to good works, by whom were built many viháras with the necessary furnishings thereof.

On one occasion when he was travelling through a forest in 65 which no man dwelt, it happened that he had to pass the night there with all his followers. And when he had washed and 66 anointed himself with oil, and had eaten of a rich meal, he went to lay himself on the soft bed that had been prepared for him in a fine tent. But seeing that sleep came not to him, he examined 67 whether anything had befallen him during the day by reason of which his slumbers could be disturbed. And finding no such 68 cause, he concluded that the reason thereof lay without, and sent men to find it, saying, "Surely certain of my venerable friends are 69 even now being drenched with the rain under the trees; bring them hither to me if ye meet with them.” And the king's 70 servants went forth with torches and searched everywhere, and came upon a number of monks who had come from Mahágáma, and who were taking shelter under the trees in the forest (because they had been overtaken by the night). And the 71 king's servants took word of this to the king and he set out quickly, and, being much pleased at seeing them, brought them to his own abode and gave them suits of yellow robes from the 72 number that had been set apart for distribution daily. And their robes that had been wet he caused to be dried, and, having 73 given them water to wash their feet with, and other things that were necessary, he made them all sit down on well-spread couches, and served them himself with the medicinal food that had been 74

brought for them. And in the morning also he gave them their victuals, and, having done other things also that were necessary, he provided them with attendants and sent them 75 away pleased on their journey. In this manner did this prince, who loved good deeds, pass his days.

And while this chief of men was leading a life devoted to good 76 works and setting an example to the whole country and province, his son Mána,* who was in the eastern country, raised an army 77 and, with the help of his father's men and his treasure, set out to Tipucullasa to make war. And when Dáṭhopatissa heard 78 thereof, he set out from Tambalanga with a great army, and a fierce battle ensued when the armies encountered each other. 79 And the strong men of Dáṭhopatissa killed Máņa and his followers in this battle. And when Dappula heard of his son's 80

• Dappula's son. (See v. 16, 21.)

defeat and his death, he was stricken with grief as with an arrow, and died. He reigned seven days at Anuradhapura and 81 three years at Rohana. The story, therefore, of his life is connected with Rohana and this place also.

82 Even so do men kill each other as the opportunity giveth itself, and gain a glory which may disappear at any moment like a flash of lightning. What wise man will place any trust

therein?

Thus endeth the forty-fifth chapter, entitled "The Reigns of Four Kings," embodied in the Mahávansa, composed equally for the delight and amazement of good men.

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2

A

CHAPTER XLVI.

ND when Hatthadáṭha (Daṭhopatissa) died, his younger brother, the prince Aggabodhi, ascended the throne with the title of Sirisańghabodhi. He was a just king, and 3 as he took a right view of things, he did much good. He took care of the refectories of the three fraternities and added greatly to the resources of the Mahápali alms-hall, and prohibited the destruc4 tion of animal life. And as he was not ambitious of keeping all power in his hands alone, he bestowed offices on men according to their deserts, and conferred honours on them according to their 5 attainments or their rank. This wise and prudent man caused the religious Paritta* to be rehearsed by priests of learning where6 soever he found them, and them he honoured duly. And he 7 heard the doctrine of the Supreme Buddha preached unto him by Dáthásíva, the elder of the Nágasála monastery, a man of great wisdom, virtue, and learning. And he was greatly delighted therewith, and regarded it as the means of gaining every happiness. 8 And when the king had heard of the many cruel acts which the Theriya brethrent had suffered in former times from his wicked and evil-disposed ancestors, he repaired and restored to that 9 Order all its viháras and pariveņas that had been brought to ruin, and endowed all their monasteries with gifts of land 10 of great value. Verily he made the religious houses, which were decaying because they had not the wherewithal to support them,

A collection of Buddhist Sútras or sermons the recital of which is supposed to have the effect of protecting men from evil.

†The monks belonging to the Mahá Vihára.

to bloom with new vigour. And to the Order also he appointed servitors in places that needed them.

For this elder Dáthásíva he built a house of devotion and 11 called it after his own name; and the generous man took the gift, but gave it afterwards to be enjoyed in common by the Order. And for this building he set apart the following villages:- 12 Bharattála, Kihimbila, Kataka, Tuládhára, Andhanáraka, Andhakára, Antureli, Bálava, Dváranáyaka, Mahá-nikkaḍḍhika, 13 and afterwards Pelahála also. And when he had set apart these lands of great plenty and others also, he appointed his own 14 kinsmen as guardians thereof.

In like manner, he bestowed many lands for the support of the 15 vi háras belonging to the two fraternities also, whenever he saw or heard that they were in want thereof. But what advantageth 16 it to speak at length? It is enough to mention that he bestowed on all the three fraternities one thousand villages of great plenty, whereof no man disputed the title.

And as he pondered always on the great merits of the three 17 Sacred Gems, he made the king's string of pearls into a rosary.† So also by all the means that lay in his power he showed him- 18 self to be a devoted servant of the holy law, and his subjects followed his example, and themselves abode by the law.

And one of the king's officers, a Tamil, by name Pottha-kuṭṭha, 19 a man of great wealth, built a wonderful house of devotion, which he called Máṭambiya, and gave to it the villages Búkakalla, Ambavápi, Tantaváyika-Cáṭika, and Niṭṭhila-vetthi, with 20 the tenants thereof. He himself erected buildings at Kappúra, 21 Pariveņa, Kurundapillaka, and Mahárája-ghara, and gave three villages to viháras and other places.

22

A wise commander in the king's army, named Potthasáta, built a pariveņa at the Jetavana Vihára, and called it by the king's 23 name. Also a Tamil, by name Mahákanda, built a pariveņa and called it by his own name; and another built the Cullapantha 24 Pariveņa; and the king's sub-king, Sanghatissa, built the Sehála Uparája Pariveņa. And many others followed the king's 25

• The name seems to denote a peculiar structure built in former times for the use of Buddhist ascetics who strove to attain supernatural power or the subjugation of the senses by austerities and other methods prescribed for such proposes. A full description of them will be found in the "Visuddhi. magga," under the heads Kasina and Bhávaná. Vide infra, p. 5, note ¶.

† A Buddhist devotee uses a rosary to aid him in repeating certain formulas in which Buddha, the Law, and the Order are praised.

example and built viháras in like manner. Yea, such is the 26 nature of man that when a leader treads in the path of goodness

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or evil, the common people also follow in the same course. him that hath understanding keep this in mind.

Let

The king's most loving and virtuous spouse, Jeṭṭhá by name, likewise built the convent Jeṭṭháráma for the use of the sister28 hood, and gave it two villages at Pattapásána and another village connected therewith called Bhelagáma, as well as a hundred 29 servitors. So also the Malaya Rájá, a man of exceeding great wealth, built a relic-house at the Cetiya at Mandalagiri Vihára, 30 and put a new covering on the middle pinnacle of the Lohapásáda. Bodhitissa, another man of great renown, built the Bodhitissa 31 Vihára. Yea, all the chiefs in the island built in divers places, according to their wealth, very many viháras and pariveņas.

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And the reign of this king was wholly one of meritorious deeds-all which have not been written here through fear of 33 making the history too long. And, indeed, even the narrative that has gone before appears to to me somewhat confused, inasmuch as it has been mixed up with remarks on the nature and condition of things which lead men to good or evil.

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And the king repaired some time after to the city of Pulatthi and took up his abode there, and passed all his time in gaining 35 merit. And while he dwelt there he was attacked with an

incurable disease. And as he knew that death was drawing nigh 36 unto him, he called all the people together and exhorted them

to live according to the law, and thus departed this life. And the people were all stricken with great grief at his death, and 37 bewailed and lamented themselves accordingly, and failed not in one single ceremony at his cremation. Even the ashes of the pyre they collected and kept for their use as medicine. And 38 then they took charge of all the royal treasures and kept them. with great care, and returned with the whole army into the city. 39 Thus did the King Aggabodhi leave this life for heaven in the sixteenth year of his reign.

And Potthakuṭṭha, the Tamil, thereupon took the government 40 into his hands, and having taken Dáthásíva, the sub-king, captive,

he cast him into prison, and took steps to defend the country from 41 danger. But seeing that a country could not be kept in possession without a king, he sent unto Datta, a chief of Dhanapitthi, 42 of the royal race, and anointed him, and gave him the title of king, but kept the government of the country in his own hands. This Datta built a vihara, which he called after his own name,

and gained other merits also; but he lived only two years and then 43 died. On his death, Potthakuṭṭha got yet another youth named 44 Hatthadátha, born at Unhanágara, and anointed him king, and governed the country as he did before. This Hatthadátha, after 45 he had built the house of devotion, Káladíghávika, and gained 46 other merits, entered the region of death six months after he had begun to reign.

Knowing, therefore, how many are the dangers that beset riches, 47 and lands, and equipage, may wise men abandon their desire for the dominion of kingdoms, and fix their affection on heavenly goodness.

Thus endeth the forty-sixth chapter, entitled "The Reigns of Three Kings," in the Mahávansa, composed equally for the delight and amazement of good men.

CHAPTER XLVII.

ND when that king (Hattha-dáṭha II.) was dead, Máṇa- 1 vamma became king. (Who is this Mánavamma), what family came he from, and whose son was he, and how did he take possession of the kingdom? He was sprung from 2 the race of Mahásammata, and inherited the great virtues of that line of princes. He was the son of Kassapa, who destroyed the Thúpáráma. And his queen was Sanghá, the daughter of the 3 Rájá of the Malaya. After he had obtained the hand of this princess in marriage, he lived secretly with her in the northern country until it came to the ears of Hattha-dáṭha,* whereupon 4 he went over to India, and having made himself known to king Narasíha, he entered his service, and with much labour found 5 favour in the sight of that king. And when he saw that the king's 6 friendship was unfeigned, he brought his wife also to India and lived there with her, ministering to the king by day and night. 7 And another king, Kanduvethi, with whom also he had found favour, gave him such great possessions that it seemed as if the whole of that king's dominions had been granted to him. And 8 while he was living in this way, his wife Sanghá bore him four sons and four daughters.

The man who was invited by the Tamils. He fled to India when Kasyapa defeated and slew in battle his uncle bearing the same name. (See chap. XLIV., v. 154, and chap. XLV., v. 12.)

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