ve r cap e lle s , o r the

m ag ic sn ake kin gs .

f Tr ivid e r atue m e an s the thr e e pr e c io us thin g s, n am e ly,

Budhu,his law, and the Budhu pr ie sts .

6 2 MAHAWANSE .

Budhu, crie d o ut Se'

rd o o ,alesaying that he had the

pro fit o f his life . Afte rwar ds , the co ve r cap e l

tr an sfo r m e d him se lf in to the shape o f the se co n dBudhu, ca lle d Co an ahg anm r a , who was thirtycubits high, an d e xhibite d to the kin g as if theBudhu was with thirty tho usan d Of his fo llowe r sun de r the bO- tre e ; upo n which the kin g an d the

pe o ple at o n ce cr ie d . o ut Sado o .

Ne xt the c o ve r cap e l tran sfo rm e d him se lf in to

The wo r d Sa d o o , o r ho ly,is em plo ye d by the

Budhis ts , in the i r r e lig io us assem blie s , to e xpr e ss the highe stappr o batio n o f so m e thin g de live r e d by the o ffi c iatin g pr ie st.Thus

,in a ba n a m a d o o a , o r pr e achin g tabe r nacle , just afte r

the pr ie sts an d pe o ple have e n te r e d , the co m m an dm e n ts o f

Budhu a r e r e cited , and at the clo se o f e ach , all pr e se n t putthe i r han ds to g e the r be fo r e the ir face , an d b ow towa r ds thesqua r e e n clo sur e in the m iddle , o ccupie d by the pr ie sts alo n e ,an d e xclaim Sa d o o . The wo r d is pr o n o un ce d as a spo nde e ,and in so an im ate d a m ann e r as to have a fin e e ffe ct o n the p r oce ed ing s , as I had o ccasio n to witn e ss at Matur a , whe r e the

pe ople a r e co n side r e d Budhists o f the str icte st o r de r . It has

o fte n r e m inde d m e o f what is r e co r ded in Nehe m iah (viii .'

Of the j oyful expr e ssio n s o f the J ews o n the r e sto r atio n o f

the ir r e lig io us pr ivile g e s . The wo rd in que stio n se em s r e

str icte d to sac r e d m atte r s , fo r o n o the r o ccasio n s they say

ho n da , g o o d , o r bo ko m a ho nda ,ve ry g o o d ; an d its use o n

the pa r t o f any pe r so n pr e se n t is c o n side r e d a par ticipatio nin the Budhist system . H e n ce I have he a r d n ative s be a r in gthe Chr istian n am e spo ke n o f with d isappr obatio n fo r j o in inga Budhist co n g r e g atio n in r e spo ndin g Sa d o o . C .

MAHAWANSE. 63

the shape o f the third Budhu, calle d Casse pa ,who was twe n ty cubits high, an d e xhibite d to theking as if he was o n the a ir with twe n ty tho usan d r ahats o r Budhu p r ie sts . The kin g an d

the pe o ple who saw this at o n ce cri e d o ut

sado o ! An d , lastly, the co ve r cap e l tr an sfo rm e dh im se lf in to the shape o f the fourth o r lastBudhu , Gudam a , who was e ighte e n cubitshigh, an d e xhibite d to the king as if he

,was

sittin g o nWatj r ase n a - se at, le an ing o n his backag a inst the bO- tre e , whe n he was abo ut to b eBudhu , afte r having co n que red the Mare s .

The kin g was so ple a se d that he Offe re d thewho le o f Dam b e dwipa to Budhu, an d , to g e the rwith o f his ple asure - wo m e n , behe ld witha gre at re ve re n ce , dur in g se ve n days, the fo rm o f

Budhu . An d afte rwards the co ve r cap e l Mahake lle we n t away to Nag ab awe n a , whe re he

re side s . The kin g, who in this man n e r da ilyin cre a se d in the fa ith o f Budhu, o n a ce rtainday , in the sa id fo urth ye ar Of his re ign ,

cam e

to AsOca- rahm a , whe re Budhu prie stsre side d ; an d afte r havin g Offe re d them diffe re n tthin gs, he cam e to the m idst o f the prie sts, an ddem an de d fro m them , with the usua l re ve re n ce ,“ What num be r o f n iaxim s do e s the Budhu

’

s

do ctrin e co n ta in ?” The pr ie sts an swe r e d an d

said, that the do ctr in e calle d Sap ar iyaptica

64 MAHAWANSE .

Nawe lOOco ttr a - Sadda rm a , which was pre ache dfo r the use o f his re ligio n co n ce rn ing the thingswhich sho uld happe n in futur e , is divide d in ton in e par ts calle d Anga ; an d the same is sub

divide d in to parts, calle d Darm a—Skanda . The kin g , who was we ll ple a se d with theDarma , tho ught in his he art fo r e ach o f the

Darm a—Skan da that he sho uld c o n struct a

wihara o r tem ple ; an d in o n e an d the sam e

day he spe n t n in e tysix ke ll e s in g o ld, an d builttem ple s at e ach town o f diffe re n t

kin gdo m s in Dam b e dwip a .

The kin g, havin g se e n that the setem ple s we re re gularly m an ag e d by the in d e fatig ab le e xe rtio n s Of the sam e pr ie sts who live din the sa id tem ple AsOca - r ahm a , a ske d the

prie sts who sho uld b e the pe rso n that had e ve rOffe r e d the g re ate st o ffe ring fo r the sake o f the

r e ligio n Of Budhu . The prie st Mo ggally- Putte

Tissa - Istewir a said, Yo u ar e the g r e a te st

a m o ng st such auxiliar y m e n in the cause of the

Radha’

s r e lig io n .

” “ If I a m but a n auxi

sa id the kin g , I am n o t o n e of the so cie ty of the

p r ie stho o d of Budhu.

”The prie st said, 0 kin g !

The se a r e , in the do ctr in e , de n o m in ate d unde r the

g e n e r al te rm o f the Ban a , o r se r m o n s o f Budhu . Se e the

J a taka o f Usse n atar am Raj a,in the Do ctr in e o f Budhism ,

”

fo r the pr o o f o f the ir shppo se d san ctity .

6 6 MAHAWANSE .

o rde r that he might be co m e o n e be lo n g ing tothe Budhu

’

s prie stho o d .

The prie sts havin g acce pte d the kin g’

s r e

que st, the y appo in te d the prie st ca lle d Mo g g aly

putte - Tissem ahastewir a an upadd ia ,o r a scribe ,

an d the prie st calle d Mahawd ewa Mahastewir r e

a tuto r, who m ade the prin ce a prie st o f Budhu .

An d afte rwards the y appo in te d the pr ie st calle dMatjan tica Mahastewir r e the tuto r o f the pr in ce ,who m ade him an upp e sam p e dah prie st ; an d at

the hall in which the prin ce was cr e ate d an

upp e sam p e dah , o n the sam e day the n ew prie stattain e d the state

‘

o f r ahat. An d in the sam e

m an n e r the prin ce ss was a lso cre ate d a pr ie ste ss :he r upaddia was the pr ie ste ss calle d Ay o e palaMaham ehe n y , an d he r tuto r wa s the pr ie ste sscalle d Dar m e paly

- Bikso e ; an d afte r wa r ds the

yo un g Sém e n ér a prie ste ss San g am ittr ah be cam e

an upp e sam p e dah prie ste ss, an d atta in e d the

state o f rahat. Thus, the se two , the yo un gpr ie st an d pr ie ste ss, we r e cre ate d Budhu p r ie stso n the sixth ye ar o f the re ign Of the Kin g Dar

m aso ca ; an d afte r the se two pe rso n s had e n te re din to the state o f Budhu pr ie sts, the y studie d inthe Budhu

’

s laws co n ta in e d in the two San gayan a , an d acquir e d a pe rfe ct kn o wle dge o f the m

by the a id o f the ir diffe re n t upaddias . Thus, in

this m an n e r, the y havin g a cqui r e d a kn o wle dg e

MAHAWANSE . 67

in Darma * an dWin n eya , the y b e came the firstamo n g a tho usan d in fe rio r prie sts un de r theupaddia .

But in the se days the re we re many prie stswho m e r e ly b e cam e prie sts fo r the sake o f pro fit,be cause the y had se e n the m any Offe rin g s whichwe r e m ade to the vviha r is o f Budhu by the pe o ple ;an d the se prie sts, b e ing full o f co ve to us de sire s,b e g an to acqui r e p r o p e r ty ,Tan d to d o what the ycho se , co n trary to the laws o f Budhu . The Kin gDar m aso ca , who happe n e d to he ar Of this, blam e d

pri e sts fo r po llutin g the un d efile d re ligio nOf Budhu, an d a ide d the pr ie st calle d Mo g g aly

putte - Tissem ahstewir a to di sm iss tho se im po sto rso ut o f the ho ly o rde r aga in to la ity . Afte r hehad thus purifie d the re ligio n , the king praye d o fthe prie st Mo g g aly

-

putte - Tissem ahastewir a , who

The se ar e po r tio n s o f the Ban as o r do ctr in e s o f the Budhualr e ady n am ed , a s co m po se d in the r e ig n o f Kin g Ajasat.

The se actio n s o f the Rhahaan s a r e co m ple te ly at va r i~an ce with the co m m an ds o f the Budhu, whe r eby n o pr ie st isallo we d to po sse ss any pr o pe r ty, o r e ve n to ask fo r his dailypo r tio n by wo r d o r sig n ; he m ust, at sun r ise , take his sab e ito r b e g g in gd ish , a nd g o th r o ugh the villag e , r e ce ivin g what.eve r supplie s o f fo o d a r e br o ught by the inhabi tan ts he m ust

n o t e ve n in dicate his appr o ach by co ughing , o r an y n o ise .

This m o de is style d acquir in g his live liho o d by the m uscle sOf his fe e t, and shews why so m a ny m ag n ifice n t te m ple s a r e

de se r te d , a s the pr ie sts m ust o f co u r se always r e s ide in a

n e ighbo urho o d , and fo llo w the populatio n ,

68 MAHAWANSE .

was the first am o n g st lacse s Of prie stswho the n we r e a sse m ble d th e r e , an d 1000 o the rrahat prie sts, that the y m ight m ake a n ew

e di tio n o f the laws o f Budhu . An d o n the

r e que st Of the kin g , the tho usan d p ri e sts,1~ in cludin g the ir pr in cipal le ade r Mo g g aly

- putte - Tissem ahastewir a pre pare d a n ew e ditio n , re sidin g at

Asso car ahm a , in the city o f Pe lle lup , an d co m

p le te d the sam e in the co ur se o f n in e m o n ths .

Thus, this third e ditio n was c o m ple te d in the

ye ar o f Budhu2 3 5 , an d in the re ig n o f the Kin gDar m aso ca the Se ve n te e n th .

The Sixth Chap te r of the B o o le Mahawa n se ,

m ade f o r the Rep e n tan ce of r ig hte o us Me n ,

ca lledWij ey a -

gum m a i

IN the o ld tim e a ce rta in prin ce ss, the daughte ro f the Kin g Calin g o o , o n e o f the ro ya l blo o d o f

the Kin g Calin g OO - Sakr itty , o f the co un try o f

Calin g o in Dam be - dwip a , who was que e n to the

Exag g e r ated n um be r s a r e the usual O r ie n tal m o de bywhich a vast an d inde fin ite m ultitude a r e de sig n ated .

1 T he r ahat o r pr ie sts g ifte d to wo r k m ir acle s , which the

state o f r ahat im plie s .

1 Havin g b r o ught down the histo r y o f Budhism in Dam

b e—dwipa o r I ndia , the wr ite r n ow p r o ce e ds to co n n e ct withhis n a r r ative the co nve r sio n o f Ceylo n by K in gWij eya . The

n a r r ative exclusive ly r e late s to Ceylo n fo r the n e xt s ix chapte r s .

70 MAHAWANSE .

all the de vils who re side d in this islan d o f Ce y

lo n ; an d this islan d wa s calle d by him Sinhala .

He afte rwards built a city o f that n am e in the

wilde r n e ss o f Tam m an n ah, an d se n t am bassado r sto Jam bu - dwip a , wh o bro ught fr o m Daccin a

Madura the daughte r o f the Kin g Pan dy an d

abo ut700 daughte r s o f the diffe r e n t chie f m e n

o f that place , with a tr a in o f m e n o f e ighte e ndiffe r e n t classe s, an d also five diffe re n t cla sse s o fwo r km e n . The kin g was afte rwa r ds m ar rie d tothe pr in ce ss, the daughte r o f the Kin g Pan dy,an d was crown e d, an d re ign e d in tran quillity inthe city Tam m an n ah thirty- e ight ye ars .

The E ig hth Chap te r of the B ach Mahawan se ,

ca lle d Pa ndu- wa sa de zcahbisehe .

ON the d em ise o f the KingWIj e ya , the r e wasn o n e fr o m the r o ya l blo o d to g o ve rn the co un

tr y : the pe o ple cho se o n e Up e tissa , a m in iste ro f the late kin g , to b e the ir kin g , who quitte dthe city Tamm an n ah, an d built an o the r citycalle d Up e tissa , o n the n o r th side to An ur ah

d e - pura , an d re side d the r e an d re ig n e d fo r o n e

ye ar. Afte r his de ath the Prin c e Pan duwa s

dewe , who wa s the yo unge st o f the thre e so n s

o f Sum itta , the bro the r Of the late KingWij e ya ,which he had by his que e n the daughte r Of the

MAHAWANSE. 71

King Me ido e , came from the city Sinha o fJamb u - dwip a , with a tra in o f thirtytwo m in iste rs, toLacdiiva o r Ce ylo n , an d we n t to the city Up etissa , an d Obtain e d the kingdo m ; but a s the rewe re n o n e fro m the ro ya l blo o d to b e his que e n ,

he wa s n o t crown e d, an d he re ign e d thirty ye arswitho ut b e in g crown e d . On tho se days Kin gPan duwasa , Of the Si cca r o ya l blo o d, who wa sso n to Am ito d e nn e , kin g Of the Sécca tribe , whowa s the un cle Of o ur Budhu , quitte d the cityCap ilewa sto o o fWidud em b e san g r am a , an d we n t

to the o the r side o f the rive r, whe re he built a

city ca lle d Mo r e pur a , an d re side d the re . His

que e n bro ught fo rth to him se ve n childre n : o n e

o f the se se ve n childre n , the prin ce ss Ban d eka sse in , in co n se que n ce o f so m e disgust, havin gchan g e d he r habit, cam e to Lacd iiva o r Ce ylo n ,

to ge the r with thirty - two daughte rs o f diffe re n tchie f m e n o f that place , whe r e the y saw the

Kin g Pan duwas o f Ce ylo n . The Kin g Pan duwas ,havin g se e n this prin ce ss Kasse in , wa s m arr ie dto he r ; an d ' the thir ty

w two daughte r s who we rewith he r , he cause d to b e marrie d to thir ty- two

m in iste rs who arrive d with the kin g at the tim e

whe n he cam e to Ce ylo n ; an d o n the sam e o c

ca sio n the kin g was cro wn e d , with a gre at p r oce ssio n , an d live d in tran quillity .

72 MAHAWANSE .

The Ninth Chap te r of the B o ok Mahawan se ,

ca lled Abey d bisehe .

WH ILE the Kin g o f Ce ylo n , Pan duwas, an d his

que e n , we re thus livin g to ge the r in happin e ssan d tr an quillity, the re came six prin ce s to Ce ylo n , who we r e bro the rs o f the Que e n Ban d ekasse in : the y we re re ce ive d with gre at sa tisfa ctio nby the King Pan duwa s an d the ir siste r theque e n ; an d afte rwards the y built diffe r e n t citie sat diffe re n t place s, whe re ve r the y ple ase d, an d

live d in them , o n e o f which, the c ity whe re thepr in ce Ram a live d, w a s calle d Ram e g o n a ; the

city whe r e the pr in ce Ro he n n a live d was calle dRuhun n o e ; the city whe re the pr in ce Diga live dwas ca lle d Dig am an dul o e ; the city whe re Urrowe lla live d was calle d Mahawe llig am ; the citywhe r e the prin ceWijitta live d wa s calle dWijittePura ; the c ity whe re the prin ce An ur ahd e live dwa s calle d Anur ahd e - Pura . In tho se days theQue e n Ban deka sse in had b o rn e to the Kin g Panduwas te n so n s an d o n e daughte r : the e lde stso n was calle d Ab e y e , an d the daughte r Unm at

sit. Afte r that the daughte r Unm atsit o f the

King Pan duwas had br o ught fo rth a so n n ame dPan duha - Ab e y e , who is he r e afte r to b e m e n

tio n e d . The king, the ir fathe r, de parte d this

74 MAHAWANSE.

. The E leve n th Chap te r of‘

the B o oh Mahawa nse ,

ca lle d DEwdhtamp iij a Tissd bise ca .

AFTER the de ath Of the two last kin g s, Pan ducah - Ab e y e an d his un cle Ab e y e , the bro the r o f

the late Kin g Ab e y e , calle d Gan n e - tisse Kin g ,re ign e d fo r se ve n te e n ye ars . An d afte r him the

s o n Of the late Kin g Pan ducah - Ab e y e , ca lle dMutte siewe , re ign e d sixty ye a r s : he m ade the

g a r de n Maham e o o n ah .

The so n o f the late Kin g Mutte siewe , calle dS e co n d Pétisse , be cam e the kin g o f the islan do f Ce ylo n : he was a fo rtun ate kin g . On the

day this kin g was cro wn e d, the re we re p r o duce din the islan d m an y m ir aculo us pre cio us thin g s ;n am e ly, the se a pr o duce d e ight so r ts o f pe arlsthe first so rt is calle d haye ; the se co n d, gaj e !

thir d, am e le ke ; fo urth, wa lle ye ; fifth, an gulim o o dd r icah ; sixth, can n de p aleke ; se ve n th, we emo o ke ; an d the e ighth so r t is calle d sbawe . An d

the r e we r e pro duce d thre e bam bo o s, in a gr o veOf bam bo o o r huan a—tr e e s : o n e o f the se thr e ebam bo o s wa s calle d Latahya sty , o n e Cuso o

m a sty, an d the o the r Saco o n asty ; an d e ach o f

the m was in cir cum fe r e n ce a s thick a s the

whe e l ale o f a co ach : the first o f which , Lata

In this passag e the De wa - LOka he ave n s a r e de sig n ate d ,

MAHAWANSE . 75

hyasty ,was ve ry white like silve r, and the

le ave s o f it, fro m to p to bo tto m , w e re as ifthe y we re pa in te d ; the se co n d, Of a g o lde nco lo ur, an d shin in g ; the third which was

ca lle d Cuso o m asty , wa s o f a blue co lo ur, likea blue sapphir e — it wa s so be autiful that thediffe r e n t bir ds who happe n e d to lo o k at it we reun able to turn the ir e ye s fr o m it ; an d the lasto f which, calle d Saco o n asty , was o f bla ck .

The se an d o the r pre cio us thin gs we re se n t bythe Kin g Of Ce ylo n to the Kin g Dar m asdca , o f

Jam bu - dwip a : bo th the se kin gs live d in frie n dship, an d lo ve d e ach o the r . The Kin g Darm asOca had a lso se n t diffe re n t pr e se n ts to the

Kin g o f Ce ylo n , an d the co n se cr ate d wate rcalle d p ir itp e u ; an d at the sam e tim e Da r m asOca wro te to the Kin g o f Ce ylo n that he wa s

an uppahseke , who ke e ps the c o m m an dm e n ts

o f Budhu ; an d that he“

wa s the n un de r the

pro te ctio n o f To o n ur uwan , n am e ly, Budhu, his

wo rd, an d his prie sts ; an d de sire d the kin g OfCe ylo n that he sho uld be co m e the sam e . Sin ce

whe r e the fir ewo r ks,m ade as a whe e l in ho n o ur o f the de ity

o f fir e,a r e typifie d : thus a lso the t r e e s a r e de sc r ibe d un de r the

live r ie s o r co lo ur s o f the fo u r Dewa - LOka o r tr an sm ig r atin ghe ave n s ; n am e ly

, the fir st white a s silve r , the se co nd Of

g o lde n co lo ur , the thir d o f blue sapphir e s . an d the fo ur th,the Nag a

’

s kin gdo m , black .

76 MAHAWANSE .

the King o f Ce ylo n had he ard the tidings o f

To o nuruwan , he wa s ve ry de siro us to havethe m . On tho se days the city Anur ahde wa slike the Dewa - LOka , an d the city the n co n

tain e d n in e ty lacse s o f ho use s, an d it was

ado rn e d with e le phan ts, ho rs e s, char io ts, an d

the fo llowin g diffe re n t so rts o f m usic ; n am e ly,we in ah, m e r than g a , san ke , sam ma , tahla , catja ,an d b o tja ,

The Twe lf th Chap te r of the B o o/r Maha raa n se ,

ca lled Ndhuc’

ihde a sep e r sahde .

IN tho se days the abo ve - n am e d chie f prie st,Mo gg aly

- T isse - Maha , who re side d in the te m pleAssOcah—r ahm e , co n structe d fo r him by the Kin gDa r m asOca afte r - the co m ple tio n o f the abo vesa id third co py o f the Budhu

’

s laws, calle dam o n g st pr ie sts the fo llowing pe rso n s ;n am e ly

, Matjan tike - Maha - Te r r un n an se , Mahad iewa—Maha—Te r r un n an se ,Racsite - Maha - Te r r un

n an se , YOn e ca—dar m e r acsite - Maha - Te r r un n an se ,

Maha - dar m e r acsite - Maha - Te r r un n an se , Mahar acsitr e -Maha - Te r run n an se , Matj e o m a—MahaTe r r un n an se , Se e n e ca—Maha - Te r r un n an se , an d

the so n o f the Kin g Da r m aséca , calle d MihiduMaha—Te r r un n an se , who we re the m o st ablepre ache rs, an d who had the powe r Of walking

78 MAHAWANSE .

the lake . The Kin g Co ve r cap e l, who saw this ,sa id in him se lf, Who is this p r ie st with a y e llow

r o be , wa lking to an d f r o o n m y lake , and by the

dust of his f e e t m aking un cle an the cle a n wa te r in

m y lahe an d he was ve ry re se n tful the r e at,an d be g an to blow ve n o m o us smo ke at the

p r ie st, an d cause d ve n o m o us fir e an d wate rto ra in down upo n him , an d m o le ste d him a s

m uch a s he co uld ; b ut whe n he co uld n o t

subdue the pr ie st, an d whe n he saw the prie st’sp owe r o f wa lking o n the sky , an d the m ira cle sshewn by him , the King Co ve r cap e l th o ughtwithin his he art that this pr ie st m ight haveb e e n a m o st powe rful rahat, an d o n that

acco un t that h e co uld n o t subdue the pr ie st ;an d that e ve n the mo st powe rful Kin g Co ve rcape lle s, m o r e m ighty than him se lf, n am e ly,Nan dOpan an de , Ab itjatte ca , an d Pan n e ca , wh o

had co m bate d ag a in st rahat pr ie sts like thiso n e

,had b e e n m uch disg r ac e d ; an d that had the

prie st,ale by his powe r, tran sfo rm e d him in to a

The do ctr in e in fe r s , that the po we r o f the Budhu pr ie stco uld have tr an sfo r m e d the co ve r cape lle o r sn ake (altho ughhim se lf a po we r ful e sse n ce , an d sim ila r to the sn ake -

g o ds o fthe a n cie n t Ophite do ctr in e ) in to a n in fe r io r de m o n

, such as

the m o n str o us bir ds , & c . o f the Him m ale h ; the o r ig in al ty pe so f the Sim o r g o f P e r s ian po e try , an d the d r ag o ns an d o the r

m o n ste r s o f Ar abian e n chan tm e n ts .

MAHAWANSE . 79 .

bamba Or gu r r ullo o , the n that he had be comen o m o re than an e a r thwo rm : so the KingCo ve r cap e l th o ught it pro pe r, in ste ad o f ge ttin gin to disg race by co m batin g ag a in st the prie st,to b e g his pardo n fo r what he had do n e to him ,

an d dir e ctly so ught fo r the prie st’s pardo n ; an d

afte rwa r ds he cause d by his powe r to b e m ade a

m in ip alle n g a , an d m ade the prie st ‘

sit o n it : thisdo n e , the Kin g Co ve r cap e l p r o str ate d

ale himse lfb e fo re the prie st, an d sto o d o n o n e side o f the

prie st with his tra in o f co ve r cap e lle s in a hum blep o sture . On this the prie st, sittin g o n the sa idm in ip alle n g a like a Budhu, pre ache d an d co n

ve rte d co ve r cap e lle s, an d abo ut m illio n so f de vils, g a r r un d e , galun da r we , &c . ; an d a lsothe kin g Of th e de vils

,ca lle d Pan d eke , an d the

she - de vil ca lle d Bahr e ty , with he r 5 00 childre n ,

we re cause d to o bta in the happy state o f

In this wildly r o m an tic episo de we may tr ac e the p r im itive fa ith o f Ca shm e r e an d its be autiful valle y to have be e nthe Ophite o r Se r pe n t wo r ship o f an tiqu ity : fr o m the se

habits they we r e r e cla im e d to Budhism ; a ste p in fin ite lyadvan tag e o us , as the r e can b e n o co m pa r iso n be twe e n a m ilda nd b e n e fice n t do ctr in e , callin g o n ly fo r the s im ple o ffe r ing so f fr an kin ce n se and flo we r s

, an d a faith wh ich fe d o fte n o n

hum an fle sh ,an d inve ste d its de m o n s with pe stile n tia l

po we r s . Se e the Gian ts o f the Jug an da r e ,”the Rakshe

Dala Raj a Vali,” p . 100 , & c .

80 MAHAWANSE .

so hawn . An d afte r this wa s do n e , the prie st, sittin g o n the sam e s e at m in ip alle n g a , re ce ive d theye ar ly o ffe rin gs which the pe o ple Of the co un

trie s calle d Casm ie r a* an d Gandar ar use d to

g ive to the sa id Kin g Co ve r cap e l, an d pre ache dto tho se m e n o f Casm ie r a an d Gan dara wh oa ssem ble d the re , from the So o ttr e ya ca lle d Asi

wiso p e r n e o f San y o o t- San g iya , which was sa id

by Budhu ; an d abo ut m e n we re co n

ve rte d, and o n e lacse o f m e n we re m ade pr i e stsan d afte rwards he e stablishe d the re lig io n o f

Budhu in the sa id Casm ie r a an d Gan dar aco un trie s .

The prie st Mahad iewe - Maha Te r r un n an se

the n we n t to Mahim an d e lle , an d pre a che d fro mUp e r ip an e sawe dawle

- Dewe d o o te so o tr a o f Me n

dum san g iya , which was sa id by Budhu , an d

cause d fo rty la cse s Of s o uls to o bta in the hap

p in e ss o f Niwan ; an d m e n he m adeBudhu prie sts, an d e stablishe d the re the re lig io no f Budhu .

The third prie st, Racsita - Maha - Te r r un n an se ,

we n t to the p r o vin ceWan n ewahse , an d in the

pre se n ce o f m e n , while the y w e re g azin g at him ,

he we n t up to the sky ; an d , thus stan d in g o n

the sky , he pre a che d to the m from An ewe tag gaso o ttr a o f San y o o tsan g iya , which was sa id by

The valle y o f Cashm e r e . 1 Candaha r .

82 MAHAWANSE.

prie sts ; an d the sa id prie st had cause d to b ebuilt tho usan ds o f Budhu tem ple s in thatYo n accaco un tr y, an d e stablishe d the re the re ligi o n o f

Budhu .

The pr ie st Majjim e Mahe r Te r r un n an se ,

to ge the r with five Mahastewir r e , we n t to the

pr o vin ce Hem m ewan ta , an d he pre ache d fr o mthe first So o ttr e ya , calle d Dam sack ; o n thatday e ighty ke lle s o f so uls Obtain e d the happin e sso f Nirwan a , an d m e n be cam e pri e stsan d rabats .

The e ighth prie st SOn eke Maha - Te r r un

n an se we n t to the lan d ca lle d Swar n ewar n a ,whe re he saw that the she - de vil, who use d tode vo ur e ve ry child that was bo rn Of the r o yalblo o d in that co un try, wa s co m in g to de vo ur theinfan t pr in ce that wa s bo rn o n that d ay , an d he

cast o ut the she - de vil an d pro te cte d the prin ce ;an d he e stablishe d the re ligio n Of Budhu the r ein such a m an n e r that n o de vil co uld d o a m is

chie f to m ankin d ; an d he pre a che d to tho se

who asse m ble d the re to se e this w o n de rful a ctOf his, fro m the bo o k Br ahm ejawle - So o ttr e ya ;

an d he cause d so uls to o btain the hap

p in e ss Of Nirwan a , an d 3 5 00 m e n an d w o m e n to

b e m ade Budhu prie sts .

MAHAWANSE. 83

The Thir te e n th Chap te r of the bo ok Mahawanse ,

ca lle d Mahn idawg am e .

THE n in th pr ie st, Mihidu - m aha , ag re e able to

his tuto r’s dire ctio n s, an d to g e the r with five

o the r g ran d pr ie sts, n am e ly, Ittiya Maha - T e r

r un n an se , Uttiya Maha - T e r r un n an se , Tam be laMaha—T e r r un n an se , an d Badd e sawla Maha - Te r

r un n an se , a cco m pan ie d with his n e phew, Su

m e n aw, a Sam e n e r a pr ie st, se ve n ye ars Of ag e ,the so n o f his siste r San g amittr ah, an d an o the rn e phew Of his, calle d Ban duka , who wa s to b e a

Budhu pr ie st, the so n o f Dehin n an ; an d takin ga lso with him the pre se n ts which his fathe rhad se n t to the kin g o f Ce ylo n , co n sistin g o f

thin g s an d re ligio us b o o ks, co n ta in in g the r e

lig io n Of Budhu, he a sce n de d in to the sky ,

an d pr o ce e de d to the islan d Of Ce ylo n . Whe nhe an d the o the rs had de sce n de d o n Ce ylo n ,

the y sat them se lve s do wn in due o rde r o n a

slab, ca lle d Am b e talaw, which lay un de r a

shady m an go - tre e . This wa s in the ye ar o f o urBudhu 2 3 6 , o n the e ighte e n th ye ar o f the re igno f the Kin g Da r m aso ca , an d Of the fi r st ye aro f the re ign o f Patissa the S e co n d, in the fif

te e n th day o f the m o n th Po so n .

*

Po so n is a luna r m o n th ; the C in g ale se ye ar has a

84 MAHAWANSE .

The Fo ur te e nth Chap te r of the bo ok Mahawanse ,

ca lle d Nag a r app r ewe e se na .

THE kin g, Pe tissa the Se co n d, who had d e

co r ate d the c ity, an d had be e n e n te rta in in gman y pe rso n s at a fe ast fo r se ve n days b e fo rethe arriva l o f the prie sts o n Ce ylo n , g o t a

de sire , o n the day o f the ir arri val, b e cause o f

the powe r o f the gre at prie st, to g o hun tin g o f

de e r : n ow he happe n e d to come to that wi l

de rn e ss, to g e the r w ith ab o ut fo llo we rs,whe re the pri e sts we re . The de m o n , who r e

side d o n the m o un ta in , de siro us to in tro ducethe kin g to the gran d pr ie st, tran sfo rm e d himse lf in to a de e r o f the ROhitte kin d, an d ap

p e ar e d to the kin g o n ly a s if he was fe e din g o n

g rass . The kin g, who had se e n this pre te n de dde e r , wo uld n o t sho o t with his arrow se cre tly,but shewe d him se lf to the de e r, with his b o wan d arrow in his han ds, an d whe n the de e r to o khis flight, he le t fly his arrow at the de e r. The

de m o n - de e r o ve rran the arrow, an d put the

kin g to disgra ce ; an d whe n he cam e to the

ro ck whe re the prie st sat he di sappe a r e d . The

cale n dar o f so la r and o f lun a r m o n ths : fo r the ir n am e s , & c .

se e the Do ctr in e o f Budhism,

” p . 86 .

86 MAHAWANSE .

the g o d Maha - Br a chm a o n tho se days, m e an in go n the days o f Budhu ; th e re fo r e , all the b e in g so f the thr e e wo rlds a r e but m in iste r s o f To o n o

r uwan .

ale The kin g , a s he was e xp e ctin g T0 0n o r uwan , o n he a r in g the prie st e xpre ss the

wo rd Child o f Budhu, he was o ve rj o ye d, an ddr o ppe d down the we apo n which he had in hishan ds, an d wo rshippe d the g ran d pr ie st. S o o nafte r this, the o f the kin g

’

s fo llowe r scam e to the kin g : whe n the o the r six pr ie stsa lso appe are d be fo re them , the kin g a ske d theprie st whe n ce the se six p r ie sts had co m e ? The

pr ie st an swe re d an d said, tha t the y had co m e

to ge the r with him , an d had be e n the re all the

while , tho ugh the kin g co uld n o t se e the m .

The kin g, who saw this m ir acle , a ske d the

pr ie st whe the r the r e we re m o re pr ie sts at Jambudwip a : the pr ie st re pe ate d a g awtah, an d sa id,that the re we re num b e r le ss pr ie sts who co uldwalk o n the sky at Jam b udwipa . The kin gag ain a ske d the prie st whe th e r he had co m e to

Ce ylo n by lan d o r wate r ? The prie st an

swe r e d , n e ithe r by lan d n o r wate r . Whe n the

king had un de rsto o d that he had co m e o ve rthe sky , the pr ie st afte rwa r ds spo ke to the kin gin parable s , to kn o w his capacity . The two

The Budhu,his wo r d , an d the Budhu p r ie sts .

MAHAWANSE. 87

parable s which the prie st said a r e the fo l

lowing :The pr ie st, lo o kin g at the m ango - tre e which

sto o d the re King, (sa id the prie st,) whatkin d Of tre e is this ?” The king said, It is a

man g o - tre e .

P r ie st. “ Ar e the re an y o the r man g o - tre e sbe side s this ?

King . The re a r e m an y .

P r ie st. Ar e the re an y m o re tre e s b ut

m an go ?”

The re a r e num be rle ss tre e s be side sman g o .

P r iest. Be side s tho se diffe re n t tre e s an d

the o the r m an go - tre e s, ar e the re an y mo retre e s ?

Ye s, this m an go - tre e is o n e o f

The Se co nd Pa r a ble .

Pr ie st. Have y o u g o t re latio n s o r n o t ?

King . The re a r e man y .

”

P r ie st. Have y o u, o r have y o u n o t, o the rs,who ar e n o t re late d to y o u ?

”

King . The re a r e , an d the y ar e mo re thanmy re latio n s .

P r ie st. Be side s yo ur re latio n s an d the

o the rs, who a r e he re ?

88 MAHAWANSE .

Afte r this, the prie st kn owing that the kingwas capable e n o ugh to un de r stan d the Darm aWin e ya , he pre a che d fro m Hattip addOp e r n e

So o ttr e ya o f the Me ddum san gi ya , which was

said by Budhu ; o n the ve ry m o m e n t, the kin gObtain e d the state o f SOhawn , an d the

m e n , who we re the kin g’

s fo llowe rs, we re co n

ve rte d. Afte rwards, the king in vite d the prie stto g o to ge the r wi th him to the kin g

’

s palace ,which the prie st re fuse d, be cause he wan te d toc r e ate the pe rso n calle d Ban duke , a prie st thatn ight ; so the prie st passe d that night o n the

spo t.The king re turn e d to his palace , re que sting

the prie st to co m e the n e xt m o rn ing, whe n hesho uld se n d his chario t ; an d , at the sam e time ,the kin g kn ew fro m the Ban duk e , having private ly aske d it o f him , that the pr ie st Mihidumaha was the bro the r o f San g am itta, who

was Of the ro ya l blo o d o f Sacca , an d daugh

te r o f Chatiya- Maha the fir st que e n o f Dar

m aso ca : the king was ve ry much ple ase d at it.

A little while afte r the kin g we n t away, thesun se t, an d the mo o n ro se . Whe n the prie sthad shave d the hair o f the Ban duke , an d madehim a pr ie st, who im m e di ate ly o btain e d the

state o f rahat ; afte rwards, the gr an d prie stcalle d to the prie st Sum m e n a - Sam e n e r a , an d

90 MAHAWANSE .

e a ste rn gate o f the city . The kin g , who kn ewthis, cam e to m e e t the pri e sts, an d afte rwa r dshe c o n ducte d the m to his palace with the usua lce r e m o n y. The pr ie st, afte r he had do n e e at

in g , sittin g o n a sum ptuo usly ado rn e d thro n e,

*

m ade a se r m o n fro m the bo o k calle dWir n an ewasto o Pr étéwasto , an d Sadd e sauy o ut

- So o ttr a

o n he a r in g this se rmo n , Anulah De va , the

que e n , to ge the r with 5 00 o the r que e n s, Obta in e dthe state o f SOhan ; afte r which the prie st we n tto Hastisawlawe , an d in the afte rn o o n a pr e achin g cha ir wa s m ade fo r the prie st, o n which hem ade a se rm o n fro m the bo o k Of De ewe do o toSo o ttr ay e , an d

,o n he arin g the se rm o n , 1000

m e n Obta in e d the state o f SOhan .

The Fifte e n th Chap te r of the bo ok Mahawanse ,

ca lle d Mahawihd r ep e r tig g r aha n e .

THE pr ie st we n t afte rwards to the placecalle d Nan daw Oo y e n n e , a garde n , which is si

tuate d o n the s o uth o f the city ; the re he m adea se rm o n fro m the bo o k Upp e r ypan n awse ye

Bale p an dite- So o ttr e o f Me dum sang iya , which

wa s pre ach e d by Budhu , whe r e by he cause dabo ut 1000 wo m e n o f high bir th to o bta in the

Me an in g the Minn apalan g a , o r Budhu’

s se at.

MAHAWANSE . 9 1

state o f SOhan .

* The pr ie st passe d that n ight atMaham ewo o n ah - Oo y e n n e ; an d the n e xt day ,in the m o rn in g, he re ce ive d as an Offe r the saidMaham ewo o n a - Oo y e n n e fro m the kin g ; an d

afte r the prie st had shewn the kin g m an y m i

racle s, the kin g was co n ve r te d ; an d fro m the n ce

the prie st we n t to the palo l - tre e , which sto o do n the place calle d Rawse y

- Mawleke , upo nwhich, by pro vide n ce , it was a ssig n e d that a

g re at n um be r o f prie sts sho uld happe n to as

sem ble the re ; from the n ce he we n t to Dan tawda r r e n e , a place which is ho ly ; fro m the n ce tothe plac e whe re the ho ly bO- tre e sho uld b e

plan te d ; fro m the n ce to the gre at tre e Maham id e l, whe re w am ahap awy e shall b e co n

str ucte d ; fro m the n ce to Pr itlawg ay ewan n e

Pe n n em b em aluwe ; fr om the n ce to Chatussawle ,whe re man y rahat prie sts sho uld happe n to g e tthe ir victuals ; an d fro m the n ce he we n t to

'

theh o ly place calle d Ratn em awleke stawn a , whe r eRuwanwe lly

- Mahase ya had be e n co n structe d,this place b e in g a place which wa s de dicate d todiffe re n t Budhus an d rahat prie sts ; the re the

prie st m ade an o ffe rin g o f j e ssam in e flo we r s .

Upo n that the e a r th ro are d thre e tim e s, an d

afte r wa r ds the prie st re late d to the pe o ple the

f The state o f tho se who r e n o unce all wo r ldly de s ir e s .

9 2 MAHAWANSE .

diffe re n t sto rie s o f the fo ur di ffe re n t Budhus

(who we re the Budhus o f this calpa) , by n am e

Cawse n dé, COn awg am m e , Cawse p a , an d Go u

tam a the last ; an d how the y fo rm e r ly hadco m e to this islan d Of Ce ylo n , an d o f the ir visitin g Of the sa id e ight places ; an d afte rwa r dsthe prie st shewe d the pe o ple a gre at man y miracle s the re , an d re turn e d to the kin g

’

s palace ,whe re he to o k his victua ls : afte rwards, he m adea se rmo n fro m the bo o k calle d An g ikkan d o

p e r n e so o ttr ay e o f An gOttr e- San giy e , an d cause d

1000 m e n to o btain the happin e ss Of Nirwan a ;the third day he m ade a se rm o n fr o m the b o o kAsiwiso p e r n e

—So o ttr e y e , an d cause d 1000 m e n

to Obta in the state o f SOhan . The fo u r th dayhe m ade a se rmo n fro m the bo o k Ar r ew e tan g aSo o ttr e ya , an d cause d 1000 m e n to Obta in the

happin ess o f Nirwan a ; so the pr ie st pre ache do n the fifth, the sixth, an d the se ve n th days inthis m an n e r. He cause d a lto g e the r , in the se

se ve n days, 85 00 souls to Obta in the happin e ssOf Nirwan a ; an d as the pr ie st pr e a che d durin gthe se se ve n days at the garde n calle d Ne n dunwan n e o o y e n a , the sa id ga r de n was calle d, sin cethat tim e

, by the n am e JOtiwan e . The fir stho use , ca lle d Tissawr awm e , which was built fo rthe said prie st Mihidum aha , in the g a r de n Ma

ham ewo o n ah, wa s afte rwar ds calle d by the n ame

94 MAHAWANSE .

The Sixte e n th Chap te r of the bo ok Mahawanse

ca lle d Che e tiy a—Pa r we ttaWihawr e -

p e r tig g r a

han a .

THE g ran d pr ie st, afte r having tarrie d in the

g r e at tem ple , which wa s sum ptuo u sly ado rn e d,fo r the space o f twe n tysix days, o n the thirte e n th day o f the m o n th o f Esfalla , o r July,cam e to the kin g

’

s pala ce , whe re he din e d, an dpr e ache d fro m the bo o k App e r m awde So o ttr e ya ;

fro m the n ce he we n t to the r o ck Me e n talaw,

an d the re , at the po n d Nawg a—Chatucka , hean n o un ce d to the KingWa ssup e n awy ickan di,whe r e the kin g

’

s n e phew, Ar itta , the gr an d m in iste r, an d his br o the r s, an d o the r s, alto g e the rfifty in n um be r, we r e cre ate d pr ie sts by the

g ran d pr ie st, who Obta in e d the state o f rahato n the spo t : an d the kin g cause d to b e hewn ,

in the r o ck Me e n talaw, a cave r n , ar o un d the

Dawg ab b a , o r c o n e , . calle d Ca r an d eke fie

an d

afte r the sam e wa s o r n am e n te d by pa in tin g indiffe re n t co lo ur s, it was Offe re d by the kin g toth e g ran d pr i e st, o n the full- m o o n day Of them o n th Of Esfalla , o r July . The g ran d pr ie st

lts swe llin g do m e is typical o f the co pe o f the sky , o r

the a tm o sphe r ical r e g io n o f the Jug and e r e .

MAHAWANSE. 95

afte rwards made thirty - two par titio n s in it ; an d

in the m aluwa , o r ha ll, calle d Tum b er up , whichis o n e o f the partitio n s, he cre ate d the n ewlymade fifty pr ie sts Up e sam p e dah . The g ran dprie st Mihido o m aha , to g e the r with sixty- two

r ahat prie sts, re side d in the cave rn Of Me e n

talaw , an d use d to pre a ch to the kin g an d

o the rs : thus the de itie s, m e n , an d wo m e n , inhabitin g in this islan d o f Ce ylo n , had acquir e d

g re at ble ssings fro m the g ran d prie st .

The Seve n te en th Chap te r of the bo o/cMahawan se ,

ca lled D awto o - Awg am a .

THE Kin g Patisse the S e co n d, se n t to Jamb udwip a the pri e st Sum e n a - Sam e n e r a , who

bro ught fro m the Kin g Da r m aso ca , o f Jambudwip a , the patra - cup o f Budhu, m ade o f

sto n e , an d fille d full o f dawto o , o r bo n e s, OfBudhu , an d that which wa s in the po sse ssio n o f

the Kin g Dar m aso ca ; an d the sa id pr ie st a lsob r o ught the bo n e o f Budhu, calle d Dakun o oAccudawto o , which wa s in the po sse ssio n o f the

g o d,

Sekkr aia ; an d afte r wa r ds the Kin g Patissethe S e co n d had co n structe d a co n ica l bui ldin g ,calle d Pfip awr ahm e , w ithin which the sa id bo n eAccudawtuwa wa s de po site d . On the day whe n

it was de po site d, the kin g de co rate d the who le

96 MAHAWANSE .

city, as if it was the Dewa - LOka o f Sekkr aia , an d

he him se lf put o n his kin gly ro be s, an d we n twith a g re at m ultitude o f pe o ple to the gr e atte m ple be fo r e the bo n e was de po site d ; whe nthe bo n e itse lf asce n de d to the sky an d sho n elike the sun , an d shewe d the sam e miracle ,ca lle d Yam am ahap e llehar r e , o r Yam e capp r awti

hawr iy e , which had be e n shewe d by Budhu at

the tre e calle d Gan de b b e , in the city Sewat ;an d the said bo n e afte rwards de sce n de d fro mthe sky o n to the he ad o f the King Patisse theSe co n d : o n this, the kin g gave a sho ut with

j o y , an d de po site d it in the sa id co n ical buildin gPup awr ahm e . As so o n as the bo n e was d e

po site d in it, the e arth swe lle d up an d ro a r e d,an d at the sam e tim e it be gan to ra in downn e ctar fro m he ave n , an d the de itie s an d m e n

g ave a sho ut, saying, Sado o . The king’s b r othe r, calle d Malthab e ya , who had se e n the miracle shewn o n that day, to ge the r with 1000

m e n ,be cam e prie sts, an d Obta in e d the state o f

rahat ; an d likewise m e n o f the city an dsuburbs be cam e prie sts . A tem ple was alsoco n structe d at this place whe re the bo n e wasdepo site d .

98 MAHAWANSE .

the right bo ugh o f the ho ly tre e ; o n which thebo ugh was separate d from the tr e e , a s if it wascut asun de r with a saw, be cause o f the king’spraye r an d the pre de stin atio n o f Budhu . Thisbo ugh o f the ho ly b o - tre e was place d by itse lfin a go lde n ve sse l, which was five cubits de e pan d n in e cubits in circum fe re n ce ; the ce n trethre e cubits in bre adth, e ight in che s thick, an d

the brim o f it was as thick as the tr unk o f a

yo un g e lephan t ; an d as so o n as it was place d inthe g o lde n ve sse l, it to o k its r o o t ; at thismiracle the diffe re n t go ds, m e n , be asts, an d thee arth itse lf, gave a sho ut Of Sado o . The r e p r o

ce e de d afte rwar ds from the bo ugh Of the ho lytre e rays o f di ffe re n t co lours : the king, who saw

this, carrie d the bo ugh to the city Pe lle lup in a

gr e at pro ce ssio n .

The Nin e te e n th Chap te r of the bo ok Mahawa nse ,

ca lled Bbdidg am a .

THE King Dar m aso ca se n t the bo ugh Of theho ly tre e to Ce ylo n in a ship, with the prie ste ssSan g am ittr ah an d e le ve n o the r prie ste sse s, an d

a tr ain o f m e n , o f e ighte e n diffe re n t caste s, to

m in iste r to the ho ly tre e , to ge the r with the

Prin ce Ar itta, who cam e fro m Ce ylo n . The

ship in which the bo ugh Of the ho ly tre e was

MAHAWANSE. 99

co nve ye d, safe ly arrive d at Ce ylo n , by the powe ro f the pr ie ste ss San g am ittr ah .

On which the king, Patisse the Se co n d, cameto the place whe re the bo ugh o f the ho ly tre ewas lan de d, an d carrie d it ; an d the prie ste ssSan g am ittr ah, to g e the r with the ir fo llowe rs, in a

gr e at pro ce ssio n , to the o rchard Maham e- o o n ah ,at the city Anur ahde . On the day the . tre ewas to b e plan te d upo n the g ro un d pre vi o usly

pre pare d fo r it, the tre e we n t o ff by itse lf fro mthe go lde n ve sse l, whe re it sto o d, an d asce n de din to the sky, as high as e ighty cubits from the

gro un d, an d it pro duce d rays o f diffe re n t colo urs, which gave light as fa r a s the he ave ncalle d Br achm e - Lo ka ;* an d in this m ann e r the

tre e sto o d in the sky un til sun se t. Am o n g st

the m e n who had vi ewe d this miracle , 1000

souls we re co n ve rte d, be cam e Budhu prie sts,

This is the n in th he ave n o f Br achm e ‘ LOka,who is

de clar e d to b e n ext to the Budhu ; the chie f g o d we can

sca r ce ly te r m it, a s the do ctr in e r e co g n is e s n o such e s

se n ce . His title s a r e Sahan -

pati - Maha s Br achm e : he is

the supr e m e o f the who le syste m ,whe n a Budhu is n o t

livin g in the calpe ; and altho ugh a Budhu is s o m e tim e s

wan tin g , ye t a Maha - Br achm e,o r supe r io r , is always to b e

fo und : an d this ve ry im po r tan t ackn owle dgm e n t shews the

true hing e o n which the who le syste m r e sts ; fo r , n o twith

stan din g all that has be e n w r itte n o n the a the o lo gy and

m ate r ialism Of Budhism ,its bo o ks te ach that bo th in the

Br achm e - Léka , o r Br achm e’

s he ave n ,and in the Asur e - LOka ,

100 MAHAWANSE .

an d Obtain e d the state Of Rahat. So o n afte rsun se t, the ho ly tre e de sce n de d from the sky

an d se t itse lf o n the gro un d pr epare d fo r it inthe o r char d Mahame - o o n ah, at the tim e o f

the co n ste llatio n calle d Rehe n n a , an d in the

ye ar Of the r e ign Of Darm aso ca the Eighte e n th .

On this o ccasio n the e arth swe lle d up , an d

ro are d, an d the re appe are d m an y o th e r m iracle salso . Afte rwards, five bran che s Of this ho lytr e e pro duce d five fruits ; whe n the y had falle ndown , the y we re plan te d an d m o iste n e d withthe co n se cr ate d wate r, calle d Pirit-

p eu ; e ach o f

the se fruits pro duce d e ight Spr o uts, a lto g e the rfo r ty Spro uts , which we re plan te d at fo rty diffe r e n t place s an d wo rshippe d. An d in tho sedays the Que e n Anulah, to g e the r with 1000

wo m e n , we re cr e ate d pr ie ste sse s by the prie ste ssSan g am ittr ah, an d Obtain e d the state o f Rahat ;*

o r the d em o n’

s abo de , a r e Tan ai, Zian , o r r e fug e he ave n s , fo rso uls pr o g r e ssin g fr om the m e te m psycho s is towa r ds N ir wan a

,

whe r e in they a r e pr e se rved fr om any catastr ophe which,

dur in g the te r m in atio n o f a calpe , m ay o ccur to the Sackwalle ,o r wo r ld at lar g e . Thus , the Br achm e is eve r in the un ive r se ,and p r o te cts his abo de .

P r ie ste sse s,altho ugh n ow n o t e xistin g am o n g the Bud

hists ,we r e at this pe r io d o f such san ctity, that an o ffe n d e r ,whenled fo r th to b e put to d e ath, who was so fo r tun ate as to m e e t

o n e Of the se sacr ed vir g in s ,was e n title d, at he r co m m and, to apa rdo n ; and this pr ivile g e was subseque n tly copied and ado pte dam o n g the Ro m an s , in the case o f the ve stal vir g in s .

102 MAHAWANSE .

which is calle d by the sam e n am e , Hastawl

hacke , fo r the prie ste ss San g am ittr astéwe e ryan d fro m that time the prie ste ss San g am ittr ahre side d the re .

The Twentie th Chap te r of the bo ok Mahawanse ,

ca lled Te r r ep ahr y-Nir wana .

AND the king, Patisse the Se co n d, had causedto b e built, begin n ing from the co n ical buildin gco n structe d o n the ro ck Me e n talaw, in whichBudhu

’

s bo n e , which was bro ught by the prie stSum e n a - Sam e n e e r a , was depo site d, di ffe re n to the r mo nume n ts, at the di stan ce o f o n e y o dun

fro m o n e to the o the r, thro ughout the islan d o fCe ylo n , an d in which the re st o f the bo n e s o f

Budhu, which we re also bro ught by the sam e

prie st in the ve sse l calle d patra , we re de po site d,an d the patra ve sse l was kept in the king’spalace an d wo rshippe d .

The King Dar m aso ca , afte r a re ign o f fo rtyfo ur ye ars, departe d this life , viz. : he had

first co n que r e d his e n emie s, an d re ign e d fo urye ars witho ut be ing c r own e d ; an d, afte r he wascrown e d, he had be e n succo uring im

p o sto r s fo r thre e ye ars ;i“ an d o n the fo urth

Se e passag e e lucidato ry o f this act, p . 67.

MAHAWANSE . 103

ye ar that he was crown e d, he was co nve rte dby the gran d prie st Nigg r Oda , an d embrace dthe re ligio n o f Budhu ; an d he cause d his b r othe r Tissa an d his n e phew Agg r ib r ahm a to

b e cre ate d Budhu prie sts : he had se n t fo r the

Kin g Co ve r cap e l, calle d Mahake lla , who had

shewn him the fo rm Of Budhu ; an d he had

also co m m e n ce d to build in the sam e ye artem ple s, at the e xpe n se o f n in e tysix

ke lle s in g o ld, which te m ple s he co m ple te dwithin the tim e o f thre e ye ars . On the sixthye ar that he was crown e d, he cause d his so n ,

the prie st Mihidu, an d his daughte r Sangam ittr ah, to b e cre ate d prie st an d prie ste ss. On

the e ighth ye ar afte r he was cro wn e d, he hadso lem n ise d the fun e ra l ce rem o n y o f the two

gran d prie sts, calle d Tasse ya an d Sum itta, byburn in g the ir de ad bo di e s . On the se ve n te e n thye ar, he cause d to b e co m pile d the law o f

Budhu, an d had re sto re d it to its o rigin al purity.

On the e ighte e n th ye ar that he was crown e d, hehad se n t the bo ugh o f the ho ly tre e to Ceylo n .

On the twe lfth ye ar afte r this, he so lem n ise d thefun e ral ce r e m o n y o f hi s Que e n Asan dim ittr ah

by burn in g he r co rpse . On the fo urth ye arafte r that, he was again m arrie d to a yo un gque e n , calle d Tissahr accah . On the thir d ye aro f his seco n d marriag e , this Que e n Tissahr accah,

104 MAHAWANSE .

thro ugh m alice , had pie r ce d a prickle , calle dm an do e , in the ho ly tre e , to kill it, afte r whichhe re ign e d but fo ur ye ar s o n ly .

Now the King o f Ce ylo n , Patisse the Se co n d,had re ign e d fo rty ye ars, an d departe d this life ;an d in his re ign he had first Of all co n structe dthe gre at tem ple Maham e - Oo n a by the in

str uctio n s o f the abo ve - n am e d gran d pri e stMihidu ; se co n dly, the ho use s o r cave rn s inthe ro ck, calle d Me e n talaw ; thirdly, the tem

ple Pfipawr am ay ; fo urthly, he plan te d the

bo ugh o f the ho ly tre e ; fifthly, he co n structe dRatn em aly Chaitte ya

—Sie lastam b e ; an d he a lsocause d to b e co n str ucte d by his bro the r Mo o lahab e y e the m o num e n t at Mayihan g an n a (whichis thir ty cubits high), in which the Budhu

’

s

bo n e , calle d Gr iwah - dawto e , o r the n e ck bo n e ,was depo site d ; sixthly, the tem ple calle d Isse rr asam e n e cka ; se ve n thly, he laye d the dam Of thelake calle d Tisah ; e ighthly, he co n structe d o n e

Pattem e ca—chatte ya at the pla ce in to which the

g rand pr ie st Mihidum aha de sce n de d, the firstday, from the ro ck calle d Me e n talah, an d alsoo n e Niwatteke - chayitteya , whe re the grandprie st re ste d the sam e day , o n his re turn ingback fro m the ho use calle d Co lo n in the

e venin g , to g o to the sa id ro ck Me e n talah

n inthly, he co n structe d the te m ple calle dWe s

106 MAHAWANSE .

away o ve r the se a , could n o t have be e n bo rnin his pre se n t state o f e xiste n ce in Jambu—dwip a ;but his having re pe n te d o f it at the sam e time ,an d par taking o f the ble ssings o f the PasseBudhu with his bro the r, he was bo rn o n the

islan d o f Ce ylo n , an d be came the king o f it.Afte r the d e ath o f this King Patisse the Se

co n d, his bro the r Oo ttiya asce n de d the thro n e ;who had celebrate d the fun e ral ce remo n y Of theco rpse Of Mihidum aha, the gran d prie st, whodie d afte r he had passe d his Sixtie th ye ar ; an dthat o f the prie ste ss San g am ittr ah, who had

passe d he r Sixty- fir st ye ar . The place whe rethe co rpse o f the late prie st Mihidum aha was

bur n e d, a s usual, is calle d fr om that time by then ame Issibfim ag ar r ay ; the rem ain s o f his bo n e s,afte r burn ing, having be e n take n up ,

*a half o f

them wa s depo site d in a tomb e re cte d o n the

spo t by the kin g : an d the re st o f the bo n e swe re depo site d in Chatiy e p awe , an d in all o the rtem ple s, whe re diffe re n t to m b s '

i' we re e re cte d.

An d the kin g had a lso co n structe d a mo num e n t

The custom is,thr e e days afte r the bo dy has be e n

bur n e d , to r ake the ashe s ca r e fully o ve r,an d take o ut any

fr agm e n ts o r r e lics le ft, an d make them in to a paste r e se m

bling an im ag e O f Budhu ,which he n ce fo r th is co n side r e d

sacr ed .

1“ The g r e at tem ple at Ran g o o n had seve r al hundr eds o f

the se sm all edifice s a r o und it.

MAHAWANSE . 107‘

at the place whe re the corpse o f the prie ste ssSang am ittr ah was burn e d. An d also in the

time o f the re ign o f this king, the gran d prie stAr itta, and five o the r gran d prie sts, and manytho usan ds o f o the r Rahat prie sts, an d twe lvegran d prie ste sse s, in cluding the late San gam ittrah, to g e the r with many thousan ds o f o the rRahat prie ste sse s, departe d this life , an d we n t tothe happin e ss o f Nirwan a . This King Oo ttiyare ign e d in tran quillity fo r te n ye ars .

The Twen ty zfir st Chap te r of the bo ohMahawan se ,

ca lled Pa ncha - Rawj ehe .

ON the demise o f the said King Oo ttiya , hisbro the r, calle d Mahasiewe , re ign e d te n ye ars intran quillity.

Afte r the King Mahasiewe , o n e Sti r r e tisse .

asce n de d the thro n e ; he had co n structe d thetem ple Nilg ir r i- Vihari an d 5 00 o the r tem ple she was pio us, an d a fr ie n d o f the pe o ple ; an d helive d fo r sixty ye ars .

Afte r this King Sur r e tisse , this islan d o f

Ce ylo n was rule d fo r twe n ty- two ye ars b y' two

Malaba r s .

The se two Malabar kings we re kille d byAsse l, who asce n de d the thro n e and re ign e dte n ye ars, and re side d in the city Anur ahde ;

108 MAHAWANSE .

and in the days o f this king the re came a Ma

labar, calle d Ellawr e , fro m the co un try o f So le y,*

who kille d the king Asse l, an d re ign e d fo rtyfo ur ye ars at the city Anur ahd e , situate d inthe kin gdom ca lle d Pihity, which is o n e o f the

thre e kin gdoms o f the islan d o f Ce ylo n . Duringthe re ign o f this kin g, tho ugh he had n o kn owle dge Of the do ctrin e o f Budhu, a s he was a

frie n d o f justice , he had a be lly hun g with a lo n gro pe , that it sho uld b e run g by such as sho uld b ein n e e d o f justice , which wo uld b e do n e to him .

This king had a so n an d a daughte r : as

the so n o f the kin g was o n ce g o in g in a chario tto the Lake Tisah, the whe e l o f his co ach accide n tally passe d o ve r the n e ck o f a calf who hadbe e n repo sin g o n the stre e t side with its dam ,

an d kille d the calf ; o n this the dam we n t awayan d had the be ll run g. The kin g, afte r som e in

quir y, kn ew the m atte r, an d the n kille d his own

So ley, o r the Co r o m an de l co ast.f The g o ds o f the Dewa - LOka a r e r epr e se nte d as be in g

invo ked by a be ll, and the Obse rvan ce appe a r s in m o st o f the

m yths o f the East. Thus , the he ll o f the sac r e d table o f

Se e va , at Kailasa , so be autifully de scr ibe d in Keham a ; alsothe tinklin g b e lls suspe nde d be fo r e the Shr in e o f Jupite rAm m o n , fr o m the chim in g o f who se kn o bs they g athe r e d theaugur ie s ; and a var ie ty Of o the r co inc ide n t facts

,shew its

un ive r sal applicatio n .

110 MAHAWANSE .

king having in quire d the matte r“ from the Old

wo m an , he se n t he r away, an d laid himse lf downo n his b ed , saying, that it Sho uld rain at the

pr o pe r se aso n o n ly, an d thus he kept him se lf inhis b e d without e atin g. Upo n which the de itywho had the care o f the king, as the kin g wasa ble sse d pe rso n , in fo rm e d the same to the fo urde itie s, calle d Siwo owar an , with whom he we n t

to the kin g o f the de itie s, calle d Sakkr aia , an dn o tifie d it to him, who o rde re d Pajjo e tta , the

g o d o f ra in , to give rain o n ly at the pro pe rse aso n . The kin g was afte rwards in fo r m e d o f

this by the de ity who had the ca r e o f him , sin cewhich time n o ra in has e ve r fa lle n in that timeo f the day in the kin gdom .

‘

The Twe n tyse co nd Chap te r of the B o ok Maha

wanse , ca lled Gar o m en ie co om awr e so o ty .

AFTERWARDS this King Ellawr e was kille d, an d

the thro n e asce n de d by the Kin g Duste g’awm e n y ,

Of which the fo llowing is the n arratio n —The

que e n o f the late Kin g Patisse the Se co n d, an dso n to the King Mutte - Siewa , had a dislikeag a in st the Prin ce Maha—n ag a , the yo un g e r b r othe r Of the king, who was the se co n d kin g at

that time , thinking, that if he sho uld survive theking, that he r so n

' co uld n o t asce n d the thro n e ,

MAHAWANSE . 111

but the second king ; o n that acco un t she hado n ce se n t to the place whe re the king’s bro the rhad be e n laying the dam calle d Thar asn ah,

some ripe mango in a ve sse l, an d tho se mangothat we re uppe rmo st we re mixe d with po iso n .

Whe n the man g o we re bro ught the re , the so n

o f the que e n , who had be e n the re o n that daywith his un cle , ate o n e o f the m an go s as so o n a s

the ve sse l was o pe n e d, an d die d in stan tly. The

se co n d king, who had se e n this, was afr a id Ofthe que e n an d o f his bro the r, an d had co m e

away, to g e the r with his wife , witho ut re tur n ingag ain to the city, to Ruhun a : the wife o f thi sse co n d kin g, o n the ir way to Ruhuma , hadbro ught fo rth a

'

so n at the temple calle d Yatawla . The fathe r o f the yo ung child name d itby bo th the n ame o f his bro the r an d the tem ple,which is Yatawle tiss‘a ; whe n the y cam e to Ru

hun a , the y re side d at the village Mawg am , an d

this se co n d king re ign e d o ve r the kin gdo mRuhun a . The re we re built by this king the

temple calle d Nahg am aha, an d m an y o the rtemple s .

On the demise o f this kin g, his so n , Yatawle

tissa , asce n de d the thro n e , who also co n structe dthe tem ple o f Calan y, an d he was an aide r o f

the Budhu’

s re ligio n .

Afte r his demise , his so n , GOtawb e ya , as

112 MAHAWANSE .

ce n de d the thro n e . Ne xt to him, his so n , Cawan

Tissa , re ign e d. AS this king un de rsto o d the languag e o f the Crows, he was calle d by that n am e ,

an d he re ign e d in pe ace ; his que e n was ca lle dViha r im aha - De ewy . The fo llowin g sto ry willshew how She had g o t the n ame Vihar im aha ,

viz . : The re was a king at Calan y , in the islan do f Ce ylo n , by the n am e o f Galan y- Tissa ; hisbro the r, Oo ttiya , wa s his prim e min iste r, whore ce ive d his e ducatio n fr om the Calan y pr ie st,who re side d at Calan y ; he had a private co n

n e xio n with the que e n o f his bro the r, the Kin gGalan y- Tissa : the king having le arn e d it, g aveo rde r s to his co urtie rs to put him in to priso n .

The Oo ttiya having had a pre vio us kn owle dg eOf the sam e , had fle d away, an d live d at a Villag ein the in te r io r ; he had se n t a private le tte r tothe que e n o f his bro the r by the han ds Of a lad ,who had put o n ye llow ro be s as if he was a

Budhu prie st ; this lad we n t away an d cam e to

the gate o f the king’s palace , whe re he sto o d as

a prie st o f Budhu that cam e to b e g alms . Alittle while afte r this, the prie st o f Galan y cam e

to the king’s palace as usual ; o n his e n te ringthe gate whe re the pre te n de d prie st sto o d, heto o k n o n o tice o f him, thinking that he was a

commo n prie st that cam e to b e g alms, n o r did

the po rte rs take any n o tice o f him, thinking that

114 MAHAWANSE .

At that time the se a was se ve n Cingale se mile sfro m Ga lany.

‘

An d whe n the se a had re ache d asfar a s within o n e m ile o f Calan y , the sam e was

in tim ate d to the king, who was affrighte d ; an d

n o t kn o win g what to d o , he se n t fo r a

’

ve sse l, in

which he put his daughte r, who was twe lve ye arsOld, an d so m e victuals ; an d afte r havin g Shut thelid o f it, had it put in to the se a , a s an o ffe rin g tothe g o ds o f the se a : an d a go lde n plate wa s a lsoe n g rave d, statin g that she was the daughte r o f theKing o f Calan y - Tisse , an d the same was likewi se

put in the ve sse l ; o n this the go ds we re appe ase d .

An d the ve sse l in which the king’s daughte r hadbe e n shut up was drive n by the tide s o f the se a

in to the cre e k calle d Ruhun o o to tte , by the powe rOf the de ity. So m e o f the fishe rm e n who had

fo un d the ve sse l, we n t an d in fo r m e d the Kin go f Ruhun a , who cam e the re an d to o k o ut the

daughte r o f the Calan y king, an d also the go lde nplate that was in the same ve sse l, by whichme an s he kn ew he r to b e the daughte r o f the

Kin g o f Calan y . An d the king was afte rwa r dsm arrie d to he r ; an d at the cr e ek whe re she was

lan de d, the king co n structe d a tem ple , an d o n

that a cco un t she was calle d Vihari - MahaDe ewie . Sin ce which time the Kin g Cawantisse b e came pio us, an d co n structe d the temple sTissem aha , Situlpahu, &c . all the diffe re n t

MAHAWANSE . 115

temple s which he co n structe d we re sixty- fo urin numbe r.

On a ce rtain day , the King Cawan tisse , toge the r with his que e n , came to the tem ple Tissem aha , whe re the gran d prie st, who was in

o n e o f the apartm e n ts be lo ngin g to the tem plecalle d Salwe sse ~ Pr iwe n a , had pre ache d ; an d

afte rwards, the prie st, in co n ve rsatio n with thekin g an d the que e n , to ld them that the y we res o happy an d fo rtun ate in this life be cause o f

the ir having do n e charity in the ir fo rme r stateo f e xiste n ce ; o n that a cco un t, the y sho uld n o t

de lay'

o f do in g the sam e in this life a lso , ino rde r . that the y m ight Obta in e ve ry ble ssin g ,an d lastly the happin e ss o f Nirwan a . On this,the que e n an swe re d an d sa id, that she had

n o use fo r he r who le fo rtun e , a s she had n o

childr e n ; upo n that the gran d prie st co un se lle dthe que e n to g o n e ar to the prie st Sam e n e r a , who

was"the n lyin g Sick o n his be d in the in n e r ro om,

havin g be e n br o ught fro m Ke llepahu tem ple toTissem aha tem ple by a co n ve yan ce ; an d a s he

was dying, to b e g him , afte r his de ath, that hisso ul m ight co m e an d b e co n ce ive d in he r . The

que e n we n t a cco rdingly, an d begge d him as she

was de sire d by the gran d prie st ; but the dyingprie st m ade some diflicultie s at fir st, e xpe ctingthat, as he wa s a pio us p r ie st, ,

he m ight have Oh

116 MAHAWANSE .

tain e d the happin e ss o f Nirwan a ;ale

y e t, o n the

e arn e st re que st o f the que e n , he agre e d so to d o .

On the re turn Of the king an d the que e n fromthe n ce in the chario t, the que e n fe lt o n the ro adthat he r bo dy was he avy, which m ade he r thinkthat she had co n ce ive d, an d she imme diate lyse n t a pe rso n to se e whe the r the prie st was

de ad, an d kn ow if he had de par te d this life ;upo n which the que e n , with the kin g, we n t againto the tem ple , an d afte r having so lemn ise d thefun e ral c e remo n y o f that prie st, we n t away tothe palace .

As so o n as the prie st was co n ce ive d in the

que e n ’

s wom b, the que e n had a lo nging to havea ho n e y- co m b o f the le n gth o f 100 cubits, an dto e at o f it, afte r she had give n o f the sam e

to e at to Budhu prie sts ; to drink the

wate r which had washe d the swo rd with whichthe chie f warrio r amo ng the twe n ty warrio rso f the Malabar kin g, Ellawr e , who re ign e d at

the city Anur ahde , had be e n behe ade d, an d at

the same tim e to ke ep un de r he r fe e t the

The m ean ing o f the phr ase im po r ts , that he ho pe d , bythe pio us acts Of his pr e se n t e xiste n ce , to b e alto g e the r e x

e m pted fr om any additio n al pr obatio n a r y tr ial, an d to atta inN irwan a , the supr em e Obj e ct o f the fo llowe r s o f Budhu

,with

o ut an y fur the r Ope r atio n o f the m e tem psycho sis .

118 MAHAWANSE .

an d fo un d o n e pe rso n , Of the name o fWe e lusuman e , a he ro , who un de rto o k to d o the sam e .

He we n t to his h o use , an d g o t the hair o f hishe ad shave d, an d stripe d him se lf all o ve r his bo dy,a s if he had be e n la she d by so m e e n e m y ; an d

afte rwards, takin g with him his b ag o f victuals,he pro ce e de d o n his j o urn e y e arly in the m o rn ing ,an d cam e fir st to the place ca lle d Dig am adulle ,

whe re he to o k his bre akfast, an d fro m the n ce tothe cre ekWadd e r n an , o f the rive r Mawilly ,whe re he arrive d in the afte rn o o n ; an d witho uttakin g a ny n o tice o f tho se Malabars who we repo ste d the re , he cro sse d the rive r, an d cameto the o the r part ; an d, to g e the r with the

Malabars who we re statio n e d the re , we n t an d

appe are d be fo re the Kin g Ellawr e . The kingaske d why he had co m e ; an d he the n sa id, thathe had co m e fro m MOg am , be cause that he waspun ishe d by the King Cawan tisse , o n a cco un to f his havin g spo ke n g o o d o f this King Ellawr e ,an d that he was o rde re d to g o away o ut Of hisdomin io n s, as he had spo ke n go o d Of a Ma

laba r king, who wa s an e n em y o f the n atio n .

The king farthe r aske d him what his pro fe ssio nwas ? He the n sa id, that he was a ho rsem an ,

an d that he also un de rsto o d the a r t o f fighting ;he also adde d, that he wo uld bring the KingCawan tisse a priso n e r in a sho rt time , a n d make

MAHAWANSE . 119

him, the King Ellawr e , the so le mo n arch o f the

who le islan d o f Ce ylo n .

The king, who was much ple ase d with him,

m ade him.

the chie f o ve r the ho rseme n . Thiswa rrio r,We e lusum an e , afte r his appo in tme n t,fo un d o ut the be st ho rse in a few days, an d

afte rwards, o n a ce rtain day , he we n t to the

Po tte rs’ stre e t, whe re he bo ught a p o t, an d car

rie d it to the lake Tissa , in which he bro ughtwate r from the lake , an d co n ce ale d it n e ar therivule t ca lle d Co lo n o ya . The n e xt day he we n tto the fie ld o f the Mahan e l- flowe r s, an d gathe re d so m e o f them , which he c o n ce ale d in the

same place . The n e xt m o rn in g he mo un te d o nthe back o f the be st ho rse , which was calle dRan em add em e , an d pro ce e de d to g o thro ugh themain stre e t ; an d whe n he had passe d the e aste rngate o f the city, he said alo ud, so as to b e he ardby tho se who we re pre se n t, that he , the warrio rWe e lusum an e , mo un te d o n the n o ble ho rseRan em add em e , takin g with him such - an d - suchthin g s, was go ing away to his kin g, an d that the ySho uld in fo rm the ir King Ellawr e o f it ; an d fur

the r he adde d, if the re we re an y o n e who wo uldve n ture it, to try to se ize him ; afte r which hespurre d the ho rse , an d came in o n full Spe e d tothe pla ce whe re he had ke pt co n ce ale d the p o to f w ate r an d the Mahan e l- flowe r s . Afte r he

12 0 MAHAWANSE .

had take n them, an d come as far a s Me e n talah,

he le t the ho rse g o in Slow steps . The Kin gEllawr e having he ard o f this, he g ave o rde rs tohis chie f warrio r, Me e ldawa, that he , to ge the rwith his courtie r Chaita , an d 100 o the r warrio rs,sho uld fo llowWe e lusum e n a, kill him , an d bringback the ho rse . Upo n this, the y m o un te dho rseback, an d fo llowe dWe e lusum en a .

‘Whe nthe y had co m e n e ar to the place Me e n tala ,

'

the

warr io rWe e lusum e n a , who had se e n the y w e refo llowing afte r him, g allo pp e d his ho rse in sucha man n e r that it be cam e clo ude d with dust, sothat the y co uld n o t s e e e ach o the r : afte rwa rdshe sto ppe d h is ho rse , an d sto o d o n a Sidé

‘

o f rthe

ro ad n e ar a bush, ho lding his swo rd acro ss thero ad ; an d the he ads o f bo th the chie f warrio ran d the co urtie r Of the Kin g Ellawr e , who cam e

in a g allo p, we re struck Off. The warrio rWe e lusum e n a the n caught up bo th the he adsbe fo re the y fe ll o n the groun d, an d t ie d themto ge the r by the hair, an d put them o n the

ho rse ’

s back ; an d also takin g w ith him the ir twoho rse s, pr o ce e de d o n his way , an d came be fo rem id - day to the cre ekWaddem aw, at the r ive rMawilly ; the re he fo ught a ga in st a tho usan dMa labar so ldie rs , who we re statio n e d at thatplace , an d kille d them all. Afte rwa rds he

cro sse d the r ive r with the ho rses , whe n the

12 2 MAHAWANSE .

A mare o f the kin d calle dWallehaka , also havingde sce n de d fro m he ave n , bro ught fo rth a fem alec o lt at the village o f GOn e g am m a , an d we n t

away in the same man n e r, le aving the co lt.The re a lso came sixty Ships, full o f we alth, an dfixe d them se lve s o n the se a, n e ar the sho r e ;an d the re likewise spro ute d o ut n e ar Aturuwadd em an p auwe , a tre e o f go ld, Of the thickn e ss o fa p alm e ra - tre e , an d sixte e n cubits high . A brahm in calle d Dickhun n a , Of the villag e GOn e g amm a afo re sa id, was the pe rso n who first saw the

co lt, an d gave in fo rmatio n o f it ; o n that acco un tthe co lt was ca lle d De e g ahun y : an d a fishe rmanwho we n t to catch fish in the po o l ca lle d TittyWille , havin g se e n the yo un g e le phan t, in fo rm e do f it ; o n that a cco un t the e le phan t wa s calle dCado l—Ettah . The kin g, who had be e n fe astin gall his subj e cts an d prie sts durin g se ve n days,Sin ce the birth o f his so n , re que ste d the gran dprie st to n am e his so n . On this the prie sts puto n him the n am e Gam e n y

- Abe ya Prin ce . The

que e n afte rwards bro ught fo rth an o the r so n he

was calle d Tissa .

The king, o n a c e rtain day , whe n his twoso n s we re te n an d twe lve ye ars o ld, in o rde r totry them, divide d the ir m e at in to thre e p o rtio n s, an d de sire d them bo th to e at o n e o f the

po rtio n s, promising upo n the s am e , that the y

MAHAWANSE . 12 3

sho uld n e ve r hurt Budhu prie sts, n o r d o an y

thing aga in st the Budhu’

s do ctrin e , the y dida cco rdingly : the n the kin g de sire d them to e at

the se co n d po rtio n , upo n similarly pro m isin gthat the y bo th sho uld n e ve r b e o n b ad te rms ;an d also the king de sire d them to e at the lastpo rtio n , upo n promising n e ve r to war aga in stthe Malabar king Ellawr e . On this the Prin ceTissa le t the han dful o f me at which he hadtake n dro p down , an d we n t away ; the Prin ceGam e ny

- Ab e ya did the sam e , an d we n t to hisb e d - ro om, an d laid himse lf down , fo ldin g hisarms an d kn e e s ; an d whe n his m o the r, theque e n , had aske d what was the m atte r with him ,

he sa id that he co uld n o t e xte n d his arms an d

legs, be cause that the re we re Malabars o n the

o the r side o f the rive r, an d o n this side the se a .Whe n the King Cawan tisse had he ard o f this,he was much ple ase d, an d taught them bo th thediffe rent arts o f fighting .

The Twen ty- thir d Chap te r of the R e al:

Mahawanse .

WHEN the Prin ce 'Gam e ny wa s sixte e n ye arso ld, his fathe r the king gave him the powe rfule lephan t Gan dula , an d the fo llowin g te n powe rful warrio rs o r he ro e s, n ame ly —Nandim ittr a,

124 MAHAWANSE .

Sur an irm ala, MahaSOn a, GOte im b e r e ya , The rr e puttab e ya , Bar r e n e ya,We e lusum e n aya , Cat

che d e ewe ya , Pusse d e ewaya , an d Lab iyawase b e ya ,

to ge the r with a gre a t army . The fo llowin g ar ethe diffe re n t histo rie s o f the diffe re n t war rio rs,VIZ .

Histo r y the Fir st, of theWa r r io r Nandim ittr a .

The re w as a co urtie r o f the King Ellawr ecalle d Mit a siste r o f this co urti e r had live d withhe r husban d in the village Cadd e r e ddaw, towardsthe e ast o f Situlp ahu, an d had bro ught fo rth a

powe r ful so n : his pare n ts gave him the n am e

o f his un cle Mit. This in fan t, whe n he was

hardly able to g o , fo llowe d afte r his pare n tswhe n e ve r the y we n t o ut ; but the pare n ts, to r e

strain him , to o k a tho n g and tie d o n e e n d Of itro un d his wa ist, an d faste n e d the o the r o f it o n

a m ill- sto n e ; an d whe n the y we re go ing o ut, hefo llowe d them , draggin g the sto n e , - an d afte rwards he bro ke the tho ng itse lf. On this, thepare n ts to o k a stro n ge r tho ng, an d havin g tie do n e e n d

'

o f it ro un d his wa ist, the y the n faste n ed the o the r e n d to a gre ate r sto n e ; but hedid the same . On e day , a s the pare n ts Of thisinfan t we re go in g to lab o ur 0 1) the ir gro un d,the y uto ok the c hild with them, . as the y co uldn o t

“

ke e p him home ; and whe n the y had

12 6 MAHAWANSE .

watche rs to b e place d at n ight n ear tho se place s,to apprehe n d the murde re rs .

Whe n the he ro had he ard Of this, he tho ughtwithin him , that it was n o t po ssible with himto kill all the Malabars an d take po sse ssio n Ofthe city by him se lf, an d co n clude d that he

sho uld g o to the Kin g o f Ruhun a , who is o f

the Budhu’

s re ligi o n , an d se rve him , an d withhim that he Sho uld wa r aga in st the Malabars,an d make him the co n que ro r o f the who le islan do f Ce ylo n , an d pro pagate the re ligio n Of Budhu .

Afte r which Nan dim ittr e ya , the he ro , we n t firstto hi s pare n ts at the village Cadde r e ddaw, fro mthe city Anur ahde , an d to ge the r with them he

we n t to Ruhun a , an d appe are d b e fo re the Kin gCawan tisse an d whe n the kin g wa s in fo rm e d o fhis ability, he gave him the village ca lle d Cumbub atg a , with a ho use in the gre at stre e t to livein , an d 1000 pie ce s o f m o n e y p e r day : likewisethe king gave m an y pre se n ts to his pare n ts .

The e n d Of the histo ry o f Nan dim ittr e ya .

Histo r y the Se co nd, of the He r o Sur a

n ir m a la .

Within the islan d Of Ce ylo n , in the town

Co tte se r eke e lewapy , an d in the Village Caddew itty, th e re live d a pe rso n Of afflue n ce calle d

MAHAWANSE . 7

Sanga - Calem b ieput, who was the fathe r o f thishe ro . This he ro was ca lle d by his pare n t by then ame Nirm ala ; he was powe rful, an d had the

s tre ngth o f te n e le phan ts . An d in the se daysthe Kin g Cawan tisse had place d the Prin ceDie g ab e ya , a so n o f the king by an o the r que e n ,

at Casato tte , a fe rry pla ce , with o rde rs to ke e ppro pe r g uards alo n g the rive r Mahawilly, to

take ca r e that n o Malabar Sho uld cro ss the

rive r. This prin ce had give n an o rde r to tho sem e n o f highe r o rde r who live d within six y o dun s

fro m Ca sato tte , that e ach family o f them sho uldfurni sh a pe rso n to watch ; an d o n ce whe n thisprin ce had se n t an o rde r to the sa id San gaCalem b y to furn ish a m an to watch, the San g aCalem b y had calle d his se ve n so n s, an d aske dthem which o n e Of them sho uld g o o n duty .

The e lde st o f them sa id, that the yo un ge st o f

them, Nirmala, was do in g n o thin g, but rem ainin gidle at ho m e , while the re st o f them we re wo rkin g da ily ; o n that acco un t that he wo uld b ethe fit pe rso n to b e se n t to wa r , an d that the ywo uld n o t g o ; so the fathe r Calem b y de sire dNirm ala to g o o n duty . On this, Nirm ala, whowas m uch di sple a se d with his e lde st bro the r, thesam e day , ve ry e arly in the mo rn in g, pro ce e de dto g o to the prin ce , an d we n t an d appe are d inhis

,pre se n ce be fo re sun rise ; the distan ce fro m

12 8 MAHAWANSE .

the he ro ’

s fathe r’s ho use to the pla ce whe rethe prin ce re side d wa s abo ut twe lve Cin gale semile s .

The prin ce , who kn ew the distan ce fro mCassato tte , whe r e h e re side d, to the ho use o f

the he ro ’

s fathe r, a ske d the he ro whe n he had

le ft his fathe r’s ho use ; who the n sa id to the

prin ce that he had le ft it that mo rn in g . The

pr in ce was asto n ishe d at it, but in o rde r to kn owthe truth o f it, he de sire d the he ro to g o to hisfrie n d Gun d e lla , a brahm in , who re side d at the

village Dwar em an d e la, n e ar Sag r e y ; the prin cehad also give n him a le tte r to de live r to the

brahmin , de siring him to brin g from the brahminso m e pe rfume s which we re pro duce d fro m somepart o f the Malabar co ast, an d so m e clo thswhich the brahmin wo uld give him . He , the

he ro , im m e di ate ly we n t away, an d arrive d at thevillag e Dwar em an d e la be fo re m id - day , an d gavethe le tte r to the brahm in . The di stan ce fro mCassato tte to the villag e Dwar em an d e la is n in e

y o dun s . The brahmin , who un de rsto o d fromthe he ro that he had le ft Cassato tte in the sam e

mo rn ing, was am aze d, an d sa id to the he ro , thathe , the he ro , sho uld g o to the lake an d washhim se lf, in o rde r to take his din n e r (be cause itis the custom o f the brahmin s to wash be fo rethe y e at) . This he ro , who kn ew n o t that the re

13 0 MAHAWANSE .

value d at m asur an s, an d he also gave himle ave to e at at his own table . Nirmala the

he ro , who re ce ive d the se pre se n ts, carrie d all

o f them‘

to his pare n ts the sam e day , an d he

gave the valuable b e d to his fathe r, an d the re stto his m o the r, an d cam e back ag a in to the po stwhe re he was to watch that n ight. Whe nmo rn in g was co m e , the prin ce he ard o f this, an dgave him an o the r m asur an s , an d se ve ralo th e r pre se n ts, an d se n t him to the Kin g Cawan tisse . Nirmala the he ro we n t first to hispare n ts, an d afte r having give n the who le whichhe g o t as pre se n ts to them, the sam e day he

we n t to Magam, an d appe are d be fo re the KingCawan tisse , whe n he was at the blacksmith’sSho p, whe re he had em plo ye d a numb e r o f

blacksmiths to m ake arm s : the blacksmiths, whowe r e at wo rk, whe n the y he ard that Nirm alawas a he ro , the y j e ste d him , an d spo ke amo ngstthem se lve s how this little b oy co uld b e a he ro .

The Kin g Cawan tisse g ave him sixte e n swo rdswhich we r e n o t y e t file d, (e ach o f the se swo rdswas Of fo ur cubits lo ng, sixte e n fin g e rs thick, an dthirty - two finge rs bro ad,) to sharpe n them : the

h e ro to o k them , an d had gro un d them ve ry sharpan d smo o th be fo re the king had go n e a s far a s

the o the r e n d o f the sho p an d turn e d back ; an d

afte rwards the he ro , who re se nte d the j e sting

MAHAWANSE . 13 1

o f the blacksmiths, to o k a bro ke n e n d o f a swo rdan d threw it at the bla cksmiths . As this Nirmala wa s a powe rful he ro , it we n t pie rcingthro ugh the bo die s o f 5 00 blacksm iths, whodie d o n the spo t . The king, who saw the swo rdswhich we re gro un d, was much ple ase d, an d gavehim m an y pre se n ts, an d a ho use to live in in

the stre e t Magul - maha ; an d likewise the kingfixe d him as a salary 1000 m asur an s p e r day .

The e n d o f the histo ry o f the he ro Sur an irm ala .

Histo r y the Thir d , of the He r o Sbna .

This he ro was the so n o f a ke lem b y calle dTissa, who was the fathe r o f se ve n so n s, an d an

inhabitan t o f the Village calle d Callem bur ukan aUn dur o o ka r r ewitty , o f Malwatto o cadulla , in the

kin g do m Ruhun a ,‘

of the islan d o f Ce ylo n : the

pare n ts o f this he rOgave him the n am e SOn a .

Whe n this he ro was se ve n ye ars Old he co uldpull o ut yo un g palme ra - tre e s, which ar e a s highas fo ur cubits ; whe n twe lve ye ars Old he was ableto pull down large palm e ra - tre e s, an d he was

a ve ry be autiful pe rso n ; an d whe n he was twe n tyo r thirty ye ars Old, he was as stro ng as te n

e le phan ts o f the kind o f Calewekke . The

ability o f this pe rso n was spr e ad all o ve r theisland o f Ce ylo n . Whe n Cawan tisse the king

13 2 MAHAWANSE .

came to kn ow o f him , he se n t pre se n ts to his

fathe r the ke lem by ; be side s which, he gavehim m uch lan de d pro pe rty, an d to o k his so n ,

to who m he gave a ho use in the str e e t calle dMagulm aha , an d he also gave him many p r ese n ts an d se rvan ts to se rve him , an d his daily

pay wa s 1000 m asur an s : he de sire d this he roto atte n d his so n Gam e n y . This is the e n d o f

the histo ry Of Maha - SOn a .

Histo r y the Four th, of t e im be r a .

This he ro , GOte im b e r a , was so n to Maha

n aga—Ke lem b y , a m an Of afflue n ce , who re side din the Village Nittulivitty , at the town Chiry, inthe kin gdo m Ruhun a , within the islan d o f Ce y

lo n . This he ro was first calle d by his pare n tsPrin ce Ale e ya ; he had Six e lde r bro the rs . AS

this he ro was ve ry sho r t, his bro the rs, whe n the ywe re playin g with him , use d to call him in j e stGOta . Tho ugh this he ro was so Sho rt a pe rso n ,he had the stre ngth o f te n e le phan ts ; an d tho ughhe was SO powe rful, he wo uld n o t g o to wo r k .

The o the r Six bro the rs o f this he ro , who we recle aring g ro un d by cutting down so m e thicktre e s calle d im bul, to co nve rt the sam e to a

paddy fie ld to sow fo r the m aha se aso n , had

le ft a part o f the g ro un d witho ut cle aring , in

134 MAHAWANSE .

Histo r y the Fif th, of Te r r ep uttabey a .

This he ro was so n to ROhe n n a Sitan o , a richm an who re side d in the Village Ke tty, n e ar thero ck ca lle d Ke lle , in the kingdo m

'

Ruhun a ,

within the islan d o f Ce ylo n . His pare n ts had

g ive n him the n am e GOtab e ya . Whe n he waste n o r twe lve ye ars o ld he had the stre n gtho f te n e lephan ts . He to o k up fo r play suchsto n e s as co uld n o t b e lifte d up by fo ur o r fivem e n , an d cast them away as bo ys wo uld d o withpe bble s . Whe n he was sixte e n ye ars Old hisfathe r made an iro n b ar sixte e n cubits lo ng an dthirty - e ight fin ge rs in circumfe re n ce , an d gavehim , with which he use d to kn o ck down co co a an dpalm e ra - tre e s : o n that a cco un t he wa s calle dGOtab eya the he ro . The fathe r o f this he ro o n ce

having he ard the pre aching o f the pr ie st calle dMahasum e n a , fe lt a de sire to be come a prie sthim se lf, an d be cam e , bo th he an d his so n , Budhuprie sts ; an d the fathe r Obta in e d the state OfRahat in few days : Sin ce that tim e the so n was

calle d by the n am e Te r r e puttab e ya, as he b e

came a prie st. This prie st Te r r eputtab e ya r e

side d at the Village Sappan dur o o : in a templeo f that n am e he plan te d, fo r the use o f prie sts,an e xte n sive co co a -

g arde n . This prie sthe ro ,

MAHAWANSE . 13 5

o n a ce rtain day , we n t o ut o f the village abo utsome busin e ss, whe n the he ro GOte im b e r e , theabo ve me n tio n e d, came to the temple whe re here side d, o n his way to the King Cawan tisse , atMagam : the m e n who cam e to ge the r with the

he ro GOte im b e r a de sirin g to drink co co a - nut

wate r, the h e ro we n t in to the garde n o f the

prie sthe ro , an d be gan to shake the co co a - tre e s,an d draw down the young fruits, de sirin g hism e n to drink them ; this do n e , the y scatte re dthe husks o f them ro un d abo ut the temple , an dwe n t to re st themse lve s in the temple . At thistime the prie sthe ro happe n ing to come ba ckto his temple , saw the o utrage committe d bythe he ro GOte im b e r a ; an d in o rde r to shew himthat the re we re o the r he ro e s be side s GOte imbe ra, the prie sthe ro we n t up to the place whe reGOte im b e r a was lying down , an d caught ho ldby the le g o f GOte im b e r a with the two to e s o f

the prie sthe ro ’

s le ft fo o t, an d be gan to dr aghim ro un d abo ut the tem ple . The he ro GOteim b e r a a ttempte d to rid him se lf from the prie sthe ro , an d whe n he co uld n o t, he b egge d hispardo n , an d a lso the m e n who cam e with G6te im b e r a , an d the prie sts who we re in the tem plepraye d him to re le as e GOte im b e r a . On the

praye r Of the se m e n , an d the promise o f GOte

im b e r a to r e sto re to him ,the prie sthe ro , the

13 6 MAHAWANSE .

co co a - nuts which he had de stro ye d, and also toplan t a co co a - garde n fo r him, he re le ase d thehe ro GOte im b e r a ; sin ce which time the y bo thbe came in tim ate fri e n ds . This quarre l happe n ed at the time whe n GOte im b e r a was fir stgo ing to e n te r in to the kin g’s se rvice , tho ughit was n o t me n ti o n e d in the histo ry o f GOte im

be ra . On a ce rtain day the king, in co n ve rsatio nwith the he ro GOte im b e r a , a ske d him whe the rthe re we re an y o the r powe rful m e n that hekn ew o f ? On which the he ro to ld him , that the rewas a prie st who was m uch m o re powe rful thanhimse lf, in the tem ple Sapp an dur o o , calle d T e rr e puttab e ya . The king the n de sire d him thathe sho uld g o him se lf an d bring him . Whe reupo n the he ro GOte im b e r a we n t to the sa idtem ple , carryin g with him m any pre se n ts, whichhe g o t from the king to carry to the tem ple s :the se pre se n ts he distribute d be twe e n the prie stso f that tem ple , an d in timate d the kin g

’

s de sireto the prie sthe ro , who first made some o bj e c

tio n s to g o to se rve the kin g, as he was a prie st ;but at last, o n the pe rsua sio n o f the he ro GOteim b e r a , an d a lso a s the re was n o o the r m o deto pro pagate the law o f Budhu but by de stro yin gthe Malaba r s, he ag re e d to the pro po sal o f

GOte im b e r a , an d we n t to ge the r with him, to o ko ff his ye llow ro be s, an d re side d in the h o use

13 8 MAHAWANSE .

Histo r y the Seve n th, of the He r oWe e lusum ena .

The he roWe e lusum e n a was the so n o fWa ssem be - Ke lem b y , who re side d at the villag e Ke llem b ig an n e , in the town Gr in il, within the islan do f Ce ylo n . The fathe r o f this he ro had two

in tim ate frie nds, o n e o f them was calle dWe e lu,o f the VillageWe e lu, an d the o the r Sum e n a

whe n the se two frie n ds had he ard that this he rowas bo rn , the y bo th came to the ho use o f thishe ro ’

s fathe r, an d a lso the y bro ught him m an ypre se n ts, an d gave him bo th the ir n ame s,We e luan d Sum e n a . Whe n this he ro was grown up ,

the se two fri e n ds o f his fathe r came an d to o kthe he ro with them to the ir vi llage . We e lu,

o n e o f the fri e n ds o f the he ro ’

s fathe r, had a

stro n g wicke d ho rse , so that n o o n e was ableto mo un t o n his back ; he was at o n ce am aze dat having se e n the de xte rity with which the he rohad ro de o n the back Of this ho rse , an d tho ughttha t he was a fit pe rso n to se rve the KingCawan tisse , an d se n t him to him, who re ce ive dhim as a he ro , an d gave him the same pay an d

o the r things as we re give n to the o the r he ro e s.

This is the e nd o f the histo ry o f the he roWe elusum e n a .

MAHAWANSE . 13 9

Histo r y the E ig hth, of the He r o Canj edewa .

This he ro was the so n o f o n e Abe ya—Kelemby, the fathe r o f se ve n so n s, who re side d at

the Village Me e d e ny , n e xt to Muhun tar u, n e arthe mo un tain Anj e ly, in the town Girwa , o f thekingdo m Ruhun a, within the islan d o f Ce ylo n .

The pare n ts o f this he ro had put o n him the

n am e De ewa , an d as o n e Of his le gs was a littlelame , he was afte rwards commo n ly calle d Canj eDe ewa . He wa s a powe rful m an . Whe n e ve r hewe n t with hun ting- partie s he use d to take up

wild buffa lo e s by the le g , an d kill them bystrikin g them aga in st the gro un d ; an d he was

ve ry e xpe rt in e xe rcise s o f his swo rd. The

King Cawan tisse havin g he ard the powe r o f thishe ro , he gave his pare n ts a gre at man y pre se n ts,an d to o k him to his se rvice un de r his so n

Gam e n y . This is the e n d o f the histo ry o f thehe ro Canje - De ewa .

Histo r y the Ninth, of the He r o Pusa -B ecwa .

This he ro was the so n o f o n e Utpala—Kelemby, who re side d at the village Go ddig o m m u,

n e ar the temple Situlp ahu, in the king domRuhuna, within the islan d o f Ce ylo n . Whe n this

140 MAHAWANSE .

he ro was bo rn , his pare n ts did n o t g ive him an y

n am e o f the ir fam ilie s, but as he was bo rn un de rthe co n ste llatio n Pusa , the y gave him that n ame .

Whe n this he ro was se ve n ye ars Old, he we n t

o n ce to the tem ple , with some o the r bo ys whohad be e n playin g to ge the r with him , whe re heto o k a chank - She ll, an d blew in it, which g avesuch a thun de ring so un d, by the fo rce withwhich he blew in to it, that the bo ys who we rewith him be cam e as madm e n

, an d the be astsan d fowls who we re in the n e ighbo urin g wilde rn e ss we re fa in t : sin ce that tim e he wa s kn ownby the n am e Pusa - De ewa* he ro . Whe n thishe ro was twe lve ye ars o ld , his fathe r taught himall the di ffe re n t arts Of de fe n ce by we apo n s, a sit was the ir fam ily pro fe ssio n . He so o n b e cam e

himse lf m aste r o f the se di ffe re n t a r ts, an d he

was able to bre ak thro ugh with his arrow cartsfille d with san d ; also an hun dre d le athe rs at o n ce ,whe n put o n e afte r the o the r a lso thick planksOf dim bul wo o d, e ach as thick as e ight fin ge rs ;an d also six coppe r bo ards, six finge rs thick e a ch,

The title o f Dewa , o r Go d , adde d to his n am e Pusa ,r e fe r r e d to the fe at o n the chan k o r co n ch - she ll

, which isblown by the de itie s Of o n e o f the Dewa—LOka he ave n s , inho n o ur o f the Budhu whe n o n e ar th the p e r so n ag e s

‘

ho ld in g

the sam e r ank in the Budhist syste m as the tr ito ns in Gr e cianm yth o lo gy, o f whom they a r e the pr o to type s .

142 MAHAWANSE .

was kn own to b e a po we rful m an . Whe n the

king came to he ar o f him , he to o k him in to hisse rvice , an d gran te d him the sam e as he had

gran te d to the o the r he ro e s, b e side s which, theking made a pre se n t o f that dam to this he rowhich was co n structe d by him se lf. Sin ce thattime the dam was calle d Labiya -Wasem b a .

This he ro was also pla ce d by the kin g un de rhis so n Gam e n y . This is the e n d o f the histo ryOf the he ro Labiya -Wa sem b a .

The Kin g Cawan tisse had o n ce se n t fo rthe te n he ro e s, an d de sire d that e ach o f the msho uld themse lve s fin d o ut te n o the r he ro e s,which the y did a cco rdin g ly, an d brought be fo rethe king o n e hun dre d o the r he ro e s ; the se o n e

hun dre d he ro e s we re a lso de sire d by the king,that e ach o f them sho uld fin d o ut te n he ro e s,which the y did, an d bro ught 1000 he ro e s altoge the r be fo re the kin g ; an d the se 1000 he ro e swe re also de sire d by the king to d o the same ,which the y did a cco rdingly . Thus the who lenum be r o f he ro e s, h'

o m Nandim ittr a , the firstto the last, was m e n : all the se he ro e s,to ge the r with the te n gran d he ro e s, we re co m

m an de d by his so n Gam e n y .

MAHAWANSE . 143

The Twenty-f our th Chap te r of the Bo ok Maha

wanse , ca lled Dusteg c'

im enyWijay a .

THE Prin ce Gam e n y re side d in the city withhis fathe r the king ; an d the Prin ce Tissa wasse n t by his fathe r the kin g to Digam adulu, to

e n co urage the agriculture in the coun try.

On a ce rta in day the Prin ce Gam e n y , afte rhaving viewe d his army, had a de sire to war

again st the Malabars, which be in g in timate d tothe King Cawan tisse , wa s disappro ve d b y

‘

him

an d so m e time afte r this the Prin ce Gam e ny

again pro po se d to his fa the r to d e clare war

again st the Malabar kin g, who aga in disappro ve do f it, statin g, that it wa s n o t ce rta in who wo uldsucce e d in the war , an d that the arm y o f the

Malabar king was mo re powe rful ; an d that thekin gdom Ruhun a , o n this side o f the rive r Mahawilly, was sufficie n t fo r them, witho ut the te rr ito r ie s o f the Malabar king. In this man n e r theking disappro ve d thre e time s the pro po sal o f thePrin ce Gam e n y , who , fe e ling a gre at re se n tment at the disappro batio n o f his pro po sal byhis fathe r, he wro te at last to his fathe r that hewas unwo rthy to have the dre ss o f a m an , but

that he Sho uld we ar that o f a woman , an d at

the same time he had se n t him a se t o f wome n’

s

144 MAHAWANSE .

dre sse s . The king, o n this, had e xpre sse d a

wish o f putting him un de r go lde n chain s ; so thePrin ce Gam e n y , who he ard o f this, fle d away p r ivate ly,an d re side d at Co tm ala , in the kin gdo mMaya ; an d as he had thus fle d away witho ut thekn owle dge o f his fathe r, he was comm o n ly calle dSin ce that tim e by the n am e Duste gam e n y .

In the se days the Kin g Cawan tisse had co n

structe d a co n ical building, calle d Nugula - Mahasaiya , in which he de po site d some bo n e s o f

Budhu ; an d o n this fe stival the re assem ble dabo ut Budhu prie sts, in the midst o f

whom the kin g cause d the te n gran d he ro e sto take the ir o ath, that in case o f an y di sputebe twe e n his two so n s afte r his de ath, o n acco un to f the kingdom , the y sho uld take the part o fn e ithe r o f them . This Kin g Cawan tisse had

co n structe d alto g e the r sixty- fo ur tem ple s ; an d

he die d afte r a Sixty- fo ur ye ars’ re ign . The

Pr in ce Tissa havin g he ard that his fathe r hadde parte d this life , cam e from Dig am adulle an d

so lemn ise d the fun e ral ; an d to o k away with him

(witho ut givin g an y n o tice o f it to his e lde rbro the r Gam e n y) his m o the r, the Que e n ViharaMaha , the e le phan t Cado l, &c . S o m e o f the

kin g’

s co urtie rs who re side d at Magam the n info rme d the Prin ce Gam e ny Of this ; upo n whichthe prin ce cam e fro m Co tm ala to Guthalla , an d

146 MAHAWANSE .

the ir arrival . In which he having be e n satisfie d, co m m un icate d to them his un e asin e sso n acco un t o f the de structio n o f the Ma labars .

Upo n this, the r ahato o n s re plie d to the kin g ,that a ltho ugh he had kille d so m an y tho usan do f Malabars, that wo uld b e n o o bstacle to hisObta inme n t o f the he ave n ly fe lic ity, a s the re wa so n ly o n e m an who was o f a pio us life amo n g stall tho se Malabars ; an d e ve n the sin Of killingthat m an can n o t fall upo n the kin g, b e cause he ,the Kin g Do o to o g am e n y , is a pe rso n who has

do n e an im m e n sity o f charitie s, in co n se que n ceo f which, that h e will b e tran smigrate d to thedivin e wo rld To o sita , whe re he , having e n j o ye dthe divin e happin e ss fo r an im me n se tim e ,

wo uld fro m the n ce b e tran sm ig rate d in to the

hum an wo r ld, whe n the re will b e the BudhuMa itri ; an d tha t the kin g, in that e xiste n ce Oflife , will e n te r in to ho ly o rde rs, an d o btain thee ve rlastin g happin e ss, so that the re will b e n o o pp o r tun ity to m ake him suffe r fo r his Sin . Upo nthis, the king co n so le d him se lf, an d the r ahato o n

le ft him . This is the twe n ty- fifth chapte r ca lle dDustag ém e n y

-Wijaya , in the bo o k Mahawan se .

The king having subdue d all his e n emie s,pro ce e de d to be stow rewards o n his gian ts,am o n g st whom the re was o n e who se n am e was

The r eputtab e ya , who did n o t acce pt o f the r e

MAHAWANSE . 147wards . The king upo n this d e sire d to kn ow the

gian t’s mo tive fo r n o n - acce ptan ce . The gian tsa id, be cause the re a r e mo re e n emie s ; an d be ingin quire d o f who the y we re , he re pli e d, the

e n em ie s o f the passio n s o f m e n .

”The n the king

pe rce iving the g ian t’

s in te n tio n , he a llowe d himto e n te r in to the ho ly o rde r ; so he be came a

prie st, and afte rwards a r ahato o n , an d to o k hisre side n ce in the temple n am e d Gathalaanjali

panwa , at Ruko o nudan auwa , with a tra in Of 5 00r ahato o n s .

The King Do o to o g am e n y cause d to b e bui ltthe te m ple n am e dMir isawe ttim ihar aya , at whichhe afte rwards, having assemble d a gre at numb e ro f prie sts, o ffe re d to the m : he also e re cte dr o un d the temple a large hall, whe re in he gave

se ats to tho usan ds o f prie sts an d prie ste sse s,pro vidin g them with all so rts Of fo o d ; he g avero be s to them all, an d did man y o the r b e n eVOle n ce s . This is the twe n ty- Sixth chapte r calle dMir iwatty -Wehar am b a , in the bo o k Mahawan se .

The Kin g Do o to o g am e n y saw o n ce , amo n gstthe writings o f his an ce sto rs, a pre dictio n de live re d to his gran dfathe r, the Kin g Dawan ip oetissa,by the prie st Mihidum aha - ta r unwahan se , whichde clare d that the said Kin g Dawan ip oetissa sho uldhave a gre at so n , who wo uld e re ct a dag g o b a to

the he ight o f 12 0 cubits, by the de n omin atio n

MAHAWANSE.

o f Ruwanwe ly- dagg o b a ; an d also a house o f

n in e sto rie s high, fo r the san ctificatio n o f the

prie sts, by the de n omin atio n o f Lowam ahap ay e .

This rej o ice d the kin g Ve r y m uch, as his pe rso nwas fo re se e n by the prie st Mihidum aha - taw n

wahan se . SO the kin g pro ce e de d o n the n e xtday to Maham e n n a—uyan a , whe re he , havin g se e nthe prie sts, the n state d to them that he in te n de dto e re ct a buildin g re semblin g o n e in the divin ewo rld, fo r the san ctificatio n o f the prie sts ; an d

be gge d, the re fo re , to se n d some r ahato o n s to

the divin e wo rld, in o r de r to pro vide him witha

‘ p atte r n o f a divin e palace . Upo n this appli

catio n the y commissio n e d e ight r ahato o n s, who

pro ce e de d to the divin e wo rld n am e d To o tisaDewa - LOka, whe re the y saw the pa la ce o f the

go dde ss n ame d Be e r an y , who by he r go o d act,

in he r fo rm e r e xiste n ce , Of havin g pre pare dvictuals fo r the po o r, was tran smig rate d the re ,an d has a stature to the he ight o f thre e le ague s .

Sh e wo re a g o lde n crown o f the he ight o f o n ele ague,an d was clo the d with a divin e clo th o f

the le n g th o f fo rty- e ight le ague s, &c . &c . The

g o lde n palace o f this go dde ss is a lso o f the

he ight o f fo rty - e ight le ague s, pro vide d with 1000apartme n ts . SO the r ahato o n s to o k a co py o fthis palace an d de live re d to the kin g

, who , be in ge xce e dingly ple ase d, cause d a buildin g to b e

e re cte d acco rdi ng to that co py . This buildin g

15 0 MAHAWANSE .

warde d the m an , an d o n the fo llowin g mo rn ingo r de re d the pro ce ssio n o f his m arch to the placewhe re the bricks we re fo un d. At the sam e

tim e the king was in fo rme d, that in the villageAuowitty, abo ut twe lve le agu e s distan ce fro mAnur ahd epur a Nuwara , the re was a fall Ofrain at n ight, an d in the m o r n in g the re wasfo un d, within abo ut fo ur am m o n am s, a spacefull o f go lde n tr e e s, the highe st o n e span , an d

the lowe st fo ur fin g e rs lo n g. Afte r this the recam e o the r m e n , who in fo rm e d the kin g, that inthe village Tam b ewi ttig am in a the y had se e n a

co ppe r min e . So o n afte r so m e o the r villag e rscam e to the kin g an d info rm e d him , that n e arthe can a l calle d Sam an tawan e wawe , abo uttwe lve le ague s di stan ce from Anur ahdepur a

Nuwara , the y had se e n a pla ce whe re an im

m e n sity o f pre cio us sto n e s had b e e n pro duce dpre se n tin g at the sam e tim e a quan tity o f the

sam e to the king. While the king was liste n ingto the se m e n , o the rs cam e an d in fo rm e d himthat the y had fo un d a silve r m in e , which the yse cure d fo r the kin g. It came to pa ss afte r thisthat some fishe rme n addr e sse d the kin g with there po rt, that a gre at quantity Of pe ar ls we re ca sto n sho re n e ar the villag e Patto o n o o g am a . It

was also re po rte d to the king, that in the banko f the rive r in the Village Pallawapin am g am a

MAHAWANSE . 15 1

the re we re four pre cio us sto n e s, e a ch o f o n e cubitan d a half lo ng. Thus the kin g* o bta in e d all

the se riche s a s so o n a s he re so lve d to '

e r e ct the

g re a t towe r, the re fo re he de te rmin e d to pre se rvethem all fo r the use o f the towe r. This is thetwe n ty- e ighth chapte r calle dTo o pasadan a—Lawha ,in Mahawan se .

Now the king pre pare d to ‘ build the towe r,an d having fixe d the day fo r that purpo se , hegave n o tice o f it to his subj e cts, re quir in g the ira tte n dan ce o n that day ; at the sam e time h eo rde re d two Of his min iste rs to e m be llish thepla ce whe re the towe r was to b e ‘built, an d hedire cte d them to pro vide the four g ate s Ofthe citywith all so rts o f fo o d, pe rfume s, an d garm e n ts,

fo r the use o f tho se who cam e to atte n d the

c e rem o n y o f the bui ldin g o f the towe r ; an d thusthe kin g , havin g re gulate d e ve ry thing sple n didly,he put o n his ro be s, an d pro ce e de d to the placewith a gre at re tinue . On this o ccasio n the recam e a gre a t num be r o f prie sts fro m se ve ra l

Thus s im ila r ly, in the r e capitula tio n m ade o f the title so f Min d e r ag e e (late Em pe r o r o f Bir m ah) , in the tr e aty withthe East In dia Co m pan y, m ade by m e an s o f the e m bassy o fCo lo n e l Sym e s , all the se substan c e s a r e la id claim to a s the

pr ope r ty o f the Bir m ah m o n ar ch ; it be in g a pr o o f o f theappr o va l o f the ir r ule by the g o ds , fo r the se m in e s , & c . & c .

to abo un d in the ir r e ign .

15 2 MAHAWANSE .

d ire ctio n s, that is to say , fro m Raje g ahan o owar a ,in co m pan y o f the chie f prie st En dagutta ,r ahato o n s, who cam e the re thro ugh the sky ;

fr o m Ba r e n a sn o owa r a , in co m pan y Of the chie fprie st Da r m a se n a , r ahato o n s ; fro m Se

watn o owar a , in co m pan y o f the prie st Piyadassy ,r ahato o n s ; fro mWisalam ahan o owa r a, in

co m pan y Ofthe pri e st Buddar a ekita , rahato o n s ; fro m Ro sa Can o owar a , r ahato o n s ,

with the prie st Dam m ar a ekita ; fro m the co un trycalle d Udan ir atta the re cam e r ahato o n s,

in co m pan y Of the prie st Maha—dam m a r aekita ;

fro m Pale lupn o owa r a arrive d r aha

to o n s, at the he ad o f wh o m was the prie stMittin n a ; from Ca sm ir ag an dar ay e the re cam e

r ahato o n s, at the he ad Of the chie f prie stAttim a ; fro m Pallawab o n am - ratta , r a

hato o n s, at the he ad o f the chie f prie st Maha

dewa , &c . &c . &c .

No w the kin g be g an to make the fo un datio no f the towe r m o re e xte n sive , to which the chie fprie st, n ame d Sidda r ta , put a sto p, sayin g, thatif it Sho uld b e so e xte n sive , it wo uld n o t b e

po ssible in future to ke e p it in go o d o rde r.Upo n this, the kin g b e gge d the pr ie st to markthe circum fe re n ce Of the towe r, which he did ;the n the kin g place d the re e ight go lde n an d

e ight silve r ve sse ls, with m any o the r full ve sse lssurro un din g the same . He cause d to b e place d

154 MAHAWANSE .

so licite d fo r te n ye ars, wh ich tim e also be ing dimin ishe d by de g re e s, the y at last fixe d upo n te ndays, dur in g which time the kin g supplie d themwith the be st fo o d . At the sam e tim e the kin gs e n t fo r 5 00 bricklaye rs, an d in quire d fromo n e o f

them how he wo uld g o o n with the wo rk Of thetowe r ; he re plie d, that he , with 100 m e n , wo uldwo rk in a day with the quan tity Oftwe n ty ammon ams o f e arth ; an o the r said that he , to ge the rwith 100 m e n , wo uld wo rk in a day with te n

am m o n am s o f e arth ; an d so o n . Upo n this thekin g sa id, tha t by such pro ce e dings his towe rwo uld b e m e re ly a he ap o f e arth, which wo uldpe rish in a Sho rt tim e ; but at last a yo un ge rbricklaye r came fo rward, an d sa id, that he waso f o pin io n to wo r k a day with o n e am m o n am o f

e arth, afte r havin g sifte d an d sco ure d the sam e .

This ple ase d the kin g , an d he a ske d the m an in

what fo rm h e tho ught it b e st to bui ld the towe r ?Upo n this the m an , b e in g in spir e d by the g o dWVism aka r m a—Die nwaputtr aya , pro po se d to s e n dfo r a g o lde n p o t full o f liquid, which was d o n e ;the n he to o k ano the r quan tity o f liquid, whichhe threw ag a in st that in the p o t, by which a

bubble aro se , which he sa id was to b e the fo rm o f

the towe r.The king having, as a reward, b e stowe d up o n

him a pair o f go lde n slippe rs wo rth 1000 pie ce s

MAHAWANSE . 15 5

o f gold, piece s o f go ld, an e le gan t ho use ,an d a paddy fie ld . whe n n ight appro ache d, hebe gan to co n side r how he sho uld g e t the bricksbro ught fo r the building Of the gre at dagg o b aWitho ut givin g pain to the pe o ple ; whe n the

dewe tas, kn owin g his tho ughts, e ach n ight sup

plie d him with as man y bricks, by bringin g themdown to the fo ur gate s o f the pala ce , as we resufficie n t fo r e ach day’s wo rk .

The Kin g Do o to o g am e n y be ing in fo rm e d"

o f

it, b e em plo ye d m e n , an d se t o n the wo rk byplacin g at e ach gate o f the palace , fo r the use

o f all the wo rkme n , pie ce s o f go ld, we arin g appare l, substan ce fo r fo o d an d drin k, flowe rs,o do rife ro us wate r, an d be te l, a ccompan ie d withfive so rts o f spice s, p asp allewatte , with co m m an dthat n e ithe r prie sts n o r la ity wo rkin g at an y

part Of the dagg o b a Sho uld le ave it witho ut e uj o ying all the se , an d re ce iving the ir wage s fo rthe ir wo rkman ship at the ir own ple a sure .

A ce r tain ' in dividual o f the prie sts be in g d esir o us to b e a p ar ticipato r

ele with the kin g in the

The true im po r t o f the passag e tur n s o n the expe ctan cyo f Nirwén a by the kin g , fo r the pio us act o f devo tin g thisd ag g o b a to the Budhu to e stablish which cla im it was n e ce ssa r y that the de e d shall be lo n g e xclusive ly to him se lf, an d

have n o pa r ticipato r in the m o st tr iflin g pa r t : fo r the par ticula r char acte r o f the Budhist fa ith e r e cts its standar d o f

15 6 MAHAWANSE .

e xe cutio n o f the wo rk o f his dag o b b a, b e , withthe privity o f the wo rkm e n , gave the bricklaye ra clo d Of clay like un to the clay with which thedag g o b a was buildin g, witho ut re ce ivin g kin g

’

s

wage s for it ; but the kin g, be in g awar e the re o f,m ade o n him a like de ce it, by g ivin g him a

y e lle yulle o f jasm in e flowe rs, an d so m e frag ran tSpice s, that he m ight Offe r the same at Bo dhimahowe , an d he was un aware why he m adethis o ffe rin g, un til he wa s give n to un de rstan dby the kin g that it was in re compe n se fo r hisclo d o f clay ; whe n the sa id prie st ve ry m uch

re g re tte d, o n a cco un t o f the go o d de e d do n e b yhim with SO much pa in s be in g re n de re d va in .

An o the r pr iest the n fo llowe d the’

sam e ex

am ple , by g ivin g a brick like un to the bricks

with which the dag g o b a was bui ldin g, witho utre ce ivin g the value , which, whe n kn own to the

kin g, he , in the sa id m an n e r, re co m pe n se d himwith a pie ce o f fin e lin e n wo rth 1000 pie ce s o f

go ld, a shawl Of the sam e value , a pair Of slipp e rs, a bo ttle o f fragr an t o il, an umbre lla, an d

m e r it upo n de eds an d pe r fo r m an ce s to the Budhu ; an d thisfact is in n o o n e passag e m o r e str o n g ly char acte r ised than inthe p r e se n t in stan ce ,whe r e in it be co m e s inde e d the ve r y supe rstr uctur e o n which the who le o f its schem e r e sts, that m an

can ,

‘ by ce r ta in d e eds and acts to Budhu (classed as m e r itor ious), acquir e Nirwfin a , o r e te r n al r e st an d pe ace .

15 8 MAHAWANSE .

ve n ly happin e ss, the wise an d de vo ut m e n oughta lways to o ffe r to Ruanwe lly - saya , witho ut o m ittin g the le ast o ppo rtun ity.

Whe n the Kin g Do o to o g am e n y had e n de dthe buildin g o f the thre e p r awa sawe o f the dag

go ba , a r ahato o n , with a View o f str e n g the n in gthe buildin g , cause d it to b e sunk, an d le ve lle dto the surface o f the e arth ; so the sam e be in gre built, the sam e was do n e n in e tim e s succe ssive ly . The kin g be in g un aware o f the purpo se ,an d di sple ase dWith it, in vite d the prie sts, whoa ssem ble d in num be r the kin g havin gbowe d him se lf to them, an d stan din g o ff aside ,a ske d them,

“I What wo uld b e the co n se que n ce

that the cupo la built by him , with thre e - r o o fe dho use s abo ve it, had be e n sunk to the e arth at

n in e succe ssive tim e s ? wo uld it b e a de structio nto itse lf o r to his life 7” The la r ge bo dy o f thepr ie sts an swe re d him , an d sa id : Lo rd, it wa san act o f a r ahato o n , in o rde r to make the cupo lala st stro n g ly, fo r a gre at le ngth o f time , aga in stthe calamitie s which shall be fall it by me an so f the un be lie ve rs at a future pe rio d. The kingb e ing e xce e dingly ple ase d with this, he a cce pte dthe pri e sts, sayin g, with gre at o be isan ce , I

have re co m m e n ce d the wo rk o f the cupo la, an dthe thre e - ro o fe d ho use , an d fin ishe d it with te nke lle s o f bricks . Now the so cie ty o f the prie sts

MAHAWANSE . 15 9

de sire d two o f the Sam e n e r a r ahato o n s, calle dOo ttr a So o m an as, Go y e to the Pur an sula

Oo to o r a - Buro o - Dewinwe , an d fe tch us thithe rsix sto n e pillars o f vapo ro us* co lo ur, fo ur- squaree ve ry way , an d e ighty cubits lo n g which the ya cco rdi ngly did, o n e o f which the y la id downfiat- ways in the he art o f the cupo la , fo ur the yplace d o n the fo ur side s, an d the o the r the yse cre te d in the san dy flo o r to the e ast o f the

cupo la by the wall .The Kin g Do o to o g am e n y in the midst, with

in side o f the cupo la , m anufacture d a de lightfulban ian - tre e , to stan d upo n the brillian t flo o r,havin g the bo tto m like un to co ra l, the stem an d

le ave s with go ld, an d ado rn e d with thre e se ts o famaye , fo rme d a rin g with pre cio us sto n e s, theo n e like un to a flowe r, o n e like un to quadrupe ds, an d the o the r like un to the hamza , a

kin d o f ' wate r- fowl . The ban ian - tre e in its

he ight was sixte e n‘

cubits, havin g five bo ughsspre ad o ut, o f sixte e n cubits lo n g e ach, thele ave s wro ught with the eme rald calle d In drenule - min g. Ove r this banian - tre e

,which had

The be autiful m ar ble o f Chag ain g appe a r s to have be e nusually appr opr iated to the figur e s an d dag g o b as o f the Budhu,

an d to r e se m ble the fluo r m a rble s o f Tabr iz , whe n ce they ar ehe r e de scr ibe d as vapo r o us fr o m the i r diaphan o us char acte r .

160 MAHAWANSE.

le ave s co n sisting o f e m e ralds, buds co n sisting o f

pre cio us sto n e s, an d the stm n p co n sistin g o f

co r a l, was spre ad up white clo th, o rn am e n te dwith n e t- wo rk strun g with pe arls, han gin g abo utgo ld chain s, de co rate d with go ld an d pr e cio ussto n e s, an d with po sts to suppo rt the fo urco rn e rs, de co rate d with se ve n ro ws o f pe a r ls,wo r th o n e lacse , again havin g go lde n figure s

i

o f

di ffe re n t shape s, a s the sun , mo o n , stars, an d

va r io us kin ds o f flowe rs, an d a quan tity o f

ato r a se y e o f va luable clo ths, an d a quan tity o fo n e tho usan d a sto r ase y e o f similar clo th, o f five

diffe re n t co lo ur s . Be low the ban ian - tr e e , ro un dabo ut,was spre ad a g o lde n clo th, de co r ate d withsto n e s, an d thrown upo n it pe arls the size o f

e m b o o lo fruit, an d the reupo n place d, in re gularfo rm, go ld po ts, fille d with o do rife ro us wate r, dippin g in g o lde n flowe r s . T o the . e ast o f the tre ehe m anufa cture d a g o lde n se at

,wo r th o n e ke le ,

an d the re o n he place d the go lde n im ag e o f Bud

hu, in his n atural stature , in the state o f sittin g,the twe n ty n a ils an d the white o f the e ye s in la idwith the pre cio us sto n e iatisp atuke - m anuke y e ;

the palm o f the han ds, the so le o f the fe e t, thelips, an d the r e d part o f the e ye s, with the r e d

co ral ; the ha iry part o f the ‘ he ad, the e y e

brows, the black part o f the e y e , with the sto n ein dr ewe e le - m o n eky e ; an d the single hair upo n

16 2 MAHAWANSE .

in co m pan y with te n b im b e r as o f his arm y, inthe state o f hum iliatio n to which he is fa lle n ,

afte r gr e at but in e ffe ctua l attem pts to de stro ythe Budhu .

The o the r thre e side swe re fin ishe d in the samem an n e r a s it was do n e to the e ast ; the se ats,

with the like im age o f Budhu, e ach co st a ke le .

To the fro n t gate o f the Banian - tre e he

m ade a silve r se at wo rth a ke le , o rn am e n te dwith vario us kin ds o f pre cio us sto n e s ; an d again ,

with the sam e substan ce , the im age s re pre se n tin g how the Lo rd Budhu, dur in g se ve n daysfro m his pro m o tio n to Budhuship , witho ut shuttin g his e ye s, had pe rfo rm e d the o flice o f Bo dy

p o ojaat five diffe re n t tim e s his walk ; his sittin gan d pre achin g at the h o use Ruan g ay , o r g o lde nho use ; his sittin g upo n the ta il o f the sn akeMa cke lin da ; his sittin g be low the tre e Aj e p alleNigg r o d eh ; his sittin g b e low the tre e Ke re -

p al

lo s - gaha ; his re c e ivin g ho n ey an d rice fro m two

m e rchan ts Passo okg ala s ; an d in the me an timehis re ce ivin g o f the fo ur cups from the fo urde itie s Sato r ewar an Rajas, an d the tran sfo rm a

tio n o f them in to o n e’ie by his divin e powe r ; his

This fo r m s the patrya , o r sacr e d cup , which co n ta inso fte n tim e s fo u r w ithin e ach o the r , an d which e ach pr ie stm ake s an indispe n sable par t o f his equipm e n t.

MAHAWANSE . 16 3

pre aching at the e n tr e atyv o fMaha Brahma ; the

o rda in ing prie sts o f fifty- five m e n , chie fly the

n o ble m an Jassa ; o rda in ing prie sts o f thirtytwo prin ce s o f the ro ya l tr ibe Bad dr a ; o rda in ingprie sts o f 1000 he rmits, chie fly the thre e Baj ete lle s ; o f his re po sing in the garde n Lattiwo ,

an d the visitatio n o f the Kin g Bim isar a ; hiswalk to the city Raje g aha ; his acce ptan ce o f

the templeWe lowe n a Rama , and the two highprie sts De - ag e

- sauwan , o r the asso ciate s o f his

right an d le ft han ds, a cco m pan ie d b y e ightyMaha - sauwan , o r supe rio r prie sts, an d 5 00

prie sts his atte n dan ts ; an d again , hi s j o urn e y,at the re que st o f the prie st Calo dasi- maha, tothe city Kim b o o lwatp o o r e , acco m pan ie d b y

r ahato o n s ; his sayings to the prin ce so f the tribe o f Sakkia , who , thro ugh pride , r efuse d to b ow down to him , but o n be ho ldinghis mir aculo us wa lk, the y wo rshippe d him , withhis own fathe r the Kin g Suddadana the fa llin go f Po ckur o - wahy o r sn ow ; the co n ve rsio n o f

the Prin ce Rahula to the prie stho o d ; the c o n

ve rsio n o f the Prin ce Nan de to the prie stho o d ;the re cep tio n o f the temple Pe tewan a—ram a

the miracle Jam ukapp r atchar y e , do n e be low the

man go - tre e calle d Gan dem b e ; his asce n sio n to

the he ave n ly kin g dom To utisa in thre e ste ps, fro mRuwan sakim e n e , an d a sc e n din g to the thro n e

164 MAHAWANSE .

Pan do o pull ; pre achin g the le cture l am - de sen aw during thr e e m o n ths’ co n tinuan ce ; Mo o z e

lan - m aha , the high prie st, at the e n tre atie s o f

m e n , e n te rin g the ro ck Maha - me ru, an d passin gthro ugho ut, re turn ing from n e ar the Budhufe e t, an d wo rshipping him ; Budhu

’

s m iracle ,calle d Dewo r ahe ; his go in g to the gate o f S a

casp o o r e , an d the que stio n ing o f the parable bythe prie st Se r iy o o d—m aha ; an d aga in , Budhu

’

s

succe ssive de live r in g s o f the do ctrin e s Mahasam ayam e So o ttr e y e , Raho o lwade , Man g e lle so o t

tre b, Tir o o kudd e , Cade r a ie y e So o ttr eh, Jam

bo ke - adjuwoke So o tr eh, Chackr ewa r ty S o o ttre b , Gowm deh So o ttr eh ; Budhu

’

s re spe ctivesubduin g o f Dam p alle , o f An g o o lym alle , o f the

de vil Alleweke , o f the Br am in Bake b r aghm a ,

o f Sacheke , o f the de vil Pe r e sada , an d Ap

p r alalle ; an d aga in , the Budhu’

s re sign atio n o f

his life to Mar e ya , o r the de ath ; his re ce ivin go f the so ft me at o f po rk ; his re c e ptio n o f a

purple clo th ; his dr inkin g o f the cle ar wate r ;an d his de ath in Nirwan a , o r e te rn al e xtin ctio n ;o f the prie st Am de Maha go in g to the cityCo sm ar a

,an d in fo rm ing o f the Budhu

’

s de ath ;the lame n tatio n o f the king o n be ing in fo rme dthe re o f ; the carrying the co rpse to the go lde nbie r ; the o ffe ring o f gifts by m e n an d d e itie s, theBrahmas an d Dewa ; the ca rryin g o f the bie r to

166 MAHAWANSE .

rdusa’

s he ad ; the shad ow o f damb e - tre e un r e

m o ve d durin g the de lay «o f the atte ndan ce o f the

n urse s ; h is re sting upo n a se at s uspe nde d in thehe ave n ,

be ing full o f re ligious virtue ; the Princ e ssJasade r eh be co m in g the Budhu’

s wife , whilsthe was the Prin ce Rahula ; fo ur m un is pro ducingallwishe s by Sate r em aha Ne dham ; an d the thre ed iffe re n t palace s suitable fo r thre e se aso n s, o r

‘Ir-to e s o f the Budhu, in his thirty- first ye ar o fag e , sustain in g thre e succe ssi ve inte rruptio n s inhis walk to the ple asure—gard e n , by the appe ara nce‘

o f thre e d ewe tas, tr an sfigur ed in to the shape s ‘o f a

sick, a disfigure d, an d a de ad m an ; and the succe sso f his walk to the ple asure - garde n o n the fo urthtime , having se e n the shap e o f a prie st, whichwas agre e able to him , an d his spe n di ng the d aytime in p le asure , and the place ad o rne d by thed ewe ta Vism aka rm e , in th e evening ; and his

mo un ting o n the back o f the ho rse Kan tika,se e in g the r idiculous state of the d an cing- girls ;the place re pre se n te d whe re he pe rfo rme d his

g re at jo ur n e y to assume the Budhuship ; the

The‘

tim e fr o m l6th Novem be r to 15 th Mar ch is ‘Hai

m an‘

te lr to e ; fr om 15 th Mar ch ‘to 15 th July,is Gim b a

’

n a

Ir to e ; fr o m l 6th July to 15 th No vembe r , isWassan a Ir to e .

The se thr e e la r g er d iv isio n s ar e ag a in sub divide d into s ix

m in o r Ir to e s . Se e a Plan o f the Chekk r aia Do ctr in e s ‘d f

Budhism,

" p . 94.

MAHAWANSE . 167

m an n e r in which he was o ffe re d un to , an d wo r

shippe d by, the d ewe tas o f Sackwe llas ;

the place whe re he le ft the ho rse Kan tika ; o f hisassum in g the prie stho o d at the bo rde rs o f the

rive r An oma ; his go in g to b e g a lm s at the city‘Raj e g aha ; o f his sitting an d e ating un de r theshadow o f the ro ck Pan d ewa ; the arriva l o f theKing Bim se r a at that place , an d the o ffe r madeby him o f his kingdom ; his re ce ptio n o f the

milke d rice , gran te d by Sujatah, the daughte r o fa citize n , at the fo o t o f the tre e Aj e p awle nug e ;his e atin g o f the same at the bo rde rs o f the

rive r Ne r anjur a ; his se n ding the basin in whichhe to o k the victua ls o nwards aga in st the curre n to f that rive r ; his spe n din g the day - tim e in the

d ese rt o f sall - tre e s ; his re ce ptio n o f e ighthan dsful o f the gra ss Cusatan a, gran te d by theBrahm an So o ttiy e ; his asce n din g an d sittin g o n

the fo urte e n cubit thro n e , which sprun g up at

that mome n t from the e arth, fa cin g towards thee ast an d le an in g to the ban ian - tre e : all the sehe cause d to b e e xe cute d o f massy g o ldfi‘

e He

In the se g o lde n o ffe r ing s m ade by the kin g to the

Dag g o b a o f Ruanwe lly , we tr ace e ve r y act o f Guadm a’

s

se lf- de n ial. His r e fusal o f the kin gdom o f Bim se r a displaye dhis co n tem pt o f wo r ldly ho n o ur s ; his acceptan ce o f the

m ilk an d r ice and the Cusatan a g r a ss, the de vo tio n o f

him se lf to so litude an d an asce tic life ; his se ndin g the basin

168 MAHAWANSE .

likewise m ade , o f the sam e substan ce , the im age so f the pr ie sts Mihin du - maha an d Me e n talla ,

an d the Kin g D ewe n e - Patisse , m e e tin g to ge the rin the garde n Maha - m eun a ; the o ffe ring o f the

sixty- fo ur apartm e n ts,ale b e in g hewn o ut in the

ro ck Me e n tala ; the watchin g o f the fo ur dewe tapr in ce s Sate r ewar an , with drawn swo rds ; thethirty - two d ewe tas ; the thirty - two go dde sse sho lding lighte d to rche s ; the twe n ty - e ight prin ce so f the dem o n s Yak - se n ewy ; the d ewe tas withclo se d han ds upo n the ir he ads ; the d ewe tas

h o ldin g g o lde n flowe r s ; d ewe ta s ho ldin g go lde npo ts ; d ewe tas in the a ct o f dan cin g ; d ewe ta sin the a ct o f be atin g to m - to m s ; d ewe tas in

the a ct o f playin g o f flute s ; d ewe tas ho ldin gthe m usica l in strum e n ts tan tr y an d ahwan ty ;

d ewe tas ho ldin g lo o kin g -

g lasse s o f te n cubits in

ag a in st the cur r e n t, was the e xhibitio n o f his m ir aculo uspo we r s , an d cla im o f the Budhuship as m ade to the d r ag o nkin g o f the Him m aleh . Se e Asiat. Re s . vo l. vi . p . 2 05 .

The cube se at is the m ag ic yu se a t o f the Budhu, the p r oto typ e o f the flyin g che st, e n cha nte d ca rpe ts, tape str ie s, so fas,& c . o f the de lightful tale s o f the East.

This r o ck e xcavatio n le ads us to the palace m ade byWism aka rm a in the r o ck , and m ay se r ve a s a clue to the p r od ig io us e xcava tio n s o f Ello r a an d o the r I ndian cave s : thatthey se rve d subseque n tly the co m plex m yths o f B r ahm in ismwo uld n o t at a ll de tr act fr o m the pr o b ability o f the i r o r i

g in atin g in the se s im ple r fo r m s .

170 MAHAWANSE .

place , with go lde n cre e ping plants, an d fan scalle dWalwido o n a : he made also the image so f Nag em an ikaws, o r the six female sn ake s,h o lding the blue tank - flowe r s ; the Nag em a

n ikawas h o lding the flowe rs cad o o pul : all whichthe King D o o to o g am e n y made with mas

'

sy go ld,in he ight five cubits ; to gethe r with e ve ryo the r use ful thing with the

‘

sam e me tal : an d

thus the sa id innume rable wo rks iwithin side

o f the dagg o b a we re co m ple te d by the supe rin te n de n cy o f the sagacio us gre at ‘prie st In de

g o epte , who attain e d the kn owle dg e of Bhe

d e sat- ab ig iya .

Now the wo rk o f this Ruanwe lly dagg o b am ay

‘

b e con side re d to have be e n do n e b y theKing Do o to o g am e ny by the thre e fo ll owin gEr dhie s, o r i nflue n ce s, viz . : the e r dhy o f the

kin g, the e r dhy o f the gre at prie st r ahato o n ,

an d the e r dhy o f5the g o d Sakkr aia ; o f which

D ewe - e r dhy , o r the he ave n ly influe n ce , is, that‘Wism akar m a, by the san ctio n o f the g o d Sak

kr aia , was in spire d t o do the carpe n te r’

s wo rk ;the rahat e r dhy, o r the influe n ce o f r ahato o n ,

cause d that the gre at prie st In de g o epte sup e r in‘te n de d the wo r k with an in de fatigable labo uran d ze a l ; an d the Ray e r dhy, o r the kinglyinflue n ce , is, that the king, o ut o f true r e

g ard and lo ve to the tr iwide r atua , had p e r

MAHAWANSE . 171

fo rme d the said “wo r k with the greate st at

te ntio n .

The above is ‘

the thirtie th chap te r o f theMahawanse , whe re in is c o n ta in e d a ple asant acco un t o f Dagg ob a .

’

Thus the King Do o to o gam eny havin g e n de dthe wo rkman ship o f the d ag g o b a , he pro ce e de dto the temp le o n the fo ur te en th day o f the in

cr e ase o f the mo o n , an d se n t in vitatio n s thatthe prie sts m ight assemble , o n which o f

them we re a ssemble d.

The Kin g Do o to o gam e n y havin g wo rshipp e dthe m, and sa id, I ha ve comple te d the wo rkman ship o f dagg o b a , a n d that the Dawto o m ay

b e lo dg ed to - mo r row a t the p ro pe r mo men t o fO o

’

ttr asala- n ekete ,* b e ing the full- mo on d ay o f

the mo n th Esfalafl~ and that the re fo re y o ur

Ottr asala is the twe n ty- fir st o f the Neke te s, o r m an

sio n s o f the m o o n , all o f which a r e unde r the influe n ce o f

the star s o r zo diacal s ign s . Thus Ottr asala o ccupie s o n e

m an s ion under ‘

the influen ce o f Sagittar ius, figur ed a s a b owUha‘nu, and a n ar ch e r ; an d the r e in a in ing thr e e ho uses unde rtha t o fMakar e , the m am o n sta o f the Babylo n ian s, the Cop ae tl o f the Mexican zo diac , a n d the Cap r ico r n o f the G r e e kand Rom an zo diacs . The hie r o g lyphic o f the sign is a m alefigur e with a bull’s he ad, acco m pan ie d by the sam e an im al.1 It

‘will b e se e n by the“ Doctr ine s d udhism ,

”that

the m o nth Esfala is the fo ur th lun a’r m o nth.

172 MAHAWANSE .

(bura) lo rdship*

o ught to kn ow whe re to find

the same : thus de live rin g the sa id o ffice o ve rto the prie sts, the king pro ce e de d to the city.

The prie sts the n se archin g amo ng them a

pr o pe r pe rso n to pro cure Dawto o , foun d So n n tte ra—sam a , who had attain e d to the quality o f

rahat, to b e a fit o n e , an d appo in te d him to

pro cure Dawto o , who , havin g a cce pte d the

o ffice , aske d them ,

“ Whe re am I to fin d Dawto oThe ge n e ral m e e tin g o f the prie sts an swe re dhim , sayin g, So nutte r a, o ur Lo rd Budhu, at his

de ath - b e d , e xpe cting Nirwan a, o r the e te rn a le xtin ctio n o f his life , having se n t fo r the Kin go f Dewe tas, Sakkr aia, fo re to ld that o n e o f the

e ight dro n as o f his Dawto o should b e co n ve ye dto the city Co uliy e , an d the re b e wo rshippe d bythe prin ce ss o f tha t city ; an d from the n ce thesam e will b e c o n ve ye d to Nage - Lo ka , o r the

wo r ld o f sn ake s, an d b e wo rshippe d by them,

an d that the sam e will afte rwards b e broughto ve r to Lakdiva , an d b e lo dge d in the Ruanwe lly- dagg o b a ; an d acco rdingly, afte r the ex

p ir atio n o f Budhu, his Dawto o was divide d in toe ight share s am o ng the e ight kings, by o n e

Dro n a Brahm in , which the y carrie d to the ir r e

Bur a,o r lo r d , is o n e o f the title s invar iably g ive n to the

Budhu pr ie sts o r Rhahaus.

174 MAHAWANSE.

The King Da rm aso ca, during his re ign ,

having digge d up the Dawto o lo dge d by theKin g Ajasat, an d fin din g o n ly se ve n dro n as o f

Dawto o , and that the e ighth was wan ting, he

a ske d the prie sts wha t had be co m e o f the same .

The n the r ahato o n an swe re d him , that that

Dawto o was n ow rem a in ing at Nag e b awan a , an dat a future pe rio d the sam e wo uld b e remo ve d toLakdiva , an d b e lo dge d at Ruwanwe lly - dagg o b a,

which : wo uld b e e re cte d by the King Do o to o

g am e n y ; an d the re fo re it was n e e dle ss the n to r e

mo ve the same from tha t pla ce . Now, the refo re , So nutte r a , tho u maye st pro ce e d to Na

g eb awan a , an d repo r t all the se things to

Mahake le - n age - rajah, an d bring the saidDawto o be time s to b e lo dge d in the dagg o b a

to -mo rrow.

”

So nutte r a , whe n he he ard the same , acce pte dthe o ffice with a che e r ful min d, an d re turn e d tohis lo dg ing Po o de -

p ir uwe n e .

The KingDo o to o g am e n y pro cla ime d thro ugho ut the city, by be at o f to m - to m , tha t thelo dgin g o f Dawto o in the dagg o b a was go in g totake place o n the fo llowing day , an d that all thecitize n s sho uld atte n d the re , an d dre ss the m se lve swith the ir be st garme n ts, bringing with them o do

r ife r o us flowe rs, &c .

The Kin g o f Dewe tas, Sakkr a ia , ,the n havin g

MAHAWANSE . 175

se n t fo r the dewe taWism a—karma , and to ld him ,

tha t Dawto o was go ing to b e lo dge d to—mo rrow;in the gre at dag g o b a that, the re fo re , , he sho uldpro ce e d to Lakd iva an d ado rn the who le island:

in a pro pe r man n e r.Wism a—karm a having, o n the n e xt day, ac

co m plishe d it by tran sfo rming all the hills, ro cks,an d ho llow pla ce s, an d le ve llin g the who le islan do f 100 y o dun s, like an e dge o f a . drum, an d

havin g spre ad white san d, like a silve r plate , o ve rit, he the n ado rn e d it with flowe rs an d with fullpo ts o f flowe rs, all ro un d the islan d.

The who le islan d Lanka was furn ished, likethe assembly - ho use o f he ave n , calle d So o dharm a , surro un ding it with a scr e e n ; an d with acan o py spre adin g o ve r it, made o f white lin e n ,

ado rn ing it with ,tank- flowe r s, and the he ave nly

tan k - flowe r s which hang by themse lve s in . the

air , calle d Olam b icka ; the gre at se a be came a s

calm as a ve sse l o f buffalo milk bo ile d withsugar, an d it was m ade with fre sh wate r, “

an d

was furn ishe d itse lf with five so rts o f tankflo we r s . The who le Sackwala* was ado rn e dby the powe r o f the re lics o f o ur Budhu, afte rthe man n e r it was ado rn e d o n the o ccasio n so f the births an d a ssumin g days o f Budhuship

The who le wo r ld .

176 MAHAWANSE .

o f Budhus. The citize n s be in g warn e d by theKing Do o to o g am e n y , m o ve d away the filth o f

the ro yal stre e ts, an d spre ad white san d re sembling the powde r o f pe arls ; strewe d the five

so rts o f flowe rs calle d p as - m all, an d ado rn e dthe stre e ts with tape strie s, de co rate d with vario usshape s o f figure s, po ts, &c .

Pan sillas we re pla ce d, an d arche s m ade o f

lin e n , an d o f plan tatio n tre e s, an d o f flowe rs,an d o f a g ae sf

Iean d o f lam ps . The fo ur ga te s o f

the palace we re furn ishe d with victua ls, fo r then ou r ishm e n t o f po o r pe o ple , co n sisting o f e ighte e nSo rts o f cake s, diffe re n t kin ds o f dr ink, frag ran twate r, we arin g appare l, be te l, a cco m pan ie d withfive kin ds o f spice p as- palle - watte .

The kin g, havin g richly an d e le g an tly dre sse dhimse lf, mo un te d an e xce lle n t chario t, with fo urho rse s o f tank- flowe r c o lo ur, with the e le phan tCado llfi

' be autifully de cke d an d place d at the

he ad : the king sto o d fo rth un de r the whiteumbre lla , with the go lde n b o x be aring upo n hishe ad, atte n de d by que e n s an d m an yo the r wo m e n , likewise dre sse dWith vario us so rtso f j ewe ls an d appare l, e qual in be auty to the

A kind o f de co r atio n .

1 The o r acular white e lephan t, sim ilar to the Apis and

Mn evis o f Egypt.

178 MAHAWANSE .

se a n e ar the gre at ro ck Jug an dar e ,ale an d as the

re n ding o f the e ar th un de r.The yo un g prie st So n utte r a , o f sixte e n ye a r s

o f ag e , be in g a r ahato o n yf' who lived at Furdo

p ir ewan a , he a r in g o f the kin g’s de parture fo r thepurpo se o f repo siting the re li cs, by the so un ds o fdrum s, &c . , attain e d him se lf to the re ligio us stateo f Chatur tha dhayn o , co n sistin g o f Abhig nja

p aw- deka , an d pro ce e de d to the sn ake s’ wo r ld

Manj e r eka , passin g o ut thro ugh the e arth as a

wate r - fowl that dive s in a r ive r, an d appe a r e dbe fo r e the kin g sn ake Maha - ke lla , who the n

a ske d him , Lo rd, fr o m whe n ce co m e st tho uto this o ur sn ake s’ wo rld ?” The pr ie st sa id tohim , 0 g re at kin g, I am co m e fro m the islan dLanka . The n be in g a ske d by Maha - ke lla thecause o f his co m in g the re , he sa id, The gre atKing o f Lanka , Do o to o g am e n y, having e re cte d

The r o ck Jug an dar e is the r e g io n whe r e stands theMaha - m e r a sto n e

, o n which the e ar th r e sts,an d be n e ath

which the cavity and fissur e Ope n s to the g r e at ce n tr alcavity o f the abyss be low, the Assur a do m in io n s . Abo vethis fissur e is the r e g io n o f e n chan tm e nt, an d the abo de o f

the infe r io r g o ds o f the a ir , the se r van ts o f the Dewa - Lokag o ds , and the ir ag e n ts in the m an ag e m e nt o f the te r r e str ialsystem .

1 P r ie sts po sse ssing divin e po we r (m e ipo ), o r powe r o f

m ir acle s, walking in the air , & c .

MAHAWANSE. 179

a dagg o b a, calle d Ruwan - we lly, de live re d theo ffice o f repo sitin g the re lics o f Budhu in it tothe prie sts, who , be ing in n um be r in

fo rme d m e , So nutte r a , that abo ut a d r own a o f

re lics appo in te d fo r the use o f Ruwan - we lly - dag

go ba a r e n ow re m a in in g in the po sse ssio n o f

Maha - ke lla ; he thus se n t m e to the e , sayin g,Tho u m aye st g o to him ,

in fo rm him what tho uhast he ard o f us, an d brin g fro m him the re licsfo r this purpo se an d I am , the re fo re , co m e to

the e .

Maha - ke lla he arin g this, tho ught it be tte rto de ta in the re lics fo r his own o ffe rin gs, thathe m ight by them me rit re de m ptio n fro m his

wo r ldly life , an d m ight in future o bta in the happ in e ss o f Nirwan a ; but, co n side rin g that

’

So

nutte r a po sse sse d gre at powe r, an d was mightye n o ugh to thrust him o ut, an d take away there lics if he saw the y we re in the dag g o ba, he

tho ught it advisable to remo ve the sam e ; an d

se e in g the sn akeWaso o ladhan ta, who wa s his

n e phew, stan din g afar o ff am o n g a m ultitudeo f sn ake s, he m ade a sig n to him with his

han d fo r this pur po se , upo n which he im m e

diate ly e n te re d the dag g o b a , to o k an d swallowe dup the b o x co n ta in in g the re lics, an d havin gco m e to the fo o t o f the ro ck Maha - m e rah, g o thim se lf tr an sfigur e d in to the e n o r m o us size o f

12 00 g ows in le n gth an d400 in cir cum fe re n ce ,

180 MAHAWANSE .

with many tho usan ds o f spre ading he ads ; an d

the sa id g re at powe r ful sn ake la id himse lf downupo n the br illian t san d, o n o n e side o f Maha

m e rah, brighte n in g with the ve n o m o us fum e ,

an d be in g acco m pan ie d by m an y tho usan ds o f

his fe llowfisn ake s with like powe r.On this o ccasio n a g r e at n um be r o f d ewe ta s

an d sn ake s a ssem ble d the re to se e the co m batbe twe e n So nutte r a an d Maha - ke lla , an d to kn owwho se sho uld b e the victo r y .

Maha - ke lla be in g we ll awa r e that his n e phewwo uld c o n ce al the re lics, sa id to So nutte r a,

Lo rd, I have n o re lics in m y po sse ssio n ,an d

tho u m aye st g o an d te ll the prie sts what tho uhast he ard o f m e .

So nutte r a, in fo rmin g Maha - ke lla how the

re lics fro m an cie n t tim e had , fro m place to

place , co m e in to his po sse ssio n , sa id, The r e

lie s o f a ce r ta in ty ar e in thy po sse ssio n , an d g ivethem to m e witho ut de lay .

”

Maha - ke lla kn owing So nutte r a to b e o f gre atpowe r, an d m ighty, tho ught it pro pe r to se n dhim back witho ut the re lics, by some stratagem ,

an d the re fo re co n ducte d him to the dagg o b a ,

an d shewin g him the sam e , an d the ho usedagay, bo th b e in g m ade o f satr owan f

léan d

walking with him he re an d the re , sto o d upo n

Seve n kin d o f gum s .

182 MAHAWANSE.

away . So nutte r a havin g cause d Maha - ke lla tode cla r e the

'

ve r y wo rds thr e e'

tim e s re pe ate dly,im m e diate ly, as he sto o d in his pre se n ce , hecre ate d an in visible han d, which, e xte n ding to

the m o uth o f his n ephew sn ake , who was stilllyin g down at the fo o t o f Maha - m e rah am o n g st

his fe llow- sn ake s, he to o k o ut o f him the b o x o f

re lics . The n So nutte r a sa id, O, Kin g o f Sn ake s !I have a cco m plishe d the purpo se fo r which Ihave co m e , an d tho u maye st rem ain .

”So he

re turn e d to Pur d o pir ewan a, passin g o ut thro ughthe e arth so spe e dily, that a flame o f fir e se t

un de r a Spide r’s we b ~ c o uld n o t have co n sum e dit so quickly .

Whe n So n utte r a had go n e away, Maha - ke llabe in g e xce e d in g ly ple ase d, inwar dly sayin g, Ihave se n t him away de ce ive d, said to his atte n dan ts, Go to m y n e phew, an d brin g the re licswith such c e rem o n y a s is due fo r re po sitin g thema s usual ; an d the y we n t an d r epe ate d the sam e

to him : b ut whe n his n e phewWa so o ladhan tafo un d that the r e lics which had be e n in his be llyw e re missing, he cam e lam e n tin g fo r the ‘

lo ss,

an d fe ll down at his un cle ’

s fe e t an d in fo rm e dhim

,sayin g ,

“the re lics have be e n take n away

invisibly o ut o f m y be lly .

Maha - ke lla , who he ard the sam e , began to

bewa il, saying, I wa s n o t aware o f this matte r,’

MAHAWANSE. 183

but me tho ught I had che ate d him ; an d all the

o the r sn ake s likewise bewaile d with him.

Now all the dewe tas an d the sn ake s whowe re a ssemble d to se e the co m bat b e twe e n Son utte r a an d Maha -k e lla , be ing e xce e dingly r e

j o ice d with the victo ry o f So nutte r a , fo llowe dhim to the tem ple , o ffe ring to the re li cs o n

the ir way . The m ultitude o f sn ake s which we rein the wo rld o f sn ake s having co m e to g e the r,le t lo o se the ir ha ir o n the ir back, laid the irhan ds upo n the ir bre asts, an d cam e she ddin gto rre n ts o f te ars from the ir e ye s, re sem blin gthe blue m ahan e l- flowe r s, to So nutte r a o f Pur

d o p ir ewan a , an d in the midst o f all the prie sts

g re atly bewa ile d, saying to him , We a r e de e plyafflicte d by thy carryin g away the re li cs witho utco m passio n o n us ;

”an d addin g man y lame n table

e xpre ssio n s .

The y afte rwards sa id to So nutte r a , Lo rd,hadst tho u bro ught away the re lics which weo bta in e d, but by o ur own m e rits, in ste ad o f byfo rce , we m ight witho ut prejudice to an y pe rso nhave wo rshippe d them thro ugho ut all tim e ; an d

why o pp o se d st tho u bo th o ur he ave n an d the

e te rn al fe licity ?” bewailin g bitte rly, an d e xcitin gpity in the prie sts . So the assem bly o f pr ie sts,o ut o f co m pa ssio n to them ,

gave them a few o f

the re lics o f Budhu, who , o n re ce ivin g the sam e ,

184’ MAHAWANSE .

co n ve ye d them with g re at ple asure to the irwo rld, an d lo dge d them in the ir dag g o b a with

g re at ce rem o n y an d o ffe rin gs .

The g o d Sakkr aia having calle dWism a

kar m afie de sire d him to m ake a hall o f sa

tr owan , at the spo t fro m whe n ce So nutte r a

had sprun g up with the re lics, pa ssin g thro ughthe e arth, which he a cco rdin g ly co m plie d with ;whe n Sakkr aia , fo llowe d by all the d ewe tas o f

the two he ave n ly king do m s, takin g a go lde nse at an d a go lde n b ox,

cam e to that hall, place dthe se at in it

, an d ke pt the re o n the g o lde n b o xan d whe n he had re ce ive d the b o x o f re lics fro mSo nutte r a , lo dge d the sam e in it . Maha - Brahm a

in the m e an tim e he ld up o ve r the b o x o f re licsa white um br e lla , twe lve g ows in circum fe re n cean d fo rty- e ight g ows in he ight The d ewe ta s

San to - sita fan n e d ; So ujam a he ld a fan o f p r e

cio n s sto n e s ; Sakkr a ia blew the chank jayeto o r a , o f 12 0 cubits lo n g ; the fo ur d ewe taprin ce s, Satura - waran , a cco m pan ie d by two

lacse s, an d de vils, an d twe n ty - e ightprin ce s o f de vils, watche d o ve r the re lics with

Wism akar m a , a g r e at favo ur ite o f the g o d Sakkr a ia ,

an d an inhabitan t o f the Jug an d e r e , who fo r m s the r o ckte m ple s and palace s o f the Budhu . Se e plate 2 5 o f “ Do c

tr in e s o f Budhism ,

”whe r e he is depicted with a g a r uda o r

fatid ical bir d , to m a rk his place o f abo de .

186 MAHAWANSE .

sho uld try to o ve rturn the o ffe rin gs, cre ate d a

m e tal um bre lla o f the size o f Sackwalla - yalla,*

which e xte n de d thirty - six lacse s, an d te n tho usan d thre e hun dr e d an d fifty y o dun s in circumfe r e n ce , an d fo rty - e ight gows in di am e te r. The

pr ie st Pan che - Kay eka , a cco m pan ie d by sixtyke las o f r ahato o n s, sat at five diffe re n t place s,an d m ade use o f the praye rs ca lle d pirit. Now

the gre at Kin g Do o to o g am e n y , havin g arrive dat that place , to o k the re lics from the b o x in

which the y we re c o n ta in e d, an d put them in tothe b o x which h e b o re upo n his he ad, an d ke ptit upo n the sam e se at o f satr owan ; an d whe n

he had o fle r e d fragran t powde r an d flowe rs,wo rshippe d it with a kn e e lin g po sture calle d

p asan g a , r e gardi n g the r e lics with j o y - sparklin ge ye s, he b eho ldin g the m i raculo us things, an d

se e in g that the white um bre lla he ld o ve r ther e li cs wa s visible , an d the Maha - brahm a who

h e ld it in visible ; the lam ps'

an d the fan s, &c .

visible , an d the d ewe tas ho lding them in visibleto m e n ; the so un ds o f the to m - to m , an d the

so n g s so un din g , while the d ewe tas pe rfo rm in g

Seve n walls o f r o ck , w ith seve n se as, e n co m pass the

wo r ld , acco r ding to the Budhist do ctr in e ; an d this um b r e llawo uld co ve r the who le syste m

,with the seve n se as an d r o cks ,

as a cope o r do m e , an d e ffe ctually p r o te ct it dur in g the ce r e

m o ny fr o m the r ebe l Assur a .

MAHAWANSE. 187

them we re invisible , sa id to the gre at r ahato on ,

En dagupta , L o rd, hast o ur Kin g Budhu hadthe use o f the um bre llas o f b o th Go d an d m e n ?

”

En dagupta sa id, O gre at kin g ! o ur Budhuhadst n o t o n ly this um bre lla , b ut he a lso uphe ldthe em in e n t umbre lla o f the fo ur diffe re n t p ietie s ; he was crown e d with wisdo m , an d re ign e dwith the do ctrin e Saddhar m a , havin g assum e dthe kingship o f Budhu o ve r Sackwallas .

The kin g, who he ard the same , o ffe re d to there lics the islan d Lanka , de clarin g thre e tim e s to

the re lics o f Budhu, who po sse sse d the thre ewhite umbre llas cha ttr a , I o fle r this islan d,Lanka, o f 100 gows, it be in g m y pro pe rty.

”

The n the kin g, whilst y e t the o ffe rin gs we remakin g to the re lics o f Budhu, o f he ave n lyfrag ran t pe r fume s an d flowe rs, bo th by d ewe tasan d m e n , an d whilst so un ds o f rhe ave n ly m u

sic an d the so n gs laste d, came o ut o f the hallo f satr owan , be a ring the b o x o f re lics upo n his

he ad, surro un de d by n in e ty - six ke las o f rahato o n s, an d appro ache d to Ruanwe lly dagg o b a ,

ro un d which he walke d thr e e tim e s, an d e n te r ingit w ith the sa id r ahato o n s fr om the e a ste r n dire ctio n , all sto o d r e gularly arran ge d, an d he

tho ught within him se lf to pla ce the b o x o f r e

lie s which wa s upo n his he ad upo n the silve rse at, o f the value o f o n e ke la ; when the b o x o f

188 MAHAWANSE .

re lics imm e diate ly asce n de d up from the king’she ad to the he ave n , s e ve n degre e s, an d the n ,

le avin g the b o x, the re lics be cam e tran sfo rme din to the n atural shape o f Budhu,o f e ighte e n cu

bits stature , brighte n in g with six diffe re n t colo ure d thick rays, n am e ly, blue , brown , r e d,

crimso n , white , an d a m ixture o f all co lours,arisin g fro m the thirtytwo to ke n s be lo n gin g tothe gre at pe rso n age o f Budhu ; an d his e ightyan d n in e ty qualitie s ca lle d Byan g e n a an d Bhya

m app r acha , fo rm ing them se lve s aro un d him in

the shape o f a circle * o f st'

e e ple s, an d cre atin g a

g o lde n walkin g- hall, Ruan - sackm an a, which ex

te n de d from the e aste rn to the we ste rn e n d o f

the Saékwallas upo n the ir brim s, to b e

suppo rte d by all the ro cks Maham e r ahs o f the

sa id Sackwallas a s its pilla r s ; an d havin g e n te r e dhim se lf in to it, he wro ught the sam e m ir acle sca lle d Yam akapp r a

- tichar ya , which he did un de rthe man g o - tr e e Gan dam b a , to subdue the pr ideo f infid e ls, in the pre se n ce o f the king an d all

the m ultitude s . Fr o m the pe r so n s o f bo th se xe s

The se ce le stial r ays a r e im itative halo s, an d shew how

ve ry e a r ly a r o se the pr actice o f r epr e se n tin g d ivm e pe r so n ag e swith the n im b is o r g lo r y . Sim ila r halo s acco m pan y e ve n thein fe r io r de itie s, n o do ubt sig n ifican t o f the ir r ank an d lo calityin the Budhist system , as m ay b e se e n in the plate s o f the

Do ctr in e o f Budhism .

”

190 MAHAWANSE .

calle d sud e g an da , o pe n e d th e b o x an d takin gthe re li cs in to his han ds, he the n wishe d an d

ho pe d within himse lf a s fo llows, viz . If the sere lics a r e de stin e d to last 5 000 ye ars unm o le ste dby an y bo dy, an d to b e se rvice able to all m e n , b e

it appare n t by the re lics b e co m ing n ow chan ge din to the re pre se n tatio n s o f Budhu, an d layin gdown upo n this se at, afte r the sam e m an n e r thatBudhu, o n the o cca sio n o f his de ath, di d laydown b e twe e n two sall - tre e s, pla cin g his he adtowards the n o rthe rn sa ll- tre e , his fe e t towardsthe so uthe rn sall- tre e , his back towards the e a st,

an d his face towards the we st ; an d so sayin g,he place d the sam e upo n the se at.

The re lics, acco rdin g to the king s wish, imme diate ly assum e d the re pre se n tatio n o f Budhu ,

an d la id down upo n the se at, br ighte n in g the

who le wo rld, an d ple a sin g all who the n saw the

sam e : an d thus th e lo dgin g o f the re lics in thed ag g o b a to o k place o n the full- mo o n day , be in gthe fir st day o f the mo n th o f Essa la , at the fo rtun ate tim e Ottr asalla Neke tta .

On this o ccasio n the e a rth quake d with sucha trem e n do us n o ise a s if a gre at n um b e r o f

me tal* basin s had b e e n be ate n with an iro n

The sign s o f the e a r thquake he r e d e scr ibe d a r e in p e rfe ct un iso n with the de tails o f Sir W . Ham ilto n an d o the r

MAHAWANSE . 191

pe stle ; the ro ck «Maham e r a bowe d down a s

tho ugh with o b e isan ce ; the se ve n ro cks Saptako o la quake d an d crushe d e a ch o the r ; the se ve ngre at tanks calle d Satm aha we re furn ishe d withfive so rts o f tank- flowe r s ; Pas - pium, the se a , wa s

made as swe e t as a ve sse l o f buffa lo milk m ixe dwith sugar ; the d ewe tas an d brahm as o f the

he ave n s gave an acclamatio n o f h o n o ur ; thesky pro duce d lightn in gs, an d un tim e ly ra in cal

le d Po curo—we sy ; an d the who le Sackwallas at o n ce b e cam e agitate d.

The King Do o to o g am e n y ,who was rej o ice d atse e ing the se miracle s, m ade an o ffe r o f his whiteum bre lla with a go lde n han dle , an d again o ffe rin gthe who le islan d Lanka durin g se ve n days, heafte rwards to o k o ff his own j ewe ls, o f gre a t wo rth,an d o ffe re d the sam e to the re lics, an d the

same e xample was fo llowe d by his

que e n s, the m in iste rs o f state , te n gre at y o dhaso r stro n g m e n

, such a s Nan di- m ittr a , &c ., nume

ro us m e n an d wome n , d ew e tas an d b r a chm an s,

n aga o r sn ake s, an d supe rn a , o r a kin d o f m o n

stro us win ge d an imals, de vils, an d raxe s, o r

w itn e sse s o f the vo lcan ic e xhibitio n s o f Ve suvius , whe r e in o n e

o f the m o st co m m o n o ccur r e n ce s is a n o ise un de r g r o un d as

o f hun d r eds o f char io ts dr ivin g o ve r a br aze n pave m e n t, o r o f

the cr ashin g o f r o cks to g e the r .

19 2 MAHAWANSE .

m an - e ate rs, an d Sidhawidhyada r a , o r m agi

cian s .

*

It is, the re fo re , the duty o f e ve ry o n e to

o ffe r to the se re lics with lighte d lam ps, flowe rs,&c . ,kn owin g that who so e ve r o ffe re th with pure

he art, e ve n to o n e o f the re lics o f Budhu, o f the

size o f a m ustard- se e d, the m e rit the re o f is as

gre at as if he o ffe r e th the sam e to the livingBudhu, who had o ffe re d to him the who le thre ewo r lds .

Now the Kin g Do o to o g am e n y havin g p r ese n te d the n in e tysix ke las o f r ahato o n s withclo thin g an d m e dicame n ts, such a s sug ar an d

ghe e , an d the n stan din g with a hum ble po stur e ,clo sin g his han ds o ve r his he ad, in vite d the

r ahato o n s, sayin g, L o r ds, pray th e se re licswith the praye rs pir it dur in g the who le thre ewatche s o f the n ight co n tin ually an d the saidr ahato o n s also praye d the n ight o f that dayacco r din g to the re que st o f the kin g .

The fo llo wing day the king pro cla ime dthr o ugho ut the city by to m - to m ,

co m m an din g thatall the citize n s sho uld co n tin ue in wo rshippingan d o ffe rin g to the re li cs, wi th o do ro us flowe rs,fragran t powde r, an d lighte d lam ps with fragran t

The inhabitan ts alr e ady de scr ibe d as the Ko m b ande o ,

o r infe r io r de itie s o f the Jug an de r e .

194 MAHAWANSE .

so lemn wish ad ishtan a , that the fragran t wate rso ake d in this dag g o b a sho uld rem ain un drie d,the flowe rs o ffe re d unwithe r e d, the lam ps lighte dwith fragran t o il in the go lde n arche s un extin

guishe d , the go ld o ffe re d unwa ste d, the sto re s o f

o ffe rin g s made in this dagg o b a un shake n , e ve nby Mara o r An tibudhu him se lf ; the sky

- bluero ck b e so c om ple te ly j o in e d without e ve n the

le ast o pe n in g, in so m uch that a sin g le ha ir mightn o t b e adm itte d be twe e n the sam e an d the

dagg o b a , an d that the said ro ck m ight n o t b ese e n by fo r e ign e n em ie s fo r 5 000 ye ars . Man ywho had the re lics in the ir po sse ssio n , be in gwarn e d b y the king to lo dge

'

them o n the to p o f

the sky- blue co lo ure d r o ck, m ade bo xe s o f g o ld

an d silve r acco rdin g to the ir re spe ctive circumstan ce s, an d puttin g the m the re o n , the y bro ughtan d lo dg e d them upo n the to p o f that ro ck .

Thus the n um b e r o f r e lics which had be e n bro ughtby e ve r y o n e o f the m was o n e tho usan d .

The kin g, whe n he had e n de d the lo dg in g o fthe re lics, cause d a case o ve r the sam e to b e

e re cte d in the fo rm o f a wate r- bubble , upo n a

fo ur- square

This be ll , o r bubble - shape,is the inva r iable fo r m o f

the d ag g o b a , o r Budhu'

s te m ple s ; a nd they a r e the r e po s i

to r ie s o f his sac r e d r e lics , to wh ich his fo llo we r s pr e se n t the i ro ffe i in g s .

MAHAWANSE . 195

The e n d o f the thirty- fir st chapte r o f Ma

hawan se , co n ce rn ing the re po siting o f the re licso f Budhu .

The King Do o to o g am e ny , be fo re he co uldfin ish the ste e ple s, the fri e ze - wo rk, the um

bre lla , an d the lime - wo rk o f dagg o b a , was af

flicte d with a m o rtal diso rde r, an d having se n t

fo r his bro the r, Prin ce Tissa ,‘

who was in the

apartm e n t calle d Dig am adulle , laid his han d o n

his he ad, an d having made him sit, le an in g tohis br e ast, kisse d him, an d said, Bro the r, thefavo ur o f this wo rld is a ve ry trifling thing ;the re fo re the favo urite s we be st lo ve , suchas re latio n s an d frie n ds, ar e the y who he lpto the happin e ss o f the o the r wo rld ; tho ushalt, the re fo re , g e t the wo rk o f this dagg o b aco m ple te d be fo re I d ie , to shew it to m e an d

co m fo rt m e .

”

The Prin ce Tissa , he aring his bro the r thusspe ak, burst in to te ars with gre at so rrow, an d sa idwithin him se lf, My bro the r is e xtreme ly we ak,co n se que n tly the arre ar o f wo rkm an ship o f the

dag g o b a can n o t b e comple te d, an d he b e sa tisfie d,un le ss by some artifice . So he fe tche d lin e nfrom the sto re , g o t it cle an e d ve ry white bythe washe rs, an d frame d a dagg o b a in its fullshape , with frie ze - wo rk, with bambo o s, by the

196 MAHAWANSE .

sc e f - make rs, 12 0 cubits in he ight, co ve re dthro ugho ut with white lin e n , an d sewe d by thesho em ake r s, an d pa in te d o ve r by the pain te rswith dive rs pain tin gs ; the n he m ade a ste eplean d an um bre lla o ve r it, an d fin ishe d it a s n e atlyas a wo rk o fWism akar m a , an d in fo rme d the

kin g, sayin g , Lo r d, I have comple te d the wo rko f dagg o b a .

”

The king, be in g e xce e din g ly ple ase d, sa id,Bro the r, m ay it b e shewn to m y e ye s ?” The n

the prin ce , havin g carrie d the king in a go lde nco n ve yan ce , shewe d it, an d made him lay downupo n a b e d pre pare d upo n the carpe t n e a r theso uthe r n gate . The kin g , the n tur n in g him se lfto the right side , wo rshippe d the dag g o b a ; to thele ft side the tem ple Lowam aha , o f n in e sto rie shigh, whe n he was surro un de d by abo ut n in e tysix ke la o f r ahato o n s, an d an in num e rable bo dyo f co m m o n prie sts, the first o f who m cam e fro mdive rs pa r ts o f the wo r ld thro ugh the air , an d

the latte r by walkin g , fr o m un de rstan din g thekin g

’

s indispo sitio n ; the y thus saying to e ach

o the r , We n e e d g o an d visit o ur King Do o to o

g am e n y , who re n de re d so man y favo urs towa r dsthe law an d the wo rld o fBudhu , which wo uld last5 000 ye ar s ; an d so the y pr aye d and pre ache d,e n co m pa ssing the king . The kin g the n tho ughtwh e the r the g re at prie st, Ta ir aputtab e ya , wa s

198 MAHAWANSE .

ro yal cast, an d hast do n e m any g o o d wo r ksillustrating the Budhu

’

s domin io n ; an d tho u

the re fo re m aye st m e n tio n all thy g o o d de e dswhich tho u hast pe rfo rme d till this day witho uthe sitatio n .

”if

Whe n the kin g was thus co n so le d by havin gspo ke n to the prie st o f his wish to a sk him

fo r m e an s fo r the co m bat aga in st de ath, heco m m an de d the wr ite rs to re ad the m emo randum o f the go o d wo rks do n e by him, who ac

co rdin g ly did so a s fo llows : O Lo rd ! tho uhast bui lt, fro m thy birth till this day, n o le ssthan 100 tem ple s, o f which the temple Me r isse

watty co st the e twe n ty ke las ; the tem ple Lowam aha thirty ke las ; the dag g o b a Ruanwe lly 1000ke las ; be side s twe n ty in co n side rable things .

Tho u hast be stowe d upo n prie sts an d prie ste sse s, who cam e fro m the fo ur di re ctio n s o n

the fo ur o ccasio n s, n am e ly, the day o f o ffe rin g the tem ple Me r isse - watty, also the day thattho u o ffe r e dst the tem ple Lowam aha , an d se

ve n days at the comm e n cing o f the wo rk o f

the dag g o b a Ruanwe lly , an d se ve n days in

The who le o f this passag e be twe e n Do o to o g am e ny an d

his br o the r Tissa , an d the n atu r al shr inking fr o m 'd e ath whichn o t e ve n his e xce ss o f ze al co uld o ve r co m e

, ar e bo th n atur allya nd pathe tically depicted .

MAHAWANSE . 199

which the re li cs we re re po site d, gre at alm s,

suits o f prie stly clo things, an d prie sts’ begg in gdishe s. Tho u hast cause d o ffe rings to b e madein twe n ty- fo ur re turn s o f the mo n th o fWe sack,at twe n ty - fo ur tem ple s ; tho u hast be stowe dupo n the prie sts an d prie ste sse s o f the islan dLanka , suits o f prie stly clo thin g s an d be ggin gdishe s tho u hast made o ffe rin g to Tun o

r owan i thro ugho ut the who le kingdom Lanka ,at five tim e s, e ach time o f se ve n days’ co n tinuan ce ; tho u hast o ffe re d 1000 lam ps at twe lveplace s, be ing lighte d co n stan tly with cow butte r,with . cle an white lin e n wicks ; ho spitals we remade at e ighte e n place s, an d do cto rs we re ap

po in te d o n p ay fo r the use o f patie n ts, who we resupplie d with me dicin e s an d fo o d, acco rdin g tothe pre scriptio n o f the do cto rs, fr o m the ro ya lsto re s ; at fo rty- four place s y o u suppli e d the

pe o ple co n stan tly with ho n e y an d rice ; at fo rtyfo ur place s with milk an d r i ce ; an d at as man yplace s with rice an d cake s fii e d in butte r pulupbo dan a ; all the tem ple s in Lanka we r e supplie dwith lam ps an d o il, spe n din g a m o n th .

At e ve ry place y o u e stablishe d co urts to distribute

i“ The dishe s whe r ewith the rhahaan s co lle ct the i r dailyfo o d .

1» The Budhu,

his do ctr in e , a nd his disciple s the pr ie sts .

2 00 MAHAWANSE .

impartial justice ; all the wo m e n b ig with child

y o u supplie d with rice an d salt, an d the ir m idwive s with clo the s, fr o m the ro yal sto re ; all

the bullo cks o f all the islan d Lanka , which a r e

e m plo ye d to labo ur during day , whe n e ttacke d

by hun ge r durin g n ight ar e supplie d with strawste e pe d in ho n e y an d thyse lf, subse que n tlykn o win g that the cha r ity o f pre achin g Budhu ’

s

do ctr in e is gre ate r than all the se charitie s, we n te stin to the m idst o f n in e ty - six ke las o f r ahato o n s,

who we re at the te m ple Lowa - m aha pre achin g ,an d having se ate d thyse lf in a pre a chin g- chair,b e gan to re ad the bo o k Man galla - So o ttr a ; b ut

se e ing the prie sts abo ut the e , thou didst co m e

down fro m the pre achin g - cha ir witho ut be ingable to e n d it, o n a cco un t o f thy g re at re spe ctto them , an d b e tho ught the e that pr e a ching wa sa m o st difficult thing ; an d sin ce that tho uhast appo in te d a pr e ache r at e ve r y village o n

p ay , that all the pe o ple in Lanka m ay he a rthe do ctrin e Ban aj ~ an d the n issue d fro m the

sto re s to e ach o f them , fo ur m e asure s o f cow

butte r, fo ur me asure s o f o il, a ce rtain quan

The atte n tio n paid he r e in e ve n to the an im als str o n glyindicate s the be n ign an t to n e o f the Budhu

’

s do ctr in e .

Jr Ba n a lite r ally m e an s the se rm o n s o r disco u r se s o f

Budhu .

2 02 MAHAWANSE .

The prie st Tair aputtab e ya said, O so vere ign ! the se two alms- de e ds ar e the m o st m e

r ito r io us, be cause the sam e hath pro cur e d the efurthe r charity, viz . : the prie st Maliyadewa

be ing o n e o f tho se who re ce ive d the rice o f the

gra in tan a, the n to o k away his share to the

ro ck Saman ta - Ii o o ta ,*an d distribute d it to 900

r ahato o n s who we re the re , an d ate him se lf ;an o the r, Pathawy - m an eke - dham - m ag o o pla , to o khis share to the temple Galan y, an d share d itwith 5 00 prie sts ; Dham m a - de n n a , o f Ta lagur o o , to o k his share to the islan d Puan g o , an d

share d it with r ahato o n s ; Mahan am asy

tissa to o k his share to the tem ple KayilasaKo o taf i

'

an d share d it with r ahato o n s ;

Maha - san gha to o k his share to the tem ple o f

Ocka - n ag ar ah, an d share d it with 700 rahato o n s ; an d the pr ie st who re ce ive d the riceo ut o f the dish ,

to o k it to the islan d Puan g o ,an d share d it with r ahato o n s : an d so

the pr ie st Ta ir aputtab e ya ple ase d the king withthis acco un t.

Adam ’

s Pe ak .

1 Can this passag e r e fe r to the ce lebr ate d Indian cave so f Ello r a , which a r e s ituated in the ve ry he a r t o f the g r e atBudhist e m pir e o fMagadha , and the m o st sple ndid e xcavatio no f which is the Kailasa , o r pa r adise ?

MAHAWANSE . 2 03

The king the n said to the prie st, Lo rd, Ihave re ign e d twe n ty- fo ur ye ars, and re n de re dmyse lf favo urable to the prie sts, an d I wo uldwish that m y co rpse b e a lso use ful to them ;an d praye d him to have his co rpse burn t whe nhe die d, at the hall whe re the prie sts pe rfo rme dce rtain re ligio us fun ctio n s, ca lle d Po ya—m allo o ,

n e ar the dagg o b a Ruanwe lly .

He the n calle d the Prin ce Tissa, his bro the r,an d said to him, My bro the r Tissa , whe n tho ushalt comple te the wo rk in arre ars o f my dag

g o ba , o ffe r at it e ve ry mo rn in g an d e ve n in g withflowe rs an d lighte d lamps, an d thre e tim e s a—daywith musical playing, such as chanks, an d failn o t thy alm s- de e ds, as I pe rfo rm e d them ; n e g

le ct n o t all the n e ce ssary dutie s towards thegre at prie sts ; b e care ful o f thy own life ; d o n o

harm to the pe o ple o f Lanka ; an d rule thiskingdom with justice . An d whe n he had thusadvise d his bro the r, he la id him se lf down sile n tly,whilst y e t the n in e tysix ke la o f r ahato o n s co n

tinn e d in prayin g an d pre achin g.

In the me an tim e , the d ewe tas o f six* he a

The se ar e the separ ate invitatio n s o f e ach o f the

Dewa - Léka,an d a r e expr e ssive o f the i r de sir e to we l

co m e him to the ir happin e ss , as a r ewar d fo r his sig n a lpiety.

2 04 MAHAWANSE.

ve n ly“

kingdoms came with six chario ts, an d

sto o d re gularly in the a ir , an d e ach o f the irpa r tie s in vite d the kin g, saying, O so ve r e ign !o ur lo rd is g lo rio us an d po sse sse s lo n g e r life ;come the n hithe r, co m e the n hithe r !” The

king stre tche d fo rth his right han d, an d praye dthe d ewe tas, sayin g, Suffe r m e , as lo ng a s Ishall co n tinue in life , to he ar the pre a chingo f Ban a . Whe n the prie sts, se e in g the kin g

’

s

mo tio n , the reupo n ce ase d the pre aching, so theking aske d them , Why d o y e c e ase pre achin g The y said, So ve re ig n ,

be cause tho u hastbe cko n e d us by thy han d to sto p .

”The kin g

sa id, L o rds, I did n o t pre ve n t y e ; but thed ewe tas o f the six Dewa - Loka having co m e

with six chario ts, in vite d m e , e ach o f them , to

come to his wo rld ; an d I praye d them to suffe rm e , so lo n g a s I co n tinue d in life , to he ar the

9,pre a chin g . S o m e pr e se n t, he a r ing the kin g,tho ught that he spo ke im pre sse d by the te rro ro f de ath, an d sa id, The re is n o bo dy that do e sn o t fe ar de ath .

”

The pr ie st Tair aputtab e ya , kn owing the irtho ught, de sir e d the king to cause so m e wr e aths

o f flowe rs to b e ca st up , that the pe o ple mightb e co n vin ce d o f the truth ; so the wre aths o f

flowe rs be ing cast up , hange d them se lve s e ach

o n o n e o f the chario ts ; an d the y that saw the m

2 06 MAHAWANSE .

an d his co un tryme n , saying, De lay n o t in

do ing go o d de e ds, se e ing the he ave n ly glo ry Ihave o bta in e d : an d so he asce n de d to the

he ave n .

The wive s o f the king, he aring o f hisde ath, le t lo o se the ir ha ir o n the ir back an d

wept .The hall e re cte d at that place was n ame d

Mako o ta . In the pla ce whe re the kin g’

s co rpsewas burn t, man y a ssemble d an d bewa ile d o ve rhim ,

laying the ir han ds upo n the ir he ads . The

hall built n e ar that spo t is calle dWe e r ewan ta ,an d the apartme n t Mallowa , e re cte d o ve r thesame spo t, is calle d Raj e - m alleka .

Now the Kin g Cawan tisse , who is the fathe ro f the King Do o to o g am e n y , is to b e bo rn fathe rto the n e xt e xpe cte d Budhu Mai tri, an d the

kin g’

s m o the r, Vihari - m aha , will be co m e his m o

the r ; the kin g him se lf will b e co m e his chie ffo llowe r o f the right han d Dackun o - saw ; the

king’s bro the r, Tissa , will be com e his se co n dchie f fo llowe r o f his le ft han dWam atsaw ; the

kin g’

s aun t, who is the siste r o f his fathe r theKing Cawan tisse , will be co m e the chie f que e no ve r o n e lacse o f que e n s, to Ma i tr i, during hisco n tinuan ce in laityho o d ; the king

’

s so n ,calle d

the Prin ce Sally- rajah, will be come his so n ; the

king’

s tre asure r, San gha , will be come his chie f

MAHAWANSE . 2 07

min iste r, an d his daughte r the chie f min istre ss,in future : so the y, by the gre at m e rits o f the iremin e n tly charitable de e ds, will ! he ar the d o ctrin e Ban a , to b e pre a che d by

'

the BudhuMai tri, an d o btain the mo st sacre d state o f

Se r o p e lli- sembi apat - rahat, a n d at the ir de ath

the y will share the happy state o f Nirwan a , o rthe e te rn al e xtin ctio n o f so ul .

The e n d o f the thirtyse co n d chapte r o f

Mahawan se , calle d Tuse e -

pur ag am e n ae , o r the

Asce n sio n to To utissa .

The Kin g Do o to o g am e n y had a so n calle dSally - rajah, at who se birth the who le islan dLanka was rain e d o ve r with a kin d o f sm e llin grice , Suan da—hill, o n which o ccasio n the rice o f

o the r grain s, such a s tan a, &c ., which we re

bo ilin g o n the o ve n s, we re change d in to the

sam e rice Suan da - hill ; the barn s o f comm o n

so r ts o f g rain s we re change d in to the same so r to f valuable rice ; an d the empty barn s we refille d up also with the same . This was n o t

o n ly o n the o ccasio n o f his birth, but also o n

the o ccasio n s o f the fe asts he ld from the third,se ve n th, an d the n in th mo n ths o f his birth , an do the r fe asts, he ld at his fir st e ating rice , bo ringhis e ars, an d his pro m o tio n to the Vice r o ya lty,whe n the who le island Lanka was fille d with

2 08 MAHAWANSE .

ra in s o f Suan da—hill, an d a lso all the so rts o f

co m m o n he rbs, such a s tan n a war ra , be cam e

change d to the supe rio r kin ds o f hill, o r sallyan d as he displaye d m an y miracle s in the wo rld,an d as bo rn him se lf re late d to Sally, he was

n am e d Prin ce SallyThis happy prin ce gre atly in cre ase d in we alth

by de gre e s as he advan c e d in ye ars, an d had

m an y sign s o f pro spe ro us fo rtun e : a maje stica ir , an d m uch kingly wit ; gre at brave ry, gre atfam e spre ad abro ad o f him , un co m m o n wisdo m ,

am iable pe rso n age , ple asan t talk, wo n de r ful intrepidi ty, bo un tifuln e ss like a cap r o o k in

richn e ss like a gre at n e dhan a, o r hidde n tre asure in e arth ; powe rful, like the d ewe ta Baladewa ; affe ctio n ate , like a m o the r ; in satiable o f

de sir e in g iving alm s ; depe n din g who lly upo nTun o - ruan ;i' re ce ivin g e a ch fo re n o o n 1000, an de a ch afte rn o o n 5 00, as g ifts bo th fro m m e n an d

d ewe tas ; an d the sam e , as so o n as he re ce ive dthem , distributing back as alms to the po o r, whichple ase d his subj e cts in a gre at de gre e .

The fathe r o f the King Do o to o g am e n y be ingple ase d with his acco m plishm e n t, ra ise d him

to the dign ity o f Vic e ro y, an d built him a

i A tr e e yieldin g an y thing wishe d fo r .

t Budhu, his do ctr ine and his fe llo w- disciple s .

2 10 MAHAWANSE .

mo o n had b e e n appe arin g thro ugh a dark clo ud,havin g ado rn e d he rse lf with flo we rs, an d with a

le af in he r han d o f the sam e tre e . The se ve ralprin ce s beho ldi n g he r , an d be ing a sto n ishe d at

he r be auty, an d a ffe cte d with an un co n tro llablelo ve , be gan to talk with he r , lo o king at he r witham o ro us g lan ce s, saying, Be lo ve d, who an d

whe n ce a r t thou ? Ar t tho u a daughte r o f a

m an o r o f a d ewe ta ? fo r we n e ve r saw in the

wo rld such be auty in wo m an as tho u hast.Pr ay te ll us un r e se rve dly who ar e thy pare n ts,an d ar t tho u m arrie d o r un m arrie d ? The

dam se l sa id, Lo r d, I am the daughte r o f the

Chie fta in o f the Village Hallo llie , an d am o f the

cast o f Chan dall. The Prin ce Sally, who

he ard the sam e , g o t he r to a light fro m the tre e ,sayi n g, The pre cio us sto n e s, pe a r ls, &c . a r e

n e ve r rej e cte d by m an , tho ugh the y sho uld b efo un d lyin g in a he ap o f e xcr e m e n t : whe r e

fo re this dam se l, who is acco m plishe d with all

be auty, is acceptable , n o twithstan ding she is

bo rn in the ca st o f Chan dalls .

”So he co n ducte d

he r in a lin e n co nve yan ce , an d nam e d he rAso ka - m a lla , afte r the n am e o f the tre e o n whichshe was fo un d : n o wo m an in the islan d Lankasurpa sse d he r in be auty. The illum in atio n that

sho n e fro m he r bo dy e xte n de d abo ut fo ur cubits’

d istan ce ro un d abo ut he r whilst she wa s ‘in a

MAHAWANSE . 11

dark ro om, an d he r mo uth pro duce d the swe e to do ur like that o f the m ahan e l- flowe r s, an d he r

bo dy o f the san dle fo o d, such a s bo ile d rice , &cif to uche d, he r han ds we re n e ve r so ile d.

This ble sse d damse l in the pa st life havin gdisgrace d he r m o the r by callin g he r a Chan dall’sdaughte r, she had the misfo rtun e to b e thusbo rn in the cast o f Chan dall, b ut by the me ritso f the go o d wo rks she re nde re d in the same life ,n am e ly, the swe e ping an d cle an ing the bomallo wa , o r the flo o r built

“

at the fo o t o f a ho lyban ian - tre e , she acquire d this be auty, an d bythe me rits o f o the r go o d wo rks she b e cam e the

co n so r t o f the Prin ce Sally. Whe re fo re the

m e rits o f go o d o r b ad de e ds m ay n o t b e con

sid e r e d a triflin g thin g .

Now whe n Aso ka - m alla was co n ducte d to

the city, it was re po rte d thr o ugho ut the who lecity that the Prin ce Sally had bro ught a damse lo f the Chan dall

’

s co urt fo r his wife , which, whe nit came to the e ars o f the Kin g Do o to g am e n y , he

wa s gre atly disple ase d, an d callin g o n e o f his

favo urite wo m e n , said to he r , Tho u shall g oto m y so n an d te ll him , sayin g, Lo rd, thy fathe rwishe s to g e t the e a prin ce ss e ithe r o f the ro yalo r the brahmin ’

s cast, whom tho u shalt cho o seto b e thy wife , an d in the m e an tim e g e t the ecrown e d an d pro claim e d king ; an d tho u the re

2 12 MAHAWANSE .

fo re shalt fo rsake this dam se l o f the Chan dall’scast, witho ut sta in in g the ro ya l cast ; an d she

did a s she was o rde re d by the kin g. The Prin ceSally sa id to he r : A wo m an in pre gn an cywo uld n o t b e satisfie d he rse lf with ripe m an go swhilst he r in clin atio n dire cts he r fo r p om e g r a

n ate s, so I will n o t b e satisfie d with e ve n a

g o dde ss, much le ss a wo m an to make he r mywife , e xce pt this ve ry o n e ; so a s the flowe rs a r eOpe n e d at the shinin g o f the sun , but n e ve r atm o o n - light. Thus he spo ke m an y parable s e xpre ssive o f his un alte rable attachm e n t to thatdam se l . The sam e b e in g to ld by that wo m an

to the kin g, he se n t fo r br ahmin s who we reskille d in the a r t o f sam o ddr ika , o r so o thsayin g ,an d said, 0 g o o d brahm in s ! g o y e all to

Aso ka - m alla , an d e xam in e he r whe the r she p o ss e ss the to ke n s o f fo r tun e , so that if she do e sn o t, an d b e a wre tche d o n e , w e the n m ay kn owwhat we n e e d d o to he r in that case .

”

The b r ahm in s we n t to Aso ka - m a lla , an d fin din g that she po sse sse d abo ut sixty - fo ur to ke n s o ffe m ale be auty an d g o o d fo rtun e in he r pe rso n ,

the y we re str uck with g re at am aze m e n t, an d

r e tur n ing to the kin g, be gan to de clare he r

be auty, as if the y we r e sin ging by be in g in to xicate d at the sight o f he r be aute o usn e ss, sayin g ,O Kin g ! Aso ka -malla , the wife o f the Prin ce

2 14 MAHAWANSE .

the palace o f the Prin ce Sally, the Vice ro y, who ,with his wife , advan cin g themse lve s to me e t theking, re ce ive d him with gre at re spe ct an d o b e i

san ce , an d sto o d themse lve s aside , in an hum blepo sture . The kin g , surve yin g the be auty o f

Aso ka - mallet, with which she was illum e d likea go dde ss de sce n de d from he ave n , an d be in ge xce e dingly rej o ice d, aske d he r , Art thou thathappy ma ide n calle d Aso ka - malla She sa id,Ye s, my lo rd.

”

The swe e t sce n t, re sem bling that o f the

m ahan e l- flowe r s, which issue d from he r m o n th

at the utte ran ce o f th e se wo rds, in stan tly fille dup the who le palace ; an d the kin g, be in g ple a se dat this adm irable e ve n t, w e n t an d sat upo n a

thro n e p re pare d fo r him se lf, whe n Aso ka - m alla ,having se t be fo re him victuals dr e sse d by he rse lf, co n sisting o f the ad o r o o n

’

s rice , ca lle d so o

we n da - ke l, an d re lishin g currie s, wa ite d he rse lfupo n the kin g during his m e al . The kin g, afte rhis m e alfil

e re pe n te d his own in te n tio n which hehad o f depr iving his so n o f that e xce lle n t dam se lwitho ut e xam in ing he r me rits, an d sa id within him se lf, that this was a dam se l o f wo n de r

The ce r em o ny o f e atin g o f so m e thin g , ho weve r tr iflin g ,be ing an inva r iable custo m pr evio usly to an y kin d o f co n tr acto r ag r e e m e n t

,is n o tice d by Sym e s in his Na r r ative : usually,

leepac , a spe cie s o f he rb , is in tr o duce d as a beve r ag e .

MAHAWANSE. 2 15

fully go o d qualitie s ; an d im m e diate ly he calle dthe prin ce his so n ,

an d the damse l, an d g ivingthem n e ce ssary advice fo r the ir future co n duct,made them stan d upo n a he ap o f go ld, an d p e rfo rm ing the matrim o n ial ce r em o n y, de live re d he rto the Prin ce Sa lly, an d we n t to his o wn palace .

Aso ka - m alla havin g, in the sam e m an n e r a s she

di d to the king, made the m in iste rs an d the ira tte n dan ts e at victuals, the y we n t away pra isinghe r , an d saying, That the va luable substan ce

g o r o che n a , tho ugh fo un d in the carcass o f a

bullo ck, is gladly re ce ive d by m an while the

carcass is rej e cte d with disda in ; whe re fo re an

a cco m plishe d wo m an a s this, bo th in be auty an dVirtue , is e stim able , whate ve r m ay b e the cast

she is o f.”From that time the . Prin ce ss Aso ka

malla b e gan to live happy with the Prin ce Sally,an d co n tinue d to g ive r e lie f to m an y un til the ywe re re m o ve d by the king, a s be fo re , to a pa lacee re cte d fo r them to the n o rthward o f the city,whe re the pr in ce was co n tinually supplie d withvario us so rts o f g ifts bo th by m e n an d d ewe tas,

*

which he use d to g ive in alm s a s b e fo re . An d it

came to pass o n e day , the prin ce havin g re pa ire dhim se lf to the villag e Asm an de lla . n e ar Hallo llie ,

an d ge tting ple n ty o f fo o d, tho ught in him se lfthat

Go ds o f the Dewa - Loka .

2 16 MAHAWANSE .

it was the time the r ahato o n s wo uld pro ce e d tob e g a lm s, be cause the day was n o t y e t fa r spe n t,the r e fo re he cause d a pro clam atio n to b e madein vitin g them to co m e fo r fo o d ; whe n 5 00 o f

that se ct, who abo de at the ro ck calle d Bo oho on o taladhar , came an d sto o d as a wilde rn e ss o f

r e d flowe rs . The prin ce having take n the irbegging - dishe s, m ade them sit, an d g o t themfille d with de licio us m e at, furn ishe d them withclo thing, an d o the r n e ce ssary article s, an d a ske dthem ,

Lo rds, whe n ce a r e y e come ?” The ysa id, We come fro m the ro ck Ro o ho o n o ta

ladhar . On this, the prin ce in fo rmin g the m that

itwa s ve ry far o ff, built a tem ple fo r them , whichhe n am e d Raj e - m aha , an d o ffe re d the sam e to

them ; an d h e r em a in e d in his n o rthe rn palacefo r so m e tim e ; but the kin g , at the in stig atio no f his min iste rs, havin g ag a in e re cte d a palaceat the e a st o f the city, rem o ve d the p ii n ce to it ;an d he co n tinue d the r e to supply the prie sts withfo ur diffe r e n t so r ts o f a lm s ca lle d Sew - pasa .

The king, o n e day , having calle d the Prin ceSally, sa id , So n , tho u m aye st succe e d to m y

thro n e at m y de ath , an d re ign by pr o te ctin gbo th the wo r ld an d the re lig io n . But he , p r e

fe r ring the Prin ce ss Aso ka - m alla to the kingdo m ,

r e fuse d it, which in duce d the king to de cla r ehis o wn yo un g e r bro the r, the Prin ce Tissa , kin g ,

2 18 MAHAWANSE.

ro un d the cupo la Ruanwe lly , did man y se rvice sfo r the be n e fit o f bo th the re ligio n an d the wo r ld .

He re ign e d n in e ye ars ; whe n his bro the r, Cal

lo n a , succe e ding him , m ade thirty - two ve r ye le g an t apartm e n ts fo r the tem ple Lowa—m aha,an d a wall ro un d the cupo la Ruanwe lly , an d

re n de re d m an y o the r go o d s e rvice s bo th fo r thebe n e fit o f the wo r ld an d the re ligio n . He re ign e dsix ye ars, an d his bro the r, Walakan - abha, suc

ce e d e d him ; an d at his succe ssio n ,441 ye arsn in e m o n ths an d te n days had e lapse d fro mthe de ath o f Budhu .

In the fifth m o n th o f his re ign se ve n dhamilas, a ccom pan ie d by se ve n armie s, in vade d hiskin g do m fr o m the co un tr y So llie , ’ie thr o ugh se ve npo rts o f the islan d ; who , having e xpe lle d the

kin g, m ade them se lve s m aste rs o f the islan d,an d o n e o f who m to o k away the b e ggin g- di sh o f

Budhu, o n e the wife o f the kin g , the Que e nSo m a

, an d the five kin g s co n tinue d to re ign o n the

i slan d re g ula r ly durin g thirte e n ye ars an d se ve nm o n ths ; whe n the kin g , who was abse n t durin gthe who le while , at the pro vin ce Maya , havin gle vie d a larg e arm y, cam e to the city with gre atspe e d, put the dham ilas to the swo rd, an d r e

a ssume d the thro n e .

The co ast o f Co r om ande l .

MAHAWANSE . 2 19

Now the thre e pre ce pts o f the do ctrin e Tr e

p itteka , which, fro m the afo re sa id King Dewen e pa - tissa un til this kin g, had be e n de live re ddown fr o m ag e to ag e ve rbally, fo r wan t o f the

Pale e bo oks which co n tain e d them , tho se g re atprie sts, such as Cap alista , &c . who we r e advan ce din ag e , an d who bo re them in the ir min ds, kn ewthat it m ight b e difficult to pre se rve them in pu

rity by the m emo ry o n ly o f tho se ign o ran t prie sts,fo r a future ‘

ag e ; the re fo re this kin g , dur ing hisre ign , g o t them writte n in bo o ks by 5 00 rahato o n s, who we re in the ro ck- d e n calle d Allo o ,at the villag e Me e tala, un de r the care o f a ce r

ta in prin cipa l m an o f the co un try an d the samekin g, to suppo rt the Budhu

’

s domin io n , d e

stro ye d the he athe n s’ tem ple ca lle d Thie r thaka ,o ccupie d by o n e Gir r ie , an d the re he built a

g re at cupo la , in he ight 180 cubits, callin g itAb ay e g ir ie ;

’leafte r the n am e o f the sa idm an Gir r ie

he adde d his own n ame Ab a ; an d he bui lt twe lveo the r gr ea t te m ple s, an d o ffe re d the sam e to his

fo rm e r favo ur ite , the prie st Tissa . He builtagain the tem ple Dam b o o lo o , an d a cupo la , the

This is a pr in cipal te m ple o f Anu r adha - pur a , which ,fr om the e xistin g r em a in s

, as we ll as the co n stan t r e cur r e n ce

o f it in the n a r r ative , m ust have be e n the chie f r e so r t an d

ce n tr e o f the Budhist pr ie stho o d .

2 2 0 MAHAWANSE .

he ight o f 12 0 cubits ; an d aga in five m o re temple s, an d hewe d man y hun dre ds o f ro cks in tode n s ; so he , re n de ring g re a t se rvice s fo r the

b e n e fit o f the re ligio n , re ign e d twe lve ye ars an dfive m o n ths .

The e n d o f the thirty- third chapte r o f Mahawan se , ca lle d Dasa - r aj eka ; o r , co n ce rn in g te nkings .

Afte r him o n e Maha - cho o la was pro claim e dking, who , in the first in stan ce , he a r in g thata lm s - de e ds m ade by him , an d ga in e d by m anua lse rvice , we re ve ry m e rito rio us, use d to di sguisehim se lf a s a po o r m an , an d re ap co rn fo r o the r s

fo r hire , with which he made gre at alm s, an d

m ade o ffe rings o f prie stly clo the s to

prie sts an d prie ste sse s ; and b e , by thewage s re ce ive d o n sim ilar wo rks, built the g re attem ple So o p e r tista , an d an o the r gre at te m ple ,an d g ave e ach o f the pr ie sts an d

prie ste sse s a suit co n sisting o f thre e clo ths, calle dTo o n - siwo r y ;

’leso he , pe rfo rm in g man y o the r

go o d de e ds, re ig n e d thirte e n ye ars .

The so n o f the Kin gWalikam ab a , n am e dCho ra—n ag a , succe e ding him , b egan to c o m m itgre at sin s, an d to pull do wn e ighte e n gre at

Se t o f g a r m e n ts fo r pr ie ste sse s .

2 2 2 MAHAWANSE .

live d with him as his chie f co n so rt ; but scarcesix m o n ths had e lapse d whe n he e xpe rie n ce dthe sam e fate as

'

his pre de ce sso rs . This que e nnow de te rmin e d to re ign he rse lf, to e ffe ct ce rta in o f he r de sire s, b ut she wa s n o t a llowe d tore ign a lo n ge r pe rio d than fo ur m o n ths ; fo r ,Kalekam r itissa, the se co n d so n o f the afo re saidMaha - cho o la , who, fo r fe ar o f An o la , had live dhimse lf in di sguise , un de r the habit o f a prie st,atta in ing to his pube rty, dro ppe d o ff the prie stho o d, an d marche d aga in st the wicke d An o la ,he adin g him se lf a g re at fo rce : he kille d he r ,an d a ssum e d the thro n e . He built the gre athall at Ag ir ie , an d a gre at te m ple ; hewe d in a

ro ck a po ya—mallo ,* an d an o the r tem ple calle dHe lla ; an d m ade a lso the tanks, such as Up o o l

wawa , &c . fo r the b e n e fit o f ag riculture ; so he

re ig n e d twe n ty- two ye ars, an d re n de re d m an yse r vice s to the wo r ld . His so n Bhatie succe e din g him , we n t to wo rship the cupo la Ruanwe lly ;whe r e he , he arin g that r ahato o n s pre a che dthe do ctrin e o f Budhu within side the cupo la ,laid him se lf down o n the flo o r, vowin g n o t to

i A sacr e d r o o m , whe r e the pr ie sts o f the supe r io r quality,calle d Up e sam pad a , m e e t m o n thly

, an d pe r fo r m am o n g st

the m se lve s a r e lig io us fun ctio n , du r in g which they a r e n o t

allowe d to b e se e n by co m m o n pe o ple .

MAHAWANSE . 2 2 3

stir o ut witho ut se e in g the in side o f the cupo la .

Now, by virtue o f this kin g’

s fa ith, p an d o cum b lase yta, the se at o f the chie f g o d Sakkr a ia be cam e

ho t, which o blige d him to in fo rm the r ahato o n s

to shew the kin g the within side o f the cupo la ,which was furn ishe d by the King Do o to o g a

me n y, in the abo ve sa id man n e r, with the r e p r e

se n tatio n s o f the 5 5 0 diffe re n t live s o f Budhu ;lamps lighte d with fragran t o il ; fragran t flowe r s,spice s, an d r e lie s abo ut a me asure o f d r own a ,

&c . The Kin g Bhatie , who saw the sam e , be in ge xce e di n gly ple ase d, co ve re d the cupo la Ruan ;

We lly, o f 12 0 cubits high, fro m to p to bo ttom,

with two silke n stuffs, an d afte rwards em plo ye dthe i nhabitan ts to plan t flowe r -

g arde n s, in li euo f the tax due o n the ir pe rso n s to the kin g

’

s

re ve nue , such a s jasm in e , sihim dda , b o lidda ,

&c . to fo ur gows’ e xte n t, all side s fro m the city ;an d whe n the flowe rs be gan to yi e ld, he cause dthe san dle wo o ds co n ta in e d in the ro ya l sto re sto b e be ate n to powde r, an d pre pare d a pappysubstan ce o f the sam e , an d an o in te d the cupo laall o ve r fo ur in che s in thickn e ss, an d stuck thesame all o ve r with the flowe rs, like a crown ,

an d washe d o ut the sam e aga in by a wate re n gin e , co n structe d to issue wate r fro m the tan kT issa n o , an d to b e po ure d in flo o ds o ve r the

2 24 MAHAWANSE .

to p o f the cupo la . This o ffe r ing was co n tinue dfo r a w e e k.

The flowe rs b e in g n ow gre atly augme n te d inthe g arde n s, he o ffe re d an o the r we ek with muchflowe rs, m aking a sin gle he ap o f flowe rs, fromthe fo ur g ate s up to the ve ry ste e ple o f the

cupo la ; aga in , he m ade a light san dle o ffe ringwith go lde n flowe rs, which we re likewise washe d o ut by the wa te r fro m an o the r tank call e dBhaya—wawa ; he aga in bur n t to a she scart- lo ads o f pe arls, made it in to lim e , withwhich he plaste re d all o ve r the cupo la o f 12 0

cubits high, an d co ve re d the sam e with a g o lde nn e t, trim m e d with co ra l b e ads ; an d aga in o ffe re d go lde n flowe rs o f the size o f cart- whe e ls ; an dthe n o n e we e k he cause d it to b e Sprin kled withho n e y as ra in ,

o n e we e k with frag ran t wate r,o n e we ek "

with quicksilve r, an d o n e w e e k withve rm ilio n : thus the o ute r flo o r o f the cupo lawa s fille d to the low e r sto ry with the se o ffe rin g s ; an d ‘

h e o ffe r e d the r e m ahan e l- flowe r s fo r

an o the r we e k afte r which the sam e flo o r b e in gcle a r e d o ut, he o ffe re d a we ek by fillin g theflo o r w ith cow- butte r, an d lighting silk clo thsdippe d in it ; an o the r we ek in the same man n e rwith o il - e xtract o f talla g ra in s ; an d an o the rwe ek o f m e e - n uts . He also suppo rte d a ye arly

2 2 6 MAHAWANSE .

islan d, to b e lighte d with cow - butte r ; an d thushe , re n de r in g him se lf ve ry favo urable to the re li

g io n dur in g twe lve ye ar s, we n t to the wo r ld o f

go ds . The e n d o f the thirty—fo urth chapte r o fMahawan se .

His so n Adag am o n e y succe e ding to the

thr o n e , m ade the who le islan d Lanka like a pito f ble sse d wate r calle d Am a, by pro cla im in go rde rs thro ugho ut the same , by b e at o f to m

to m , n o t to kill an im als, an d causin g m e n to r e

n o un ce the ir fo lly an d misde e ds, an d to fo llow

g o o d de e ds . He m ade a wall ro un d the cupo laRuanwe lly , an d an um bre lla o ve r it : so he , p e r

fo rm in g m an y go o d thin gs se rvice able to the

wo rld an d re lig io n , durin g his r e ign o f n in e ye a r san d e ight m o n ths, we n t to the wo r ld o f go ds .

He wa s murde r e d by his own bro the r,Kin i

hir idala , who , succe e di n g him , re ig n e d tyran n ica lly fo r the sho rt Space o f thre e ye ars, whe nhe e n de d his life .

He be in g succe e de d by So o lo o abha , the

so n o f the fo rm e r Kin g Adag am o n e y , built the

g re at tem ple So o lo o g alo , at the bank o f the

lake De do r o o , an d in his first ye ar’s re ign hede parte d this life ; an d he b e in g succe e de d bySe ehewallie , siste r o f Adag am o n e y , she re ign e do n ly fo ur m o n ths, whe n she die d.

MAHAWANSE . 2 2 7

The King Ellowe n a , he r succe sso r, b e ingco n fin e d by the e n emy, his que e n clo the d he rin fan t so n an d de live re d him to the nurse , biddin g he r to carry the babe to the stable o f

e le phan ts, an d to lay him be fo re the ro ya l e lephan t, an d acqua in tin g the e le phan t o f the king’sco n fin eme n t, to g e t the babe de stro ye d by him ,

a s it was rathe r g o o d to di e o f him than by thehan ds o f e n e m ie s . The nurse o be ye d he r m is

tr e ss, an d did as she was bidde n ; but the ro yale le phan t be in g m o ve d with pity, in stan tly bro kehim se lf the cha in with which he was bo un d ,e n te re d the pala ce by bre aking the do o r o f thegre at gate , an d to o k the kin g up o n his ba ck an d

bro ught him to the se a - po rt Mahawatto o - to tta ,de live ring him from the e n em y ; whe n ce the kin gto o k shippin g fo r the co ast Ma laya , an d fromthe n ce , afte r thre e ye ars, he re turn e d to thisislan d with gre at fo rce s, an d r e - assum e d the

thro n e ; whe n he be ho ldin g wi th gre at j o y thathis be n e facto r, the ro ya l e le phan t, was alive ,rewarde d him with a go o d co un try, an d re n de re dhim m an y o the r favo urs . The kin g, buildin g thetem ple s Maha an d De am o o t, &c . an d m akin g thetanks Tissa an d Dad o r o o , an d pe rfo rmin g m an yo the r wo rks se rvice able to the wo rld, de pa r te dthis life in the sixth ye ar o f his re ig n .

-He be ing succ e e de d by his so n , San dig am o

2 2 8 MAHAWANSE .

n al, made the gre at tankMin ihir igam , an d, o ffe rin g paddy fie lds, an d pe rfo rm in g va r io us charitable wo rks, he die d in the third ye ar o f his

r e ig n .

His so n Gayab aho o a ssuming the thro n e ,made man y tem ple s, such as Abhay e tur o o

- m aha ,&c . whe n he , b e in g in fo r m e d that his subj e cts,the pe o ple o f Lanka , we re in bo n dage at the

city Cawe r y , in the c o un try So lly, wa s m o ve dwith an ge r, an d m arche d ag a in st that city, takin gwith him a g re at iro n we apo n calle d yakan da,(which m ay b e lifte d o n ly by fifty y o dha s, o r

stro n g m e n ,) as a wa lkin g- stick, in his han d. Bydividin g the wate r o f the se a by the m e rits o f

his own fa ith, witho ut we ttin g his fe e t, an d

displayin g his g re at powe r, he bro ught his p e o

ple ba ck to this islan d, to ge the r with the re licsan d b e ggin g - dish o f Budhu (which afo re tim e had

be e n car r ie d away by the dham ilas) ; an d thuspe rfo rmin g m an y g o o d wo r ks, such as alm s

de e ds, &c . we n t to the wo rld o f go ds in the

twe n ty - se co n d ye ar o f his re ign .

His succe sso r, Mahalo - man a , built se ve n temple s, such a s Pallala an d Ke le p ow, &c . durin gthe six ye a r s o f his re ign . The e n d o f the

thirty- fifth chapte r o f the Mahawan se .

Now the so n o f the King Mahalo - man a , by

2 3 0 MAHAWANSE .

As he was we ll qua lifie d in the law bo th with r e

gar d to the duty o f the king an d the duty o f the

subj e cts, an d a s he fulfille d them , he was afte rwards stile d Vy ewahar a - tissa , an d to the time o f

his assum ing the thro n e , 75 2 ye ars fo ur m o n thsan d te n days had e lapse d fro m the de ath o f

Budhu . This kin g c o n tinually gave a lms to prie stsat the pro vin ce Me de l, an d m ade a hall o f Ruan ,

at the gr e at cupo la , an d two m e ta l ve sse ls a t

Maha - bo gay, an d spe n t m o n thly 1000 m asur an s

towards alm s ; built two ho use s fo r the g e n e raluse o f prie sts, an d walls r o un d the se ve n te m ple s,n am e ly, Abhe ya - girie , Me rissa—wattu Bo o m hatta ,Issir io m o o n ie , Nanga - d ewaim r a , an d Tissa - m aha ;

distribute d co n tinually alm s to all‘pr e a che rs in

Lanka , an d clo the s to all pr ie sts, an d thin g s tothe wo r th o f thre e lacse s to the pr ie sts o f highe ducatio n , calle d Ur un adhar ie s "e Now, in the

days o f this pio us kin g , o n e Vytullya, a Le athinbrahm in , who , like the do gs an d fo xe s, p r efe rrin g putre sce n ce to fi’

ag r an t things, such as

san dle , &c . had re n o un ce d Tun o o - ruan , an d

j o in e d him se lf to he athe n ism , co n fuse d the

Bi i dhu’

s do ctrin e by turn ing it in to he athe n ismin bo o ks, an d o ve rturn e d the re lig io n by hisga in sayin gs ; whe n the kin g , thinkin g it im p r u

A co r r uptio n o f the usag e s and do ctr in e s o f the Budhu .

MAHAWANSE. 2 3 1

de n t fo r him to suffe r the subve rsio n o f the truere ligio n in the re ign o f a pio us king like him se lf,disgrace d tho se wicke d prie sts who we re co n

ve rte d to he athe n ism , an d cause d o n e Kapila,a m in iste r o f state , who was skille d in all sci

e n ce s, an d the ho ly system o f Budhu’

s do ctrin e ,co n ta in e d in thre e vo lume s o f Tripitaka, to co l

le ct all the bo o ks writte n by Vytullya , an d burnthem to ashe s . So , dispe llin g all the abuse s o fthe do ctrin e , he im pro ve d the Budhu

’

s re ligio ndurin g his virtuo us re ig n o f twe n ty- two ye ars .

At his de ath, his br o the r Abha - tissa succe e de dto the thro n e . He pave d the flo o r with sto n ebricks ro un d the Ban ian - tre e , built a larg e hallo ppo site to the temple Lowa , an d did man yo the r charitable de e ds durin g his re ign o f e ightye ars ; whe n he was succe e de d by his bro the rSir in ag a , who re ign e d two ye ars ; an d his so n

Wijaya succe e din g him , re ign e d o n e year.His succe sso r, the Kin g Saughatissa , o rna

m e n te d the ste eple o f Ruanwe lly with a n e t

strun g with diamo n ds , with an e xce lle n t um

br e lla o ve r it, in la id with fo ur pre cio us sto n e s,to the wo r th o f o n e lacse e ach ; an d he supplie d

prie sts, who we re a ssemble d at that fe a st,with clo thin g ; an d he distribute d ahn s at the

fo ur g ate s : so he , a cquirin g g re at m e rits by his

g o o d wo r ks, re igne d fo ur ye ars .

2 3 2 MAHAWANSE .

He was succe e de d by Sir isan ghab o , in who setim e the who le islan d Lanka be in g smitte n by agre at famin e an d scarcity fo r wan t o f ra in , thisking e n te ring the so lemn state o f Sill, in the

Budhu’

s co m m an ds, laid him se lf down upo n thebare gro un d at the ha ll o f the cupo la Ruanwe lly ,vowing that he wo uld n o t stir fro m that placeun le ss he was flo ate d up by a he avy showe r o fra in ; whe n it ra in e d thro ugho ut the who le islan dsuch a showe r o f r a in , that the kin g wa s flo ate dup , an d his min iste rs we re o blige d to co '

m e to

his assistan ce .

Also an o the r in stan ce o f his fa ith : The

kin g b e ing apprise d that the who le c o un tryabo un de d with thie ve s, he sum m o n e d them all

to his pre se n ce , an d g ivin g them go o d adviceto re n o un ce the ir the fts, he put a sto p to

that wicke d pr a ctice , an d se n t them away privily, an d in the ir ste ad cause d some de adb o die s to b e br o ught an d pun ishe d in the sighto f his subj e cts, with pun ishm e n ts due to thie ve s,to satisfy the m .

ale So m e tim e afte r wards, thekin g be in g in fo r m e d that a r axa

'

f' wa s de vo ur

This passag e m e an s, that his pe ople , se e in g the m uti

late d m em be r s , co n clude d that justice had be e n do n e , and

w e r e the r e by satisfied , while the culpr its them se lve s we r e r e

cla im e d by the adm o n itio n s an d cle m e n cy o f the kin g .

1 A savag e g ian t that devour s m an , and who , as the

2 34 MAHAWANSE .

an d fo ur image - ro o m s, with image s in t he sittin gpo stur e ; he re pa ire d all the de fe ctive tem ple sin Lanka, an d m ade lo dgin gs fo r the ge n e ra l useo f prie sts at the thre e tem ple s, n ame ly, Tumbarup, Mir issa - watty, an d Dakun o - m aha ; an d a

la r ge temple , n am ing it afte r his own n ame ,Mair o an ab ya ; he gave prie sts who abidethe re clo thin g, be side s the clo the s ye arly sup

plie d by him to the prie sts ; he the n m ade a

gre at hall , co n ducte d 180 pr ie sts in to it, an d

gave them so rts o f a lm s an d clo thin gAt this tim e Vytullya

- wada, o r the sai dhe athe n re ligi o n which pre va ile d at the tim e o f

his fo ur th pre de ce sso r, was ag a in re vive d by so m e

im pude n t, Wicke d prie sts chan gin g the truth o f

the Budhu’

s do ctrin e in to the un truth o f thatfalse fa ith ; an d so the y co n fuse d an d di suse d theBudhu

’

s re ligio n ; which co n fus io n o f the re ligio n , whe n it r e ached the kin g

’

s e ars, he sum

m o n e d all the prie sts o f the five large ab o de so f prie sts, an d m akin g a strict in quiry o f

them a s to the sam e , an d havin g fo un d sixty o f

them w e re guilty in b e ing co n ve rte d to that

false do ctr in e , the ir backs we re bran de d, an d

the y we re ban ishe d fr o m this islan d, an d the ir

bo o ks bur n t to a she s whe r e in the false do ctrin eo f Vytullya

- wada was co n ta in e d . Up to thistim e 795 ye ars we re e lapse d sin ce the de a th o f

MAHAWANSE . 2 3 5

Budhu . Thus he , having a cquire d g re at me ritsby his imme n se go o d de e ds, an d havin g co n se

que n tly change d his fo rme r n ame to that o f

Maga - warna - Abaya , he we n t to the wo rld o f

g o ds in the thirte e n th ye ar o f his re ign .

His so n De tte - tissa havin g succe e de d him ,

im pro ve d the gre at building L owa—m aha , dividing it in to se ve n apartme n ts by de frayin ga ke lla o f dhan a ; an d he o ffe re d a pre cio usruby to the tem ple ca lle d Lowa - m aha, an d twoo the rs to the te m ple Ruwanwe lly—m ahasay e , an d

cause d to b e e re cte d the place s o fwo r ship calle dPad o o m tissa wiha r e , Mulg ir i wihar e , Bado o lu

wiha r e , &c . ; an d a lso cause d to b e made six

large tanks, co n sistin g o f Alab ag am o o , Allo ok

g am o o , &c . So he pro m o te d the we lfare o f the

pe o ple an d the co un try, an d re ign e d fo r the

space o f te n ye ars . This is the thirty - Sixthchapte r calle d Tr ay o dassa—r awjakri , in the bo o kMahawan se .

The King Mahasan a succe e de d him , an d itwas 818 ye ars n in e mo n ths an d twe n ty days afte rthe de ath o f o ur Budhu . This kin g Mahasan ahavin g pro m o te d his tuto r, who was a fo re ig n e r,to the prie stho o d, be cam e his fo llowe r, an d d estro ye d se ve ra l tem ple s, an d also do in g o the rmischie fs causing the de structio n o f the Budhist

2 3 6 MAHAWANSE.

re ligio n ; but the king’

s firstmin iste r, n ame dMa

g awa r m a - abaya , who wa s a gre at favo urite o f

the king, info rme d him o f the impro prie ty o f hisco n duct, an d the co n se que n ce s o f the sam e at

la r ge , by which'

he alte re d the kin g’

s b ehavio ur,an d cause d to b e put to de ath tho se who we rein strum e n tal in causin g the king’s co n duct, an d

replace d the kin g in the Budhu’

s re ligio n .

The king the n b e gan to e re ct m an y temple s,an d main ta in the prie sts ; at the same tim e ,

an xio us fo r the pro m o ting o f the agr iculture ,he fo r this pur po se cause d to b e made by m e n

an d by d e vils ’le m an y tanks : so he did m an ythings fo r the we lfare o f the pe o ple an d the

co un try, an d re ign e d twe n tyse ve n ye a r s .

The Kin g Mahasan a was a favo urite frie n do f Go o hasiha , the Kin g o f Calin g o o

- ratta , inJam bu—dwip a ; he de spatche d valuable pre se n ts,c o n sistin g o f pe arls, pr e cio us sto n e s, &c . to the

King Go o hasiha , in o rde r to o bta in Daladawahan sa j

' fro m him . The Kin g Go o hasiha se n t

the sam e to Ce ylo n , un de r the cha r ge o f his so n

The se we r e the p r opitio us de m o n s o f the Jug an d e r e so

o fte n r e fe r r e d to , an d who , in this n a r r ative , a r e fr eque n tlyr e pr e se n te d a s a ssistin g pio us kin g s , the r ahats , an d Budhti s .

f The to o th o f Budhu,m e n tio n e d in the fo r m e r bo o ks as

b e in g ca r r ie d to the P e n in sula . The place fr o m whe n ce it was

b r o ught is Caling a De e sa , in Be ng al .

2 3 8 MAHAWANSE .

affe ctio n like as a fathe r regards his childre n he

wa s in the habit o f curin g di se a se s . He havin go n ce se e n a sn ake who had a co m pla in t in hiswo m b, cure d him by pra ctice in a

‘ mo m e n t,

which ple ase d Ve ry much the kin g o f sn ake s,who gave him a pre cio us sto n e o f gre a t value ,with which the kin g cause d to b e made an im ag e

o f Budhu . This kin g cure d m an y o the r d ise ase s ; he put in e ach o f the village s in Ce ylo na physician , an a stro lo g e r , an d a preache r ; hem a in ta in e d 5 00 prie sts, an d cause d to b e e re cte da

‘

m agn ifice n t tem ple in An ur ahda - pur a . In the

re ign o f this kin g the Scripture in Pa le e wa str an slate d in to Cin g ale se . He re ign e d twe n tyn in e ye ars .

His so n Up atissa succe e de d him . He avo ide dthe te n so rts o f sin , an d m a in ta in e d the te n so r ts

o f charitie s . In the r e ign o f this kin g the r e was ape stile n ce , o n a cco un t o f which the pe o ple tremble d with te rro r. The kin g havin g b e e n in fo rme do f this, he in quire d o f the prie sts whe the r the rewas an y rem e dy fo r the re lie f o f the pe o ple ?In re ply to this, the high prie st addre sse d thekin g with the n ar ratio n calle d Gan ga—So o ttr o tpattiya ; upo n which the kin g cause d to b e m adea n im age o f Budhu in go ld, pla ce d it o n a chario t,an d carrie d it ro un d the city with gr e at po m p,atte n de d by the king , his min iste rs , p r ie sts,

'

an d

MAHAWANSE . 2 3 9

a' great multitude o f citize n s, un de r the ce lebratio n o f pe rit, dur in g thre e n ights . The n it cam e

to pa ss that a he avy rain fe ll an d re sto re d thepe o ple to the ir he a lth .

The kin g orde re d this ce le bra tio n to b e fo llowe d at all tim e s in futur e , whe n e ve r the pe stile n ce rage d in Ce ylo n .

In the re ign o f this kin g it cam e to pass tha ta prie st o f the tem ple Atwan ag alo o - wihar i, o b

ta in e d the powe r o f go ing through the air . On

th e day that the prie st o btain e d this powe r the rewas an e arthquake ; upo n this, the kin g pr oce e d e d to the place whe re that pri e st re side d,cause d the re to b e built a m agn ifice n t tem ple ,an d o ffe re d the sam e to the sa id prie st : he alsocause d to b e bui lt se ve ra l o the r te m ple s an d

tanks, an d pro spe re d the we lfare o f his pe o ple .

This king re ig n e d fo rty- two ye ars .

His bro the r, Maha - n awm a , succe e de d him ;

he a lso cause d temple s to b e built, an d g avecharitie s. In the re ign o f this kin g the re cam e

fro m Jam bu - dwipa to Ce ylo n a le arn e d prie st,who se n am e was Buddag o sa , by whom the kingcause d to b e writte n a gre at numbe r o f se rm o n s

o f Budhu, an d thus illustrate d the do ctrin e . He

re ign e d twe n ty- two ye ars . This is the thirtyse ve n th chapte r calle d Sapta r aj eka , in the bo o kMahawan se .

240. MAHAWANSE . .

His so n San go t, who succe e de d his fathe r,having be e n m urde re d by the Que e n San g an amdewe , he r husban d, Sam atissa , cam e to the

thro n e , an d re ign e d o n e ye ar.The Kin gMitsan nam succe e de d him an d the

king havin g o n ce pa id his o be d ie n ce to Dawto o nwahan se , o n his re turn to the palace , he o rde re dhis state e le phan t to b e bro ught, but it be ingre po rte d tha t he was n o t re ady, the k in g , to uche dwith an ge r, turn e d his face towards a lar g efigure o f an e le phan t that wa s built with sto n e san d lim e , an d addre sse d it, sayin g, Will y o un o t pre se n t m e yo ur back to g e t o n ?

”The figure

in stan tly m o ve d, cam e to the kin g , to o k him o n

its back, an d havin g m ade a cir cuit, bro ught thekin g to his pala ce an d le ft him the r e . The kin go bta in e d this submissio n in co n se que n ce o f his

havin g o ffe re d a flowe r in his fo rm e r e xiste n ce .

So the kin g co n tinue d to make gre at o ffe rin g s,an d re ign e d o n e ye ar.Afte r this kin g , the re came six Malabar m e n

to Ce ylo n , who re ign e d succe ssive ly, de stro yin gthe co un try an d the re ligio n . Thus o f themthe Kin g Pan do o re ig n e d five ye ar s ; the KingParin da re ign e d thre e ye ars ; the King Cuddaparin da re ign e d twe lve ye ars ; the Kin g Tie r ittara re ign e d two mo n ths ; the King Dawdiyan am re ign e d thre e ye ars ; an d the Kin g Pie tiya

242 MAHAWANSE .

Atwan e g alle by adding to the sam e se ve ra lo the r buildings : so he re ign e d e ighte e n ye a r s .

This is the thir ty- n in th chapte r, ca lle d Rajaddwayadiep a , in the bo o k Mahawan se .

His so n Co om a r adasa havin g succe e de d hisfathe r, he im pro ve d the tem ple which had b e e ne re cte d by him ; an d he was a favo ur ite o f the

prie sts an d the re ligio n . He re ign e d n in e ye ars .

His so n Kir tisan a did also m uch charitie s, whore ign e d n in e m o n ths . The Kin g Madisew suc

ce e de d him , an d re ign e d o n ly twe n tyfive days .

The succe e din g king, Lamaty- Up atissa , was liber al, an d re ign e d o n e ye ar an d six m on ths . Thisis the fo rtie th chapte r, calle d Akar awjaka, in thebo o k Mahawan se .

In the ye ar o f o ur Budhu o n e tho usan d an de ighty

,an d e ight hun dre d an d fifty

- two ye arsafte r the pe o plin g o f the islan d Ce ylo n , a kin gcalle d Am b ahar an asala asce n de d the thr o n e . In

his re ign he de stro ye d all the wicke d prie sts,an d bur n e d the ir bo o ks : so he , havin g be e n a

favo urite o f the re ligio n ,r e ig n e d thirte e n ye ars .

His so n , the Kin g Dap o o lo o san , re ig n e d six

m o n ths an d six days . His bro the r, the KingDalam o o g alan , was ge n e ro us ; he im pro ve d theco un try in a g re at de gre e ; an d re ign e d twe n ty

MAHAWANSE . 243ye ars . His so n Co o dakitsir y re igne d n in e te e nd ays. The succe e din g kin g, Lam atisin g an a ,

e re cte d in his days se ve ra l tem ple s ; he was

charitable , an d main ta in e d a g re at asse m blyo f the prie sts he re ign e d thre e ye ars . This isthe fo rty- fir st chapte r, calle d Astar ajaka , in thebo o k Mahawan se .

The fo llowin g kin g was Ag r ab o dy . He madethe tank Co o r o o n d o owawa , an d se ve ra l o the rtanks fo r the be n e fit o f agriculture ; a lso se ve ra ltem ple s . He re ig n e d thirtyfo ur” ye ars . The Kin gAkb o made a lso se ve ra l tanks an d tem ple s, an d

re ign e d te n ye ars . This is the fo rty- se co n d chapte r , calle d Dwir ajaka , in the bo o k Mahawan se .

The Kin g San g atissa was the fo llowing kin g,aga in st whom the Kin g Mo o g alay e n havin gm ade war , to o k the co un try . He made se ve raltemple s, an d man y o ffe rin gs ; he gave ro be s to all

the prie sts in Ce ylo n ; an d pro m o te d the re ligio usaffa ir s in e ve r y re spe ct.

In the sixth ye ar o f the re ign o f the KingMo o g alay e n he was put to de ath, an d Asib yahakab e cam e kin g. He wa s also ge n e ro us ; he re pa ire dthe temple s which we re de so late ; tran spo rte dto Jambu - dwipa o n e hun dre d pr ie sts who we rewicke d ; an d so he re ign e d n in e ye ars .

244 MAHAWANSE .

The King Sir isan g ab o fo llowe d the e xample so f his pr e de c e sso rs ; so he was a g e n e ro us kin g .

He m ade a wa r with the n atio n calle d Dakataye n ,

in which he be in g de fe ate d, he fle d fro mCe ylo n in the sixth mo n th o f his re ign , an d p r o

ce e de d to Jambu - dwipa .

The succe e ding king, Dattatissa, a lso fo llowe d the e xam ple s o f his pre de ce sso rs : hegran te d se ve ra l village s to the tem ple s, an d

o ffe re d ro be s to all the pri e sts in Ce ylo n . He

re ig n e d sixte e n ye ars ; an d in the me an - tim e

the king , who pro ce e de d to Jam bu—dwip a , r e

turn e d wi th an arm y o f Malabars, r e - co n que re dthe domin io n , an d re ign e d five m o n ths .

The succe e din g kin g, Dalap itissa , de prive dthe tem ple s o f all the ir riche s, an d go lde nflowe r s, an d im age s o f Budhu in go ld, an d di de ve r y thin g co n trary to e quity ; but afte rwards,havin g so rrow fe r his past sin s, in re li e f o f thesame he e re cte d a la r ge te m ple , an d co n tinue dto fo llow in do in g go o d ; but the Kin g Pa so o lo okaso o b o o , the bro the r to the Kin g Sir isan g ab o ,m ade wa r again st Dalap atissa , dro ve him

”

o ut,

an d co n que re d the do m in io n . He also cause d tob e m ade s e ve ral tanks, an d o the r im pro veme n ts .

In the m e anwhile , Dalap atissa bro ught an armyfro m Jam bu - dwipa , an d made war , in whichhe d ie d . This is the fo r ty- third an d fo rtyfo ur th

246 MAHAWANSE .

he j o in ed the inhabitan ts o f Ce ylo n in the r e

lig io us pe rfo rm an ce o fWaswasim a ; an d didm an y o the r go o d a cts . He havin g re ign e d six

ye ars, re a che d the divin e wo rld . The Kin gPa sso o lo o kaso o b o o fo llowe d the e xam ple o f his

fathe r ; an d the Kin g Mihidu made the co un tr yhappy, an d re ign e d thre e ye ars . The Kin gAgg r ab o dy was Virtuo us, an d promo te d the we lfare o f the pe o ple : he re ign e d fo rty ye ars . The

Kin g Go o da—akb o admin iste re d impartial justice ,an d pro te cte d his pe o ple ; so he re ign e d six

ye ars .

‘

The Kin g Salem ewan - Mihidu distribute da lm s e ve n am o n gst the irratio n a l an im als, bygivin g up the co rn o f a tho usan d fie lds, whe nit was ripe ; so he re ign e d twe n tysix ye ars .

This is the fo rty- e ighth chapte r, calle d Sattir ajaka , in the b o o k Mahawan se .

The King Udan am e re cte d s e ve ral temple san d halls fo r the sick ; he adm in iste re d justiceby ke e pin g re co rds ; an d he did m an y o the rcharitie s so he re ig n e d five ye ars .

His so n Mihidu fo llowe d the e xam ple o f

his an ce sto rs, an d re ig n e d fo ur years . The

King Madiakb o e re cte d se ve ra l te m ple s ; he

to o k particula r care o f his m o the r, in e ve ryre spe ct, an d did man y o the r charitie s ; he

re ig n e d e le ve n ye ars .

MAHAWANSE . 247The King Cuda - dawp o o lo o ra ise d a building

ro un d Sir m aha—bo din ,

*an d m ade an im age o f

Budhu in go ld : he was a favo ur e r o f the re ligio n , an d he re ig n e d sixte e n ye ars . The KingAkho pre ve n te d the inhabitan ts o f Ce ylo n fro mdo in g sin ; he a ssemb le d the po o r by b e a t o f

to m - to m , an d gave them go ld durin g thre e dayshe also did m uch charitie s, an d re ign e d thre eye a r s . This is the fo rty- n in th chapte r, calle dPan char ajaka , in the bo o k Mahawan se .

His bro the r Mo o g alay e n san then came to

the thro n e . He m ade war with the Kin gPawdy , an d de fe ate d him ; he ra ise d se ve ra lm agn ifice n t bui ldings, particular ly o n e o n the

mo un tain calle d Ar r ittap ar watiy e , fo r the use o f

the prie sts o f the de n o m in atio n ca lle d Pawnso oko o lika ; he gave ro be s to all the prie sts inCe ylo n , an d did charitie s o f vario us de scriptio n she re ign e d twe n ty ye ars . This is the fiftie thchapte r, calle d Akar ajaka , in the bo o k Mahawan se .

The Kin g Mahase n was re ligio us : he fo llowe d all the virtuo us acts o f his pr e de ce sso rs ;his riche s we re un lim ite d ; he fille d up a th o u

The ho ly bo- tr e e at Anur ahde - pur a .

248 MAHAWANSE .

san d ve sse ls m ade o f go ld, with pe arls, an d la ido n the to p o f e a ch ve sse l a pre cio us sto n e , an d

g ave them to a thousan d brahm in s ; he cause dthem to repe at pirit, by which he re le ase d theinhabitan ts o f Ce ylo n

.

from the ir dise a se s an d

te rro r s, &c . &c This kin g re ign e d thir tyfive

ye ars, an d re ache d the divin e wo rld. His b r o

the r Udar aja cause d to b e m ade large tanks : hedid charitie s o f va r io us de scriptio n s, an d re ign e de le ve n ye ars . This is the fifty

- fir st chapte r,calle d Rajaddwayade pan a , in the bo o k Mahawan se .

The Kin g Caso o p re ign e d se ve n te en ye ars,e re cting se ve ral buildings, an d do in g charitie s o fvar io us de scriptio n s : his succe sso r , the Kin gCaso o was pio us, libe ral, ri ch, an d le arn e d ;he wa s ste adfast in his fa ith ; he repair e d thete m ple calle d

'

Mir isawaty - wiha r a ,which had be e nbuilt by the Kin g Do o to o g am e n y

- Raja, whichwa s de caye d ; he cause d to b e e n g rave d o n go ldplate s the bo o k ca lle d Ab ida r m a -

p ittakaya , an d

ado rn e d it with pr e cio us sto n e s, &c . &c . Thiskin g re ig n e d te n ye ars, an d re ache d the divin ewo rld . This is the fifty

- se co n d chapte r, calle dDwir ajaka , in the bo o k Mahawan se .

The King Dawp o o lo o gran te d some village s

2 5 0 MAHAWANSE .

tho se that we re o f diffe re n t re ligio n s ; he gavea lm s to the prie sts, o rde re d the physician s toatte n d the prie sts who we re in dispo se d

, p r o

vidin g them with all so rts o f m e dicin e s ; hee r e cte d lar ge halls fo r the distributio n o f fo o d tothe po o r, &c . &c . This kin g re ig n e d sixte e nye ars . The Kin g Salam ewan co lle cte d an arm yo f Malabars : he was powe rful, an d re ign e d fo rthe public we lfare ; but afte rwards, by fre que n tin g with b ad co m pan y, he be came a ccusto m e dto liquo r, by which he die d in his te n de r ag e , in

the te n th ye ar o f his re ign . This is th e fiftyfo ur th chapte r, calle d Tir ajaka , in the bo o kMahawan se .

The n e xt kin g, Mihidu, was the bro the r tothe last kin g. In the thir tyse ve n th ye ar o f hisre ign , a gre at num be r o f Malabar pe o ple o f the

c o a st So lir atte ’Iecam e to Ce ylo n , se ize d upo n

the kin g an d the que e n , an d se n t them to the

Kin g o f So lir atte , with . all so rts o f pre cio ussto n e s, j ewe ls, an d a gre at sto re o f we a lth ;the y a lso de spatche d all the go ld an d silve r, an dthe g o lde n im age s an d o the r so rts o f we alth,which we re in the temple s : an d the King o f

So li r atte having b e e n in fo rm e d that the so n

So ly , the Co r o m ande l co ast.

MAHAWANSE . 5 1

o f the sa id King Mihidu, n ame d Prin ce CaSOOp ,was main tain e d an d e ste e m e d by the inhabi tan tso f Ce ylo n , an d that he had atta in e d his twe lfthye ar, he se n t an army to se ize the pe rso n o f the

prin ce . Upo n this, the ministe rs o f the state ,n am e d Rie r ty an d Budda , a ssemble d a g re a ta rmy, carrie d o n a war with the S o ly pe o pledurin g six m o n ths, an d de fe ate d the m . Abo utthis tim e , the Kin g Mihidu de parte d this life ,afte r havin g be e n in So lir atte fo r the te rm o f

fo rty- e ight ye ars . This is the fifty - fifth chapte r,calle d Lankawilo p a , in the bo o k Mahawan se .

The prin ce Caso o p , the so n o f the sa idKin g Mihidu, came to the thro n e with the titleWickr am ab aho o . He gathe re d a gre at de al o fwe a lth, an d co n te n te d his '

so ldi e rs by a ssuringthem o f his future in te n tio n to de stro y the Ma

laha r s, his e n emie s ; but in the m e an tim e he

was se ize d with a fit, an d de parte d this life inthe twe lfth ye ar o f his re ign .

The king who succe e de d wa s n ame d Kie r ty .

He having re ign e d thre e ye ars, an d be in g d efe ate d in a battle with the S o ly m e n , put an

e n d to his e xiste n ce . At this time also the riche so f Ce ylo n we re se n t to the So ly kin g . The

KingWickr am ap awdy , havin g his re side n ce at

Ruho o n o o , re ign ed o n e ye ar. The King Jagat

2 5 2 MAHAWANSE .

pawla , having kille d the” Kin gWickr am ap awdy ,

r e ign e d at Ruho o n o o fo ur ye ars . The Kin gJag atpawla wa s kille d by the So ly m e n ; the ytran spo rte d his que e n an d the prin ce ss, to g e the rwith all the riche s, to the So ly co un try . The nsucce e de d King Pawr ackr am a—p awdy , who was

kille d, in the se co n d ye ar o f his re ign , by theS o ly m e n . This is the fifty

- sixth chapte r,ca lle d Satr ajaka , in the bo o k Mahawan se .

An d thus the ro ya l fam ily we re de stro ye d bythe Malabars, from time to time ; an d a s the rewas scarce ly an y o f the ro ya l lin e age le ft, a

min iste r n am e d Lokan am re ign e d six ye ars,havin g his re side n ce at ' Ruho o n o o . This isthe fifty

- se ve n th chapte r, ca lle d Bo ban a - ratywejay e , in the b o o k Mahawan se .

Fro m the re ign o f the Kin g Mo o g a—lay e n san ,

be fo re m e n tio n e d, the Malabar p e o ple had co n

tinually disturbe d the islan d ; but Mahalo oWijayab a, who be came king, de fe ate d all the

Malabars, who had b e e n in the po sse ssio n o f

Ce ylo n fo r the te rm o f e ighty - six ye ars, an d

cam e to An n ar ahde - pura an d appe ase d the who leislan d.

‘

This is the fifty - e ighth chapte r, calle dAn n a r ahdc - pura b ig am an a

,in the bo o k Maha

wan se .

2 54 MAHAWANSE .

o rde r calle d Up e sanp adaw, an d so to in cre asethe n um be r o f the prie sts to tho usan ds ; hecause d to b e re pa ir e d the tem ple s which we r ede caye d, &c . &c . This kin g re ign e d fifty ye a r s,an d re a che d at la st the divin e wo rld. This isthe Sixtie th chapte r, calle d Lo kasa e e n a - San

g raha - karan a , in the bo o k Mahawan se .

Afte r the re ign o f the last kin g the re we refo ur kin g s who re ign e d in Ce ylo n , n am e ly,Wer ab aho o , Jay e b aho o ,Wejay e b aho o , an d Wickr am ab aho o : the y we re a lways at war , an d

carrie d o n o pe n ho stilitie s aga in st e a ch o the r ,

by which the inhabitan ts o f Ce ylo n suffe re dmuch . This is the sixty- fir st chapte r, ca lle dChato o r aja Cha r iya - n ir dda sa, in the bo o k Ma

hawan se .

The afo re sa id KingWickr am ab aho o sub

due d the thr e e o the r kings, an d be cam e so vere ign o f the co un try, an d re ign e d with all p r o

spe rity ; but at le ngth he tho ught that he wa s anunhappy m an , as he had n o t the go o d fo rtun e tohave a so n . Some m o n ths afte r this, it happe n e dwhe n the king was at re st at n ight, he dre ame d,towards the mo rn ing , that a divin e be in g, m ag

n ifice n tly dre sse d, an d,

g ivi n g light a s the sun ,

appe are d be fo re him, an d sa id, King, y o u will

MAHAWANSE . 2 5 5

have a so n , who will b e charitable , powe r ful,wise , le arn e d, an d the promo te r o f the re ligio nan d the public we lfare . Upo n this, the kingawo ke , an d in the m o rn ing he in fo rme d hischie f que e n an d o the r que e n s o f it, an d de sire dthem to e xpe ct a de ar so n ; an d so m e tim e

afte r this the que e n dre am e d also , towards themo rn ing, that a yo un g e le phan t, pe r fe ct in allthe go o d sign s o f an e le phan t, quite white ,having two be autiful te e th, to the le ngth o f six

in che s, came to he r affe ctio n ate ly an d e n te re dhe r wo m b ; upo n this the que e n awo ke an d

e xce e din gly rej o ice d. In the m o rn in g she in

fo rme d the kin g o f he r dre am, whe n the kin ga cqua in te d the que e n that he also had se e n ,

in

sle e p, a yo un g e le phan t at his b e d , whom he

to o k by his trunk, cause d to g e t'

up to his b e d ,

an d tre ate d with gre at kin dn e ss, which madethem bo th rejo ice e xce e dingly. On this acco un tthe kin g be gan to pe rfo rm gre at charitie s an d b en e vo le n ce s ; an d be in g in fo rm e d that his chie fque e n was pre gn an t, he gave a gre at e n te rtainm e n t. An d at the e xpiratio n o f the usua ltim e o f pre gn an cy, the que e n was bro ught tob e d , in a lucky ho ur, o f a yo ung prin ce , o f

particular be auty ; at the same tim e a marebro ught fo rth a yo un g ho rse ; an d the re a ro sea swe e t- sme lling win d, an d the ro aring o f the

2 5 6 MAHAWANSE .

e le phan ts an d ho rse s ; all which wo n de rs a ston ishe d the kin g an d the bystande rs . Upo n this,the kin g se n t fo r s om e pro g no sticato rs, an d

in qui re d from them abo ut the futur e e ve n ts o f

the prin ce : the n the y to ld the king that theprin c e wo uld b e able to go ve rn n o t o n ly theislan d Ce ylo n , but the who le Jam bu - dwip a ; an d

that he wo uld b e lo n g- live d, &c . &c . ; an d thisprin ce was n ame d Par ackr am ab aho o . This isthe sixty- se co n d chapte r, calle d Co om ar o day e ,

in Mahawan se .

Whe n this Prin ce Par ackr am ab aho o had at

ta in e d pro pe r kn owle dge in lite r ature , the kin gtho ught to make him trave l, which he did , witha sple n did re tinue . The Kin gWickr am ab aho o ,

o n e o f the fo ur kin gs be fo re me n tio n e d, havingsubdue d the thre e o the rs, re ig n e d twe n ty- o n e

ye ars . This is the sixty- third chapte r, calle d

San - kattaly-

p o o r ab ig am an a , in the bo o k Mahawan se .

The said prin ce Pa r ackr am ab aho o, afte rhaving be e n o n ly slightly taught by his in str ucto rs, gain e d gre at kn owle dge in man y scie n ce she wa s a maste r in the Budhist re ligio n , in lo g ic,in g r annn ar , in po e try, in m usic, in the kn owle dg e o f man agin g o f the e le phan ts an d ho rse s,

MAHAWANSE .

so he made a journ e y o f five le ague s an d cameto a village , whe re he o rde re d all the inhabitan tsto a ssem ble an d to take up ,

arm s, which the ydid . The n the pr in ce pro ce e de d to Badalattaliya ,whe re he was re ce ive d by the g o ve rn o r o f the

place with all re spe ct an d civilitie s ; an d at the

sam e tim e the go ve rn o r se n t m e sse n g e rs private ly to the kin g, in fo rm in g him o f the c o n ducto f his so n , which pro vo ke d the prin ce , who putthe g o ve rn o r to de ath as a tra ito r to his e n te rprise . This is the sixty- fifth chapte r, calle d San ap atiwada , in the bo o k Mahawan se .

As so o n a s the rum o ur o f the de ath o f the

go ve rn o r was spre ad, all the o the r o ffice rs, chie fs,an d the inhabitan ts, we re te rr ifie d, an d sub

m itte d to the pr in ce . So he ma rche d fro m o n e

place to the o the r, subduing the m all ; whe n thekin g , his fath e r, se n t a g re at arm y to take up

the pr in ce his so n ; which a r m y the prin ce havin g r o ute d, he we n t o ut o f the lim its o f his fathe r

’

s

autho r ity, an d cam e in to the domin io n o f the

Kin g Gaj e b aho o , who re ce ive d him with g re atho n o ur , to o k him upo n his state e le phan t, an dbro ught him to his palace with m uch gran deur ;whe re the prin ce , havin g take n his re side n ce , hese n t an e m bassage fo r the Prin ce ss Badd r awaty ,with whom he afte rwards b e came un ite d, an d

MAHAWANSE . 2 5 9

live d in happin e ss . This is the sixty - sixthchapte r, calle d Pa r am an dalap r awar tij a , in Mahawan se .

It happe n e d that whe n this prin ce , Par acké

r am ab aho o , wa s go ing o n the highway, that a

trem e n do us wild an im al came run n in g towardshim , upo n which all his atte n dan ts r an away,le avin g him alo n e ; but the prin ce co urage o uslypro ce e de d towards him ,an d so te rrifie d the an i

m al by his to n e o f vo ice , a s that o f a lio n , thatthe wild be ast to o k an o the r co urse , killin g e ve rybe in g h e m e t with . This valian t act o f the prin cesur pr ise d e ve ry o n e who saw an d he ard o f it, an dbo re e vide n ce to the pra ise o f the prin ce , but tothe Kin g Gafe b aho o it was n o t agre e able : he

sa id that the bo ldn e ss an d the spirit o f the prin cewe re o f such a n ature that the y alarm e d e ve ry o n ein a g re at de gre e . The prin ce , having pe rce ive dthe disco n te n t o f the king, comm un icate d to

him his de sire to le ave the coun try, un de r p r ete n ce o f visiting his fathe r ; which he a cco rdin gly did, an d arrive d at his capital . The o ld

king re ce ive d his so n with g re at fathe rly affe c

tio n , an d se n t fo r all his min iste rs an d o the rsubje cts, b e fo re who m he , havin g de clare d hisin firmity, the n re quire d o f them the ir sub

m issio n to his so n in future an d so he g ave the

MAHAWANSE.

’

charge o f the go ve rnme n t to the prin ce . So o nafte r which act the o ld king de pa r te d this life ,an d the prin ce , havin g pe rfo rme d the fun e ralce re m o n y o f his fathe r, wa s pro claim e d kin g ;whe n h e se n t m e sse n g e rs with this in te llig e n ceto the King Gaj eb aho o . This is the sixty- se ve n thchapte r, calle d Mahadipadup adam aho o tsawa, in

Now the King Par ackr am ab aho o re so lve d toim pro ve his kingdom an d to pro m o te the re li

g io n , fo r which purpo se he gave pro m o tio n s toall his adhe re n ts acco rdin g to the ir me rits, h e

put guards o n the b o un dar ie s o f his domin io n ,

cause d rive rs an d tanks to b e m ade , e re cte dtem ple s, fo rtifie d se ve ra l place s, made plan tatio n s ; an d , in sho rt, he re gulate d an d im pro ve dhis kin g dom, so that his subj e cts n e ve r co uldsuffe r an y scarcity . This is the sixty - e ighthchapte r, calle d Radja—sam i r d ikar an a, in the bo o kMahawan se .

The King Pa r ackr am ab aho o , thus havin gre gulate d his kin gdo m , re so lve d to brin g thewho le islan d un de r o n e go ve rnme n t, fo r the

public we lfare . To this pur po se he se n t fo r his

chie fs, an d o rde re d them to co lle ct tho usan ds o f

g ian ts and warrio rs to ge the r, with all so rts o f

2 6 2 MAHAWANSE .

lag an g o ya an dWickr an tab aho o ya , whom the ymade priso n e rs, an d im me diate ly in fo rm e d thekin g o f it. The Kin g Par ackr am ab aho o upo nthis o rde re d that the priso n e rs sho uld b e p r ovide d with e ve ry thin g, as o n e wo uld d o to hims e lf, an d po stpo n e d the se e ing o f the ro ya l priso n e r s till he fo un d the tiin e o f a go o d co n ste llatio n . In the me anwhile , his min iste rs re p o r te dto the kin g that a s it would n o t b e po ssible tobr in g the subj e cts o f the King Gaj e b aho o in too be die n ce durin g the king’s e xiste n ce , the re fo reit wo uld b e advisable to put him to de ath .

The re fo re , the King Pa r ackr am ab aho o se n t fo r

the chie fs o f the distri ct ca lle d San an am , an d

havin g in fo rm e d them o f the o pin io n o f the

m in iste rs, to ld them that his de sir e was n o t to

de stro y the kin g, but to pr om o te the we lfare o f

the pe o ple , that the re fo r e the y sho uld pro ce e dto the pla ce whe re the Kin g Gaj e b aho o re side d,an d guar d him safe ly g In the me an tim e , someo f the citize n s be g an to plun de r e ve ry whe re ; bywhich the who le city be ing a larme d, the y ad

dr e sse d themse lve s to the KingMan ab ar an a , an d

co m plain e d to him o f the ir grie van ce , pro m isin gto de live r the kin gdo m in to his han d if he wo uldj o in the m . Upo n the ir applicatio n the Kin gMa

n ab ar an a , un de r pre te n ce o f r e le asin g the KingGaje b ahb o , pro ce e de d to the c ity, whe re he ,

MAHAWANSE . 2 63

having de stro ye d the e n emy, appe are d be fo rethe Kin g Gaj e b aho o , an d pre te n de d fo r so m e

days to b e his frie n d, in o rde r to re m o ve an y

suspicio n ag a in st him ; an d at last he kille d all

the adhe re n ts o f the King Gaj e b aho o , arre ste dthe king him se lf, an d to o k all his tr e asure s .

This kin g, n o t be in g satisfie d with all this,re so lve d to put the Kin g Gaj e b aho o himse lfto de ath ; an d to this purpo se he use d m e an s in

se cre t, be cause he wa s to o afra id o f the pe o pleto do an y thin g in publi c . The Kin g Gaj e b a

ho o , having be e n in fo rme d o f his dange r, an d

b e ing c o n vin ce d o f the truth o f it fro m the hardco n fin e m e n t he suffe re d, e n tre ate d the Kin gPar ackr am ab aho o fo r pro te ctio n , an d the Kin gPa r ackr am ab aho o quickly se n t his a r rhy

‘

, who ;

havin g de fe ate d the e n em y, the y re le a se d the

Kin g Gaje b aho o , an d m ade the que e n , the so n s,

an d the mo the r o f the Kin g Man ab ar an a , pris o ue rs, an d captur e d all his tre a sure s . The Kin gMan ab ar an a havin g be e n in fo rm e d o f his m isfo rtun e , the reupo n be cam e de spe rate , an d e n te re dthe city at n ight, whe r e he had a gre at battle ,a n d at last he r e le ase d his que e n an d m o the r,with whom he made his e scape to Ro hun a . The n ‘

the Kin g Par ackr am ab aho o , who cam e to se t fre ethe Kin g Gaj e b aho o , pro ce e de d to the villageTam a r o o , wh e re the chie f num be r o f his g ian ts

2 64 MAHAWANSE .

we re , an d to o k up his re side n ce the re . In the

m e an tim e , the warrio rs o f the Kin g Gaj e b aho o ,having e xclude d the ir kin g, be gan to car ry o n

war , which e n rage d the Kin g Par ackr am ab aho o ,

an d he se n t his arm y in pursuit o f the Kin g Gaj ebaho o , who , havin g pe rce ive d his dan ge r, an d se ein g that it was n o t in his powe r to e scape fro mfallin g in to the han ds o f the e n em y, he addre sse dhimse lf to the co lle ge o f the prie sts atPo lo n n ar o ,an d begge d the ir in te rfe re n ce fo r his safe ty.

The prie sts be in g mo ve d by the lame n tatio n o f

the Kin g Gaj e b aho o , the y the reupo n m ade the irappe aran ce b e fo re the King Par ackr am ab aho o ,

an d laid be fo re him the im pro prie ty o f fightin g,a cco rdin g to the co n te n ts o f the b o o ks So o ttr adiya , an d the supe rio r virtue o f livin g in pe a cean d harmo n y. Upo n this the king re plie d, tha the had n o so n s n o r bro the rs, an d tha t he himse lfhad be co m e o ld, an d was at the utmo st po rtio no f his life ; that his in te n tio n was to pro m o te thewe lfare o f the co un try an d the re ligio n ; an d thatthe de sire o f the prie sts wo uld, in sho rt, b e co m

plie d with, an d the re fo re that the y sho uld re tir eto the ir temple . The n the Kin g Par ackr amab aho ogave up the coun try which he had ga in e d withm uch tro uble , an d re tire d to his own co un try.

This is the se ve n tie th chapte r, calle d Rawdjadawn a , in the bo o k Mahawan se .

MAHAWANSEJSarnm atta,

’lean d should the re fo re “

p e r fo r mi

‘

the

ce remo n y o f co ro n atio n fo r the we lfare o f the

wo rld o n a fo rtun ate day . Par ackr am ab aho o

a sse n tin g to the se wo rds, an d arrayin g him se lfwith ro yal appare l, wa s crown e d at the fe a sthe ld o n the purpo se , o n a fo rtun ate day fixe d bythe astro n ome rs . Sho rtly afte r, he be in g ap

prise d that Kin g Man ab ar an a had in vade d hisside o f the rive r, pro ce e de d to the ro ya l a rmo r y,an d afte r ge ttin g the arms in re adin e ss, he r e

turn e d to the pala ce in gre at po m p, havin gvisite d all ro un d the city, in br ave r y like a lio n ;the n ce he pro ce e de d aga in st the Kin g Man a

baran a , who was acco m pan ie d by a g re at arm y,an d fightin g di ffe re n t battle s at diffe re n t po sts,he o ve rcam e the e n e m y, afte r a gre at num be ro f them had be e n put to

’

the swo rd, whicho blige d Manab ar an a to re tre at to the kin gdo mRo hun aThe Kin g Pa r ackr am ab aho o havin g se n t gre at

fo rce s un de r the co m m an d o f fo ur m in iste rs,the y marche d with un abate d spirit towards Rohun a , n in e y o dun sj '

a s the fo ur d ewe tas, Satara - waram , if se t o ff o n an e xpe ditio n o f war by

The fir st kin g e le cte d by the un an im o us r e so lutio n o f

the wo r ld : acco r din g to the Budhist an n als , he was o f the

l in e o f the sun .

1 Sixte e n En glish in ile s .

MAHAWANSE . 2 67

spe cia l o rde r o f the king-

g o d Sakkr aia ; an d the n ,

fightin g gre at battle s, an d killin g numbe rs o f thee n emy, the y ga in e d the victo ry, an d co n que re dse ve ra l co un trie s. By this tim e Par ackr am ab a

ho o , b e in g aware that the go ve rn o r o f the cityAnur adha had o ffe re d his a ssistan ce to Man abaran a , an d had j o in e d him with gre at fo rce s ino rde r to pro cure fo r him the who le kin gdom,

se n t a gre at army, which we re brave so ldie rs,with a view o f ro o tin g o ut all powe r o f the

e n em y : the y a cco rdin gly fo ught man y vigo ro usbattle s aga in st the e n emy by po urin g showe rso f we apo n s o ve r them, so a s to pro duce fir e

by vio le n t blows e ach aga in st the o the r. Thusthe y ga in e d victo rie s at e ve ry battle ; an d at the

last an d de cide d battle , Man ab ar an a he arin gthe dre adful n o ise like the ro arin g o f the se a,

co n clude d tha t the kin g his e n emy had j o in e dhis army in pe rso n , an d tho ught it n o t prude n tfo r him to rema in the re un til the n e xt day , fe arin g he m ight b e take n by the e n e m y ; so hee ffe cte d his e scape to his n ative co un try by anunusua l fe rr y o f the rive r Mahan ally , in a ra in yan d dark n ight, re gardle ssly le avin g his own

so n , Sir iwallam bha , o n the spo t, witho ut e ve nthe kn owle dge o f his fo llowe rs, an d suffe rin gman y diffi cultie s all the way alo n g .

Pa r ackr am ab aho o se e in g tho usan ds o f the

2 68. MAHAWANSE.

e n emy, y o dhas o r brave so ldie rs, in a

‘

scatte r e d

p o sture abo ut the ir camps, co n clude d that Ma

n ab a r an a had fle d, s o he pro ce e de d aga in st thee n em y in the same n ight with gre at pomp, havin gtho usan ds o f lighte d to rche s o n bo th side s, an dmaking a gre at n o ise by clappin g han ds . Thushe , re aching the e n emy’s cam p, kille d tho usan dso f y o dhas, to ok the Prin ce Sir iwallam bha an d

the chie f min iste rs a live , to ge the r with all the

riche s that lay scatte re d abo ut, be side s man ytho usan ds o f arms, e le phan ts, ho rse s, &c . all

which be came his pri ze ; an d pursuin g the e n em ya s far as the fe rry o f the rive r Mahan ally , kille din n ume rable adve rsarie s tha t We re the re .

The kin g had de te rmin e d n o t to re st himse lfun til he sho uld take Man ab a r an a a priso n e r,e ve n by pursu in g him to the se a - sh o re s ; butbe in g advise d by a le tte r tha t it was n o t prude n tfo r him to p ro ce e d furthe r, he re tur n e d to thecity Po lo n n a r o , takin g with him the captiveprin ce , Sir iwallam bha, fillin g all side s with the

harmo n ical so un ds o f his trium ph, like the g o dkin g Sakkr a ia e n te ring the he ave n ly kingdo m ,

triumphin g in the wa r aga in st the g o d Assura .

Man ab ar an a , fe e ling the gre at hatre d h ehad o ccasio n e d in Pa r ackr am ab aho o , this n ow

affe ctin g him with a mo rtal wo un d in his he a r t,he laid himse lf down in the midst o f his warrio rs,

2 70 MAHAWANSE .

whole city was o rn ame n te dWith arche s o f planta in - tr e e s, po ts, an d flo we rs, an d the citize n ssun g so ngs to his praise , an d gave sho uts, sayin g,L o ng live the kin g !” the sky wa s made glo o m yby frag ran t fum e s ; the brave so ldie rs we re drawnin a lin e to ce le brate his ho n o ur ; the e le phan tswe re fin e ly de cke d with vario us o rn ame n ts the

ho use s we re ado rn e d with g o ld an d p r e cibus

sto n e s, glitte rin g as the stars in the sky ; whilethis g re atmo n arch an d the que e n , havin g dre sse dan d o rn am e n te d them se lve s in’

the m o st m agn ifice n t m an n e rwi th the ir ro ya l appare l an d j e we ls,a n d m oun tin g upo n two g o lde n se ats , pla ce d o n

the back o f two e le phan ts, un de r two um bre lla s,an d puttin g o n two crown s m ade o f pre cio ussto n e s, shin in g a s the risin g sun , so a s to o ve rwhe lm the c o un try wo m e n with de light, who she dflo o ds o f j o yful te ars at that sight, the y re turn e dto the palace , surve yin g the c ity like the g o dkin g Sakkr a ia . Thus the se co n d co ro n a tio n o f

Pa r ackr am ab aho o , the so le king o f Lanka , wasc e lebrate d - in the se co n d ye ar o f his re ig n .

The e n d o f the se ve n ty - fir st chapte r o f Mahawan se .

The king Pa r ackr am ab aho o , who thus e n de dthe ce rem o n y an d fe ast o f his se co n d co ro n atio n ,

calling to min d the co n duct o f the an c ie n t kin g s

MAHAWANSE . 2 71

who atta in e d the four wicke d ag ate is'

o r state s,n am e ly, e n vy, co ve to usn e ss, m alice , an d fra ilty,an d who n e g le cte d the duty o f im pro vin g bo ththe wo rld an d re ligio n , an d o ppre sse d an d tyrann ise d , tho ught it his duty to d o g o o d fo r thewo rld in appo in tin g pro pe r pe rso n s in the place swhich had be co m e vacan t by the de ath o f tho sere spe ctable m e n who suppo r te d the re ligio n ,

which was the n so much abuse d an d co rrupte dby m an y o f tho se false an d im pude n t prie stswho we re the co n ve rts o f he athe n ism, an d who

u se pr ie stly ro b e s me re ly fo r the sake o f the irsuste n an ce ; he the re fo re appo in te d fit pe rso n sto supe rin te n d that o ffi ce ; an d ke epin g ye arlyd istributio n o f alm s by we ight o f ba lan ce to all

the be ggars an d po o r, a ssem blin g them by p r ocla im in g o rde rs thro ugho ut the kin gdo m ; an d

a ssem blin g the prie sts who atta in e d the kn owle dg e o f tr i- pittaka , o r the thre e pre ce pts o f

Budhu’

s do ctr in e , an d the le arn e d m e n who we reskille d in the do ctrin e o f Budhu, he cause d the mto e xam in e i n to the co n duct o f all the prie stsbo th in the day an d n ight,

\

to disco ve r infide l

p rie sts who d issem ble d themse lve s a s go o d prie ststo un de r m in e the tr ue re ligio n , co n firming the

fa ithful an d rej e cting infidels . Thus he pu r g e d allthe abuse s o f the Budhu

’

s re ligi o n which had p r evaile d sin ce the time o f the Kin g Ma lakam- abha,

2 72 MAHAWANSE.

a s a physician that he ale th the curable patie n ts,a n d rej e cts the in curable o n e s, takin g twicea s m uch pain s in this busin e ss a s he take th togo ve rn and pro te ct the who le islan d.

This kin g built man y large square halls inthe midst o f the city, an d ke pt a lm s to b e di s

tribute d ye arly, co n sistin g o f all so rts o f e atablethin gs ; be side s, he suppli e d ye arly ro be s bo th towe ar an d co ve r, fo r the use o f the prie sts, an d ke ptalrn o n r ie s at the fo ur gate s o f the c ity, whichwe re furn ishe d with se ve ral me tal ve sse ls, co ts,p illows, be ddings, an d cows yie ldin g milk ; an d heplan te d ga r de n s co n tain ing all s o rts o f flowe ran d fruit- tre e s n e ar them, fo r the use o f m an ytho usan ds o f pio us prie sts, b r achm an s, passe nge rs, an d ahn o n e r s, that re so rte d fro m the fo urdire ctio n s o f the wo rld ; an d gre a t ho spitalswe re built fo r the use o f the s ick pe o ple , furn ishin g them with victuals, m e dicam e n ts, slaveb o ys an d m a ide n s to wa it upo n an d n o urish thes ick, sto re s co n ta in in g abun dan ce o f m e dicam e n tsan d o the r n e ce ssary things, emplo yin g le arn e dphysician s to atte n d the patie n ts bo th day an d

n ight ; an d the kin g himse lf, in pe rso n , use d tovisit them , changing his ro yal appare l at the

fo ur po ho , o r the ho ly days, in e ve ry mo n th,a tta in ing himse lf to the sa cre d state o f a tta—sill,o r the e ight comman dme n ts o f Budhu ; an d

274 MAHAWANSE.

sto rie s high, co n sisting o f4000 ro oms, be autifully lin e d by hun dre ds o f sto n e co lum n s, an d

hun dre ds o f o ute r halls m ade o f sto n e s in the

o va l fo rm, with a gre at man y la r ge an d small

g ate s, with glitte ri ng walls an d sta ircase s ; an d

all the sto n e wo rks we re n e atly carve d in the

shape s o f flowe rs an d cre e pin g plan ts, de co rate dall o ve r w ith tho usan ds o f pe arl o rn am e n ts,han ging an d go lde n n e t wo rks, which gave harm o n io us so un ds, a s if the y we re so un de d by thea ir , by the m e rits o f his go o d de e ds ; an d he

e re cte d o n e ho use fo r brahmin s ; an d , ag a in ,an o the r ho use fo r scho o lin g childr e n , an o the rfo r pre aching the Budhu’

s do ctrin e , be side s mo rethan 5 00 ho use s fo r o the r use s, an d a wo r

shippin g ro o m co n ta in ing num e ro us im ag e s o f

Budhu ,furn ishin g it with can o pie s o f fin e lin e n

an d vario us - co lo ur e d flowe rs, lam ps lighte d‘

with

fragran t o il, an d o do r o us fin n e s, that the Budhu’

s

do ctrin e m ight co n tinually b e pre a che d in it .Now the king ce le brate d the fe ast o f pa in t

ing the e ye s o f the image s black,* an d he ardthe do ctrin e to b e pre ache d o n the o cca sio n .

It was remarkable fo r the so n gs o f be autiful

An im age is n o t ho n o ur e d till the black o f its eye s a r epa in te d . It is the last wo rk : whe n it is do n e the im age isco n side r e d sacr e d .

MAHAWANSE. 2 75

dan cing ma ide n s, who se harmo n io us tun e s we reso agre e able to he ar that o n e m ight think thatgo dde sse s we re sin ging ; an d the gre at hall,made o f ruan , calle d Sar aswattie , fo r the use

o f se lling, an d he aring the so ngs, an d se e ing thedan ce s : this hall likewise was ado rn e d withgo lde n n e t an d carve d wo rks, n e atly wroughtin . a wo n de rful man n e r ; an d ag ain , . o the r thre ehalls, calle d Rajawe e sie—Chujan g a, we re so

ado rn e d as to re sem ble the palace o f the g o d

kin g Sakkr aia, the lowe r ro om o f which was furn ishe d with e le gan t se ats, an d the uppe r sto rie swith m agn ifice n t wo rkman ship, de co rate d withvario us pre cio us sto n e s ; an d so the who le palace was made re semblin g to the crown o f the

Que e n Lanka ; an d an o the r ho use , suppo rte d bya sin gle pillar, as if it was sprun g up fro m the

e arth an d he made garde n s, calle d Nan d o o n s,re semblin g the paradi se o f the g o d

- kin g Sakkr a ia , ca lle d Nan dan a, plan tin g all so rts o f tre e spro ducin g o do rous flowe rs an d swe e t fruits, &c .,

such as aso ka, n aw, domba, wattaky , sall, p alo ll, n e e pa m an g o , damb a , plan ta in ,

co co a - nut,

o ran ge s, bimbe - yalle , m alawtie , tam alle n attan alla , an d which abo de he fille d with singin gbir ds, such as p e a

- ko o ls, kewe lls, &c . to ple ase all

that saw it . He m ade a lso a rem arkable tank,

calle d Nan da , re semblin g the he ave n ly tank

2 76 MAHAWANSE .

Nan da, be side s man y o the r tanks, halls, an d

ho use s .

This in de fatigable kin g, who was n e ve r sa

tisfie d with charitable de e ds, (as the se a is n o t

satisfie d with the wate r o f the in num e rabl er ive rs, &c . that always empty themse lve s in tohe r

, ) with the aid o f the gre at prie st Mahin da ,who re n de re d him se lf favo urable to the kingin im pro vin g the re lig io n by m a in tain in g the

pre cepts o f Budhu’

s do ctrin e , built there po sito ry o f re lics, be side s m an y o the r cha

r itab le wo r ks ; an d the y also built an e le gan tho use , whe r e in all the be autie s o f e ve ry o the rho use w e re gathe re d to o n e , with g o lde n gate s,mag n ifice n tly de co rate d an d pa in ted all o ve r, soa s to a ffo r d a br ightn e ss a s the lightn in g ,adding to its be auty with fin e co lo ure d can o pie san d tape strie s, an d prepare d with valuable furn itur e , such a s co ts, &c . ; an d the Que e n R o o

p awatte e , the chie f c o n so rt o f this king, who wasa cco m plishe d with all the virtue s, an d rem arkablefo r he r be auty, he r gre at kin dn e ss, m e rciful di spositio n , un e xam ple d pie ty, wisdo m , an d the kn owle dg e in the Budhu

’

s do ctrin e , a s a lso in sin gin gan d dan cing. She , upo n co n side rin g the van ityo f the wo rld, an d the dange r o f the e n dle ss futurestate , de te rmin e d within he rse lf, that the re be ingn o o the r he lp to o ve rcome that dan g e r but by

2 78 MAHAWANSE .

man n e r, viz . Ro ya l Gate , which is succe ssful ;Lio n ’

s Gate , which is ple asan t ; Ele phan t’

s Gate ,

which is large ; Iswara’

s* Gate ; Hanum an ta

’

s iGate ; Co owe r a

’

si Gate ; Raxa’

s Gate ; Sn ake s’

Gate , which is high ; Fan‘y’s Gate ; Garde n Gate ;

Maya ’

s Gate ; Thur sa’

s Gate ; an d Ghan darwa’

s

Gate . So this city, o n ce ruin e d by the re pe ate dwars, was re pa ire d an d b e autifie d by this kin g,like the he ave n To utissa, o r the abo de o f the

g o d- king Sakk r aia . The e n d o f the se ve n ty

se co n d chapte r o f Mahawan se .

The King Par ackr am ab aho o , co n side ring theho lin e ss o f the city Anur ahda, fo r it was san ctifie d by the wo rthy pair o f fe e t o f Budhu in hislife - time , an d is the place whe re the so uthe rnbran ch o f the ho ly ban ian - tre e is plan te d, an d

whe re abo ut a dr own e o f Budhu’

s re li cs we rere po site d, se n t o n e o f his gre at min iste rs tore pa ir all the ruin s an d de fe cts in the ditche s,tem ple s, an d o the r buildings which had be e nde stro ye d an d damage d by the dham ilas o f Cor o m an de l. Acco rdingly, the sa id m in iste r r epa ire d all the temple s, ho use s, tanks, &c . a n d

3“ Kin g -

g o d .

1“ The de m o n o f the Jug ande r e in the H em an ta o r Him

m aleh m o unta in s .

1 God o f r iches .

MAHAWANSE . 2 79

in a sho rt space o f tim e made them as pe rfe cta s if the y we re built an ew ; in cluding the de fe ctso f the gre at cupo la Ruanwe lly , an d o f all o the rcupo las, the g re a t temple Lowa—maha , as a lsothe palace fo r his own re side n ce , co n sistin g o f

all the n e ce ssary apartm e n ts, an d e ve ry thing asthe y we r e be fo re to the gre at satisfactio n o f all

the pio us m e n o f whate ve r de n omin atio n .

He in the n e xt pla ce built an o the r city,calle d Pa r ackr am a, an d se cure d the same byditche s an d ram parts, furn ishin g it with gate s,stre e ts, an d sho ps, an d garde n - ho use s fo r the

re side n ce o f m an y pio us prie sts ; an d im pro ve dit with m uch richn e ss an d po pulo usn e ss, a s thecity

i

o f the g o d- kin g calle d Alikam adoe ; an d he

save d the an im als in the who le o f Lanka , bo th o f

the e arth an d wate rs, from be in g kille d the re , withspe cial o rde rs that the y sho uld n o t b e kille d o rde stro ye d in the fo ur po ho , o r the ho ly days o fthe mo n th .

An d it came to pass that the kingdom o f

Ro hun a fa llin g in to an un go ve rn e d situatio n afte rthe de ath o f the Kin g Man ab ar an a , a s the

pe o ple o f that city we re n o t acqua in te d withthe dispo sitio n o f Par a ckr am ab aho o , had cre ate da gre at fe ar, by re fle cting o n the ir fo rm e r warsag a in st him . The y havin g gathe re d ho stile lyto ge the r, e n courage d themse lve s in co nside ratio n

MAHAWANSE .

o f the ir stro ng fo rtificatio n s an d gre at fo rce s,sayin g, it wo uld b e be tte r fo r them to live inthe ir n ative co un try fo r o n e day than to le aveit fo r an o the r ; the y a lso co n so le d an d e n co u

raged the mo the r o f Man ab a r an a, an d his wifeSubhala, saying, Be y e n o t so rry fo r the

de ath o f Man ab ar an a , sin ce we live all ve rywe ll : we will de fe n d this we ll- fo r tifie d an d p o

pul o us kin gdom again st an y e n em y .

”So the y

m ade large mo ats alo n g the e n tre n chme n ts an d

all the fo rts, an d e ve n at the lim its o f the irte rrito rie s, an d m ade all ro ads le adin g to the irco un try im passable , by putting he aps o f de adtre e s a cro ss an d again st them, which made itim po ssible to e n te r in e ve n by the e lephan ts ;an d putting tho rn s in the mo ats, the y guarde de ve ry batte ry with tho usan ds o f arm e d y o dhas .

The Que e n Subhala a lso , be ing a fo o lish wom an , an d o f an am bitio us dispo sitio n by n ature ,he arke n e d to the ir co un se l an d e n co urage dthe ir de sig n , giving them riche s o f he r own ,

such a s pe arls, pre cio us sto n e s, &c ., an d tho se

that b e lo n g to the re lics o f Budhu, an d the

beggin g - dish o f Budhu ; also b e stowing upo nthem m an y ho n o r ary title s an d o the r favo urs .

The King Par ackr am ab aho o be ing apprise dthe re o f, se n t man y str o n g fo rce s aga in st thatkin gdom, unde r the comman d o f o n e o f his own

2 82 MAHAWANSE .

the ir e n emie s we re pre parin g to fle e with there lics an d the beggin g- dish o f Budhu to the

fo re ign co asts, an d that if so , it wo uld b e a

to tal distractio n to the islan d, an d that all the

pa in s he had take n to pro spe r the islan d o f Lanka ,by e stablishin g the military fo rce s at so gre ate xpe n se , wo uld b e o f n o use, be cause he p r efe rr e d the re lics to all the riche s, an d e ste eme dthem as an o rn am e n t o f his he ad an d the re fo recharge d them that the y sho uld b e care ful to act

a cco rding to his dire ctio n s , an d o ve rcome the ire n emie s by the ir un an imo us e ffo rts, an d re co ve rthe re lics an d the be ggin g- di sh o f Budhu, an d

se n d the sam e to him spe e di ly . Now Kie r thy ,

the ge n e ral, who carrie d the o rd e r with an ad

ditio n al fo rce , havin g, in co n curre n ce with fo rm e r

g e n e rals, blo ckade d the e n em y’s po st so co m

ple te ly , shuttin g them up so co n fin e d that the yc o uld have n o co m m tm icatio n s with the n e ighb o ur ho o d , o r re ce ive the le ast supply o f pr o vis io n fro m abro ad, o r e ffe ct the e scape o f a sin glepe rso n , thus we ake n ing the en emy’s spirit to a

g re at de gre e , the y at last fo ught a mo st vio le n tbattle aga in st the ir fo e s, by the lo ss o f whichthe y we re o blige d, o r rathe r fo rce d, to surre n de rthe re lics an d the b e gging- di sh o f Budhu ; which,whe n the king’s p e o ple we re carrying away tothe ir co un try with a stro ng guard, with gre at

MAHAWANSE. 2 83

re spe ct an d tr iumph,the y m e t with vario us

o ppo sitio n s o n the ro ad fro m the e n emy, fro mvillage to village ; allwhich o ppo sitio n the y o ve rcame with gre at triumph ; an d passing the e n e

m y’

s te rrito rie s, the y safe ly re turn e d to Dhe e r g awapie

-man de lla .

The King Par ackr am ab aho o , who was lo nging to he ar the re sult, an d o f the co n que st o f his

g e n e rals, be ing e xce e dingly glad at the n ews o f

the ir m e in o r able succe ss an d safe arriva l at

Dhe e r g a wapie man de lla , imm e diate ly bathe dan d purifie d himse lf ; an d the n , arraying himse lfwith ro yal appare l, an d a tte n de d by m an y prin ce san d min iste rs, as the mo o n surro un de d by stars,came to m e e t them , abo ut a y o dun

’

s di stan ce ,refle ctin g all the way alo n g o n the gre a t ble ssin gs tha t he had the happin e ss o f o btain in g, .

pra ising an d ho n o urin g them with tho usan ds o fe xpre ssio n s o f his gre at j o y, an d o ffe rin g to there lics an d the beggin g- dish gre at riche s, suchas pre cio us sto n e s, pe arls, &c . ; an d at the 'fir st

sight re ce ive d them upo n hi s he ad, like a halfm o o n , with most pro fo un d re spe ct ; an d shewm g

them to his co un try pe o ple , an d causin g themalso to make gre a t o ffe rin gs, a cco rdin g to the irre spe ctive abilitie s, he re turn e d to the palacewith gre at pomp, as if the g o d Br achm a had ar

rive d at his he ave n ly palace .

2 84 MAHAWANSE .

The king having made a re po sito ry o f the

re lics in the city at a y o dun’

s distan ce from the

palace , comparable in its magn ifice n ce to the

he ave n ly palace Sudka r m a, le ve lle d the stre e tfrom the gate o f the palace t0 ‘ the re po sito ry assmo o th as the pahn o f the han d, an d cause d itto b e ado rn e d with de co rate d arche s an d tape strie s, with a be autiful can o py all alo n g the stre e t,o rn am e n te d with flowe rs an d umbre llas o ve rthem, an d with man y kin ds o f fruit- tre e s o n

bo th side s o f the ro ad, such a s plan ta in , ur e eka,

co co a , &c ., an d pe rfum ing the same with fr agran t o do urs, it be cam e like the he ave n ly stre e to f the g o d

- king Sakkr aia ; an d the re re ce ivingthe re lics in to a b o x, hewn o ut o f a ve ry pre cio ussto n e , which was fille d with fragran t powde r, he

put it in to a go lde n b o x, and the n the sam e ,

to ge the r with the be gging di sh, in a large r

g o lde n b o x, an d pla ce d it upo n a se at pre pare dupo n the rich carpe t o f the hall in the pala ce ,which was o rn am e n te d with pre cio us sto n e s,b righte n in g as the risin g sun ; an d emplo ye dm e n o f the highe st quality to stan d in a circlero un d abo ut it, an d to watch an d ho n o ur it,ho lding all kin ds o f in strume n ts use d in ho

n o ur in g , such as um br e llas, Whisks, &c . in the irhan ds ; an d th e n o ffe ring with sin gin g an d

dan cing o f maide n s, who we re pre fe rable in

2 86 MAHAWANSE .

min iste rs an d the who le atte n dan ts o f the king,

an d o blige d the m to wa it upo n him fo r his ad

vice ; but the kin g, be in g aware o f the im m e a

sur ab le powe r o f Budhu, to ld them that it wasan a ttempt o f Wasa - war thy , o r the An tibudhu,

to o ppo se this gre a t ce remo n y, who do e s n o t

re g ard this g re a t fe a st, the darlin g o f bo th Go dan d m e n , an d the go in g o f a kin g o f gre at powe r,wisdom, an d virtue , a s I myse lf am : sayin g tothem d o n o t fe ar, fo r he can d o n o thin g aga in stit ; y e m ay g o o n .

”So he pro ce e de d with them

witho ut re g ardin g the same .

Beho ld a strikin g in stan ce o f Budhu’

s powe r,that it ra in e d n o t a sin gle dro p at the pla ce ,whe re a s it had ra in e d in such a he avy to rre n t alla ro un d the place o f ce rem o n y, in som uch that allthe rive rs, tan ks, &c . we re o ve rflown whe reupo nall the citize n s, who a ssem ble d in vast numbe rso n the o ccasio n , b e ing surprise d at this miracul o us e ve n t, be gan to m ake gre at clamour o f

j o y in all parts, sayin g , Aha ! this gre at kingpo sse sse s m ighty powe r ; his own m e rits madehim Kin g o f Lanka, an d he de se rve d this virtuea n d powe r. So the y came to the repo sito rywith the re lics an d the b egg in g- dish, an d depo site dthem in that re po sito ry, an d m ade an o ffe ring o flamps during se ve n n ights’ co n tinuan ce , to illumin ate , be ing a sin g le lamp fo r e ach wo rld. The

MAHAWANSE . 2 87

e n d o f the se ve n ty—third chapte r o f the bo o kMahawan se .

This king afte rwards having se n t fo rce s tothe pro vin ce Dhe e r g a - wapie

- m an de lla, co n que re dit, afte r man y battle s had be e n fo ught at variousplace s, killing m an y o f the e n emy, an d thens e n t a large bo dy o f peo ple , with supe rin te n de n ts, to re build the pala ce s in tho se pla ce s whe rethe an cie n t kin gs had dwe lt, which in duce d

“

the

gre ate st part o f the e n emy, who re tre ate d afte rthe se co m bats to the village Ho yalla , to b e ap

preh e n sive o f dan ge r, thinking that Pa r ackr am a

baho o had gre at powe r, e ve n as the un ive rsaltem pe st which arise s at the e n d o f the wo rldwhich the powe rful kin gs o f Jambu - dwip a had

n o t be e n able to re sist ; an d that the two mightykings, Gajubha an d Man ab ar an a, who we re as

de xte ro us in wa r a s lio n s, had be e n disco urage dthemse lve s, as the fir e - wo rms lo sin g the ir lightby the appe aran ce o f the sun , particularly by hislast stro n g an d un ce a sin g war ; the y the re fo rere so lve d a s fo llows, to de pe n d o n n o she lte r butthe ir e n tre n chme n ts, an d to stro ngly pro vide fo rthe ir own de fe n ce . An d so the y e n tice d all the

inhabitan ts to re be l thro ugho ut the co un try ; an d

to e n sure succe ss in the ir war aga in st the kin g,the y ro se up , guarde d man y batte rie s an d many

2 88 MAHAWANSE.

private ro ads, and to o k the ir ho stile statio n at

the fro n t o f the di strict o f Ga lle .

The king’smin iste rs be in g aware the re o f, haste n e d thithe r, an d carrie d o n a gre at war aga in stthem , which o blige d them to re tre at an d j o inan othe r party which was quarte re d atWallig am .

But the kin g’s fo rce s pursuin g an d fightin g g re atbattle s ag ain st

‘

the e n em y, the y we re scatte re dan d dispe rse d like the sn ake s that r an fo r fe aro f the win ge d an im als gur o o lo s, o r the de e r fo rfe ar o f tige rs . The king’s fo rce s e n cam pe d at

-Wallig am ; an d, co n side rin g the di stre ss whicha tte n d m e n by re pe ate d wars, re so lve d to gran tre lie f to the e n em y, who we re un acqua in te d withthe me rciful dispo sitio n o f the kin g, an d pro claime d thro ugho ut the re be lle d te rr ito r ie s, that the

inhabitan ts might fre e ly m ake the ir appe aran cebe fo re the kin g

’

s min iste rs ; an d, acco rdingly,so m e came with the ir pro pe rty an d made the irappe aran ce , but o the rs re fuse d, an d we re co n

tem ptuo us . The king’s fo rce s the n fe ll o n themthat we re co n temptuo us, an d de stro ye d them,

as a garde n o f plan tain - tre e s by e le phan ts, an d .

bro ught tho se who we re take n alive , an d madethem se ttle o n the e aste rn part o f the co un trywhich was co n que re d by themse lve s, an d fitpe rso n s we re appo in te d to go ve rn them .

The e n emy he aring the dre adful n o ise o f

2 90 MAHAWANSE .

g akulla m ade publicatio n o f the king‘

s victo ry, o na succe ssful day, thro ughout all the kingdom,

bybe at o f tom - to m . The y be in g rewarde d by theking, co n tinue d the re to distribute justice to theinhabitan ts, in num be r about whilst theo the r min iste rs, who we re se n t to the kin gdomRo hun a, co n tinue d at Cumbo -

g am to com man dthe fo rce s, who fought blo o dy wars, so as to fillthe fie ld with

‘

b o n e s an d lim bs, till the y cameto Hawitake ewatha , acco rding to a re so lutionmade by them , fo r the purpo se o f taking a livethe Que e n Subhala an d the chie f le ade rs, an d toappe ase the kingdom. The min iste rs, appo in tingChie ftain s to go ve rn the se ve ral citie s at Hawitake ewatha , came toKanha—watt, an d the re furn ishin g them se lve s with arms, advan ce d to the villageKo ttawan n a , whe re the y e n co un te re d the que e n ,who was a cco m pan ie d by g re at fo rce s, an d afte rhaving fo ught a ho stile battle , dr e adful as an

e arthquake , by killing so many e n emie s as to

co ve r the face o f the e arth with the ir limbs, the yto o k the que e n captive , and bro ught he r , with asmany o the rs aswe re take n priso n e rs ; also se ttingse n trie s to watch he r pro pe rty ; an d the n the ymade pe ace with the co un try.

The min iste rs the n ho lding a coun cil toge the r, de te rmin e d to regulate the coun try bypun ishin g the traito rs an d re be ls, an d rewarding

MAHAWANSE . 2 9 1

an d promo ting the faithful an d ho n e st pe o ple ,a cco rding to the in te nt o f the ir lo rd the king,which they carrie d in to e ffe ct in a mo st just an dlawful mann e r, by inflicting dive rs so rts o f pu

n ishm e nts o n the wicke d, such as putting themo n the spit, bran ding, to rme n ting to co nfe ss, &c. ;

an d rewarding the fa ithful with bo th riche s an d

promo tio n s in rank, as the y de se r ve d, a cco rdingto the ir re spe ctive circumstan ce s.

The King Par ackr am ab aho o be ing in fo rm e dthe re o f, he fe lt gre at jo y , an d issue d o rde rs tothem, sayin g, Se n d the Que e n Subhala, an d

the min iste rs take n priso n e rs, up to m e , carefully, in the first in stan ce ; an d, o n your re turnhe re , having first co m ple te d all the due a rrangem e n ts in appo in ting fit pe rso n s to admin iste rjustice and to pro te ct the coun try, take tho seinnum e rable pio us prie sts who we re the re with

y ou, an d make yo ur appe a r an ce be fo re m e , in

a fo rtun ate day an d hour . Acco rdingly the y,s e tting o ff from Rohun a , re turn e d to the cityPo lo n n ar o with gre at triumph, an d atte n de d at

the ro yal palac e in a nume ro us bo dy, an d madethe ir o be isa n ce to that m ighty mo n arch .

In thi s mann e r the King Par ackr am ab aho o ,

who was distin guishe d fo r his valo ur, wisdo m ,

brave ry, &c. comple te ly se ttle d all the dispute s,re be llio n s, and com m o tio n s, m the kingdom o f

2 9 2 MAHAWANSE.

Rohun a , an d re sto re d pe ace . The e n d o f the

se ve n ty- fourth chapte r o f Mahawan se .

The sin an d mise ry o f the wre tche d n atio no f Ro hun a n o t be ing te rmin ate d as y e t, the y,in the e ighth ye ar o f the g lo rious re ign o f thisgre at m o n arch, had the misfo rtun e to bre ako ut aga in in to a re be llio n ; an d this havingre ache d the kin g

’

s e ar , he se n t a ve ry gre atfo rce , un de r the comm an d o f se ve ral o f his

m o st e xpe rie n ce d gene rals, again st that kingd o m , an d having subdue d the e n emy, as be fo re ,by num e ro us gre at battle s, o n ce mo re he r e

sto re d pe ace to that coun try. An d in the l 6th

ye ar o f this king’s re ign , an o the r commo tio na r ising in an d abo ut Matura, he likewise s ubdue d them by his brave so ldi e rs, an d gave pe aceto that coun try also .

The King Par ackr am ab aho o , e quipping hundre ds o f ships with se ame n an d so ldie rs, amm un itio n an d pro visio n s, &c . se n t them, un de r thecomm an d o f his brave min iste rs, in an exp e

ditio n o f war again st se ve ral parts o f Jam budwipa , o r the co n tin e n t. On e o f tho se shipssailing to the islan d Kakha , lan de d the ir fo rce sthe re , an d co n que re d that islan d by a fo rmidablebattle ; an d the y e ve n bro ught a numbe r o f

n ative s o f that island alive , and pro duce d them

2 94 MAHAWANSE .

e n campe d themse lve s the re . The e n emy re info rcing themse lve s, fought te n mo st dr e adful b attle s the re ; an d in the last an d m o st co n side rableo f which the y pursue d the e n emy with six o f the irge n e rals, n ame ly, Maigha Nar atung a, Br akm a

Maharaja, Elan Ke ya—raye - raye , Otthar ae r ay e ,Ely e ya

—raye - raye , an d Pan sia - raye - raye , a dis

tan ce o f four gows, kille d thousan ds o f them,

an d capture d the ir ho rse s . The y also o ve rto okgre at numbe rs o f them, who had fle d wildly tothe village Cun dukula, and kille d som e o f them,

putting them o n spits, and so co n que re d thekingdom .

King Par ackr am ab aho o re so lving to g e t all

the cupo las in Lanka , which we re de str o ye d bythe dham ilas, repaire d by them se lve s, bro ught agre at num b e r o f them o ve r to Lanka , an d cause dthe cupo la o f Ruanwe lly to b e repa ire d by them .

An d afte r the said wo r k was o ve r,he , with a

vi ew o f pe rfo rm ing the puja , o r the ce rem o ny o fthat cupo la , repaire d himse lf to Anur adapur a,fo llowe d by the min iste rs an d o the r atte n dants,assem ble d a gre at num be r o f prie sts o f Lanka,an d tre ate d them with sew- pasa ; an d o n a ce r

ta in day it ple ase d his maj e sty to o rde r, by adve r tisem e n t, that all the city sho uld b e e legan tlyo rn ame n ted, an d the citize n s to atte nd the n e xtday , be ing the full -mo o n day , With flowe rs, spi

MAHAWANSE . 2 95

ce r ie s, and o ffe rable things, to the gre at cupo laRuanwelly ; and acco rdingly, o n the fo llowing day ,his maje sty, having mo st m agn ifice n tly dre sse dhimse lf, like a g o d, an d atte n de d by a gre atnum be r o f be autiful wo m e n , richly dre sse d, likego dde sse s, min iste rs o f state

,an d e ve ry o the r

so rt o f atte n dan ts, filling the e aste rn stre e t withe lephan ts, ho rse s, an d carriage s, and co ve ringthe sky with umbre llas, tape strie s, flags, &c .,

an d the who le city re soun ding with vario uskin ds o f music, an d attra cting the atte n tio n o f

num e rous spe ctato rs, an d brighte n ing the who le

with the glitte ring go lde n bo xe s, flag o n s, fan s,go lde n po ts, an d o the r ve sse ls, &c . , arrive d at, an

apartme n t n e ar the cupo la Ruanwe lly , calle dWadha—Man d e a r a , whe n hun dre ds o f prie sts as

semble d thithe r, and surro un de d the cupo la, so

that it was surro unde d as by a co ral wall . His

m aj e sty the n having se t up a g o lde n to p in thecupo la, pro ducing to the wo rld a m o st brillian t

appe aran ce , he o ffe re d that n ight the lights .

Thus the KingPar ackr am ab aho o pe rfo rm e d m an ypujas o r o ffe rings to the gre at cupo laRuanwe lly ,an d re turn e d back to his city Po lo n n ar o .

His maj e sty n e xt made a city in Jambudwipa, an d n ame d it afte r his own n ame , Par ackr am a ; an d m ade thre e ro cky walls o f

cubits high, that it might last lo ng ; an d thre e

MAHAWANSE.

gre at ditche s, like se as, with twe lve gate s, an d a

lar ge ho use with fo ur halls, an d live d the r e .

KingKul e sekar a Pan dya having de tache d ve ry

gr e at dhamila fo rce s to Lanka again st Par ackr am ab aho o , at fifty diffe re n t tim e s, an d n o t suc

ce e din g in an y o f tho se gre at battle s, an d as the

pe o ple o f Lanka in the ir turn fo ught in num e r

able dre adful battle s, at vario us tim e s, in vario usplace s, an d comple te ly de fe ate d them by killinglacse s o f brave dham ila so ldi e rs, an d appro priate d imme n se riche s, e lephan ts, an d ho rse s, as

bo o ty, the King Kule sekar a at last came o ve r inpe r so n , with a nume ro us army, an d fo ught a

mo st dre adful battle , but in which battle alsobe ing de fe ate d, he , his m in iste rs, an d the so l

die rs, e n te r e d a castle,an d se cur e d themse lve s

the r e by shuttin g up all the gre at an d sm allgate s ; b ut the min iste rs an d the so ldi e rs o f

Lanka fo r cibly e n te re d the sam e , by bre akin gdown g ate s an d batte rie s, an d kille d a g re atm an y brave so ldie rs . The n the King Kule sekara, be ing e xce e din g ly te rrifie d at that e ve n t,fle d him se lf, by o pe n ing the e aste rn gate , withoutr egardin g e ve n the clo the s he had o n : whe reupo nthe brave so ldie rs o f Lanka, killin g an d pursuinga gre at m any dham ilas, to o k a valuable bo o ty,in cluding the e lephan ts an d ho rse s, an d m ade a

gre at rej o icing o f triumph, by runn ing an d jump

2 98 MAHAWANSE .

at various place s, re turn e d to Madhur apur a, an d

e n cam pe d themse lve s the re .

King Kul e sekar a re n ewe d his war in variousfur the r in stan ce s, at diffe re n t place s, but he wase ve ry whe re de fe ate d by the pe o ple o f Lanka, as

usual ; an d so the pe o ple o f Lanka , co n que ringbo th the So ly an d Pan dy co un trie s, e stablishe dthe go ve rnme n t o fPar ackr am ab aho o , an d min te dthe co in o f that co un try in his n ame , an d se n t

o ve r a gre at num be r o f m e n , e lephan ts, an d

ho rse s, which the y had capture d, to Lanka . At

that time the King Par ackr am ab aho o gave a

gr e at fe ast to the br'

ahman s ca lle d Sarwatialika ,in ho n our o f his co n que ring the kingdom Pandu .

En d o f the se ve n ty—sixth chapte r o f Mahawan se .

King Pa r ackr am ab aho o , the Lo rd o f Lanka ,having thus e n de d the co m m o tio n s an d dan ge rso f Lanka , an d re sto re d pe ace thro ugho ut thesame , be ing so li cito us to impro ve the Budhu

’

s

re ligio n , gathe re d all the prie sts o f An ur adapur aan d e lsewhe re , who had a co m ple te kn owle dge o f the thre e degre e s o f Budhu

’

s do ctrin eby he art, to his city Po lo n n ar o , an d made stricte xamin atio n o f all the prie sts as to the ir kn owle dge and be lie f o f the Budhu’

s r e lig r o n , unde rthe supe rin tenden ce o f the gre at prie st Causyp a ,

MAHAWANSE . 2 99

as King Darm asoka did un de r the supe rin te n de n ce o f the gre at prie st Mo ggaly Putte e .

The n the false an d infide l prie sts whom the yfo un d am o ng them we re partly strippe d o f the irprie stho o d an d the garme n t and m ade com m o n

m e n , and partly ban ished ; an d so he cle ar e dtho se abuse s Ne xt to which he e stablishe d a

gre at co urt o f justice ; an d as the ro ck Maha?me ra is lifte d up and gathe re d, he gathe r e d allthe prie sts o f the temple s, who from the tim e

o f the King Abhaya had be e n divided in to se

ve ral se cts, and r e co n ciling them with gre atdifficulty, appo in ting qualifie d o n e s, un de r thepre ce de n cy o f the high - prie st Kaxapa, to de cideall the disse n sio n s that arise am o ng them from “

tim e to time ; dism issing the guilty, an d re wardin g the faithful, with in structio n to them n o t

to abuse the ir re ligi o n fo r the sak e o f gainhe thus, by gre at e n de avours, re fo rm e d the r e

lig io n . This was e ffe cte d thro ugh the me diumo f the prie sts o f the gre at temple s, by conve r ting the prie sts o f the temple s Abhayag ir r ean d Jaytawan a, _

who had subve rte d the truere ligio n in to the false do ctrin e o fWyto o lya q

wada . He the n , in co n cur re n ce with his chi e fmin iste rs, co n ducte d the prie sts to the ro ya lbo tan ic garde n , g o t them se ttled the re , and

tre ate d them ye arly with all n e ce ssar ie s ; and

3 00 MAHAWANSE .

the n , le ading them in to the e legan t pavilio n s,prepare d upo n rows o f bo ats, ran ge d in the

‘

midst o f the rive r, cause d the re in to b e so lemn ise d the ce rem o n y Upasam p e da,* o ffe re d themvaluable co stly ro be s, and o the r n e ce ssary article s ; an d afte rwards made the temple Mahawahar i e qual to the temple Jaytawan a in m ag

n ifice n ce : he also built fo r the use o f the pio usan d virtuous prie stswho live the re in , e ight co stlyhouse s, o f thre e sto rie s high, an d a mo st co stlyo n e fo r the highprie st Sair ie -

puttr a, co n sistingo f se ve ral apartme n ts ; an image - ho use , o f thre esto rie s high, fur n ishe d with fin e image s ; se ve n tyfive comm o n house s, with as many e legan timage - ho use s, o f two sto rie s high ; 178 sm allho use s ; thirtyfo ur gate s ; two libraries ; man yro o m s o f diffe re n t siz e s an d o ccasio n s ; a tr iangular im age - ho use o f bricks, be autifully pain te dwith the figure s o f flowe rs, go ds, b r achm as, &c . ;

a gre at repo sito ry o f re lics, hewn in a ro ck,an d carve d the re in the shape s o f lio n s, m e r

maids, birds, &c . , o rn ame n te d with co lum n s,

steps, an d g ate s ; thre e pre aching halls ; o n e

cupo la, calle d Dhe ir gha - n e ckha ; e ight din ing

This was the bur n in g o f the va r io us pr ie sts ’ b odie s ,an d fo rm in g them into dawto o s, which had be e n pr e se r ve dfo r that purpo se .

3 02 MAHAWANSE.

im ag e - ho use, an d m an y apartme n ts an d halls,&c. calle d Budha - se im a—p r asadha, pre pare d thefoun datio n in due man n e r ; an d he , be ing at

te nde d by '

a gre at bo dy o f pe o ple , co n sistin g o f

high m iniste rs, wome n , &c . came to that temple ;an d whilst the fe ast o f that o ccasio n was ce leb r ate d by the so cie ty o f prie sts, with the ir chie fKaxap a, with gre at luxury, fo llowe d by the

So unds o f music, so ngs, an d sho uts o f huzzas,the king to o k a plough, with which he ma rke dthe spo t pro po se d fo r it, an d the prie sts acco rdingly built thr e e small an d o n e capital wallro un d the space which e xte n ds from the e ightco rn e rs, such a s e ast, &c . to the ho use o f Lankhatilleka, by a me asure o f five cubits’ be am , be ingm e asure d by de gre e in44, 5 1, 3 8, 3 6, 3 5 , 3 8,57,45 , an d 66 ; so it e xte n ds from the so uthe rnro ck fifty- e ight be am s fro m the n o rthe rn ro ck,Calle dWydhyadha r a , fifty be am s ; an d the ho usemade the re in was in le ngth five an d in bre adththir te e n be am s, an d the hall the re o f in le ngthsix and in bre adth fifty be ams, an d the wallo f the high prie st’s ho use in le ngth twe n tyan d in bre adth e ight cubits : so the sam e be ingcomple te d, was give n to the prie sts with Ata

piri kar a , o r the e ight so rts o f article s use ful fo rprie sts.

The king also made a so uthe rn g arde n ,

MAHAWANSE .

whe re in he e recte d twe n ty- two lo dging- ho use s,and as many lo ng ho use s o f two sto rie s high,twe n ty fir e -

"ro oms, fo rty- o n e c-

‘

Om m o n house s,o f two sto rie s, two walking- halls, and aWallo f te n gate s, e ach having a pre a ching- hall ; an dthe same , with all use ful article s, he o ffe r e dto the prie sts ; an d made a no rthe rn garde n inthe sam e mann e r ; thre e ro oms at the co m e rso f the gre at cupo la , hewn o ut o f a ro ck, o n e of

which is calle dWiddhyade r a ; and o f the two

o the rs, o n e co n tain e d the Budhu im age s in a

sitting po sture , an d the o the r in a lying po sture ,m ade o f the Same substan ce by sto n e - cutte rs ;a cupo la r em arkable fo r its large n e ss, wh ich sur ~

passe d o the r cupo las, in he ight 13 00 cubits,rivalling the se co n d Maham e r

’

a ;*

an d the

same be ing do n e by the thre e source s o f powe r,n am e ly, the powe r o f r ahato o n s, the powe r o f

go ds, an d the powe r o f the king, he n am e d it

Dham ilam aha - chyttyah, be cause the same wasmade by the captive dham ilas, who we re take nin the war .

He built also the temple s calle d Essi - pathanaan d Jate n dhan a, at the city Syakha - n an dha ;

The g r e at r o ck which is the suppo r t o f the he aven lykin gdom o f Sakkr aia .

3 04 MAHAWANSE .

an d the temple at the pla ce calle d Raj e - wasie

Chujang a, an d a thre e - sto ry house in the reposito r y, co n tain ing thre e im age s o f Budhu, n e atlywro ught ; an d a ho use o f two sto rie s with n icewo rk, two lo ng ho use s, fo ur gate d walls, e ightco m m o n e difice s, o n e pre aching- ha ll, o n e walkin g

- hall, e ight fir e - ro om s, six se cre ts, o n e bath,o n e sto n e wall ro un d the premise s, and a

garde n fo r the ge n e ral use o f the prie sts ; an dthe same he did in the citie s Sinhap o o r an d

Sakha .

This mighty mo n arch also e re cte d the templeKusin ar a ; an d n e ar the repo sito ry house the re o fhe m ade an im age - ho use o f thre e sto rie s high,thre e lo n g ho use s, o n e pre aching- hall, o n e walkin g

- hall, sixte e n comm o n e difice s, thre e gate dwalls, six fir e - ro o m s, an d o n e tem ple calle dWe llowan a . At the subo rdin ate city calle dWiej etha , he built thre e im ag e

- ho use s o f thre e sto r ie shigh e ach, with n e t- wo r ks ; o n e cupo la, o n e walkin g

- hall, o n e ho use o f two sto rie s high, four gate dwalls r o un d them, fo ur lo ng ho use s, o n e smallho use , o n e fo rtre ss, o n e din ing- ro om, o n e pre achin g

- hall, se ve n fir e - ro oms, and many o the r tem ple s,to stan d at e ve ry gow’

s distan ce , e ach o f themco n tain ing im age - ho use s, walls, pre aching- ha lls,&c. : also o n e temple fo r the use o f pio us prie sts,

3 06 MAHAWANSE .

an d an almo n ry, an d the n he o ffe re d up his

a lm s .

The n having re sto re d all the ruin s o f Thuparam a, &c . he also re paire d the de fe cts o f the

sixty- fo ur cupo las at Myttyag ir ie .

It is the re fo re to b e o bse rve d, that if suchwise m e n , who po sse ss such gre at we alth, haveso highly in te re ste d them se lve s in go o d de e ds,what m an wo uld de lay in pe rfo rmin g suchde e ds ? an d the re fo re all wi se m e n o ught tofo llow the e xample . The e n d o f the se ve n tyse ve n th chapte r o f Mahawan se .

Kin g Pa r ackr am ab aho o , with a view o f se

curin g his coun try from be ing subj e cte d to a

fam in e , made nume ro us garde n s o f fruit- tre e s atm an y parts o f the city. Am o n g the re st, hem ade a large garde n , co n sisting o f o n e lacse o f

fr uit- tre e s o f e ach so rt, an d n am e d it Unwar tha,which he o ffe re d fo r the use o f the prie sts inge n e ral, in addi tio n to two g re at tanks calle dGo o ha an d Silaw, that the y might bathe in themin the warm we athe r. He a lso m ade the fo llowing capital garde n s fo r the use o f his sub

j e cts, the Cin g ale se , n ame ly, Die pu, Maigha

warn a , Chittalata, Missaka - Rajan ar e ya , Sankatilika, Tiloka - nun danu, Van ar akar u, Yam e ssawa ,

Man chur a, Ne r m ittapur a, Jang abhar a , Po o m a

MAHAWANSE. 3 07

wadhun a , San saur apalu, Phar o suku, sawlip o t

te e , So m a - n atha , Sthan n ako nka , Otte r u - kura ,Bhur okucha , Puluche r y , Kr idacur u, Pun dawae

van a , Ram iswa r a , San tho sa , Chiitam an y , an d

Pr achie r a .

This gre at king e re cte d in m an y parts o f hiskingdom 101 cupo las, 3 00 im age - ro oms,476im age s o f diffe re n t size s, be side s 6 100 im agero oms, an d se ve n ty- thre e cupo las, which he hadre paire d ; an d he also built, fo r the re ce ptio n o f

pr ie sts that re so rt thithe r fro m the fo ur dir e ctio n s,2 3 0 lo dg ing apartm e n ts, fifty pre achin g, an d n in ewa lking- ha lls, with 144gate s, an d 192 ro o m s fo r

the purpo se o f o ffe ring flowe rs, &c . , also thirte e ntemple s, with sixty- se ve n walls. He a lso built,fo r the use o f stran ge rs, twe lve apartm e n ts an d

abo ut 2 3 0 halls ; an d he re pa ire d abo ut thirtyo n e pre achinghalls, an d hewe d o ut tem ple s inthirty- o n e r o cks, an d built five gre at apartm e n ts,an d fifty

- o n e re stho use s fo r stran ge rs ; repa ire de ighty- o n e tem ple s, an d dug o ut m an y lake s ;e re cte d m an y tanks fo r the be n e fit o f agriculture in m an y parts o f the co un try, to ge the rwith the g re at lake Par ackr am a Sam o dr aya ,

which is like a se a, an d the lake s Pa r ackr am a

talaka , Mahin do - talaka, Aikaha, Par ackr am a Sa

gara , Ko tthaka Budhu, an d Nigghar aya .

This gre at kin g also m ade , in vario us parts

3 08 MAHAWANSE .

o f this islan d, 1470 po n ds, an d abo ut 3 00 po o ls,with ro cky ste ps, an d re pa ire d an im m e n se

num be r o f o ld lake s, such as Ma inhar a , Mahada r e yallaka Swar n a, Dur e o tissa Kalo , Br ahm a

g ram a , Na le - ka ira , Maha - stam bha , Ro he ra Gir italaka, Kum bhala , So bha Kaun a , Padie , Katie ,Pattapasan a , Mahan a , Mahan am a , Mustaka ,

Wadhan a , Mahoedatha , Kaun ag am a,Dwar achawala - hassa , Suram an a , Pan san g aum a, Kaulawal

lie , Kaukallie , An gag r am a, Hillap attaka , Khaudu ,

an d Mado ga, to g e the r with an additio n al num be ro f467sm all lake s, an d gre at lake s . Thi s

kin g , sto pping the wate r- co urse o f the r ive rCaura by e re cting a ro cky bank acro ss it, drewits wate r in to vario us dire ctio n s in the fo llowingm an n e r : the wate r run n in g thro ugh the m o uthMukar a, e n te rs the Am un a

* Gam bhur a ; the

wate r - co urse that run s towar ds the fo re st Maha

m aigha , e n te rs the Amun a Haim awattie ; the

wate r that run s thro ugh the dra in Pan alie ,

e n te r s the Amun a Ne e lawahausie ; the wate r

tha t r un s thr o ugh the dra in Ke e lakar a , run s tothe Amun a Salalawo tie ; the wate r that run sthro ugh the dr ainWe ttawatie , e n te rs to an

Amun a o f the sam e n am e ; the wate r that run s

An e nclo sur e m ade o f high banks to ke ep wate r in fo rthe use o f ag r icultur e .

3 10 MAHAWANSE .

fo rms itse lf in to the Amun a calle d Gom athie ;

an d the Am un a Maha -

p ahar an e e , which fe ll tothe n o rth ; the Am un a Sathar uddha , which fe llto the e a st from the r ive r Ache r awatie ; an d the

g re at tank which fe ll fro m the so uthe rn wate rco ur se o f the sam e r ive r ; an d the Am un a Ka

lan di e , which fe ll to the so uth from the sam e

rive r ; the Am un a Kawair ie , which run s from the

tank Gir italaka to Kaddur a - watte - talaka ; the“

Am un a So m awatte e , which run s from Kaddur awatte - talaka ; an d the Am un a which run s thro ughthe village o fAr im addha - wiy e ya ; an d the wate rco ur se Go dawa r ie , which run s from the rive rKara , an d d e live rs itse lf at the lake Par ackr am a

Sag ara .

He a lso ag a in re n ewe d the r uin e d o ld lakeJaya

- ganga , thro ugh the city Anur adha , an d

made 5 34sm all Am un as, an d repaire d 3 3 00

Am un as which afo re tim e had be e n de caye d ;an d he m ade vario us o the r things in his co untr y , an d the cupo la So o ti- g ara , at the villageSo o ti- g ara ; an d a cupo la o f 1 2 0 cubits high, atthe village Po o g a - gam a ; twe n ty- two re po sito rie so f re lics ; twe n tyse ve n gro ve s o f ban ian tr e e s ;

100 im ag e- ho use s ; fifte e n cave rn s ; twe n ty- o n e

lo dg in g - ho use s fo r stran ge prie sts that cam e fro mthe fo ur dire ctio n s ; an d e ighty- se ve n halls fo rthe strange rs ; abo ut thirty - o n e ho use s fo r the

MAHAWANSE . 3 11

purpo se o f o ffe ring flowe rs ; se ve n pre achinghalls ; five larg e walls ro un d the place ; fo rtythre e image s o f diffe re n t size s, an d abo ut twe n tyfour image - house s . He aga in re pa ire d, fo r p r o

pag atin g the fo r e ign co rn , the tanks Galo o an d

Talg alo o , and the Amun a Raj r e n e e Te lipackhaWillattakan da, an d re pa ire d 3 5 8 de fe ctive partso f se ve ral o ld tanks, an d thirte e n dr ain s fo r thesame , and raise d dams to se cure 160 smalltanks an d 170 de caye d tanks ; and the n cause dall the wo rks o f the village s, and o the r habitatio n s o f the c oun try Ro hun a, to b e made up ;

an d built a gre at cupo la calle d Rathan awalie , o f12 0 cubits high, at the village Kir igam a, whe rethe bo dy o f hi s mo the r had be e n burn t toashe s ; an d sixte e n repo sito rie s o f re lics, an d

se ve n ban ian - tre e s, an d an e n clo sure fo r ban iantre e s ; se ve n ty garde n s o f ban ian - tre e s ; alsofo rty- thr e e image - ho use s, o f two sto rie s highe ach ; two pre achinghalls ; seve n tyfive im age s ;thirty - se ve n lo dg in g - house s fo r the strangeprie sts that re so rt fro m the fo ur di re ctio n s ;fo rty se ve n walls, with twe n ty gate s ; sixtyo n e ho use s fo r stran ge rs ; fo ur garde n s ; thre eim age s o f the e xpe cte d Budhu Ma itri ; an d

five dan cin g - halls,— fi1r n ishin g them with all

n e ce ssarie s .

He the n repaire d in the sam e place the

3 12 MAHAWANSE .

’

fo llowing additio n al wo rks ; n ame ly, 170 cu

po las, twe n ty - two e n clo sure s fo r ban ian - tre e s,170 large image - house s, o n e re po sito ry o f r e ;

lio s, se ve n ho use s co n ta in ing im age s in the

lying po sture ,* fo rty de n s in ro cks, fo ur tile dho use s, fo ur lo n g ho use s, o n e ho use o f thre esto rie s high, thirty - o n e pre aching - halls, 12 0

lo dging - ho use s, 12 8 librarie s, four ho use s fo rstran ge rs, twe n ty- fo ur temple s o f d ewe tas, an d

103 g ate s in 12 0 walls . He a lso made an d d e

live re d to the prie sts 2 00 tanks, such as the tanko f the villag e Oo r owalla, an d the tank o f the

village Pan do Co lum bo , &c . ; repaire d sixte e nspo ile d tanks, e ighte e n spo ile d ram parts, r e

built 2 05 ruin e d tanks, built sto n e drain s fo rte n tanks, an d fo rty - fo ur Am un as at di ffe re n tparts .

Thus the who le islan d Lanka was im pro ve dan d b e autifie d by this king, who se m aj e sty wasso famo us in the an n als o f g o o d de e ds, an d so

Budhu is thus r epr e se n te d in the te m ple o f He e tatua ,

in Ce ylo n ,which , at the tim e o f M. Co r din e r ’s visit, had

suspe nde d o n the walls the de lin e atio n o f the Jutaka o f

the Budhu,in his existe n ce o f Bo m b adat Raj a . The

sto r y is g ive n in the Do ctr in e s o f Budhism”

The

Budhu'

s im ag e r e clin in g o n a co uch o f sto n e , in a tan ko f wate r

,is also e xistin g at Co tam andhu, the capital o f

Ne paul.

3 14 MAHAWANSE.

language , in which he was ski lle d ; an d this wiseking, afte r the m an n e r o f his gran dfathe r, KingWyeja - Chako , de clare d pe ace with the kings "*

by se n ding them*

impro ve d there ligio n o f Budhu, by gratifying the prie sts o f

Lanka with n e ce ssarie s, in dulge d his subj e ctswith fo ur sun g r ahas, admin iste re d justice witho ut re voking the an cie n t custom s, an d witho utattain ing him se lf to the four agathas, o r the fo urprincipal vice s, tre ating ho n e st m e n with indulg e n ce , an d the wicke d with disgrace . Thushe e n due d himse lf with pie ty an d me ekn e ss, n o uri she d the prie sts co n stan tly, with lo ve lin e ss an dre ve re n ce to the ho ly Tun o - ruan , o r Budhu,

his do ctrin e , an d his fo llowe r s : the prie sts furthe re d his e n de avour s, like a bo dhi - sutwa , o r

an e xpe ctan t o f a Budhuship . He , re n de ring himse lf alway favo urable to all m e n , an d do ing manygo o d de e ds bo th to the wo rld an d the re ligio n ,co n tinue d to re ign n o lo nge r a pe rio d than o n e

ye ar, whe n he was de stro ye d by a King Kill e nkisda - m ihin do , who the n usurpe d the thro n e ;but ve nge an ce suffe ring him n o t to live lo nge rthan five days, he m e t with the same fate bythe re vo lt o f the who le coun try, co n sisting o f

He r e is an hiatus in the o r ig in al MS .

MAHAWANSE. 3 15

min iste rs an d brave so ldie rs, who , r ising again sthim , supplie d the thro n e by the Vice ro y o f the

Kin g Khe e r ti- n issunka—wij e ya - Chako , a n ative o f

Calinga . He built an e le gan t re po sito ry o f re licsin sto n e at the city Po lo n n ar o , in the co urse o f

sixty ho urs,* an d ra ise d the cupo la Ruanwe lly

highe r, an d furn ishe d it with fr i e ze - wo rks ; hebuilt a temple in his own n am e , co n sistin g o f 100apartme n ts, an d o ffe re d it to the prie sts, whowe re also suppli e d by him with sew- pasa ; he r e

pa ire d the temple Bambalo , by platin g the wallswith go ld an d silve r plate s, tiling it with go lde ntile s, makin g se ve n ty- thre e image s o f Budhu,all co ve re d with g o lde n plate s, an d n am e d itBan giri - Dam bo lo .

He the n we n t an d wo rshippe d, with his fo urde scriptio n o f fo rce s, chatur - angarie ,i~ the prin to f Budhu

’

s fe e t at Sam an tha - ko o ta, o r Adam’

s

Pe ak ; an d he plan te d ga r de n s o f fruit an d

garde n s o f flowe r - tr e e s, built fre e inn s fo r theuse o f the trave lle rs thro ugho ut all parts o f

Lanka ; an d thus duly pe rfo rming man y go o dwo rks, he re ign e d n in e ye ars .

A Eur o pe an ho ur m ake s two and a half Cing ale seho ur s .

1“ So ldie r s o n fo o t, o n ho r seback , in char io ts, and o n

e lephan ts .

3 16 MAHAWANSE.

He was succe e de d by his so n We e ra—Chako ,who did n o t re ign a lo n ge r pe rio d than o n e

n ight ; o n his un fo rtun ate de ath, his bro the rWe ekr am a - Chako succe e de d to the thro n e ,who likewise die d in the third mo n th o f his

re ign .

His bro the r Ram e dagun g succe e ding him ,

could scarce ly m a in tain him se lf o n the thro n en in e m o n ths, whe n the Vice r o y pulle d o ut his

e ye s,de thro n e d him, an d suppli e d his place by

the Que e n Le e la - wathie , who was the chie f co nso rt o f the gre at kin g Pa r ackr am ab aho o ; she

re ign e d un in te rr upte dly durin g thre e ye a r s, whe nthe kingdo m was surr e n de r e d to the King Sauhasu—m alla, o f the ro yal tribe Ockake e , who wasvigo ro us as a lio n ; but in the se co n d ye ar o f hisre ign , the min iste r havin g e xpe lle d him the

thr o n e , he was succe e de d by an o the r que e n ,

Ke e lanka—wathie , be ing the chie f co n so rt o f theKin g Ke e r the n issunka ; an d she , durin g he r re igno f six ye ars, built a te m ple in he r own n am e

, at

the villag e Pun n a - saulaka , an d appro priate d fo rits use lan ds co n tain ing paddy fie lds, garde n s,an d se r van ts, an d o the r n e ce ssar ie s fo r prie sts ;an d an o the r e le g an t tem ple at the village Wally,which she likewise o ffe re d to the prie sts ; to

g e the r with many o the r public e difice s, bui lt inhe r own n am e ; an d lan ds co n ta in in g g arde n s

3 18 MAHAWANSE .

Pan dian fo rce s, co n que re d the islan d by ex

pe lling Le e la - wathie , an d re ign e d him se lf pe a ceably fo r thre e ye ars .

At this time , the pe o ple o f Lanka turn in gthemse lve s to ‘be co m e wicke d an d supe rstitio us,lo st the care o f the guardi an go ds o f Lanka . Aking o f the co un try Kaulin g o , calle d Magha, invade d Lanka with brave dham ila so ldie rs,an d began to de stro y bo th the co un try an d r e

lig ion, by kn o ckin g down tho usan ds o f cupo las,such a s the g re at Ruanwe lly , &c. making thegarde n s an d gre at ho use s be lo nging to prie ststhe lo dgings an d po sse ssio n s o f dham ila s, co n

fusing an d de grading the casts, an d m akingthe n o blem e n bond - se rvan ts, pro pagating the

he athe n re ligio n in the islan d, plun de rin g thepro pe rty o f the inhabitan ts, to rm e n ting the

pe o ple by cutting o ff the ir lim bs, such as the

arm s, le g s, &c . So the who le islan d was m adelike a ho use se t o n fir e , o r like a fun e ra l ho use ,causing still furthe r dham ilas to ,

plun de r fromvillage to village . The invade r the n taking theKing Par ackr am apan du priso n e r, who was at

the city Po lo n n ar o , he pulle d o ut his e ye s,an d co nfiscate d his pro pe rty, co n sistin g o f pe arls,pre cio us sto n e s, &c . an d e stablishe d his tyran n icgo ve rnme n t in Lanka, an d appro priate d to himse lf all the pro pe rty be lo nging to Tun o - ruan , o r

MAHAWANSE . 3 19

Budhu, his do ctrin e , an d his fo llowe rs, theprie sts . So he re ign e d twe n tysix ye ars, com

mitting man y abomin able an d in fe rn al sin s .

The e nd o f the se ve n ty- n in th chapte r o f Mahawan se .

It is suppo se d that, by the kin d re sto ratio no f favour by the go ds in the supe rio r class o f

Maha - Sakkr aia upo n the pe o ple o f Lanka , a

prin ce , calle d‘Kalingu-wej eya - Chako , be ing o f

the ro yal tribe o f the King Sre e - sun ga - b o , the

co n veyo r o f the ho ly banian - tre e , bro ught upat the kingdo m Maya,ale having gathe re d a vastnum b e r o f Cingale se fo rce s, he pro ce e de d, as a

be am o f fir e sprun g up in the dark, again st thee n emy, and with ho stility pursue d them fromvillage to village , killing e ve ry o n e o f the e n e

my that he e n co un te re d, which o blige d them to

le ave the kingdom Maya, an d take she lte r at

Pihitty , whe re the y so j our n e d.

The Kin g Kalingu- wij eya - Chako , whe n he

had co n que re d Maya, built a city the re , ca lle dJam b o d - dr ohnu, o r Jambu - d ewa , whe re he se t

tle d him se lf. The prie sts who we re scatte re d,as the re ligio us bo o ks we re de stro ye d by the

On e o f thr e e diffe r e n t kin gdom s o f Lanka, viz . Rohun a,Maya, and Pihitty .

3 2 0 MAHAWANSE .

dham ilas during the time o f the afo re said kings,having pre se rve d the ir prie stly ro be s an d b e g

gin g - di she s, came n ow to Maya, whe r e the ywe re supplie d by the king with the fo ur so rtso f n e ce ssarie s use ful to pr ie sts, calle d sew

pasa .

The re lics'

an d the be ggin g- dish o f Budhu,

which at the war o f the dham ilas had be e ncarrie d by the gre at prie sts from the city Polo n n ar o to the to p o f a mo un ta in , which had be e nse cure d by the e n tre n chme n t o f wo o ds, an d o f

ro cks, an d a mo at o f wate r ; y e t, the y fin din g itn o t safe e n o ugh, the same we re bur i e d in the

he art o f the e arth, while the y pro ce e de d themse lve s to the kin gdo m o f So ly an d Pan dy, o n theco n tin e n t ; an d o n the ir re turn to the kingdomMaya, in Lanka , the king he aring o f the e xiste n ceo f the relics an d be gg in g- di sh, was e xce e din g lyple ase d, an d im m e di ate ly pro ce e din g up thithe rwith a vast num be r o f pe o ple an d prie sts, co nve y e d the r e lics back to the city with gre at ce remo n ie s, causin g the o ffe rings to b e m ade from village to villag e with g re at jo y, as if he had ga in e dthe em pe ro rship Chackr a—wa r thi e ;* an d the n he ,with a view o f saving the sam e fro m furthe rdange rs, made a repo sito ry, hewn o ut o n the

5‘ So le king o f the wo r ld .

3 2 2 MAHAWANSE .

The king n ow be ing apprise d o f the de

clining state o f bo th the lite rature an d the

Budhu’

s the o lo gy am o n g the prie sts, in a g re ate rde gre e sin ce the bo o ks had be e n co n sum e d bythe dham ilas, re so lve d himse lf to put o n fo o t thewo rk o f pro pag atin g bo th ; be cause the Budhu

’

s

do ctrin e s, be ing writte n in the Pa le e lan guage ,which afo re tim e s had be e n bo rn e by he art bytho se gre at le arn e d prie sts, had be e n committe dto b o o ks at the time o f the KingWalag am—abha ,sin ce which the sam e bo o ks had be e n disuse d,as a thing shut up in a ve sse l, witho ut e xe rcisin g them in the min ds o f prie sts ; at last thebo o ks also we re lo st, an d thus the Pale e do ctrin eo f Budhu van ishe d, like the day without thesun , an d the n ight without the m o o n . Thusstupid prie sts, who we re n o t acquain te d withthe re ligious pre ce pts, an d the ign o ran t pe o ple ,who live d in the wo rld like be asts, we re m adethe m se lve s the o bj e cts o f future to rme n ts .

The king, the re fo re , spe aking o f the do ctrin eo f Budhu to his im m e diate atte n dan t prie st,Anun da - Maha, said, O Anun da ! the

pre ce pts o f m y do ctrin e which I have de live re d,should b e re cko n e d as Budhus, who wo uldguide y ou afte r m e an d again to the king-

g o d

Sakkr aia , 0 king o f go ds ! tho ugh o n e sho uldbuild a house o f go ld as big as the who le

MAHAWANSE . 3 2 3

Sack- walla , o f y o dun s in circumfe re n ce ,e xte n ding in he ight to the uppe rmo st he ave no f the g o d Brahma , an d g e t Budhus, PasseBudhus, an d gre at r ahato o n s, se ate d in it, an do ffe r them alm s co n tain ing sew- pasa, the me ritthe re o f is in fe rio r e ve n to o n e - sixte e n th part o f

the me rits acquire d by pre aching, o r causing tob e pre ache d, a sin gle ve rse o f m y Pale e do ctrin e ,o f thre e diffe re n t de gre e s, calle d tr i - pittaka , o n eo f which is co n ce rn in g go ds, o n e co n ce rn ing thela ity, an d the o the r co n ce rn in g . the p r ie stho o d.

”

He impro ve d the do ctrin e s o f Budhudurin g his r e ign , by causing the same to b e

co pie d into bo o ks, paying the co pie rs the e xo rbitan t sum . o f m asur an s

*as wage s ; an d

he also em plo ye d prie sts to te ach the yo unge ran d mo re ign o ran t o f the prie sts, .at his o wn

e xpe n se , an d he daily supplie d them with e ve ryn e ce ssary, at his palace , e xce pt to tho se o f highquality, who we re supplie d at the ir own place s ofre side n ce an d so the re ligio n was im pro ve d.

The king havin g calle d his two so n s, Par ackf

r am ab aho o an d Bhuwan eka -

‘Chako ; (o f who m

the first was pre de stin ate d to b e the m o stfo rtun ate , acco rdin g to the judgme n t o f t he

astro lo ge rs, who was to o ve rcom e the e nem y,

1A g o ld co in .

3 24 MAHAWANSE .

and e xe rcise high powe r in Lanka, afte r havingm ade him se lf the so le king the re o f, an d im

pro ve the‘

Budhu’

s do ctrin e , an d who wo uldalso o btain ro yal virgin s fo r his co n so rts fro mfo r e ign co un trie s,) he made them sit by him ,

an d having kisse d them , he she d te ars o f j o y ;an d a s the y we re e ducate d in all scie n ce s, h

'

e

sowe d his first s e e d, n am e ly, Par ackr am ab aho o ,

in the fie ld Lanka , o r m ade him king, afte r hehad give n him advice , an d de live re d to his p r ote ctio n the assem bly o f prie sts, un de r the pre side n cy o f the high - prie st Raxap a , to g e the r withthe re lics an d the be gging- dish o f Budhu, an d

all the inhabitan ts o f Lanka ; an d we n t to the

wo rld o f Dewa—Loka, in the fo urth ye ar o f hisre ign . The e n d o f the e ightie th chapte r o f

Mahawan se .

Afte r the happy co ro n atio n o f Par ackr am a

baho o , who was skille d in the e ighte e n artscalle d Silpa , an d in all scie n ce s, an d who subdue dthe who le thre e kingdo m s in Lanka , he se ttle dhim se lf at the city Jam b o d - dr ohn a, appo in tinghis br o the r Bhuwan eka - Chako as Vice ro y, an dgiving him o n e half o f his domin io n .

This mighty prin ce de te rm in ing to put an

e n d to all abuse s an d tyran n ical o ppre ssio n s o fthe dham ilas, ye t re so lving to ce lebrate a fe ast

3 2 6 MAHAWANSE .

mo n ths . At last he bathe d him se lf in the

o do ro us wate r ; an d in the m e an tim e , o ffe rin g a

la‘

cse o f lam ps to b e lighte d with r aw cam pho r , heattain e d him se lf to the Budhu

’

s te n com m an dme n ts : the n h e to o k the rehe s o f Budhu upo nthe palm o f his han ds, re sem bling two p

'

e tals o fa tank- flowe r ,

‘

an d begge d them that a m iraclem ight b e -

shewn , an d in stan tly the re lics asce n de dthem se lve s to the sky , as a m o o n , an d displaye dthe repre se n tatio n o f Budhu, brighte n ing the

who le kin gdom with six di ffe re n t- co lo ure d rays,n am e ly, blue , g re e n , r e d, purple , ye llow, an d a

mixtur e o f all co lour s ; an d, in the course o f

se ve n hour s an d a half, re turn e d back to the

kin g’

s han ds, a ssuming the ir o rigi n al shapewhe n all classe s o f pe o ple , at that mira culo ussight, be ing surprise d an d o ve rco m e with j o y ,m ade the who le city re so un d with the ir sho utso f huzza an d thanksg ivin g s, whilst the kin g,who was likewise o ve rwhe lm e d with ple asure ,crie d alo ud a s a lio n , in the midst o f the pe o ple ,sayin g , The fruits o fmy life have this day be e no btain e d, an d the m e rits o f m y go o d de e ds havethis day be e n shewn to all.

”So he , o ffe ring

to the re lics, also his crown an d sixty- fo urso rts o f his ro yal appare l, put the re lics in tothe afo re said b o x, an d replace d them in the

re po sito ry with gr e at ce remo n ie s and o ffe rings,

MAHAWANSE., 3 2 7

with se ve n gums and fragran t o dours, duringse ve n days’ co n tinuan ce . The e nd o f the e ightyfir st chapte r o f Mahawan se .

From this time the pe o ple o f Lanka , whohad se e n the king ’

s pie ty and virtue , pro fe sse dthemse lve s an imate d with a mo st pro fo un dlo yalty to him ; an d vario us kings o f strangeco un trie s he aring this, an d be ing themse lve saware that the y co uld n o t withstan d his powe r,se n t him pre se n ts.

The king, who had an anxio us care to havehis co un try we ll po pulate d, abo lishe d the laws inflictin g high pe n altie s, e stablishing in the ir ste ade asie r pun ishme n ts ; such as that tho se who d ese rve d de ath o r de privatio n o f limbs, should b epun ishe d with impriso nm e n t tho se that de se rve dim priso nme n t o r ban ishme n t, with fin e ; an d

tho se that de se rve d fin e , with me re repro o f.Havin g e stablishe d his m ilitary fo rce s, he

comme n ced his inte n de dwar aga in st the dhamilae n emy, who tyrann ise d durin g fo rty ye ars so

crue lly in Lanka , by killin g an d re pulsing tho usan ds o f

’

his e n em ie s, who we re e n campe d at

fifte e n statio n s, in nume ro us armie s, as the wate ro f the se a

“

witho ut an empty space , as e le phan tsde stro ye d by lio n s, o r sn ake s by gur o o lus . The y

3 2 8 MAHAWANSE.

o ve rcame , howe ve r, twe lve gre at attacks re pe ate dly an d succe ssive ly made by the gre at dham ila fo rce s, who we re e ngage d o n ce with an

army o f an d again with so ldie rs,having arme d them se lve s with ve n omo us we apo n s, un de r the com m an d o f the dhamila kings,Tam b ahn gam ,

&c . who , be ing the re o n highlydisco m fite d, we re o blige d to re treat with the

re sidue o f the ir fo rce s to the city Po lo n n ar o ;whe n the y he ld a co un cil, an d dispute d upo nthe po in t, that it was n o t po ssible fo r them to

re sist the mighty powe r o f Par ackr am ab aho o ,

n o r was the re an y o n e upo n the e arth that co uldwithstan d his powe r, a s he had tho ro ughly subdue d e ve n the kings o f fo re ign co un tr ie s, m uchle ss the p e o ple o f Lanka , o r what co uld thedham ilas CW, who must dispe rse at his sight asfir e - wo rm s at the sight o f the sun . So the yre so lve d to fle e , with the ir wive s, taking withthem the ir j ewe ls an d baggage , co n tain ing silke nclo the s, an d o the r valuable things ; but in car

r ying the same in to e ffe ct the y we re m isle d bythe supe rio r abilitie s o f Par ackr am ab aho o ; fo r

a s the y, in ste ad o f the e aste r n gate o f‘

the city,passe d thro ugh the we ste rn , the Cingale se armie sbe in g statio n e d in the ir po sts, e n co un te ring thee n emy, thus carrie d the king’s o rde r in to com

3 3 0 MAHAWANSE .

the co n tin e n t, from whe n ce he was supplie d withro yal vir gin s fo r his wive s, an d o the r gifts.

The king having pro ce e de d to Dew4nuwan a ,*whe re the tem ple o f the g o dWisr io is situate d

,

wo rshipped him by making a divin e fe ast, and

built man y mo re e difice s fo r its use ; an d the nre tur n ing to his pa lace , at the city Jam b o ddr ohn a, se ttle d hims e lf the re , afte r he had o ve rc om e in all his battle s, an d had re co ve re d thewho le islan d. The e n d o f the e ighty- se co n dchapte r o f Mahawan se .

The king the re afte r re in statin g all the le g alpro prie to rs in the po sse ssio n o f the ir re spe ctivelan ds an d te n em e n ts, o f which th e y we re de

p r ive d by the in vasio n s o f fo re ign e n emie s, an dse ttling them a s be fo r e , an d re sto ring all the g a rde n s an d sowing - groun ds o f prie sts, the lan dsbe lo nging to the tem ple s, the private pro pe r ty,an d the lan ds be lo nging to the g e n e ral bo dy o fprie sts, to the ir re spe ctive ho lde rs, e n riching theinhabitan ts, an d e n r iching the co un try, repairing the ruin s o f the tem ple s, reje cting all the

im pude n t an d in tempe rate wicke d prie sts, thushe re ctifie d all the abuse s o f the re lig ion; an d

the n se n ding many g ifts to the co un try So ly,

Do ndr a , in the pr ovince o f Matur a .

MAHAWANSE . 3 3 1‘

o r the co ast Co ro m ande l, an d bringing pio usSo llian pr ie sts, who we re co n ve rsan t in the thre edegre e s o f do ctrin e tri - p ittaka, he pro pagate d there ligio n ; an d also co n ducting hithe r a gre atprie st calle d Dhurm ake e r thy, be ing a r ahato o n ,

who was o n e o f the se ct that was in the co un tryTum bha, by se n ding thithe r m an y gifts, such a s

san dal wo o d, &c. he re ce ive d him with pro fo un dre spe ct an d gre at j o y , an d tre ate d him withfe asts an d o ffe rin gs, supplying him co n stan tlywith sew- pasa .

He the n re so lve d to pro spe r the coun tryby the building o f all

,the public e difice s tha t

Vve r e e ve n in te n de d by fo rm e r kin gs, fo r theeducatio n o f all can didate s fo r the re ligio n , an d

all'

scie n ce s : he also m ade a plan tatio n fo r theuse o f the prie sts residing bo th in de se rts an d village s, pre side d o ve r by e ight high prie st

'

s, co n sistin g o f rows o f frui t- garde n s an d rows o f flowe rgarde n s, buildin g in it m an y e le gan t ho use s, withmany halls an d apartme n ts fo r se ve ra l purpo se s,such as fo r the ir re po se in day - time an d in n ighttime , an d fo r waking, which he de live re d o ve rto the prie sts, with man y o the r o ffe rin gs an d

fe astings .

He the n , gathe ring all the pio us pr ie sts thatwe r e dwe lling in the village s, pe rmitte d themto be come he rmits in de se rts, by tre ating them

3 3 2 MAHAWANSE.

with n ourishme n t, &c. ; he pro cure d bo oks fromJam bu—dwipa fo r the e ducatio n o f the re ligio nan d all scie n ce s, an d impro ve d the village prie stsin kn owle dge , an d made them to b e skille din bo th he taught his own bro the r, Bhuwan e ka - Chako , the do ctrin e o f tri- pittaka, o r thethre e de gre e s, an d cause d him to pre ach to

the prie sts, to whom, in the me an time , he madem an y o ffe rings an d fe astings ; he ce lebrate de ight gre at fe asts o n e ight diffe re n t o ccasio n s,n ame ly, o n the third, sixth, e le ve n th, twe lfth,se ve n te e n th, twe n ty first, twe n tyse ve n th, an d

thirtie th ye ar o f his birth, by co n structing a

large hall, to b e suppo rte d by sixty pillar s, an d

ado rn e d with white lin e n , an d the n co n ducte dprie sts to it, tre ating them daily with man yo ffe rings, an d causing the sam an e r as, o r the

pr ie sts o f lowe r quality, to atta in the high qualityo f prie stho o d Up e sam pada, an d appo in ting piousle a r n e d o n e s to the high prie stho o d, o ffe ring themm any valuable tre asure s, an d again to all the

g e n e ral bo dy o f prie sts, with e ight p e r ekar ds.

The e n d o f the e ighty- third chapte r o f Ma

hawan se .

The king built, fo r the purpo se o f repo sitingthe re lics o f Budhu, a large tem ple at the citySe r ewur dhun a , with a high wall ro und it, co n

3 34 MAHAWANSE .

e lephan ts, all a cte d upo n in the sam e m an n e r,

to have the ir m o tio n s to play fro m o n e e n d to

the o the r, so as to ple ase the e y e o f spe ctato rs ;th man y o the r o ffe rings.

The n he cause d all the inhabitan ts o f Lankato b e arrange d in due o rde r '

o n’ bo th side s the

ro ad, in the city, to the e xte n t o f o n e g ow,

to give sho uts o f huzza an d shouts o f thanko ffe rings to Budhu, whilst the kin g him se lf,arraye d in ro yal appare l, m o un te d upo n an ex

ce lle n t cha r io t, be aring the re lics an d the‘

b e g

ging- dish o f Budhu upo n his he ad, an d atte n de dby prie sts o f bo th o rde rs, pio us m e n , an d o the rsattache d to the re lig io n , o f bo th se xe s, carryin gflowe rs, &c . co n ducte d the re lics thr o ugh ‘

the ro adfurn ishe dwith o ffe rings, such as g o lde n tape strie s,silve r tape strie s, go lde n po ts, silve r po ts, go lde nWhisks, silve r Whisks , go lde n bo xe s, silve r bo xe s,g o lde n fan s, silve r fan s, till the y cam e an d place dthe b o x o f re lics upo n the se at which is in thehall, de co rate d with transpare n t sto n e s, in the

midst o f the tem ple Se r iwar dhun a ; whe n im

me diate ly all the pious pe o ple o ffe re d to the re licsan d the begg ing- dish o f Budhu in the fo re n o o n ,with a showe r o f flowe r s o f all so rts an d Co lo urs,to b e sprinkle d o ve r them ; an d the king, witho do ro us rice , suan da he l, an d fruits ve ry ripe ,co n sisting o f plan ta in , mango , jack, &c . ; an d the n

MAHAWANSE.

again with various so rts o f valuable things, an din the same man n e r to the prie sts, with victuals,drinkings, an d with . e ight p e r ekar as, fo r hundre ds o f prie sts an d afte rwards o ffe re d so man ylam ps to b e lighte d with fragran t o il an d cam

pho r o il, as to make the who le space ro un d thetem ple like the sky wi th stars ; whilst man y co n

tinue d in dan cing, sin gin g, an d playing o n the

five so rts o fmusical in strume n ts, in the halls a ndthe ro ads, fro m place to pla ce ; an d o the rs atte n din g the do ctrin e , an d pre aching upo n the se atspre pare d by pio us m e n from place to pla ce , g iving,at the re st o f e ve ry se n te n ce , sho uts o f thanksgiving to Budhu, an d saying, Aho Budhu ! AhoDham m o ! Aho - sun gho ! o r , O Budhu ! O Budhu

’

s do ctrin e ! an d , O Budhu’

s fo llowe rs, theprie sts, how de ar an d how emin e n t y e ar e !

”so

the fe ast was co n tinue d fo r se ve n days in a mo stluxurio us m an n e rf He afte rwards building a

g re at temple , o ffe re d it fo r the ge n e ral so cie tyo f prie sts ; an d he built a large temple afte r hisown n ame , calle d Par ackr amab aho o ; co n sistingo f m an y high an d e le gan t ho use s an d halls, an do ffe re d fo r its use man y lan ds, makin g gre atfe asts . His bro the r built, at the city Se r iwar dhan a , a temple calle d afte r his own n ame , Bhuwan eka - Chako , co n sisting o f many public e difice s,which he o ffe re d afte r a gre at fe ast had be e n

3 3 6 MAHAWANSE .

Ce le brate d. The king built, at the city Hasti

g ir r ie , a temple afte r his own n ame , an d an o the rcalle d Maha -mahin da . He re paire d the de fe ctso f the g r e at tem ple at Galan y, which had be e nbui lt by a king calle d Yattala - tissa, o ffive sto rie shigh, whe re he also m ade a trian gular im ag e

ho use , co n tain ing im age s o f Budhu in the lyin gpo sture an d the n having e re cte d a hall upo n a

fo ur- square ro ck, making it sm o o th, o ffe re d m an ythin g s, such as flowe rs, lam ps, victuals, &c . o n cea - we ek. He plan te d n e ar that tem ple a garde no f co co a - nut

‘

fo r the use o f the co n tinual lam po ffe ring ; and the n the repo sito ry- ho use , o f twosto rie s high, which had bee n built at the tem pleo f Attan agalla , by the de af king Abha , in m e

mo ry o f the King Sre e Sunga—b o , who cut o ff an d

o ffe re d his own he ad at that place to a po o ralm o n e r, was rebuilt by this Kin g Par ackr am a

baho o an ew, m akin g it a go lde n ho use o f thre esto rie s high ; he built an o the r gre at tem ple at thatplace , upo n the ve ry spo t whe re the b o dy o f hisfathe r, the King Kalinga - wij e yab aho o , had be e nburn t to ashe s an d in the same place an e ightangular im age - ho use , c o n tain ing the Budhu

’

s

image s hewn o ut o f sto n e s .

Now the king, he aring that the Budhu’

s

ro be , which he hadWo rn in his life tim e , calle dPaun so - cula, and a re lic, n ame ly, the to o th o f

3 3 8 MAHAWANSE .

dur in g se ve n days, acco r ding to the o ld custo m .

The kin g afte rwards havin g be e n in fo rm e d o f the

g r e at advan tag e that flowe d fro m the charitycalle d Cattin aya , he re so lve d to d o the sam e

, as

he di d acco rdin g ly, an d g ave e ighte e n Cattin asin o n e day ; an d a lso he fe d o n that day all

the prie sts in the islan d. The kin g did the secharitie s in gre at abun dan ce . He re so lve d o n ceto m ake an o ffe rin g to Budhu ,

fo r which pur po sehe ado rn e d his palace like that o f the g o d

n am e d Sakkr aia , an d his kin gdom like the

divin e wo rld ; the n he bro ught dawto o , an d

place d the sam e o n the thro n e , a cco m pan ie dwith all so r ts Of ho n o ur an d po m p, an d ce leb r ate d it durin g se ve n days, havin g a ssem ble dall the pr ie sts in the islan d. He pro ce e de d withhis r e tinue to the m o un tain calle d Sam an tako o

taye , whe re he pe rfo r m e d his ado r atio n at Sr i

pada - lanjan e ya (the m ark o f the fo o tste p o f

Budhu), which is re spe cte d an d ado r e d by all

the g o ds . This is the e ighty - fo urth chapte r,calle dWiwida - ko o salaka r an e , in the bo o k Ma

hawan se .

The King Pa r ackr am ab aho o the n havin gre so lve d to d o e ve r y thing fo r the public we lfare ,he be tho ught himse lf which o f his m in iste rs hesho uld emplo y fo r that purpo se ; an d , at the sam e

MAHAWANSE . 3 3 9

time , remembe ring that the min iste r n ame dDawap ati

- raja wa s a pio us m an , who had o n ce

plan te d a co co a - nut, wishing to have sprin gup thre e plan ts fro m the thre e e ye s o f the co

co a - nut, which acco rdin g ly came to pass ; an d

that he o n ce having se e n an in dige n t m an , gavehim m uch riche s, with the de sire o f be comin g aBudhu ; the re fo re the kin g thought that thism in iste r wo uld b e a fit pe rso n to carry in toe ffe ct his re so lutio n : so the king se n t fo r thism in iste r, an d to ld him that the ro ad to the

mo un ta in Sam an tako o tay e was as b ad as if ithad be e n m ade by the de ity n am e dWa sawar thym ar e ya ; that it was a p ainfii l j o urn e y to all the

pe o ple o f the e ighte e n co un trie s who we re go ingthe re fo r ado ratio n , an d the re fo re that he sho uldcause to b e m ade a go o d ro ad.

* The king a lsoaddre sse d the min iste r, sayin g, that the Kin gUpatissa , in his life tim e , had e re cte d a tem plein the village Atte n ag alle , which sin ce had fa lle ndown , an d the re fo re that he sho uld re build thesam e , &c . &c .

In this he im itate s the Budhu, who leve lle d the r o adfo r his pr e de ce sso r s , a nd the r eby acquir e d a. m e r ito r io uscla im to the Budhuship ; he n ce the p r actice still e xiststhr o ugho ut the East. TheWassewa r thy Ma r e ya is the g r e at

e n e m y an d fo e o f the Budhu , and a po we r ful g o d o f the

in te rm e diate he ave n s, o r Dewa - Loka .

340 MAHAWANSE .

This min iste r havin g acce pte d all the se

c o m m issio n s o f the kin g , he first pro ce e de d toGan g an yp o o r ay e , whe re he cause d to b e m ade ,with all m agn ifice n ce , the im ag e o f the g o d

n ame d So o m e n a - n o m - dewa - raja . The n he havin gre so lve d to make the ro ad to the m o un ta in Sam an tako o tay e , he cause d to b e take n alo n g withhim the said image , with much labo ur ; an d so

he arrive d at Gam b ap ale , an d fr o m the n ce hebe g an to m ake b r idg e s : he cause d o n e to b e

m ade at Mo okadd ewar e y e o f the le n gth o f

thirty - five Cubits, o n e at Cadjo tan adiy e the

le n gth o f thir ty cubits,o n e in the village Ulla

pam a the le ngth Of thir ty six cubits, o n e at

Am b ag o m e r a r the le n gth o f thirty - fo ur cubits,&c . &c . ; all which we r e o f sufficie n t stre n gthto b e passe d o ve r by e le phan ts, ho rse s, an d

all o the rs . He the n e re cte d building s o ve rtho se bridg e s, in to which he havin g in vite d a

g re at num be r o f pr ie sts, distribute d a lm s . The nhe pro ce e de d to m ake the ro ad thro ugh the

wilde rn e ss, an d havin g co m ple te d tha t wo rk,he a r r ive d at the sa id m o un tain , whe re he

pe rfo rm e d his ado ratio n at Sr ip aday e , an d

place d the im ag e o f the g o d : he a lso cause dto b e e re cte d a building , an d made Offe rin g s Of vario us de scriptio n s . The king havingbe e n in fo r m e d o f all the se pe rfo rman ce s o f

342 MAHAWANSE .

he at an d dryn e ss in the islan d, by which all

plan ts withe r e d, so as to thre ate n a g re atscarcity . This te rrifie d all the inhabitan ts o f

the islan d in a g re at de gre e ; but the Kin g Par ackr am ab aho o havin g m ade gre at sa crifice s inthe n am e o f Budhu an d o the r de itie s, praye dfo r ra in . The n it came to pass that the re ap

p e ar e d lightn ing an d ra in y clo uds fro m e ve rys ide o f the islan d, an d at last it bro ke fo rthin a he avy ra in . Upo n this, the pe o ple beganto pra ise the Budhu an d the king.

This kin g havin g co n tinue d to go ve rn the

islan d fo r the public we lfare fo r a le n gth o f

tim e , he at le n gth calle d his siste r’s s o n Wie rabaho o , an d his so n sWijayab aho o , Bo owe n akabaho o , Tr ico owan am allayan , an d Bo owe n aka

jay e b aho o , an d addre sse d them , saying, Myso n s, the re a r e childre n o f thre e de scriptio n s inthis wo rld, calle d awajata (un n atural), an o ojata

(n atural) , an d atiejata (m o st n atura l) . It is an

an cie n t sayin g applie d to childre n o f the se thre ede scriptio n s, that o n e who spe n ds all the we alth

g athe r e d by his an ce sto rs, an d passe s his dayslike a mo nke y, he is awajata ; o n e who pro pe rlym ake s use Of the we alth Of his an ce sto rs, an d

ke eps his dign ity, he is an o ojata ; an d o n e who

adds mo re we alth by his in dustry to that whichhe Obtain e d from his an ce sto rs, he is atiej ata .

MAHAWANSE . 343At the de ath o f m y fathe r, he le ft m e o n ly theco un try calle d Majar atta ; but n ow I have a o ~

quire d the two o the r kingdoms ; I have subdue dall the Malabar pe o ple , which m y fathe r co uldn o t d o : so at pre se n t all the fo re ign prin ce sd o ho m age to m e , an d m y fame is o ve r all

the co un trie s ; I have acquire d an im m e n sityo f pre cio us sto n e s, sufficie n t to live upo n tillyo ur se ve n th ge n e ratio n , &c . &c . thus I be cam e

an atiejata so n o f m y father. The re fo re , m y so n s,d o be come atiejata so n s, in re sem blan ce o f m e .

Rem em be r, that in the an cie n t tim e the re we reprin ce s o f the tribe Ookakawan se , in

Jam bu - dwip a , which the y having divide d in toparts, re ign e d all in pe ace . Thus, m y

so n s, y o u also divide the islan d pro pe rly, an d

g o ve r n the sam e in frie n dship an d pe ace , takin ggo o d care n o t to o pe n a way to fo re ign e n e

m ie s . The kin g havin g thus addr e sse d the

pr in ce s, he assem ble d the prie sts an d the co m

m o n s, an d in quire d o f them to whom the ytho ught pro pe r to give charg e o f the re alm ;

upo n this the prie sts re plie d, that all the prin ce swe r e e qua l in wisdom, va lo ur, an d in e ve ryo the r capacity ; but the prin ceWijayab aho o , thekin g

’

s e lde st so n , had from his in fan cy ad

he re d to tr iwidar atn ay e , (that is, Budhu, his

do ctrin e , an d the prie sts,) he always suppo rte d

344 MAHAWANSE .

the infirm prie sts, he n e ve r spare d the truth,he was o f a grate ful m ind, &c . &c . ; all whichwe re we ll kn own to e ve ry m an , the re fo re itre quire d n o fii r the r in quiry . This pra ise , g ive nby the prie sts, ple ase d the kin g e xce e din g ly ; so

he calle d the Prin ceWijayab aho o , an d char ge dhim

,that if the re was an y thin g that o ught to

have be e n do n e fo r the public we lfare whichhis fathe r had o m itte d, that he sho uld com

ple te the sam e ; that he sho uld rebuild the

towe r n ame d Ruwanwe lly Chaittiya , which wasde stro ye d by fo re ign e n emie s ; that as the cityPo lo n n ar o pur a , which was the he ad- quarte r s o f

the an cie n t kings, wa s artificially built, the re fo rethat he sho uld bring it in to the fo rme r state ;that he sho uld e re ct a m ag n ifice n t building fo rdawto o , &c . &c . The kin g having g ive n the sein structio n s to the pr in ce , he g ave in to his

han ds the g o ve r nm e n t o f the kingdo m , an d alsothe charg e o f the o the r pr in ce s

,the dawto o ,

the prie sts, an d the m in iste rs . This is the

e ighty- sixth chapte r, calle d Radjab ahar ar o pa , inMahawan se .

On e tho usan d e ight hun dre d an d n in e ye a r safte r the de ath o f o ur Budhu, an d in the tim e

o f the sa id gre at king, se ve ral parts Of the

Scripture we re tran slate d by the high prie sts

346 MAHAWANSE .

ings . The n the king re so lve d to g o o n withthe wo r k o f the city Po lo n n a r o pu r a , in co m plian ce with the de sire Of his fathe r ; but thinkin gthat the abse n ce o f the childre n might hurt thefe e lin g s o f his fathe r the o ld kin g, he de sir e dthe prin ce s Bowe n akab aho o an d Bowan eka

jay e b aho o that the y sho uld a lways b e with theo ld kin g the ir fathe r. The n the king calle d hisyo unge r bro the r Tr ico owan am allayan , an d g avehim the cha r ge o f all the pe o ple re siding fr o mthe city Dam b e d e n y - n o owa r a up to the n o r thse a , in o rde r that the y m ight se rve his fathe r an dpro te ct him , &c . &c The kin g havin g r e gu

late d these public affa ir s, he se t Off with the

Prin ceWie r ab aho o to be gin the wo r k o f Po lo nn a r o pur a ; upo n which the Old king, Pa r ackr am ab aho o , o f his fathe r ly a ffe ctio n , r e so lve dto fo llow his so n . The Kin gWijayab aho o e u

tr e ate d his fathe r to a lte r his re so lutio n , but

all was in va in ; so he attem pte d to se paratefro m him ag a in st his will : at last the o ld kin gagre e d to g o a lo ng with him as far as thre e

y o dun s, with all his re tinue . Upo n this, all them in iste rs, g e n e ra ls, g ian ts, an d all o the rs o f

e ve ry de scriptio n , re so lve d to acco m pan y him ,

le avin g the ir lands an d ho use s ; b ut the KingWijayab aho o , with g re at kin dn e ss, adm o n ishe dthe m , an d tho se

'

o n whom he co uld pre vail '

MAHAWANSE . 347he ke pt from the ir re so lutio n ; the n he p r o

ce e d e d to the high mo un ta inWatag ir y , o n

the to p o f which he e re cte d a ro yal ho use ,whe re he de po site d all the tre asur e which he

g o t from his fathe r ; also a buildin g fo r the

pr ie sts, which he Offe re d to the high prie st .The n ce he pro ce e de d to the mo un tain Sam an tako o taya , whe re he havin g m ade the ado ratio nbe fo re Sr ipaday e , . he we n t to Bajaga—sr i- p o o r aya ,where he re paire d the tem ple Pawsadan am - Vihare ; the n he pro cee de d to Sin do o - r awan e y e ,

whe re he cause d to b e built a tem ple , &c .

The kin g,

o n his arr iva l at Atg ir ip o o r e ya ,

havin g se e n the vault o f his un cle in the gre a ttem ple , which was ere cte d

.

b y himse lf, he lam e n te d , with the Prin ceWie r ab aho o , the de atho f his un cle . The kin g e re cte d at this pla ce a

te m ple , with an im age o f Budhu, a n d se ve ralo the r apa r tm e n ts . He cause d a lso to b e m adethe im age o f his un cle ,* an d le ft it the re in r e

m em b r an ce o f the de ce ase d : he the n pro ce e de d

Alo m p r a , as he is te r m e d in Co l. Sym e s’

s wo r k, o r

r athe r Alo aun g Phr aw ,assum e d the title o f the fo unde r o f

the pr e se n t Bir m ah dyn asty ; and afte r the captur e Of P r o m e,

co n se c r ate d the r e a g o lde n im ag e o f him se lf, a s an in ca r

n atio n Of the Budhu, which was pr e se rve d as the pallad ium o f the city, and b r o ught to En g land by Captain Mar

r yatt, R .N.

348 MAHAWANSE .

to So o r ag ar ip o o r aya . Whe n the king was the re ,the Prin ce Chan d r ab aho o , who was drive n o ut

in the fo rm e r war , lan de d a t the place calle dMahato tta , with a gre at army o f Malabars Ofthe co un trie s o f Pan dy an d So ly . Upo n this

,

the Cin gale se inhabitan ts Of the place s calle dPady, Run da, &c . j o in e d his fo rce s, an d de clare dhim kin g : he the n cause d a fo rtificatio n to b e

made o n the mo un ta in n ame d So o b ayap auwe ,an d se n t me sse nge rs deman ding the dawto o an d

the kingdo m , with dire ctio n , if the y we re r e

fuse d, to de clar e wa r . This m e ssage be in g d eclar e d to the Kin gWij ayab aho o , he co n sulte dwith the Prin ceWie r ab aho o , an d having ra ise da g r e at num be r o f tro o ps, the y put them se lve s atthe he ad o f the arm y, surro un de d the fo rce s o f

the Kin g Chan d r ab aho o , an d attacke d the m o n

all side s ; so that at last, the e n emy having be e ndepr ive d o f the ir arms, be gan to tremble , lam e n t,

an d to b e g fo r the ir live s . At the same tim e ,

the Kin g Chan dr ab aho o made his e scape , an d

the Kin gWijayab aho o made him se lf m aste r o f

his wive s, e le phan ts, ho rse s, &c . an d o f all the

arm s an d stan dar ds, all which he de spatche d tohis fathe r The n he havin g e re cte d a ro yalho use o n the g ro un d whe re he g a in e d the vic

to ry, with a high an d str o n g fo rtificatio n , he alsoe re cte d buildings fo r the prie sts .

3 5 0 MAHAWANSE .

baho o , who appro ve d Of his so n’

s pro po sal, the nse n t him m e n , an d all the diffe re n t kin ds o f

a r tisan s, wo r km e n , an d we alth, to a ssist him in

his g ran d wo rk . The KingWijayab aho o , whore ce ive d this assistan ce from his fathe r, be g anhis de sign , an d co m ple te d the sam e as the kingd o m o f Sakkr aia , the kin g o f g o ds . The e n d

Of the e ighty- se ve n th chapte r, calle d Palatte pur eka r ahp ata, o f the bo o k Mahawan se .

The E ig hty- e ig hth Chap te r of the b o ok Maha

wa n se , ca lled Abise ehem ang a lahdidiep e n e .

Afte r the co n clusio n o f the buildin g Of thecity Po lo n n ar o , he wro te to his fathe r, the Kin gPa r ackr am ab ah o o , to co m e to that city fo r theco r o n atio n fe ast ; upo n which the fathe r OfWijayab aho o le ft the city Dam b e d e n y an d cam e

to the city Po lo n n a r o : afte rwards the co ro n atio n fe ast be gan , an d it la ste d fo r se ve n days .

The g o ve rnm e n t o f Po lo n n ar o havin g be e n co m

m itte d in to the ca r e o fWie r ab aho o , the Kin gWijayab aho o we n t, to g e the r with his fathe r, tothe city Jam bu - d r o hn a , in o rde r to bringBudhu

’

s two p attr ah dawto o , o r the two cupswhich Budhu use d wh e n he wa s a live , to the

city Po lo n n ar o . The y we re the n bro ught i n

g r e at pr o ce ssio n ; an d afte rwards the y we re d e

MAHAWANSE . 3 5 1

po site d, o n a pro pitio us day , in the place pre pare dfo r them . On this fe stiva l he o rn ame n te d thewho le city, an d co n tinue d the fe a stin g from thatday fo r the space o f thre e mo n ths . Afte r this,the Kin gWijayab aho o se n tWie r ab aho o to

the place calle d Dahasto tte , to make pre paratio n s fo r the purpo se Of cre atin g Up e sam padaprie sts, whe re he the n co n structe d tho usan dsOf buildin g s, trium pha l arche s, &c . ; whe reupo nthe KingWijayab aho o came the re , an d se n tfo r the prie st Madd e n ie - n aweke -

yatie s- warre ,

with whom the kin g havin g co n sulte d, he the n

g ave a public n o tice to the Budhist prie sts o f

the who le islan d o f Ce ylo n , who had a min dto be co m e Up e sam p ada , that the y sho uld a s

sem ble at Dahasto tte . On this co m m un icatio na g re at n um be r o f Budhu prie sts a ssem ble dthe re in a sho rt tim e . The kin g, to ge the r withthe Yatie swa r r e prie st Of Dahasto tte , havin gviewe d the g r e at ass embly o f Budhu prie sts,we re m uch ple ase d, an d be gan the in te n de do pe ratio n ; an d such pr ie sts a s we re willingto be co m e Up e sam p ada, we re cre ate d a s such .

This fe a st laste d fifte e n days . Durin g this pe rio dall the diffe re n t kings o f Wan n y Pattas, b e lo n gin g to the kin gdo m s Ro hun a , Pihitty , &c . ,

we rein atte n dan ce , an d fe a ste d with abundan t p r ovisio n . The fo llowin g jur isdictio n s we re b e

3 5 2 MAHAWANSE .

stowe d o n some o f the mo st le arn e d prie stsam o ngst them : viz . Mahaswam y

- Padewiya , San

g a r aj e - Padewy , Mfile - Padewy , Nay ekke- Padewy ,

Maha - istewe r r a - Padewy , an d Istewir r a Pir iwe n

Pad ewy . The o ld King Par ackr am ab aho o havin ge stablishe d his so n , the pio us KingWijayab aho o ,to re side at that place fo r a lo ng tim e , an d

having a cquire d man y ble ssin gs by do in g cha

rity, he de parte d this life afte r a re ign o f thirtyfive ye a r s . On his de ath, his so n , the King VVio

j ayab aho o , be cam e so le go ve rn o r o f the islan d o fCe ylo n . Whe reupo n o n e o f his co ur tie rs, n am e dMittr a , br ibe d a slave be lo n gin g to the kin g

’

s

palace , by who m the king was kille d o n a ce r

ta in n ight, in o rde r that he , the co urtie r, m ight

g e t the kingdo m . The Kin g Buwe n eke b aho o ,the yo un ge r bro the r o f the de ce ase d Wijayabaho o , having he ar d Of this, was affr ighte d, an dpro ce e de d to g o to Sub am ale pur a Dur g aya fromthe city Dam b e d e n y , in a co n ce ale d co n ve yan ce .

Nin e bro the rs fo llowe d afte r him, an d struckwith a shar p we apo n o n the c o n ve yan ce in

which the King Buwe n eke b aho o was co n ce ale d ;the co n ve yan ce was bro ke n , an d the kin g fe llo n the gr o und, an d im m e diate ly g o t up an d fle d

to the village Callug alle g am e , whe re the re wasa ho use in which e lephan ts we re ke pt ; he the nto o k an e le phan t fr o m that place , an d having

3 54 MAHAWANSE .

the n ew king, who sat o n the thro n e . Afte rwards, the city was alarm e d, an d the

‘

Cin g ale seso ldie rs the n came to the spo t, an d . deman de do f Taccur ake an d the o the rs who the pe rpe trato ro f that murde r was ? - The y an swe re d an d sa id,the y had do n e that act by the o rde r Of theKin g Buwe n ake b aho o , who re side d a t Sub ep a rwe tta . On this . the Cin gale se so ldi e rs a lsoimm e diate ly j o in e d them , an d we nt to the citySub e p ar we tta , an d bro ught the King Buwen ake b aho o to the city Dam b e d e n y , whe re hewas crown e d . He subdue d the Malabar s n ame dCalin gar ay e ,Mo de g an g a,De ewaya , &c . who camefrom fo re ign co un trie s, an d he also ban ishe dthe fo llowin g un fa ithful Cingale se kin gs o f theWan n is, n am e ly, Cad e lipate -Mapaun e ya , Tipauhahinuyan eke ya , &c . an d in a few days he e n

tir e ly re gulate d the islan d o f Ce ylo n . This kin gre side d fo r so m e time at the city Dam b e d e ny ,an d afte rwards built a palace at the city Slib am ale pur a , an d re side d the re . He was a pio usking : he cause d to b e writte n all the Thr ip i

tekadar m e , o r Budhu’

s laws, an d distribute dthe m in all the Budhu

’

s temple s in the islan do f Ce ylo n . He did m an y charitie s ; an d Offe ringswe re made daily by him in the n ame o f the

Dalle dah, o r the ho ly to o th Of Budhu ; he p r o

pag ate d the Budhu’

s law ; he ce le brate d the

MAHAWANSE . 3 5 5

fe ast Up e sam pada ; an d he re ign e d in tran quillity fo r e le ve n ye ars, an d de parte d this life at

the city Sun de r r ag ir r ipur a .

Afte r the de ath Of this king, o n e Ar iyacharwarty, a min iste r who was se n t by the Kin gPan dipasb a, cam e with a powe rful Malabar army,an d lan de d upo n the islan d o f Ce ylo n . He d e

stro ye d the re ligio n Of Budhu, e n te re d in to the

city Sun de r r ag ir r i, an d to o k away with himthe Dalle dah, o r the ho ly to o th o f Budhu, an d

the riche s which we re in the city, to the coun tryPan dy, an d gave them to the Kin g o f Pan dy,calle d Kule sekar a . About that time o n e Pa

r ackr am ab aho o , the so n o f the be fo re - n am e dKingWijayab aho o , be cam e the Kin g o f the islan do f Ce ylo n . He be ing de siro us to g e t back theho ly to o th o f Budhu, we n t him se lf, with somem e n , to the c oun try Pan dy, as a frie n d o f the

Kin g Pan dy, an d aske d him fo r the re lics,whe reupo n he willingly gav e ba ck the Dalle dah '

to the king. Pa r ackr am ab aho o having bro ughtthe same , an d depo site d it in the e aste rn Da ladaga , a ho use

,

in the city Po lo n n a r o , the kinga lso re side d

,in that city . This king se n t e x

e cutio n e r s to pull o ut the e ye s o f the Prin ceBuwe n akeb aho o , re sidin g at Sub am ale pur a , who

was the so n o f the late Kin g Buwe n ake b aho o ,

3 5 6 MAHAWANSE .

thinking that he m ight a spire to the kingdo min future . Within a ye ar afte r this the kin g wascrown e d ; an d he daily use d to give alm s to

Budhu prie sts, &c . This kin g had also built a

Dalle dah ho use , o f thr e e sto rie s high, which wassum ptuo usly ado rn e d w ith go ld, silve r, pre cio ussto n e s, pe arls, clo ths, &c . ; an d in the ce n tre o f

which the re was m ade a valuable se at, o n whichthe Dale daca r an du , o r the b o x co n tain in g theh o ly to o th o f Budhu, an d Patra Dawto o ca r an du,

o r the b o x which co n ta in e d the ho ly cup fro mwhich Budhu use d to e at whe n a live , w e replace d ; an d the kin g daily use d the re to p e r

fo rm divin e se rvice .

This kin g having had a pio us prie st as histuto r, who was skille d in diffe re n t lan guag e s, hebe cam e acqua in te d with all the Jutakas, o r the5 5 0 histo rie s r e late d by Budhu . The kin g afte rwards cause d the m to b e tr an slate d fro m the

Pale e lan guag e in to the Cin g ale se , which we r eafte rwards re vise d by diffe re n t skilful prie sts,an d pub lishe d thr o ugho ut the islan d o f Ce ylo n .

The bo o k co n tain in g the Cin g ale se tr an slatio no f the 5 5 0 histo r ie s, which was in the po sse ssio no f the king, he afte rwar ds g ave to the chie fprie st calle d Man dan ca r r a ; an d the kin g m adethe r e a building calle d Pir r ewe n a , which, to ge

3 5 8 MAHAWANSE .

temple in the village Sub ewiddr um a, which isn e a r to the city Raj e g r awm e pur a , which he gaveto the prie st Mahistewar r a , his tuto r. An d,

la stly, he built a city m the kingdom May

adan au, an d in that city he co n structe d a lo ftytem ple , within which he place d the image o f

the g o d Utp alewar n e Dewe r aja, o r Wisnu, an dmade Offe rin gs .

END OF VOL . I.

L O N D O N

c As r L e sm e a r , t C FSTE R S ! UARE .

the mahavansi - Forgotten Books

Documents

Transcript of the mahavansi - Forgotten Books