rice fields of standing corn, with the ears thereof full of milky juice, 148 whereon they might graze. He also strengthened the flood-gate of the Kálavápi tank. It is said that the good deeds done by him in this manner were numberless-they were so many.

149

His son, whom he had made sub-king, was now dead, but there was another born to him when he held the office of general, whom he 150 thought worthy of filling the throne. But fearing that the other royal princes should take away his life, he had him so brought up that they 151 got not the opportunity for killing him. Now, it is said that one day, when the enemy had laid siege to the city, he went up to his father and 152 begged him for the war-elephant. And the king gave him the big elephant--a fearful monster like unto the elephant of Mára. He gave him also a band of practised warriors skilled in the use of all the wea153 pons of war. And when he thought the time had come, he put on his sword and mounted the noble elephant, and went forth from the city, 154 and routed all the besiegers and gained a great victory. And the king was so pleased with his son's valour that he made him his general. 155 Moreover, it is said that it was even he who had marched with an army

to the northern country and drove away from thence the rebellious 156 governor Dappula and his armed host. Wherefore Dappula hated him exceedingly, and at the battle that was fought at Mahummára, perceiving the general in the midst of the strife, he was so enraged that he 157 straightway urged the elephant on which he was mounted straight against him, intending thereby to kill him. But the general (seeing this) caused his own tusker to pierce the beast (to the breast) and drove 158 him back. The king was so pleased with this deed of valour that he saw, that he thereupon conferred on him the office of sub-king, which he had himself held, because that there was none else fit in the kingdom. 159 Having thus enjoyed in plenty the dominion of the island for twenty years, this king died, and went up to heaven as if to receive there the reward of his good deeds.

160

Even so all the riches that men lay up for themselves by much suffering are lost in a moment; yet, alas! foolish men set their heart on them alone.

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

CHAPTER XLIX.

ΟΝ

N the death of his father, the sub-king (Dappula III.) came to the throne. He was able both to keep down his enemies and to gain over his friends. And he had a queen named Séná, whom 2 he loved very dearly. She was fair to look upon, and was endued 3 with wisdom, and had a little son whom she bore to him. He bestowed the office of sub-king on his eldest son, and gave his daughters away to

5

the other governor of the Róhana to be his queens. This king bestowed 4 also offices on various persons, to every man according to his deserts, and gained the love of the people by the exercise of the four kingly virtues. And it happened to him that he had on one occasion to go to Manihira. And while he tarried there he heard that the provinces on the border were stirred up (with revolt). Whereupon he straightway 6 sent his eldest son and the chief of his army thither, saying unto them, "Go and pacify the country." And after they had set out thither, 7 certain evil-minded men, whose hearts were set on stirring up strife, spoke falsely to them, and caused them to break faith with their master. Thus they twain became traitors, and sought to take possession of the 8 country. But when the king heard thereof, he proceeded forthwith to Dúratissa, and put both of them to death, and seized all their 9 treasures, and having destroyed all that were confederate with them, returned again to the city of Pulatthi.

At that time there was a prince, Mahinda by name, the son of 10 Dáthásíva, a governor, who was also lord of the Róhana country. And this prince, having offended his father sought the king. And he 11 was much pleased to see him, and showed him all the favour that he deserved; and that he might strengthen the bonds of friendship 12 (between them) he gave the prince his daughter Dévá to wife, and sent him to Róhana with an army. And the prince having subdued the 13 Róhana with the aid of the king's army, drove his father to India and took possession of the country.

And the king built a goodly ticket-hall at the Mahávihára, of great 14 strength, and gave the village of Mahánáma for the support of the 15 Kholakkhiya statue of the great sage. He gave suitable gifts also to the Vaddhamána bódhi tree, and repaired the ruined house that stood there; and in order to preserve it he gave the fruitful village Koṭṭhagáma. 16 To the Níláráma vihára he gave the village Kálussa, and to the Lóha 17 statue the village Árámassa. He restored many ancient buildings also, and caused many images to be made for them, and built a great many 18 houses, cétiyas, and viháras. And being a man of great compassion, he built a hospital for the city of Pulatthi, and another at Pandaviya with a fruitful village attached thereto. He built hospitals for the 19 halt and the blind in divers places.

And the judgments which had been righteously pronounced in cases 20 he caused to be recorded in books, and ordered that they should be kept in the king's house, for fear that they may be perverted by corrupt

means.

And to the Nágavaḍdhana vihára he gave many villages for its 21 support, and intermeddled not with the grants of former times, but gave effect to all previous statues. Yea, even all the great charities 22 which his father had established, as also every other good act of his, he preserved with the love of a son.

1 Minnériya.

23

And the queen also of this great king did many good deeds. She built the Kaṇṭaka cétiya at the Cétiyapabbata, as also the rock temple 24 Jayaséna, which she gave to the country-priests together with the 25 village Mahummára. She built also a second convent, called Silámégha, for the use of the sisterhood, and provided the sisters of the (old) 26 Silámégha with all the necessaries of conventual life. Those villages also which had passed to aliens in former times she redeemed by 27 payment in money, and restored them to the self-same vihára. She caused the branches of all great trees at the Cétiyapabbata to be cut down, and made offerings of flags and banners of divers colours to be hung 28 thereon. She repaired the terraced house on the eastern vihára, and brought back to fruitfulness the unfruitful village Ussánaviṭṭhi that 29 belonged to it. She also restored the Giribhaṇḍa vihára that had gone to decay, and set apart villages for the support of the priests who 30 dwelt therein. And she built also the house called Dappula pabbata, that stands on the mango grove, and, having provided it with the four necessaries of monastic life, she dedicated it to three hundred priests. 31 The king also built the Nílagalla áráma, a vihára of great beauty, and constructed a very profitable water-course, and gave it for the use of 32 that vihára. And he repaired the breaches in the Arikári vihára also, 33 and built anew a ticket-hall with a terraced house, and erected the cétiya called Sénaggabódhipabbata at Váhadípa.

And as he was a man of great learning, he caused the doctrines to be 34 preached at the three houses of the priesthood, and compelled the priests to accept his offering of alms-bowls, well strung and wrought in iron. 35 Yea, he left nought undone that pertained unto charity. To such poor women as were of good repute he gave jewels, and to them that were 36 in need of food he sent it unto them, and generally at night. He set

38

apart fields of grain that cattle might graze thereon, and gave food that had been cooked to crows and other birds, and fried rice mixed with 37 sugar and honey to children. In this wise did this chief of men, unto whom there was a large following, perform many acts of great merit and enjoy the good things of the earth, and leave it at the end of five years. And on his death his son Mahinda,1 a prince endued with every beauty and virtue, became the king of the Sinhalese. The law was as 39 a banner and a light unto him, and he devoted himself wholly to the pure doctrines of religion, so that he was known throughout the land 40 as Dhammika Silámégha. And he neglected not to perform all those things that were in keeping with the commandments of religion, as they had been done by former kings. But evil he abhorred utterly. And so that he might carry out new works at the Ratanapásáda, the king gave thereto the water-course called Geṭṭhumba, to be held for 42 ever. And having repaired many old places of worship that were in ruins, and having perfomed many other good works, he passed away after he had reigned four years.

41

1 Mahinda III., or Dhammika Silámégha.

Aggabódhi1 then raised the canopy of dominion in the city, and with 43 his reign he bestowed on all living beings the blessings of health and happiness. And to do honour to the tooth-relic, he held a great feast 44 that was worthy of all the virtues which adorned the Teacher, and another great feast also in honour of the (golden statue of the) supreme Buddha, which his grandfather had made. This ruler of men built a 45 parivéna and called it Udayaggabódhi, that so his name and that of his father might be had in remembrance; and he built another, which 46 he called Bhúta, and dedicated it to his Teacher and three hundred other priests, with lands attached thereto. He gave the village Cúlavápiya and the two villages Kálúla and Mallavátaka to the preaching 47 hall. He forbade also the bringing in into the inner city of flesh, fish, 48 and strong drinks on the upósatha days. And it was customary with 49 him, after he had made obeisance at a shrine or to the priesthood, carefully to wash his feet when he departed from the temple, saying, "Let no sand even be lost by cleaving to the soles of my feet." Whatsoever act tended to heaven, or whatsoever act tended to Nib- 50 bána, this (man) who took delight in the three sacred objects performed them all.

He was constant in his attendance on his mother, both by day and 51 night; and he was wont daily to wait on her betimes and anoint her head with oil, and cleanse her body, and purge the nails of her fingers, 52 and wash her tenderly, and dress her in clean and soft clothing. The garments also that she had cast off he washed with his own hands, 53 and sprinkled on his crowned head the water in which they were dipped. He made offerings of flowers and perfumes to her as at a shrine, and 54 then bowed himself before her three times, and walked round her with 55 great reverence, and commanded that her servants should be provided with meat and raiment, according to their desire. And afterwards 56 he fed her from his own hands with dainty food, and himself ate of the remnants, whereof he scattered a portion on his own head. And after he 57 had seen that her servants were fed with the best of the king's table, he perfumed and set in order her bed-chamber, in which he had himself 58 laid out her bed carefully with his own hands. And then he washed her feet and anointed them with soft and sweet-smelling oil, and, setting himself down by her side, he rubbed and pressed her legs until 59 sleep came over her. Then three times walked he round her bed with great reverence, and having made proper obeisance to her, he 60 commanded her servants and slaves to keep watch over her. And when he departed from the bed-chamber he turned not his back upon her, but stepped backwards noiselessly till he could not be seen, 61 and bowed again three times towards where she lay; and bringing to mind ofttimes the service he had done unto his mother, he returned to his palace in great joy. In this selfsame manner did he serve his 62 mother all the days of his life.

1 The Eighth.

H

2 Mahinda II.

47-08

On one occasion, when he spake disdainfully to his servant, and 63 called him a slave, it grieved him so that he himself sought to obtain his servant's forgiveness. Being endued with wisdom (and piety) he 64 persuaded his mother to offer him up as a slave to the Order, and got back his liberty by the payment of a sum of money that was equal to

his value.

And thus, having devoted himself to acts of piety, and having con65 ferred benefits on the (whole) island, he departed for the world of the 66 gods in the eleventh year of his reign.

His younger brother Dappula1 then became king, and he maintained all the customs which had been enforced by former kings.

At this time the sons of Mahinda, the lord of Róhana, were driven 67 out of the country by their father; and they sought their mother's brother the king, and when he had inquired of them touching the 68 matter, and being desirous of the welfare of his kinsfolk, he gave them a large army and sent them to make war against their father. But Mahinda, the ruler of the Róhaṇa, having heard these things before69 hand, began the war himself with the great army that he had; and the two rebellious sons gave their army in command to a captain and 70 fled from the field of battle; but they came back and dwelt in the

service of the king, and the event pleased the father of the princes 71 greatly, but he perished in making war with another of his kinsfolk, who 72 also fell in the battle. The king then gave his daughter Dévá, who

was a princess endued with all graces and virtues, to his sister's son Kittaggabódhi to wife; but this prince left his brother Dappula to 73 minister unto the king, and set out with a great army fully equipped 74 to the Róhana, and became the chief of that province, and lived there in the enjoyment of every prosperity with his sons and daughters.

The king rebuilt the old house of the bódhi tree, so that it may last, 75 and ornamented it with works inlaid with gold, and after he had fitted 76 it up in a manner so that it was worthy of his own kingliness and the perfections of the Teacher, he held a great feast in connection therewith. He repaired the old house at the Hatthikucchi vihára and converted 77 the rock at Váhadípa into a vihara, which he called Láváráma. At the 78 Jétavana vihára he made a golden image of the great sage, which he conveyed to the bódhi house, and held a festival of so great splendour that the mind of man could not imagine it. He made gifts of clothes 79 every year throughout the island, and caused the Mahápáli alms-hall to flourish. Of the refectories also he took great care. He commanded that gifts equal to his weight of precious things in the balance should 80 be given to the poor, and repaired the old buildings and maintained the faultless customs of ancient kings.

And this king had a general named Vajira, who was a man large in 81 heart; and he built the Kachchavála áráma for the Pansukúlika priests, and covered the thúpa-house at the Thúpáráma with tiles of gold as

1 The Fourth.