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eight families of brahmins, eight families of householders, eight families of cowherds, eight families of hunters, and eight families of Kalinga people. And for watering, he gave eight golden pots and eight silver pots. With this retinue, he placed the Great Bodhi on a boat in the Gaṅgā, and he himself left the city, crossed the Vijjhā forest, and gradually, in seven days, reached Tāmalitti. Along the way, gods, nāgas, and humans made a magnificent offering to the Great Bodhi. The king also kept the Great Bodhi on the seashore for seven days and gave it the great kingship of the entire Jambudīpa. This was his third bestowing of the kingship of Jambudīpa. Thus, having honored it with great kingship, on the first day of the first half of the month of Māgasira, King Asoka, the righteous king, lifted the Great Bodhi, descended into water up to his neck, and established it on the boat. He also put Saṅghamittā Theri and her retinue on the boat, and said to the minister Ariṭṭha: "I, my dear, have honored the Great Bodhi three times with the kingship of the entire Jambudīpa, and descended into water up to my neck, and sent it to my friend. May he also honor the Great Bodhi in the same way." Thus, having given this message to his friend, he stood there, bowing and raising his clasped hands, shedding tears, saying, "Indeed, the Great Bodhi tree goes forth, emitting the radiant rays of the Ten-Powered One!" And that boat, carrying the Great Bodhi, entered the great ocean as the great king watched. In the great ocean, waves subsided for a yojana all around. were not; five-colored lotuses bloomed; in the sky divine musical instruments played; in the air, by deities residing in water, land, and trees, an exceedingly magnificent offering was made. Saṅghamittā Theri, in the form of a supaṇṇa, terrified the nāga clans in the great ocean. Those nāgas, in a state of terror, came and, seeing that splendor, begged the Theri, carried the Great Bodhi to the nāga realm, honored it with nāga kingship for seven days, and then re-established it on the ship. On that very day, the ship reached Jambukola port. King Asoka, grieved by separation from the Great Bodhi, wept and cried, looked as far as his sight could reach, and then returned. King Devānampiyatissa, at the word of Sumanas Sāmaṇera, from the first day of the waxing moon of Māgasira month, had the road from the northern gate all the way to Jambukola port cleaned and decorated. On the day of departure from the city, standing near the northern gate, at the Samuddasāla site, he saw the Great Bodhi coming in the great ocean with that splendor, by the power of the Theri, and with a joyful mind, he set out. Strewing the entire road with five-colored flowers, placing flower offerings here and there, he reached Jambukola port in one day. Accompanied by all musicians, worshipping with flowers, incense, perfumes, and so on, he descended into the water up to his neck. "Indeed, it has come, the Great Bodhi tree, the dispenser of the rays of the Ten-Powered One!" With a serene mind, he lifted the Great Bodhi, placed it on his head, and with the sixteen noble families who had come surrounding the Great Bodhi, he ascended from the ocean. Placing the Great Bodhi on the seashore, he honored it for three days with the kingship of the entire island of Tambapaṇṇi, and administered the kingship of the sixteen noble families. Then, on the fourth day, taking the Great Bodhi, making a magnificent offering, he gradually arrived at Anurādhapura. In Anurādhapura, too, Having made great offerings, on the fourteenth day, at the time of the waxing shadow, he brought the Great Bodhi Tree through the north gate, carried it through the middle of the city, and exited through the south gate. From the south gate, at a place five hundred bow-lengths away, where our Perfectly Self-Enlightened One sat having entered the attainment of cessation, and where the three former Perfectly Self-Enlightened Ones sat having entered attainment, where the Great Sirīsa Bodhi Tree of Kakusandha Bhagavā, the Udumbara Bodhi Tree of Konāgamana Bhagavā, and the Nigrodha Bodhi Tree of Kassapa Perfectly Self-Enlightened One were established, in that place, the ornament of the Great Meghavana Park, at the royal gatehouse, on the ground already prepared at the word of Sumanas Sāmaṇera, he established the Great Bodhi Tree. How? Those sixteen noble families who had come surrounding the Bodhi Tree assumed royal attire. The king assumed the attire of a doorkeeper. The sixteen families took the Great Bodhi Tree and lowered it. As soon as the Great Bodhi Tree was released from their hands, it rose into the air eighty cubits high and emitted six-colored rays. The rays spread throughout the entire island, reaching up to the Brahma world, and stood there. Seeing the miracle of the Great Bodhi Tree, ten thousand men, their faith arisen, began progressive insight, attained arahantship, and went forth. Until sunset, the Great Bodhi Tree remained in the sky. When the sun had set, it became established on the earth under the Rohiṇī constellation. With the establishment of the Bodhi Tree, the great earth quaked to its ocean boundaries. Having been established, the Great Bodhi Tree remained in a frosty chamber for seven days. It became invisible to the world. On the seventh day, the sky became cloudless. The six-colored rays, shining and sparkling, burst forth. The trunk, branches, leaves, and five fruits of the Great Bodhi Tree became visible. Mahinda Thera, Saṅghamittā Therī, and the king with his retinue went to the very spot of the Great Bodhi Tree. And for the most part, all the islanders gathered. As they watched, one fruit ripened on the northern branch and detached from the branch. The Elder extended his hand. The fruit rested in the Elder's hand. The Elder gave it to the king, saying, "Plant it, great king." The king took it, scattered sweet soil into a golden bowl, filled it with fragrant paste, planted it, and placed it near the Great Bodhi tree. As everyone watched, eight young Bodhi trees, four cubits high, sprang up. The king, seeing that wonder, honored the eight young Bodhi trees with white parasols and performed an anointing ceremony. Then, one Bodhi tree was planted at Jambukola port, where the Great Bodhi tree first landed upon arrival; one at the village gate of the Tavakka brahmin; one at Thūpārāma; one at Issaranimmāna Vihāra; one at the site of the First Cetiya; one at Cetiyapabbata; one in Kājaragāma in the Rohaṇa district; and one in Candanagāma, also in the Rohaṇa district. The thirty-two young Bodhi trees that grew from the seeds of the remaining four fruits were established in parks a yojana apart. Thus, for the welfare and happiness of the islanders all around, for generations of descendants, when the Great Bodhi, the banner of the Dhamma of the Ten-Powered One, was established, Queen Anuḷā, with five hundred maidens and five hundred palace women—that is, with a thousand women—went forth under the Elder Saṅghamittā and, not long after, attained arahantship with her retinue. And Ariṭṭha, the king's nephew, with five hundred men, went forth under the Elder and, not long after, attained arahantship with his retinue. Then one day, the king, having worshipped the Great Bodhi, went to Thūpārāma with the Elder. When he reached the site of the Brazen Palace, men brought him flowers. The king gave the flowers to the Elder. The Elder honored the site of the Brazen Palace with the flowers. As soon as the flowers fell to the ground, there was a great earthquake. The king asked, "Why, venerable sir, "The earth shook?" he asked. "In this place, great king, in the future, there will be an Uposatha hall for the Sangha. This is its premonition." The king, going again with the Elder, reached the Mango-courtyard place. There, a mango fruit, endowed with color and fragrance, and exceedingly sweet in taste, was brought to him. The king gave it to the Elder for his use. The Elder, having eaten it right there, said, "Plant this right here." The king took that mango-seed, planted it right there, and watered it. Immediately upon the planting of the mango seed, the earth trembled. The king asked, "Why, venerable sir, did the earth tremble?" "In this place, great king, in the future, there will be a meeting place for the Sangha called 'Mango-courtyard.' This is its premonition." The king, having scattered eight handfuls of flowers there, and having worshipped, going again with the Elder, reached the Great Stupa place. There, men brought him Campaka flowers. The king gave them to the Elder. The Elder worshipped the Great Stupa place with flowers. Immediately, the great earth trembled. The king asked, "Why, venerable sir, did the earth tremble?" "In this place, great king, in the future, there will be an unequaled great stupa of the Buddha, the Blessed One. This is its premonition." "I myself will do it, venerable sir," (said the king). "Enough, great king, you have many other tasks. But your grandson, named Duṭṭhagāmaṇī Abhaya, will have it built." Then the king, (thinking) "If, venerable sir, my grandson will do it, it is as good as done by me," had a twelve-cubit stone pillar brought, and had the letters inscribed: "May Duṭṭhagāmaṇī Abhaya, the grandson of King Devānampiyatissa, build a stupa in this place." Having had it established and worshipped, he asked the Elder, "Has the Dispensation been established, venerable sir, in the island of Tambapaṇṇi?" "The Dispensation has been established, great king, but its roots have not yet gone deep." "When then, “Venerable sir, when will the roots of the Dispensation be established?” “When, great king, a child born in Tambapaṇṇi-dīpa to parents of Tambapaṇṇi-dīpa, having gone forth in Tambapaṇṇi-dīpa, having learned the Vinaya in Tambapaṇṇi-dīpa itself, will teach it in Tambapaṇṇi-dīpa, then the roots of the Dispensation will be established.” “Is there, venerable sir, such a monk?”