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he pleased the great multitude. Thera Mahārakkhita also went to the Yonaka country, and having pleased the Yonaka people with the discourse on the Kāḷakārāma Sutta, he bestowed the adornment of the paths and fruits upon more than one hundred and seventy thousand beings. Ten thousand went forth in his presence. Thus he also established the Dispensation there. Having gone to the Yonaka country then, that sage Mahārakkhita; With the Kāḷakārāma Sutta, he pleased those Yonakas. Thera Majjhima, however, together with Thera Kassapagotta, Thera Aḷakadevata, Thera Dundubhissara, and Thera Mahādeva, went to the Himavanta region, and having pleased that region with the discourse on the Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta, they caused eighty crores of beings to attain the jewels of the paths and fruits. And the five Theras pleased five countries. A hundred thousand each went forth in their presence. Thus they established the Dispensation there. Having gone, Thera Majjhima, to Himavanta, he pleased began; Proclaiming the army of yakkhas, the turning of the Wheel of Dhamma. Elder Soṇa, together with Elder Uttara, went to Suvaṇṇabhūmi. At that time, a certain ogress there, emerging from the ocean, devoured every child born in the royal family. On that very day, a child was born in the royal family. The people, seeing the elders, thinking, "These are allies of the ogresses," took up weapons and came intending to strike the elders. The elder said, "Why do you come with weapons in hand?" They said, "Ogresses devour every child born in the royal family; you are their allies." The elder said, "We are not allies of ogresses; we are ascetics, abstaining from the destruction of life... and so on... abstaining from intoxicating drinks, eating once a day, virtuous, of good conduct." And at that very moment, that ogress, with her retinue, emerged from the ocean, thinking, "A child has been born in the royal family; I will devour it." The people, seeing her, cried out in fear, "This, venerable sirs, is the ogress coming!" The elder created forms twice as large as the ogresses, and with those forms, he surrounded that ogress and her retinue, placing them in the middle, on both sides. It occurred to her and her retinue, "Surely this place has been taken by these. We, however, will become their prey." All the ogresses, terrified, fled swiftly. The elder, having made them flee until they were out of sight, established protection all around the island. And at that time, he pleased the great assembly of people gathered there with a discourse on the Brahmajäla Sutta and established them in the refuges and precepts. Sixty thousand people there attained comprehension of the Dhamma. Two and a half thousand sons of noble families went forth, and one and a half thousand daughters of noble families. Thus, he established the Dispensation there. From then on, they gave the name Soṇuttara to the children born in the royal family. Having gone to Suvaṇṇabhūmi, Soṇa and Uttara, of great power; Having driven out the fiends, Brah They said, "He taught the net." But Mahinda Thera, exhorted by his preceptor and the Sangha, "Go to Tambapaṇṇi Island and establish the Dispensation," thought, "Is it time for me to go to Tambapaṇṇi Island, or not?" Then, as he pondered, it occurred to him, "Not yet time." What did he see that made him think this? The old age of King Muṭasiva. Then he thought, "This king is old; it is not possible to take him and promote the Dispensation. Now, his son, Devānaṃpiyatissa, will rule the kingdom. Taking him, it will be possible to promote the Dispensation. Come, until that time arrives, let us visit our relatives. Perhaps we may or may not come to this country again." Thinking thus, he saluted his preceptor and the Sangha, and departed from Asokārāma. With those four theras— Iṭṭiya and others— with Sumanasāmaṇera, the son of Saṅghamittā, and with the lay follower Bhaṇḍuka, he wandered in the Dakkhiṇāgiri country, which was near Rājagaha city, visiting his relatives, and spent six months. Then, in due course, he arrived at Vedisā city, the dwelling place of his mother. It is said that Asoka, when he received a province in his youth, went to Ujjenī, and arriving at Vedisā city, married the daughter of the Vedisa merchant. On that very day, she conceived and gave birth to Prince Mahinda in Ujjenī. When the prince was fourteen years old, the king attained consecration. His mother was living in her relatives' home at that time. Therefore it is said, "Then, in due course, he arrived at Vedisā city, the dwelling place of his mother." When the thera arrived, his mother, the queen, bowed her head at his feet, gave him alms, and led the thera to the Vedisagiri Mahāvihāra which she had built. The thera, seated in that vihāra, thought, "Our task here is finished. Is it now time to go to Laṅkādīpa?" Then he thought, "Let me experience..." The other said, "Let Devānaṃpiyatissa hear of the anointing, and of the virtues of the Triple Gem. Let him leave the city for the festival and ascend Missaka Mountain. Then we shall see him there." Thereupon, they stayed there for another month. After the month had passed, on the full moon day of the month of Jeṭṭhamūla, the Uposatha day, all gathered and deliberated, "Is it time for us to go to Tambapaṇṇi Island, or not?" Therefore, the ancients said: "Mahinda by name, the Elder of the Saṅgha then was; Iṭṭiya, Uttiya, the Elder, Bhaddasāla, and Sambala. "And Sāmaṇera Sumana, with six supernormal powers, of great might; Bhaṇḍuka, the seventh of them, a lay follower who had seen the truth; Thus these great Nāgas, deliberated in seclusion." Then Sakka, king of the gods, approached the Elder Mahinda and said this: "King Muṭasiva has passed away, Venerable Sir; now King Devānaṃpiyatissa rules the kingdom. And you were prophesied by the Perfectly Enlightened One: 'In the future, a bhikkhu named Mahinda will establish the Dispensation in Tambapaṇṇi Island.' Therefore, Venerable Sir, it is time for you to go to that excellent island; I too will be your helper." Why did Sakka say this? For the Blessed One, at the foot of the Bodhi tree, having surveyed the world with his Buddha-eye and seen the future prosperity of this island, had announced this matter to him and commanded, "Then you too should be a helper." Therefore, he spoke thus. The Elder accepted his words, and with seven in all, he rose into the air from Veṭisakapabbata and landed on Missaka Mountain, to the east of Anurādhapura. This is what is now also known as "Cetiyapabbata." Therefore, the ancients said: "Having dwelt in Veṭisagiri, in Rājagaha, for thirty nights; 'It is time for the journey,' they said, 'let us go to the excellent island.' "They departed from Jambudīpa, like royal swans in the sky; Thus the Elders, having risen, landed on the chief of mountains. "Before the best of cities, on the mountain like a cloud; They landed on Sīlakūṭa, like swans." on the head of a nāga.” Thus, coming with Iṭṭhiya and others, and establishing himself, the Venerable Mahinda Thera established himself on this island in the thirty-sixth year after two hundred years from the Parinibbāna of the Perfectly Enlightened One. For the Perfectly Enlightened One attained Parinibbāna in the eighth year of Ajātasattu. In that very year, Vijaya Kumāra, son of Sīhakumāra, the first king of the island of Tambapaṇṇi, came to this island and made it a human habitation. In Jambudīpa, in the fourteenth year of Udayabhadda, Vijaya passed away here. In the fifteenth year of Udayabhadda, a person named Paṇḍuvāsudeva attained kingship on this island. There, in the twentieth year of King Nāgadāsaka, Paṇḍuvāsudeva passed away here. And in that very year, a prince named Abhaya attained kingship on this island. There, in the seventeenth year of King Susunāga, twenty years of King Abhaya were completed here. Then, in the twentieth year of Abhaya, a rebel named Paṇḍukābhaya seized the kingship. There, in the sixteenth year of Kāḷāsoka, seventeen years of Paṇuka were completed here. Those, with one year below, make eighteen. There, in the fourteenth year of Candagutta, Paṇḍukābhaya passed away here. King Muṭasiva attained kingship. There, in the seventeenth year of King Asokadhamma, King Muṭasiva passed away here. Devānampiyatissa attained kingship. And when the Perfectly Enlightened One had attained Parinibbāna, Ajātasattu reigned for twenty-four years. Udayabhadda for sixteen, Anuruddha and Muṇḍa for eight, Nāgadāsaka for twenty-four, Susunāga for eighteen, his son Kāḷāsoka for twenty-eight, then his ten sons, the brother kings, reigned for twenty-two years. After them, the nine Nandas reigned for twenty-two years, Candagutta for twenty-four, Bindusāra for twenty-eight. At the end of his reign, Asoka attained kingship. Four years before his anointing, and in the eighteenth year from his anointing, in this island the Elder Mahinda was established. Thus, according to this royal lineage, it should be known that: "In the thirty-sixth year after two hundred years from the Parinibbāna of the Perfectly Self-Enlightened One, he was established in this island." And on that day in the island of Tambapaṇṇi it was the Jeṭṭhamūla constellation. The king, having announced the constellation, and having commanded his ministers "Make a festival!" accompanied by forty thousand men, departed from the city and went towards Missaka Mountain, desiring to play a hunting game. Then, a certain deity dwelling on that mountain, thinking "I will show the Elder to the king," took the form of a rohita deer and moved about as if eating grass and leaves nearby. The king, seeing it, thought "It is improper now to shoot a heedless one," and twanged his bowstring. The deer took the path to Ambatthala and began to flee. The king, following close behind, ascended to Ambatthala itself. The deer also disappeared not far from the Elders. The Elder Mahinda, seeing the king approaching nearby,