with thorns and creepers; and the enemy stood under cover behind 101 them and continued the fight. And Lankánátha, who was resolved 102 to destroy the enemy, pursued after them, breaking through their stockades, and after he had fought fiercely with them from place to place, succeeded in entering the Janapada country. And he took 103 Janapada, and, in obedience to the commands of Parakkama Báhu, he built a fortress there and held it. Thereupon king Gaja Báhu sent 104 Déva Lankádhinayaka and Dáthá Bhára to oppose him. And 105 Lankadhinátha fought a great battle with them, and put them to flight and took the village Yagálla. But king Gaja Báhu sent a host of 106 men that was called the Catassó Parisá ("the four companies ") that were in the Álisára country, to fight again; and Lankánátha advanced 107 and fought with them, and some of them he took alive, and subdued 108 the Talathala country. Whereupon king Gaja Báhu, wishing to 109 subdue him by favour and kindness, sent him numerous presents of jewels and ornaments of great value, and divers garments of silk and linen. And the chief of the army received the presents, and after he 110 had disfigured the messengers he sent them with the bribes to his own master (Parakkama). And the king was much pleased on seeing 111 them, and sent back all the wealth and the valuable presents to him (the chief of the army). After this the chief of the army left the 112 Taláthaliya fortress and took possession of the fortress at Áligáma, which is by the side of a river. Then Gaja Báhu sent Síká, the chief of the army, and other valiant 113 and mighty men of war (against Lankádhinátha.) And they all set out 114 with an abundant supply of men and wagons, and besieged the fortress and poured showers of arrows into it. And some of Lankádhi- 115 nátha's mighty men, armed with weapons, stood at the gates and carried on a fierce fight. Archers and other strong men also, who stood 116 on the battlements, killed many of the enemy with their arrows and their lances and javelins. In this manner did all the fighting men exert 117 themselves to their utmost might, and carry on the great struggle without ceasing, for three days. At last the mighty men of king Gaja 118 Báhu, who were determined to destroy the enemy, essayed to break the great gate of the fortress. Whereupon Lankádhinátha and his strong 119 men sallied forth, and (after a hard struggle) drove back the enemy, killing so many of them all along unto the river that he made the water of the 120 river mingle with the blood of the slain; and at the same time he took captive many of the chief officers of the enemy's army. And Rakkha 121 Lankádhinayaka, who gained the victory in this battle, enjoyed the pleasure of a feast of triumph in his own fortress, and sent to his own 122 master the heads of the chiefs of the enemy that he had slain, with their umbrellas and wagons and weapons, and also those whom he had taken alive. Thereupon the king called his general Déva Sénápati, and 123 told him all that had been done by Rakkha Lankádhinayaka; and 124 inasmuch as he feared that Gaja Báhu, when he heard of the losses sustained by the victorious army, would assuredly send a great army to 125 take the general captive, he commanded Déva Sénápati to proceed to the Giribá country that so he might divide Gaja Báhu's great army 126 in twain. And this general, being a prudent man, made ready all his host, and advanced to the border of the Kálavápi river, and built a 127 fortress there and remained therein. Then, at the command of the king, 128 he built over the Kálavápi river a bridge of timber, two hundred cubits in length and twenty cubits in breadth, fastened and made exceeding strong with plates of iron and pegs,--a bridge of exceeding great beauty, that could be passed by elephants, and horses, and chariots, and foot129 men. And the general Déva Sénápati left some officers in charge thereof, and proceeded thence, and gave battle to the enemy in divers 130 places. And being victorious in these battles, he proceeded to a place called Angamu, and, with the intent to make further advances against 131 the enemy, he built a fortress there and held it. And when the enemy had heard thereof, he also built a fortress of great strength in the village Sénágáma, to oppose the general. 132 Thereupon the famous Déva Sénápati went forth and fought with 133 the enemy at Sénágáma, and seized the fortress. And the enemy having again fought twice and being defeated, he built a fortress at 134 Manyágáma, and held it. Then Déva Sénápati went forth from Sénágáma and took the fortress at Manyágáma and the forts at Mita 135 and Súkaragáma also. And when he had repaired all these fortresses, 136 he left them not unoccupied, but set officers in charge of them. The chief of the army also built a fortress at Térigáma, and placed officers therein who were accounted mighty men of valour, with soldiers under 137 them. Whereupon Gaja Báhu sent Ráma Nílagiri, with the chiefs of 138 districts and many leaders and their forces, to destroy him. And they all went forth well furnished with men and materials, and raised 139 fortifications in the neighbourhood of Terigáma. And both the armies began the fight vigorously, and continued it from morning until 140 evening. Then Nílagiri and the mighty men who were accounted men 141 of valour, seeing that their army was losing ground, armed themselves well with their weapons, and, striking down the strong men and causing great terror among the enemy, rushed into the midst of the contending 142 host like lions among a herd of elephants. But Déva Sénádhipati's 143 mighty men, who flinched not in the fight, spread themselves around them, and slew Ráma Nílagiri and many officers of the army in the 144 field of battle, and took captive the great warrior Kaḍakkúḍa and other warriors also who were with him. And the general Déva Séná145 nátha, who gained the victory in the field of battle on that day, sent the men whom he had taken alive to live in comfort with his master 146 (Parakkama). And the wise Parakkama Báhu spoke to Mahinda Nagara giri as he stood in attendance on him, and told him of the marvellous 147 courage of his generals. And when he heard it he was straightway roused with a great desire to excel them, and exclaimed, "I also will 148 go to the field of battle and soon take Anuradhapura for you!" And when he had made the promise, the general, being desirous to crush his enemies, proceeded with a great army, and fought a great battle with the enemy at a place called Badaríbhátíkamáṇa. And having gained great fame thereby, he proceeded to fight great 149 battles at the village Siyámahantakuddála and in the neighbourhood 150 of Tissavápi and Anuradhapura, and defeated the enemy everywhere until he took Anuradhapura at the head of a large army. Then king 151 Gaja Báhu, having heard of these things, sent several captains of armies with a chief commander over them. And they all came ready 152 for war, and set up barriers on the roads on all sides of the city, and hindered communication thereby. And when Déva Sénápati heard 153 these tidings he set off to rescue the general (Mahinda Nagaragiri) who was besieged closely, and, giving battle once again in the village 154 Siyamahantakuddála, he fought three fearful battles on his way to the besieged city. And Malaya Ráyar also having heard how things stood, 155 set out from his fortress, and having fought twice on his way, arrived (and joined his forces with those of Déva Sénápati). But at the 156 command of (Déva) Sénápati he proceeded in a certain direction, and fought with the enemy's forces nigh unto Anuradhapura. Meanwhile (Déva) Sénápati himself, having fought hard with the 157 enemy in many places, came close to Anuradhapura and commenced to fight (with the besiegers). Then Mahinda, the valiant chief of the 158 army, sallied forth straightway from the beautiful city of Anuradhapura and slaughtered the enemy and brake down the barricades, and 159 cut his way out by force and joined Sénápati. And when the armies of 160 Senapati and the chief captain had joined themselves together, they fought with the opposing host, and again put the enemy to flight; whereupon the chief captain (Sénápati) returned to Siyámahanta- 161 kuddála and strengthened the fortress there, and occupied it. Thereafter Parakkama Báhu sent unto the general Máyágéha and 162 commanded him to carry on the war at Álisáraka. And he proceeded 163 thither with great joy, with skilful and valiant men, and built a fortress at Kalalahallika and occupied it. Thence he advanced to Álisáraka, 164 and fought three battles at the fort in the village Nandámúlaka, and seized the fortress. After that he took the fortress at the village Kad- 165 dúra, and again fought and took possession of the fortress at Kiráți. And king Gaja Báhu's forces, who came to oppose him, held the 166 fortress which they had built at Vilána. At this time Parakkama 167 Báhu, whose valour no man could surpass, built himself a fortress at Nálanda, and held it. And hearing that (the enemy held a fortress 168 that so they might oppose the advance of Máyágéha), he secretly sent forth two or three hundred thieves skilled in house-breaking, commanding them to set out at midnight and, taking with them 169 sharp-edged deer horns, to break into the fortress and seize it. There- 170 upon the general Máyágéha, in obedience to these commands, broke the fortress and took the enemy captive. And then he took the strong- 171 hold at Mattikávápi and the two strongholds at the Uddhakúra and Adhókúra villages, and moreover broke into and took the fortress 172 173 at the village Násinna. Thus did he bring the country of Álisáraka under his authority. At the same time, the king, who knew the proper time when he should act, commanded his officers to take the city of Pulatthi without 174 delay. Thereupon Rakkha Lankádhinátha and Sukha Jívitaputthaki 175 went forth with all speed from the fortress at Talákatthali, fighting with the enemy in divers places on the way, and engaged in battle at 176 the place Rajakamatasambádha. They fought again on the borders of the tract of field called Milánakhetta and, proceeding thence, fought again, even amid the field, and slaughtered many of the enemy. 177 And from that place they pursued after the enemy, and overtook him at Dara-aga, and fought a battle there also and gained a victory. 178 And from thence they went forward, and took the fort at the village Mangalaba by assault, and brake down the walls thereof, and destroyed the enemy there and took possession of the fort. 179 Now at that time king Mánábharaṇa, the lord of Róhana, who had 180 waged many wars with king Gaja Báhu's chiefs and had been defeated and humbled by them, had given up the thought of war, and dwelt for 181 some time much broken in spirit. But afterwards, accompanied by the Order who dwelt in the three fraternities, he went and submitted 182 himself to Gaja Báhu and entered into an alliance with him. But when he heard that the mighty generals of king Parakkama had made 183 war against king Gaja Báhu, and had destroyed their adversaries and gained the victory in every battle, Mánábharana communed with 184 himself in this wise: "Of a certainty will Parakkama Báhu, who is 185 exceeding rich in resources, subdue the whole of the king's country ;1 and if peradventure that ruler took the king's country then would it 186 not be possible for us to dwell in the Róhana country." So he broke off the alliance that he had made with king Gaja Báhu and sought the 187 friendship of Parakkama Báhu, and, raising a great army from among the inhabitants of both countries, he threw up fortifications in the valley of Sobara. 2 188 And the king Parakkama Báhu, wishing at that time to show forth 189 his marvellous valour, thought thus to himself: "Oh, that I could let 190 not my generals, who are in divers places, know thereof, and secretly go to the city of Pulatthi with the mighty men who have been brought up with me, and give battle and break down the gates and battlements and towers thereof, and enter the city and take Gaja Báhu captive!" 191 Then the wise king sent unto the general Máyágéha, who was left at 192 Ambavana, and told him of his purpose; and as his desire was to go to Ambavana, pretending that he had other business to do there, and from thence to proceed to the city of Pulatthi, he instructed his 193 general Máyágéha secretly in this wise: "Send you a letter to me in 1 The upper portion of the island, Rája rattha, in contradistinction to the Dakkhina or Róhana, the southern part of the island. 2 Meaning the two portions into which the southern country was divided at this period. these words, saying, 'It is my heart's wish to hold a great feast in honour of Buddhá. I pray you, therefore, send unto me the things that are needful for making offerings unto Buddhá,—namely, chanks 194 and the five kinds of loud instruments of music, and cámaras1 and white umbrellas and banners: and may it please my lord also to come 195 hither and behold my feast."" And Máyágéha went accordingly to 196 Ambavana, and having made all things ready for the feast, he sent the letter as he had been commanded. 66 And when the king saw it he was glad, and caused the letter to be 197 read in the midst of the assembly of the ministers; and then the great 198 king made haste and sent unto the general the articles of divers kinds that were necessary for the feast, and declared before the ministers his desire to go thither. Thereupon the chief of the ministers, who 199 knew what the true purpose of the king was, sent a messenger to his brother Nagaragiri, telling him of these things. And when he had 200 heard the tidings, he set out from Móravápi and made haste with his army to see the king. And when they asked why he had come, he replied 201 saying, "Because that I have known my master's mind have I come hither," and moreover he said, Servants like unto us are in the 202 employ of the king for the intent that they might bring under subjection the rulers of the land who are his adversaries. Wherefore shall I go 203 up alone and seize Gaja Báhu with his numerous hosts and chariots, and give him as a captive to my lord." And when he had spoken these 204 words the chief of the border entreated of the king that he might proceed thither. And when the ambitious chiefs of the army, Máyágéha 205 and Kitti Lankádhinátha, and many other mighty officers, saw how matters stood, they offered themselves also, and each entreated the king, saying "I shall go first, I shall go first." Thereupon the king, 206 who was much skilled in all stratagems, made known his plan and sent his mighty men to the field of battle. And they all departed 207 with their chariots and men and wagons, and built fortresses nigh unto Nálanda. And as they tarried there, great clouds gathered in 208 the sky, and the rain fell with great violence all around as if it would wash away the earth with its flood of waters. Thereupon the king, 209 who clave strictly to the truth, fearing that his army would be drenched by the clouds which were fast approaching, made the following solemn declaration (before them): "If the establishment of the kingdom be 210 for the prosperity of the religion and the state, then let not the rain fall (in this place);" and it ceased to rain there accordingly. And 211 then he sent to the army rice mixed with acids, plantains, rice roasted and beaten into cakes, and divers things to eat in great plenty. He 212 also sent many thousands of bamboos (made into water-pipes), each 213 formed into one long channel, replenished with water and pierced with holes and stopped at both ends so that many persons could drink = 1 Yak's tails used as whisks and as insignia of royalty chowries. |