Chapter 1a - Pre-Buddhist Sri-Lankā

[Full title: Pre-Buddhist Sri-Lankā and Legendary Account of Arrival of the Buddha]

The Dīpavaṃsa ciaims, that the Buddha, himself, had chosen the beautiful Island of Laṅkā as the ideal place for establishing the Dhamma. It also asserts a pre-historic period, when the earth became fit for abode of men; Laṅkādīpa had been inhabited by the most civilized Aryans and was visited by the four Buddhas: Kakusandha, Koṇāgamana, Kassapa and Gautama. The Island had undergone changes in its name before it came to be known by the name of Laṅkṅdīpa. In Kakusandha’s time the Island was known by the name of Oja-dīpa; it became known by Varadīpa during the time of Koṇāgamana.It was called Maṇḍadīpa in the time of Kassapa.In the time of Gautama Buddha the Island was known by the name of Lankā-dīpa and Tambapaṇṇi-dīpa. The Island had different capitals in succesion: Abhayapura, Vaḍḍhamāna, Visāla and Anurādhapura. Abhaya, Samiddha, Jayanta, and Devanampiya-tissa were the respective kings.Four different mountains came into prominance: Devakuṭa, Sumaṅakuṭa, Subhakuṭa, and Cetiya-pabbata.

The advent of all the Buddhas took place with a definite purpose. The chronicler speaks of an epidemic fever called Puṇṇaka-naraka at the time of Kakusandha. The great sage came here (Oja dīpa) from Jambudīpa to subdue the disease. When the name of the Island was Varadīpa, a miserable drought prevailed here and the Buddha Koṇāgamana came to bring an end to it. Next time, when the Island became known by Maṇḍadīpa, the Buddha Kssapa came here to stop a hideous and life destroying war betwen the then King Jayanta and his brother.

Fourth time, in the present kappa that is in our age of the world, the Buddha Gotama visited the Island of Laṅkā three times. First time he came to the Island to make the Yakkhas civilized, taught them how to live peacefully and rehabited them in the beautiful mountain region of Giridīpa which is in the wet zone. These, entire things he did to make the Island fit for dwelling place of men. Second time, he came to stop a war broken out between the two Nāga kings Mahodaro and Cūladaro who were uncle and nephew by relation, centering a dispute over a gem studded throne and treasure. Third tme, he came on invitation by the Nāga king Maṇi-Akkhika. Each time he returned to Jetavana establishing the Dhamma in the Island. He established a guard to protect the Island and restore a lasting peace.

The Dīpavaṃsa gives the story of the three visits as follows: “At that time, the ground of Lankā was covered with great forests, and full of horrors: frightful, cruel, blood-thirsty Yakkhas of various kinds, and savage, furious, and pernicious Pisācas of various shapes and full of various wicked thoughts, had all assembled together.The teacher thought–“I shall go there, in their midst; I shall dispel the Rākkhasas and put away the Pisācas; men shall be masters of the Island.”

His first visit took place nine months after enlightenment in the month of Phussa (paush) in a full moom day.He came through the air from the Anotatta Lake in the Himalayas, and alighted at Mahiyaṅgana (In Dipv. it is Mahiya Pokkhala on the site of the Subhaṅgana thūpa), on the eastern side of the central mountains. There he first sent down ‘rain, cold-winds and darkness’ and afterwards intense heat, to escape from which the unfortunate Yakkhas could merely stand on the shore.

In the end, he permitted the Yakkhas and Rākkhasas to escape to an island called Giridīpa, “the island of Hills’. This place is described as “beautifully adorned by rivers, mountains and lakes....full of excellent food and rich grain, with a well-tempered climate, a green grassy land... adorned by grasses and forests; there were trees full of blossoms and fruits”.

It was situated

‘in the great sea, in the midst of the ocean and the deep waters, where the waves incessantly break; around it there was a chain of mountains, towering, and dificult to pass.’

The Lord preached the Dhamma to the deities who assembled there and gave lock of His sacred hair to god Sumana who asked for an objct of worship. Today, at Mahiyaṅgana, in the Badulla district, on the bank of river Mahāweli, near Kandy, stand an ancient thūpa which is said to have been erected over locks of the Buddha’s hair, and also the collar bone of the Buddha.The thūpa is said to have been expanded by King Duṭṭha-Gāmaṇī in the 2nd century B.C. It has further been improved upon in the following centuries by the successive kings.

The second visit of the Buddha is stated to have been paid in the fifth year after his enlightenment. In this case he visited the Nāgas, who were engaged in a civil war. “He first created a deep terrifying darkness’, and then reconciled them and converted many of them to Buddhism. On this occasion, god Samiddhi helped Him as His attendant. Sakka brought with him a large Rājāyatana-Tree in which he commonly resided, and held it as a sun-shade over the Buddha. He finally planted it in Northern Ceylon as an object for the Nāgas to worship.

The third visit was made in his eighth year. Maṇi-Akkhika, the Nāga king of Kaelaniya, invited the Buddha. On the full moon day of Vesaka, accompanied by five hundred monks, the Lord had been to Kaelaniya. Maṇi-Akkhika was the maternal uncle of Mahodara, one of the kings who participated at war on his former visit, is described as a devout Buddhist. The Nāga king erected a highly-decorated pavilion for the reception of the visitors, and provided a great donation to the monks.After this, the Buddha is believed to have first left the impression of his foot on the Sumaṇa-kuṭa Mountain (Adam’s Peak), and afterwards proceeded to the site of the future Dīghavāpi, and finally to Anurādhapura, where he visited the sites of future Mahāmeghavanārāma, the celebrated Bo-Tree and three dagobas: the Mahathūpa, the Thūparama, and the Silācetiya.

The Dīpavaṃsa does not give us any realistic account of the remains of the handicrafts of men who lived in Palaeolithic and Neolithic ages. But it introduces to us two powerful aboriginal races: the Yakkhas and the Nāgas who held sway over the Island earlier to the advent of the Aryans. In those days, the Indian traders from the lower part of the Ganges valley described the inhabitants of Ceylon, whom they found occupying the central and southern forests as beings who were hardly human. They may have told these to frighten others from starting business activities into Ceylon, so that they might retain a profitable trade in their own hands.

The mythical story of three visits of the Buddha as described in the Dīpavaṃsa is not found in the canonical works. Yet, it is credited as an article of faith by the Budhists in the Island, whether monks or laymen. At the same time, it enhanced the prestige of the Buddhist remains at Anurādhapura and Kaelaniya.

The Dīpavaṃsa and other later chronicles did not mention the Veddās who are taken to be the present descendants of the palaeolithic dwellers. The Mahāvaṃsa talk about of the Pulindas as a mixed race of aborigines, who sprang from the union of the Indian prince Vijaya with the Yakkhinī Kuvenī.

Historians A.L.Basham, G.C. Mendis and others are of the view that a people of Dravidian stock were the earliest settlers. The Nāgadīpa is located on the North coast of Ceylon.

According to H.Parker, the Nāgas were comparatively civilised race than the Yakkhas. Plantinng Rājāyatana tree of Sakka or Indra in Nāgadīpa which is a religious custom prevailed in India, proves that the Nāgas were follower of older faith of India, and were worshippers of Indra, and not of Siva. The Nāga countries were ruled by their own kings, and had their own form of administration. The western and the northern part of Ceylon was familier for many centuries as Nāgadipa. The Nāgas of Northern Ceylon seem to have settled there long before the arrival of the Gangetic pioneers and were actual Indian immigrants from South-India.

It appears from the Dīpavamsa that the Nāgas were divided into three physical types: Large bellied (mahodaro), Small-bellied (Culadaro), and Gem-eyed (Maṇi-Akkhika). In the narrative these three occur as the personal names of three Nāga chiefs. Sirisavatthu, the capital, of one of the Nāga chiefs, was near the landing place of Vijaya.

The Yakkha principalities are mentioned several times as being situated in north–central region of Ceylon, where the Indian prince Vijaya and his party were reported to have been landed. Vijaya came here in the year of Buddha’s death. Though the Yakkhas were removed from the Island about forty-five years ago, still Vijaya found the place occupied by the Yakkhas. Rājāvaliya states that, Yakkhas had confined themselves in the midst of the forest, and thus escaped expulsion.

As stated in the Pali chronicles that the followers of the first king Vijaya of Ceylon established towns and cities along the bank of the rivers. One of his ministers found a town to the north of Anurādhapura, on the bank of Kadamba River. But the Brahman Upatissa had built the Upatissagāma on the bank of river Gambhīra. Parker says that, the seat of ‘the Brahmanical Upatissa’ was the boundary of the Drāvidian territory, Nāgadīpa.

The story of Vijaya from the very beginning, that is, getting punishment from his father and his journy to the Island appears to be untrue; but the whole account is valuable as it represents the early way of life prevailed in pre-Buddhist time including the aborigins of Ceylon.

It is asserted in the Valāhassa-Jataka (No. 196) that,

‘Once there was a city called Sirisavatthu, peopled by she-goblins in the Island of Ceylon. When a broken ship reached their island, they used to adorn and beautify themselves and take food for the merchants in distress. They bind these people with magic chains, and cast them into the house of torment. And if they find no ship wrecked men in the place where they dwell, they hunt the coast as far as the river Kalyānī on the one side and the Island of Nāgadipa on the other.

Once in this manner about five hundred ship-wrecked merchants were entraped. Bodhisattva (Gotama Buddha, in his former life), rescued two hundred and fifty of them assuming the shape of a brilliant flying horse which carried them back to India. The Yakkhas are described as killing and eating the two hundred and fifty merchants who were left behind’.

According to H. Parker, from this Jataka story it appears that the Yakkhas occupied all the coastal regions outside the boundary of Nāgadipa and the area of Kalyānī, which covers the southern two-thirds of the Island including one third of the western coast.

B.C.Law is of the opinion that, the Buddha during his first visit had taken a wise step of segregation. He reserved the Island of Laṅkā for the higher races of men and alloted the Giridīpa to the uncivilized dwellers who were lacking in sensation to realize the subtle teachings of the Dhamma

Both islands were in close proximity to each other and their physical features were almost alike.

‘They had high and low lands, beautifully adorned with rivers, mountains and lakes, free from danger, well protected, surrounded by ocean, rich in food-grains, and blessed with a well tempered climate and subject to no master.’

Apart from the panorama of actions before the introduction Buddhism in Ceylon, to impress the reader with the extreme antiquity and early celebrity as well as blessedness of the Island, the chronicler gave a great line of renowned rulers in whose family Gotama Buddha was born. Gotama’s ancestry is traced from Mahāsammata, the first chosen monarch and organizer of men through three stages: from Mahasammata to Accimā, From Accimā to Nemiya and from Nemiya to Suddhodana, father of Siddhārtha–Gotama.

Mr. H. Nevil of Ceylon civil service and others identified the Yakkhas with the Veddas. The Pali expression ‘Yakkha’ was wrongly applied to the aborigines to describe them as as hunters. They believed that, the aborigins were known as ‘Arrow persons’. This would be expressed by the word –iya, (arrow) + ka= Iyaka, which in sound is sufficiently close to ‘Yakkha’.for such a confusion to arise.

Mahāvaṃsa describes a site granted by the King Pāṇḍukābhaya at Anurādhapura for the Vyada-Devawho also erected special place of abodes for the Vyādas there. Parker noticed that, at that early date (4th century B.C.), the aborigines were known as Vyadas or hunters. Morever the Pulindas of Mahāvaṃsa who were the descendant of two children of Vijaya and Yakkhini Kuvenī were in reality the aborigines, the yakkhas.

We do not get any information of worship or cult till we enter the period of Pāṇḍukābhaya in the fourth century B.C. From the various activities of King Pāṇḍukābhaya we can have some idea of the type of worship prevalent in Ceylon.The Mahāvaṃsa says that Citta and Kāḷavela, two reliable assistances of Ummādacittā, were murdered by her brothers for not being agree with their deadly scheme and were reborn as Yakkhas and that both of them protected the child Pāṇḍukabhaya in the mother’s womb and in later life also. Likewise Cittā, the loyal servant of Pāṇḍukābhaya’s family, was also reborn as a Yakkhinī. Another Yakkhinī named Cetiyā, who lived in the Dhumarakkha Mountain and was habituated to walk about the marsh of Tumbariyangana in the shape of a white mare, with red legs. Prince Pāṇḍukābhaya succeeded in catching this mare and by her mystic advice and help conquered and killed his enemy, the king and his brothers, with the exception of two and thereby established his own power over the kingdom.

Pāṇḍukābhaya after accessing the throne, established the Yakkha Kāḷavela on the east side of the city and Yakkha Cittarāja on the lower end of the Abhaya tank, that is on the south-western side of the town and lodged the slave woman Cittā who helped his family in the past and was reborn as a Yakkhinī at the south gate of the city. The king’s arrangement was such that his capital city was protected on the three sides by the Yakkha supporteres.

On the western side of the city, the cemetary was fixed and to the north of it, ‘a range of buildings’ were also constructed for the Vyadhas. Pāṇḍukābhaya also established within the garden of the royal palace the mare faced Yakkhinī (Valvāmukhī).

During festival time, the king took his seat of equal eminence with the Yakkha chief Citta, enjoyed festive shows, having gods and men dance before him and get pleasure from his prosperity conjointly with the Yakkhas.

According to H. Parker, “it appears from these activities that a large portion of the population of Anurādhapura or its outskirts at that time consists of the Vaedda supporters of the king. It is also easy to see that it was by means of a close alliance with the Vaeddas this astute king, the greatest organiser the country has ever had—who is recordeed to have made the first land settlement by defining the boundaries of the villages through out the country—succeeded in deposing his uncle and gaining the throne The politic king found it advisable to recognise

the authority and influence of their leaders as nearly equal to his own. His political sagacity in this respect doubtless save the country from many years of bloodshed and insequrity, and converted the Vaeddas into peaceable inhabitants devoted to his interests. In religious matter he is equally liberal and impartial; he made spacial provision for all religious bodies at his capital. It was he, also, who gave the first stimulus to reservoir construction in the northern districts, and probably also irrigation.The historian rightly referred to him as a wise ruler.” Walpola Rahula opines that, “Pāṇḍukābhaya seems to have followed the ancient customs of the kings of India and Ceylon and patronized with equal liberality and impartiality cults and religions in vogue in his day. But we are at a loss to discover what his particular form of faith was. Perhaps he had no particular inclination towards any, and found one form of belief as good as another.”

Thus it is evident that, in pre-Buddhist Ceylon, among different kinds of primitive cults the worship of Yakkhas was popular. People believed in the fact that faithful and devoted persons after their death reborn as Yakkhas and Yakkhinis and they help their previous friends, dear ones and supporters when necessary.

The belief of getting facilities from the dead ancestors and worshipping them was prevailed in India as well as in Ceylon from the remote past till date. In Ceylon, the worship of Minneriya-Deyyo, the spirit of King Mahāsena (4th century A.D) who built the massive reservoir at Minneriya, can be mentiond as an example. The word Yakā which is Yakkha in Sinhalese, are applied to reborned dead persons and they may be benevolent or malevolent according to their character.

The great preacher Mahinda when arrived in Ceylon in the 3rd Century B.C. on the mission of convertion of the Sinhalese into Buddhism, he very intelligently utilised the sentiment and the customs prevailed among them. At the very first meeting, in a mystic environment Mahinda addressed the king by his name Tissa only, which was quite unusual for a common people. The king thought he must be a Yakkha. Parker concludes from the fact that the Yakkhas possesed honourable positions not less than a king in those days. Morever on the second day of his mission, Mahinda preached from the Peta-vattu and Vimana-vattu, two Buddhist texts dealing with the spirit of the dead. Walpola Rahula thinks that, Mahinda wanted to win the hearts of the people by appealing to their sentiments through a sermon which they could easily understand and appreciate.

Apart from the Yakkha worship, there were other deities worshipped by the Ceylonese before the arrival of Buddhism. In the account of Pāṇḍukābhaya mentions are made of several deities. Following were the important super-natural beings worshipped by the indigenous people, viz, Cetiyā, the Valvāmukhī Yakkhinī (mare faced), Yakkha Jutindhara, the husband of Cetiyā, who was killed in the battle of Sirisavatthu, Yakkha Maheja,Yakkha Jayasena, Kammāra-deva, Pura-deva, Vyadha-deva, Paccima-rājini etc. Dwellings, temples and cetiyas were built to honour these deities, some of whom were actual ancestors of the people.

Among the abodes built by the king Pāṇḍukābhaya, mention is made of the Yakkha Maheja. In the time of King Devānāmpiya-Tissa, the elephant bearing the relics of the Buddha which was to be enshrined in Thūpārāma, did not want to proceed beyond the shrine of the Yakkha Maheja. We do not find any mention of this shrine later.

Yakkha Jayasena, who resided on Ariṭṭha-pabbata (Riṭi-gālā), had been defeated in a duel with Goṭha-imbara, one of the Duṭṭhagāmaṇī’s general.

Pāṇḍukābhaya is also reported to have installed a female deity named Paccima-rājinī and set apart ground for the Yoṇas near the western gate of the city. Nothing much is known about these.

During the time of Devanampiya-Tissa, we find mention of a deity called Kammāra-deva and a famous place called Kumbhakāra-āvāṭa. Walpola Rahula thinks—‘Kammāra-deva may mean “God of Smiths” and in broder sense can signify “God of Industries”. Like wise, Kumbhakāra-āvāṭa, indicates a place from which potters obtained clay for their industries’. In the King Duṭṭhagāmaṇī’s time, temple of another deity known as Pura-deva is mentioned, on the northern side of the nica-susāna (cematary) who presided over the city. Parker considers ‘this god seems to be the Vyadha-deva of the time of Pāṇḍukābhaya, because on the northern side of the nica-susāna, the Vyadhas were settled’.

When Mahinda came to Ceylon, the Yakkhas and the Nāgas were mentioned several times in the literary works. But he is not reported to have converted any of these. But the Buddhists of tenth century A.D. believed that Mahinda converted a rakus (Rakkhasa) into Buddhism who resided in the Tissa Tank. This ‘rakus’ after conversion rendered services to Buddhism and to the world, but nothing is known of his life.

The god Sumana of Sumantakuta (Adam’s Peak) is a pre-Buddhist mountain deity in Ceylon. It is described by the early analysts that he was originally a Yakkha and happened to be worshipped before the Buddha’s first visit to Ceylon, since it is stated that he had received some of the Buddha’s pure blue-black locks on that occasion which he enclosed in the thupa of sapphire at Mahiyaṅgana. Sumana was the chief of devas, that is Sakra.

Walpola Rahula opines that,

‘even after conversion to Buddhism the Sinhalese desired to continue to venerate their friendly deities. But being Buddhists, they did not like to worship a non-Buddhist deity. They therefore converted these deities to Buddhism and elevated them to a higher plane’.

Tree worship was also prevalent in pre-Buddhist Ceylon. Mentions were made of mainly two trees which were regarded as sacred trees. One of them is banyan tree, which even today is usually regarded as sacred and dwelling of several deities. Pāṇḍukābhaya settled the Yakkha Vaisravana, the god of wealth, in a banyan tree near the western gate of the cityand Vyadha-deva (god of huntsmen) in a palmyrah-tree near the western gate of the city.

Apart from the aboriginal cults, existence of different religions of India was proved in pre-Buddhist Ceylon. Very little had been known about these religions from the chronicles and the minor informations, they furnish us with, had not received due attention. The Mahāvaṃsa states that the chiefs under Vijaya settled down at important places along the rivers, and formed establishments each for himself, all over the Island. To the north of the river Kadamba was situated the celebrated village Anurādhapura, called after one of Vijay’s followers. To the north of this village near that deep river, was the village of Brahmana Upatissa.

The Dīpavaṃsa describes in stylish terms that–

‘Upatissa found Upatissa nagara, which had well arranged markets, which was prosperous, wealthy, large, delightful and lovely’..

Parker thinks, it may have been then a town or settlement of early Drāvidian colonists as it was situated on the boundary of the Dravidian territory, which was according to him Nāgadīpa.

Paranavitana says that there are evidences of the presence of Brāhmaṇas in earliest inscriptions of Ceylon just after the introduction of Buddhism, and he thinks that they must therefore have lived in pre-Buddhist Ceylon too.

Pāṇḍukābhaya is said to have set aside brāhmaṇa-vatthuṃ or a dwelling place for brāhmaṇas in Anurādhapura. It appears from the narration of the chronicles that the Brāhmanas were rich, educated, and cultured, they were the most powerful and respected community in the society. They were also educators and people seek advice from them in important works.

We learn from the Mahāvaṃsa that

‘one Brhāmin, who was well versed in mantras foretold that Ummāda-Cittā’s son would slay all his uncles for the sake of the kingdom’.

Pāṇḍukābhaya’s mother handed him over to a Brahmin named Paṇḍula who was wealthy and erudite in Vedas, to protect him from her brothers. It was this Brahmin who trained Pāṇḍukābhaya in the arts and sciences necessary for a king, and ultimately gave him wealth sufficient to raise an army to fight his enemies. The procession that brought the branch of Bo-Tree from Jambukolapaṭṭana had set down on its way to Anurādhapura, at the entrance of the village of the Brāhmaṇa Tivakka.

Brahamanas, in pre-Buddhist Ceylon seem to have enjoyed power next to the king. Among the ministers of the king’s court purohita (royal chaplain) was chief. Vijaya’s purohita was Upatissa who built the Upatissagāma, and the government was managed from there till the arrival of Pāṇḍuvāsudeva. It shows that the purohita was the most important and powerful of all ministers

In pre-Buddhist Ceylon, the existence of the Niganṭhas or the Jains are also proved.But they were very few in numbers and were not well organized. Mentions are made of the name of three niganṭhas in Anurādhapura at the time of Pāṇḍukābhaya. They were Jotiya, Giri and Kumbhaṇḍa.Pāṇḍukābhaya built a house for the Niganṭha Jotiya, eastward of the Lower Cemetary. Niganṭha Giri also lived in the same zone. Pāṇḍukābhaya built a ‘devakula’ or a temple for the Niganṭha Kumbhaṇḍa, and it was known after the name of that niganṭha. The dwellings of these three Niganṭhas had existed even during the time of Devānāmpiya-Tissa and they were included within the boundaries of the Mahāsīma. According to Walpola Rahula, ‘Giri’s monastery was the most important and prosperous of the three. The Mahāvaṃsa-Tikā says that Khallāṭanāga’s three nephews named Tissa, Abhaya and Uttara who plotted against the king, jumped into the fire at this monastery and committed suicide. The pyre was made on the spot where Abhayagiri dagoba stands now. The next king Vaṭṭagāmaṅi-Abhaya demolished this monastery and built Abhayagiri on the spot. We hear no more monasteries of niganṭhas in later times, and there are no archaeological remains found to indicate the sites of any Jaina monasteries in Anurādhapura or elsewhere in Ceylon. The Jaina monasteries were probably converted to Buddhist-vihāras’.

Evidences show that Śaivaism also existed in pre-Buddhist Ceylon. The Nāgas according to Parker were Hindu Brahmins and were in practice of worshipping the god Siva. The Mahāvaṃsa-Tikā says that Mahāsena (334-362A.D) destroyed Sivalingas everywhere in Ceylon, which shows that by the fourth century A.D. worship of Siva was widespread.

Besides these, there exist various ascetics like the Paribbājakas, the Ājīvikas, various Pāsaṇḍas, Samaṇas, pabbajitas, Tapasas. We learn from the Mahāvaṃsa that, Pāṇḍukābhaya erected a monastery for the Paribbājakas and a house for the Ājīvikas. Various Pāsaṇḍas and Samaṇas lived in the area where the Niganṭhas Giri and Jotiya lived. It is asserted in the Mahābodhivaṃsa that, at the time of Devānāmpiya-Tissa there was a monastery for many paribbājakas and it was to the left of the Mahāsīmā. These prove that several paribbājakas and pabbajitas were present in pre-Buddhist Ceylon. The god Uppavaṇṇa came to Ceylon in the guise of a Paribbājaka to help Vijaya and his followers. Pāṇḍuvāsadeva also came here as if he was a paribbājaka. Bhaddakaccānā and her thirty-two women arrived in Ceylon wearing dresses of nuns that is pabbajitākārā. Rev, Walpola Rahula thinks that, these would show that pabbajitas and paribbājakas were well known in the Island before Buddhism had arrived there.

Pāṅḍukābhaya also built a monastery for the Tapasas beyond the lines of huts for huntsmen, towards the north.Besides these, five hundred families of various unorthodox ideas or micchādiṭṭhikulas also resided towards the east of the line of huntsmen.

Astrology was also practiced in pre-Buddhist Ceylon. From the Vedic period the name of constellations were used as personal names. Rohaṇa, Anurādha etc were actually the name of constellations which were used in early Ceylon too.

The chronicler of the Dīpavaṃsa says

‘the minister who was called after the asterism (Anurādha) founded Anurādhapura’.

Importance was given to auspisious moments for the commencement of important works.

During Public festivals, Pāṇḍukābhaya sat with Citta at the time of Chaṇa.

Rev. Rahula says that,

‘the word chaṇa (Skt. Kṣaṇa) denotes a festival held at an auspicious moment. Pāṇḍuvāsadeva’s arrival was predicted by the soothsayers. So was Bahaddakaccānā’s arrival. Brhāmanas well versed in mantras declared that Cittā’s son would slay his uncles for the sake of sovereignty. Pāṇḍukābhaya consulted astrologers and soothsayers on the building of the city of Anurādhapura. When the soothsayers saw the seats spread for Mahinda and other theras they predicted that the country would be conquered by them and they would be the lords of the Island’.