well skilled in the art of war, and mightily determined to destroy the host of the Cholians, built themselves a stronghold at 28 Paluttha-giri, and fortified it, and made war with the Tamils for six months, and destroyed many of them. And the Cholians 29 who escaped the slaughter were dismayed greatly, and fled to the city of Pulatthi, and took up their abode there as they did aforetime. And when the prince Kassapa saw the two victorious nobles, 30 he was exceeding glad, and exclaimed, "My beloved, ask of me only what shall be given you." And Buddha prayed that the 31 village which belonged to him by inheritance should be given unto him. And Kitti besought the prince that the tax should be removed, which was heretofore levied on account of the Order. And when the two noble chiefs had received these favours at the 32 hands of the king's son, they fell down at his feet and worshipped him, like brave and loyal men of valour. The captive king, Mahinda, lived for twelve years in the 33 Cholian country, and departed for heaven in the forty-eighth year after his coronation. Thus we see that possessions obtained during a course of sloth- 34 fulness are not abiding; so the man of sound knowledge, who desires his welfare, should always cultivate diligence with steadfastness. Thus endeth the fifty-fifth chapter, entitled "The Spoliation of Lanká," in the Mahávansa, composed equally for the delight and amazement of good men. CHAPTER LVI. HEREUPON all the Sihalas gave the name of Vikkama 1 fully. And this prince heaped up riches, that so he might 2 destroy the Tamils, while at the same time he showed favours to his servants also according to their deserts. And he caused the 3 royal jewels to be made, and the crown and the canopy and the throne also. And when the nobles besought him that he would be anointed king, he restrained them, saying, "It shall not be so 4 to me until the king's country is reclaimed; for what profit shall there be in raising the canopy of dominion until such time?" And when he had waxed strong, he made ready one hundred 5 thousand men. But just as he was about to begin the war he was struck down with a windy disease, and deferred it, saying, 6"Now is not the time for battle." And soon afterwards, in the twelfth year of his reign, he departed for the celestial city, and joined the company of the gods. 7 Thereupon Kitti, who had been appointed to the office of general, aimed to be king, and maintained his authority as such 8 for seven days. But Mahálána Kitti, a mighty man, slew him, 9 and was crowned king, and ruled over the Rohana country. And being defeated in the war with the Cholians in the third year of his reign, he met with a violent death, having cut off his head with 10 his own hands. Then the Tamils seized again the crown and all the treasure and substance, and sent them to the king of Cola. At that time a certain prince of the blood, known as Vikkama Pandu, who had fled from his country through fear, and was a sojourner in the land of Dulu, heard of how things stood in 12 Lanká. And he went into the Rohana and established himself 13 at Kálatittha, and ruled the country for one year. Then a 11 prince, Jagatipála by name, who was sprung from the race of 14 Rámá, came from the city of Ayujjha,† and waxing strong slew Vikkama Pandu in battle, and reigned thereafter for four years. 15 at Rohana. Him also the Cholians slew in battle, and taking his queen, together with his daughter and all their substance, they 16 sent them to the Cola country. And after him a king, Parakkama by name, a son of the king of Pandu, reigned two years; but the Cholians made war against him and slew him also. 17 Thus were these unruly men, enslaved by the lust for power, brought to their destruction. The man endued with true wisdom should therefore know these things, and set his heart on that which extinguishes desire. Thus endeth the fifty-sixth chapter, entitled "The Reigns of Six Kings," in the Mahávansa, composed equally for the delight and amazement of good men. 1 CHAPTER LVII. HEREAFTER a general, Loka by name, of Makkhakudrúsa, a brave and honest man, who subdued the pride of the Cholians, brought the people under his yoke, and reigned in the Rohana country. He was versed in the manners and customs of the country, and he abode at Kájaragáma.‡ * Kalutara. † Ayoddhya. Kataragama. Now, at that time there lived a prince of great might, whose 3 name was Kitti. Here shall be told, in their due order, the story of his ancestry and all that he was endued with. There was a governor known by the name of Mána, a son of 4 king Kassapa. And he was a valiant man, endued with all the virtues which adorn the conduct of good men. And he had an 5 elder brother, Mánavamma by name, a man of much learning and 6 well skilled in magic. And he sat him down on the bank of the river nigh unto the Gokannaka sea, and made ready to practise the mantra according to the rules thereo f. And he took his string of beads and began to mutter the enchantments. And when he had 7 made an end thereof, the god Kumára,† it is told, appeared before him on his carriage,‡ and the peacock brake the bowl,§ and, finding 8 the shell of the cocoanut dry, because the water had escaped from a hole therein, he went up and stood in the presence of the wizard. And the wizard remembered the Bhávini-siddhi,¶ and 9 offered his own eye to the peacock, who picked it and forthwith. drank of its humours. And the god Kumára, being well pleased 10 therewith, granted unto the prince the favour that he had sought, and departed thence, flying radiantly through the sky. And 11 when the nobles of the prince saw him, and perceived that an eye of his was hurt, they grieved exceedingly. But he told them of the miraculous gift that he had received, and comforted them therewith. And it delighted the nobles, and they besought him, 12 saying, "It is meet that you should go up to the city of Anurádhapura and be anointed king." But he refused to accept of the 13 kingdom that was offered unto him, saying: "What good can a kingdom do unto me who am deformed of body. I will betake myself to the life of a recluse, and practise austerities. I pray you, 14 therefore, let my younger brother Mána govern the kingdom of Lanká, which has, until now, descended in the order of inheritance." And when the nobles had learned the desires of the prince 15 fully, they sent men unto his younger brother to tell him of these things. And when his younger brother heard thereof, he came 16 in great haste, and, seeing him, fell down at his feet and wept * Mystical incantations to acquire supernatural power as directed in the Yantras. † Skanda, the Hindu diety. § Balipattan. The tray or bowl in which food, to spirits at the performance of magical rites. The peacock. flowers, &c., are presented Water is generally placed in a cocoanut shell on the altar for the benefit of the evil spirit. ¶ A course of action under certain emergencies, prescribed in magical rites. 17 and wailed greatly. And then he took his elder brother to Anuradhapura, where he crowned himself as it had been desired 18 by him. And after this he proceeded to the Abhayagiri Vihára, and, having made obeisance to the priests that dwelt there, prayed them that they would clothe his brother in the robe of a recluse. 19 Whereupon the ascetics, regarding not the precepts of Buddha, took him, who was deformed of body, into the Order, and 20 ordained him a priest thereof. Moreover, the king built for his use the great monastery, Uttarola, and made him the chief thereof, 21 and gave him the oversight of six hundred brethren, and granted great honours and privileges unto him, together with the five 22 classes of servants† to minister unto him. Workmen also that were skilled in all manner of works did the king give unto him, even unto the guards of the Tooth-relic, whom also he put under 23 him. And the monks of the Abhayagiri brotherhood became his (the king's) counsellors. And the king hearkened unto their 24 counsel and governed his people righteously. But certain who were of his family cared not to enter the church, but dwelt there according to their pleasure, and took to themselves the title of 25 Mahásámi. And from this King Máṇavamma, who was skilled 26 in the ways of justice, and born of a pure race, the fountain of all dynasties, and of the lineage of prince Aggabódhi and his sons and grandsons, there sprang full sixteen rulers in Lanká, who governed the kingdom righteously. 27 Now, King Mahinda had two beautiful cousins, the daughters of his mother's brother. And they were known by the names. 28 Devalá and Lokitá. And of these two daughters Lokitá was given in marriage to her cousin Kassapa, a prince of great beauty, 29 to whom she bore two fair sons, Moggallána and Loka. And the elder of them was versed in all the ways of the world and of 30 religion, and was known to all men as "The great Lord." He loved the Order of the priesthood also with a great love, and was a habitation of many lasting virtues. And he took up his abode in the Rohana. 31 There was also a grandson of the King Dáṭhopatissa, who had followed the monastic life of the religion of the Blessed One. And he had much faith, and practised austerities and restrained 32 himself greatly. But as his mind directed his thoughts to meditation he separated himself from the things of the world, and Among others who are disqualified from being received into the Order are those with defective limbs and organs, or otherwise deformed. †They are, carpenters, weavers, dyers, barbers, and workers in leather. dwelt in the forest. And his piety greatly pleased the gods of the forest, and they spread his fame abroad everywhere. And 33 when the chief of Lanka had heard at that time of his great. fame, he went forth to him and, when he had made obeisance to him, begged him to be his counsellor; but he was not willing. 34 Nevertheless the king besought him again and again, and took him with him, and made him to dwell in a stately house that he had prepared in the city. And the king was well pleased with 35 the virtues of the holy monk who dwelt there, and walked in his counsels, and ruled over his people with justice. And whereas 36 this merciful chief of the monks had accepted the earnest call of the chief of Lanká, and set out from Selantara ('among the rocks'), and gathered together a number of monks and dwelt there, it was 37 known to all as Selantara Samúha ('the assembly of the monk from among the rocks'). From that time forth it was the custom 38 with the chiefs of Lanká to cause the monks to pass a night in the temple of the gods, and to appoint to the chief office of king's counsellor him whom the gods had approved. And the 39 princes of Lanká, through the counsel of the monk who held the chief seat of their Order, continued to defend the country and the religion of the land. And by the prince Bodhi, born of this self-same Dáṭhopatissa, 40 the princess Buddha, who was also born of the same race, gave 41 birth to a daughter of exceeding great beauty, Lokitá by name. And in due time they gave her in marriage to the wise and prudent Moggallána, to whom she bore four sons, the prince Kitti and 42 the princess Mittá, and Mahinda and Rakkhita. And the eldest 43 of these, Kitti, when he had attained to his thirteenth year was full of wisdom and valour, and possessed great skill as an archer. And he bethought himself, saying, "How shall I rid me of these 44 thorns, my enemies, and recover Lanká." And he dwelt in the village Múlasála, thinking deeply of these things. At that time, a certain prince called Buddharája, a mighty man 45 and valiant, rebelled against the general Loka (Lokissara) who ruled Rohana, and fled to Cunnasála, and soon brought Kitti and 46 other men there into entire subjection. And with many of his 47 kinsfolk, who were all mighty men of war, he dwelt at the foot of the Malaya hills, where it was difficult to overcome him. And Sangha, the chief of the astrologers, went up to him and 48 gave a good report of the prince Kitti, saying, "Kitti, the eldest 49 son of the great lord, is a prince endued with many signs of future greatness, and he is full of wisdom and valour, able, I 50 |