he gave thereunto the village Singatthala, of the which it had long been 233 deprived. And he caused religious services to be duly performed therein every day, and thus cleared the way to heaven through which he had to pass in the time to come.

234 And when this great and famous king who loved merit had known, 235 by means of a stone inscription, that the village Ratanadóni1 had belonged aforetime to the Dutiyaséla vihára, although it was afterwards separated therefrom, he restored it to that vihára and maintained its religious services.

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236 And that he might build the Majjhapalli vihára, he extended favour and rendered help in a fit manner to the priest Sangharakkhita. 237 And when the large sleeping image (of Buddha) and other works had been finished, he held a great feast in honour thereof, and a feast of 238 the ceremony of setting the eyes of the image. And in order that the religious services might be continued therein, he dedicated unto it the village called Málágáma, and thus maintained the ceremonies thereof daily in a becoming manner.

239 And the lord of the land gave unto the novice Siddhattha the large 240 vihára called Rajata that the king Duṭṭhagámaní had built, who had

verily come (into this world) with the desire to become the chief 241 disciple of Metteyya Buddha. And the ruler of Lanká caused that 242 priest to be ordained, and bestowed offices on him and on all the priests

who dwelt in the Upósatháráma, and also showed them favour in many ways. And that they might restore that vihára which had been long in 243 a state of decay, the king of Lanká provided them with divers artificers 244 and many painters, and much refined gold for gilding the statue of Buddha, and all the labour and instruments that were necessary. And when the eminent monk Siddhattha had received all these things 245 he removed everything that was old and decayed (in the vihára), and

made the thick and high wall thereof, of solid stone, to shine, and the 246 floor and the outer wall also. And he caused a picture of the supreme 247 Buddha, as he was engaged in the battle with Mára, to be painted on 248 the roof of the rock, and divers flowers and creepers also. He caused

also the great sleeping image to be made with fine brick and mortar and clay, and many other images of Buddha also, sitting and upright. 249 And on the inner wall he caused about a thousand beautiful pictures 250 of the supreme Buddha to be painted with exquisite art. At the foot of the great sleeping image he caused to be made, in due order, beautiful images of Ánanda, the constant attendant of Buddha and the preserver 251 of the Law, and of Metteyya Bódhisatta, of the excellent Náthadéva 252 and of the king Duṭṭhagámaní. And he gilded with gold the five large images of Buddha, and completed the other works that had to 253 be done inside. On the outside wall also, he caused to be painted a beautiful row of figures of Dévas and Brahmas carrying flowers in

1 Randeniya.

• Dévánagala vihára.

• Malgamuwa.

Meddépola vihára.

5 Ridí vihára.

their hands, as if they had come to worship. He caused also to be 254 made a large arch, beautiful and pleasant to the sight, and two figures of lions on the two sides of the door, and figures of demons on the spaces between them, in the walls. He also had pictures made of the 255 sixteen principal shrines consisting of Mahiyangana and the rest, and 256 a likeness of the excellent footprint (of Buddha) on the Saccabaddhapabbata,1 and many scenes also, painted with exquisite art from many 257 Játakas, showing the ten-fold Párami, the three-fold Cariyá, the five great self-denying sacrifices, and other virtues (of the Bódhisatta). 258 And in the hall he caused many pictures to be painted: lions, elephants, and swans, in rows; likewise flowers and creepers also.

Then in the beautiful cave that is on the top of that self-same rock 259 he made a fine, large, and excellent image-house pleasant to the sight, 260 and many works in stone that were wrought to perfection. In it he 261 made a large, beautiful, and life-like sitting image of Buddha, pleasant to behold, and on both sides thereof two fine upright statues. He also caused to be made there the images of Metteyya Bódhisatta and of Uppalavanna, and many images of Buddha, and hundreds also of 262 Arhats. Likewise also there were figures of the twenty-four Buddhas 263 (before Gautama) and as many bódhi trees, the (events of the) twenty 264 and four predictions, pictures of the sixteen principal shrines, of 265 demons and other evil spirits, of the five different venerable convocations, and divers other paintings of exquisite beauty. In that very place he placed relics of Buddha, and built thereon a cétiya, and 266 adorned it with a pinnacle of gold. And on the top of the imagehouse in that excellent rock basin, he caused a delightful picture to 267 be made of the sage, seated amidst his five hundred disciples, with Sáriputta at their head. And even in the different courts (of the 268 vihára) he built walls and open halls, and divers gates also, and rows of steps and other excellent works. He repaired many old works, 269 and also built many new ones; and completed all in a beautiful

manner.

And when the time for holding the feast of the setting of the eyes 270 of the images had come, and the king had sent his ministers with 271 apparel and other ornaments (to conduct it), they adorned the place 272 with many continuous rows of arches ; and when they had made an end 273 of putting on all the ornaments that were necessary, and had arranged the order of the high ceremonial, they celebrated the great feast, and, under a lucky star and at a favourable hour, performed the ceremony of setting the eyes of the images.

From that time forth many inhabitants of the country came together from different parts, in great number, like unto a sea that overflowed 274 the land; and when they had seen the works of gold and divers other 275 things that had been wrought there, they were exceedingly delighted,

1 A mountain in Siam.

as if they had seen the supreme Buddha performing the double miracle.1 276 And with their hearts full of joy they made great offerings, accompanied with shouts, and paved their way to heaven.

277

And in the festival which was held at that vihára they invited the priesthood, and prepared seats for them in the upper hall of the vihára, 278 and caused the priests who were preachers of the Law to sit thereon and recite the Mahámangala Sutta and other discourses which were 279 pleasant to be listened to; and then they made due offerings in honour 280 of the Law. And all the people who heard and saw these things 281 enjoyed the pleasure of seeing (the image of) the supreme Buddha at

the same time that they listened to his holy doctrine; and they rejoiced exceedingly as if they heard the doctrine preached by the living Buddha himself. Thus, day after day, did they show to the people both the beauty of his (Buddha's) form and the dignity of his discourses.

282 And, on the courtyard without, an open hall was built on stone 283 pillars with seats prepared (for priests). And the great body of the people assembled themselves together there, and were instructed in 284 the rules of moral conduct, such as the five precepts and others; and

they had every one the opportunity daily of hearing much of the Law 285 expounded to them. Moreover, he (the priest Siddhattha) in his great loving-kindness, did often invite preachers of religion, and make them to discourse to the people all through the three watches of the night.

286

And he (the priest or king) caused that vihára named Rajata to be completed, and that great feast to be held in the two thousand three hundred and first year of the Parinibbána of the supreme Buddha.

287 And on the south side of this vihára there was a beautiful cétiya 288 that was built (in former times) on a beautiful, broad, and flat rock;

but it had gone wholly to ruin, leaving only a mound of earth. And for the purpose of restoring it he collected lime and bricks and stones 289 and other materials from divers places. And he built a beautiful 290 square foundation, wherein he placed a relic of the glorious sage. And,

while the cétiya was yet building, he invited priests, and caused a consecrated boundary to be set up on a beautiful plot of land in the 291 neighbourhood thereof, and built thereon an upósatha house and an 292 áráma for priests, with tiled roofs and the like. And he made the 293 grounds around it into a large park containing many ponds, and

adorned them with divers trees and creeping trees that bare flowers, 294 and trees that bare fruit and the like. And in this monastery he caused the sons of Buddha to take up their abode, and earnestly

1 Yamaka Páțiheram. This was a miracle performed by Buddha for the purpose of confounding the heretics and proving that he possessed the faculty of supernatural power. It consisted in causing the appearance of two luminous streams as of fire and of water to proceed from his person.

exhorted them to conform their behaviour to the doctrines and precepts of religion. And this place, which was restored by the authority of the king, was the resort of great saints, and was had in great honour 295 by the ancient rulers of Lanká. And when the great king had heard 296 thereof, he ordained that the boundary of the vihára should be the 297 same as had already been defined (by the priest): and he offered the land thereto, and increased all the ceremonial offerings and alms to the priesthood in this vihára, and thus gained a store of merit.

Now a certain minister, who had obtained leave from the king 298 thereto, built an image-house in the beautiful áráma named Súkará- 299 váța,1 nigh unto the Dóhalapabbata' mountain which was covered 300 with great trees in abundance, such as the púga, punnága, nága, and the like, and resounded with the sweet melodies of swarms of falcons; it was covered also with slabs of rock, cool, smooth, and white, and abounded in flocks of divers kinds of deer. And here the minister 301 Suvanṇagáma set up stone pillars, and built an upósatha hall and 302 dedicated it to the priests. He collected also a great quantity of pillars and such things, and built many houses there also. And the king made 303 many offerings thereto of lands and other substance for the perpetual maintenance of the priests who dwelt there. And when the king had 304 done all these things he was much pleased therewith, and dedicated it (the Súkaráváṭa vihára) to the venerable priest Dhamma Rakkhita. 305 And the ruler of men having thus gathered merit in many ways, departed hence, according to his deeds, in the thirty-fifth year of hist reign.

Wise men ponder over the vanity of life and its possessions, and put 306 far away from them the love thereof. Do ye also, therefore, likewise minister unto the three sacred objects, and practise virtue, which bringeth happiness in this world and in the world to come.

Thus endeth the one hundredth chapter, entitled An Account of Kittissiri Rájasíha," in the Mahávansa, composed equally for the delight and amazement of good men.

SUPPLEMENT.

And after his (Kírtisri's) death Siri Rájádhi Rájasíha, his younger brother, was anointed king over Lanká. He was skilful and diligent, and took a delight in the Three Gems, and was constant in hearing the sacred Law. And at the very beginning of his reign he bethought him of maintaining what his brother had done for the advancement of the country and the religion thereof. And the illustrious king maintained as before, without restraint, the offerings of food, drink, and

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5 the like, that were wont to be made to the tooth-relic; and commanded that the provisions made for the course of alms to the sons of Buddha should be kept up as before, even in the same manner as the deceased king had done.

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Now, during the reign of his royal brother the priests who had come from Siam, headed by the elder Upáli, arrived at the city of Siri7 vaḍdhana; and afterwards those priests, who had come with Upáli as 8 their chief, set up a consecrated boundary (" símá ") according to (the manner of proceeding known as the Náttidutiya-kamma, in the Kusumáráma, which is to the south side of the city; and within this consecrated boundary the king Kittissiri had built an upósatha hall. 9 And when the king saw that this hall was in a state of decay, because that he loved merit he raised the site from the border of the limit and 10 all around it, and by putting more stones therein built the walls of 11 the inner limit. And then he fixed stone pillars therein, and dedicated 12 the upósatha hall to the priests from the four quarters. He was

skilled also in many languages, such as Páli, Sanskrit, and the like, 13 and given to charity, and was in form like unto the God of Love. And as he was skilled in the science of words, he composed the Asadisa 14 játaka in Sinhalese poetry, and published it. And by reason of his faith the pure-minded king caused one hundred thousand lamps to be lighted in one night, and caused the tooth-relic to be carried in 15 procession. And when he had learnt that the gift of the kathina was the most meritorious of all gifts, he bestowed kathina robes on the 16 priesthood every year. And as he desired greatly to attain buddhahood, he caused a statue of Buddha, of the king's size, to be cast in 17 bronze, and built a beautiful cétiya, pleasant to the eye, at the famous Gangáráma vihára.

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And the king, having acquired these and other merits, departed hence according to his deeds in the eighteenth year of his reign.

Thereupon Siri Vikkama Rájasíha, a firm man, and Rájádhi Rájasíha's 20 sister's son, became the ruler of the land. And when he had hearkened to the Law proclaimed by the conqueror, the king was pleased 21 therewith, and offered to the sacred tooth-relic jewellery, such as pearls, 22 gems, and the like, and many lands also; and many times also he gave excellent food to the priests who were followers of Buddha. Thus did this lord of the land gain these and other merits.

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But afterwards he joined himself to evil companions and changed his ways. And he caused great ministers and many other officers to 24 be seized and put to death; and, like unto death himself, he showed 25 no mercy, and caused many hundreds of people to be seized and brought 26 from divers places and impaled. And, like a robber who plundereth the country around him, he seized their vast possessions which they had inherited from generation to generation.

A certain mode of making and carrying a resolution in a chapter of priests. 2 The Malvatta vihára.