n Sásanujjótanan thanań Lańká ṇatá Jinénahi, yakkhapuṇnáya Lańkaya, yakkhá tibbásiyáticha ; of Lanká, on the delightful bank of a river, on a spot three yojanos in length, and one in breadth, in the agreeable Mahanága garden, in the assembling place of the yakkhos, there was a great assemblage of the principal yakkhos in Lanká; the deity of happy advent, approaching that great congregation of yakkhos,-there, in the midst of the assembly, immediately above their heads, hovering in the air, over the very site of the (future) Mahiyangana dágoba, struck terror into them, by rains, tempests, and darkness. The yakkhos overwhelmed with awe, supplicated of the vanquisher to be released from their terror. To the terrified yakkhos the consoling vanquisher thus replied: "I will release ye yakkhos from this your terror and affliction: give ye unto me, here, by unanimous consent, a place for me to alight on." All these yakkhos replied to the deity of happy advent, "Lord, we confer on thee the whole of Lanká, graut thou comfort (in our affliction) to us." The vanquisher, thereupon, dispelling their terror and cold shivering, and spreading his carpet of skin on the spot bestowed on him, he there seated himself. He then caused the aforesaid carpet, refulgent with a fringe of flames, to extend itself on all sides;they, scorched by the flames (receding) stood around on the shores (of the island) terrified. The saviour then caused the delightful isle of Giri to approach for them. As soon as they transferred themselves thereto (to escape the conflagration) he restored it to its former position. Immediately, the redeemer folded up his carpet, and the devos assembled. In that congregation, the divine teacher propounded his doctrines to them. Innumerable kotis of living creatures received the blessings of his doctrines: asankhyas of them attained the salvation of that faith, and the state of piety. The chief of the devos, Sumano, of the Sélésumano mountain, having acquired the sanctification of" sótápatti" supplicated of the deity worthy of offerings, for an offering. The vanquisher, out of compassion to living beings, passing his hand over his head, bestowed on him a handful of his pure blue locks, from the growing hair of his head, Receiving and depositing it in a superb golden casket, on the spot where the divine Sótápattiphalań patwá Sélésumanakúṭaké Mahúsumanadéwindó pújiyáń yachi pújiyań. Só tan suwannachańgóṭawarénádáya, Satthunó nisinnaṭṭhánarachité nánáratanasanchayé, Mahákáruniko Satthá, sabbalókahitérató, bódhito panchamé wassé, wasań Jétawané, Jinó teacher had stood, adorned (as if) with the splendor of innumerable gems, comprehending (all) the seven treasures, he enshrined the lock in an emerald dágoba, and bowed down in worship. The théro Sarabhú, disciple of the théro Sáriputto, at the demise of the supreme Buddho, receiving at his funeral pile the "giwatthi" (thorax bone relic) of the vanquisher, attended by his retinue of priests, by his miraculous powers, brought and deposited it in that identical dágoba. This inspired personage, causing a dágoba to be erected of cloud colored stones, twelve cubits high, and enshrining it therein, departed. The prince Uddhnachulabhayo, the younger brother of king Déwananpiatisso, discovering this marvellous dágoba, constructed (another) encasing it, thirty cubits in height. The king Dutthagamani, while residing there, during his subjugation of the mala'bars, constructed a dágoba encasing that one, eighty cubits in height. This Mahiyangana dagoba was thus completed. In this manner, the supreme ruler, indefatigable as well as invincible, having rendered this land habitable for human beings, departed for Uruwéláya. The visit to Mahiyangana concluded, The vanquisher (of the five deadly sins), the great compassionating divine teacher, the benefactor of the whole world, the supreme Buddho, in the fifth year of his buddhohood, while residing at the garden of (the prince) Jeto, observing that on account of a disputed claim for a gem-set throne, between the nága Mahódaró and a similar Chulódaró, a maternal uncle and nephew, a conflict was at hand, between their respective armies; on the last day of the last quarter of the moon of the month chitta, at day light, taking with him his sacred dish and robes, out of compassion to the nagas, visited Nágadipo. Mahodarópi só nágó tadá rájá mahiddhikó, samuddé nágabhawané, dasaddha sata yojané, At that time, this Mahódaró aforesaid was a nága king in a nága kingdom, half a thousand (five hundred) yojanos in extent, bounded by the ocean; and he was gifted with supernatural powers. His younger sister (Kidabbiká) had been given in marriage to a pága king of the Kanawaddhamáno mountain. Chulódaró was his son. His maternal grandmother having bestowed this invaluable gem-throne on him,-that nága queen thereafter died. From that circumstance, this conflict of the nephew with the uncle was on the eve of being waged. These mountain nágas were moreover gifted with supernatural powers. The devo Samiddhisumano, instantly, at the command of Buddho, taking up the rajayatana tree, which stood in the garden of Jéto, and which constituted his delightful residence, and holding it over the vanquisher's head, like an umbrella, accompanied him to the above named place. This devo, (in a former existence) had been born a human being in Nagadípo. On the spot where the rajayatana tree then stood, he had seen Paché Buddhos taking refection. Having seen them he had rejoiced, and presented them with leaves to cleanse their sacred dishes with. From that circumstance, he (in his present existence) was born in that tree, which stood at the gate of the delightfully agreeable garden of Jéto. Subsequently (when the Jeta wihare was built) it stood without (it was not built into the terrace on which the temple was constructed). The devo of devos (Buddho) foreseeing that this place (Nágadípo) would be of increasing advantage to this devo (Samiddhisumano) brought this tree to it. The saviour and dispeller of the darkness of sin, poising himself in the air, over the centre of the assembly, caused a terrifying darkness to those nagas. Attending to the prayer of the dismayed nágas, he again called forth the light of day. They, overjoyed at having seen the deity of felicitous advent, bowed down at the feet of the divine teacher. To them the vanquisher preached a sermon on reconciliation.-Both parties rejoicing thereat, made an offering of the gem-throne to the divine sage. The divine teacher, alighting on C Yakkho Yaso Yasodará Yassalálako Yatthálatisso Yona passim: the designation of a class of demons, derived from the root “yaja” to make offerings; the worshippers of these demons are also called "yakkhos" and "yakkhinis." 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 42. 9. 218, 219. son of Mahanago, 97, 130; a wiháro, 130. passim a measure of distance, equal to four "gawutań" and each gawutan called gow in Singhalese, is equal to four hætakmas, and an hætakma is considered to be equal to one English mile, which would make a yójanań, to be 16 miles. The following, however is the table of Long Measure in Páli literature, which though sufficiently minute, does not define distance with precision. 7 lice equal to... 1 grain of paddy, (rice in the husk.) 7 grains of paddy 1 angulań, (inch.) 1 yaṭṭhi, (pole.) 1 usabhań. 1 gáwutań. 1 yójanań. an ancient division of India, of which the northern Madura was the capital. 71, 73, 74, 171. COTTA-CHURCH MISSION PRESS. |