English
Now, to show the reason for the elder's mother's residence in Veṭisana city, he says, "It is said that Asoka, when he was a prince," and so on, showing that city to be her birthplace and the elder's origin. This is the sequential story here: In the past, a prince named Bindusāra, son of King Candagutta, who was born in the Moriya lineage, became king in the city of Pāṭaliputta after his father's demise. He had two sons by the same mother, and they had ninety-nine step-brothers. The king, however, to his eldest son, Asoka... Giving the viceroyalty of Ujjeni and the Avanti kingdom to the prince, one day, seeing him come to his attendance, he commanded: "My dear, viceroy, go to your kingdom and dwell there in the city of Ujjeni." He, by his father's word, going to that Ujjeni, on the way, in the city of Veṭisagiri, took up residence in the house of a merchant named Veṭisa. Seeing the merchant's daughter, Veṭisagiri by name, endowed with auspicious marks, and come of age, he became enamored of her. Having his parents speak for him, he received her, given by them, and lived with her. She, having conceived by that cohabitation, was then brought to Ujjeni and gave birth to Prince Mahinda. Then, after two years had passed, she also gave birth to a daughter, Saṅghamittā, and lived there with the viceroy. However, the viceroy's father, Bindusāra, lying on his deathbed, remembered his son, Prince Asoka, and sent men to Ujjeni to summon him. They went to Ujjeni and reported the news to Asoka. By their words, he, coming swiftly to his father, on the way, leaving his children and wife in the city of Veṭisagiri, went to his father's city of Pāṭaliputta. Immediately after his arrival, he had the funeral rites performed for his deceased father. Then, having slain his one hundred minus one step-brothers, he became one whose thorns were removed. There, he raised the parasol and received the anointing. Even then, the mother of the elder sent the children to the king and herself remained in that very city of Veṭisagiri. Therefore, it is said: "His mother, at that time, dwelt in her relatives' house." "Āropesīti" means "he arranged." "Our task here is finished" refers to the fact that the mother's visit was made. "Let him experience the anointing sent by my father," and so on, the story of sending the anointing and so forth will be revealed in detail later. "Chaṇatthanti" means "for the sake of a festival," the meaning is "for the purpose of a festival." It is said that he himself did not wish to engage in festival play. It is said that King Devānampiyatissa, on the full moon day of the month of Jeṭṭhamūla, proclaimed a festival, and commanded his ministers, "Perform the water-sport festival!" He himself, desiring to hunt, went to Missaka Mountain. Missaka Mountain is a mountain so named because it is mixed with earth and rocks. "One who has seen the truth" means one who has penetrated the truth by the Anāgāmi path, it is said that he attained the Anāgāmi fruit. It is said that he, having heard the Dhamma taught by the Elder to his own mother, realized the Anāgāmi fruit. And he is to be known as the Elder's nephew. Thus, the sister of the Elder's mother had a daughter, and this was her son. This is stated in the Mahāvaṃsa: "The daughter of the Queen's sister, named Bhaṇḍuka, Having heard the Dhamma taught by the Elder to the Queen, Attained the Anāgāmi fruit, and dwelt with the Elder." And "you were prophesied by the Perfectly Enlightened One" means that the Perfectly Enlightened One, having surveyed the world with his Buddha-eye at the foot of the Bodhi tree, and having seen the island of Tambapaṇṇi, and having seen the future prosperity of that island, prophesied you, saying, "In the future, a bhikkhu named Mahinda will illuminate the island of Tambapaṇṇi." Here, "Tambapaṇṇi island" refers to the inhabitants of the island. The knowledge of the superiority and inferiority of the faculties and the knowledge of latent tendencies are called "the Buddha-eye." Since it is not possible to see anything else without that knowledge of the superiority and inferiority of the faculties, it is said "having surveyed" and not "surveying." "This matter" means "In the future, a bhikkhu named Mahinda will illuminate the island of Tambapaṇṇi"—this matter. "In Rājagaha, on Veṭisagiri" means in the monastery built by the Queen. It should be construed as: "It is time for the journey, let us go to the excellent island." And this is an indication of their deliberation. "They ascended into the sky." "In the air" means in the sky. Having ascended into the sky in this way, what did they do? Showing that they alighted on Cetiyapabbata, it is said: "Thus the Elders, having flown up, alighted on the chief of mountains." Now, the place where that mountain is situated and the place where the Elders alighted there. To show it, he spoke the verse beginning "in front of the best city," and so on. "Purato" means in the eastern direction. "Puraseṭṭhassa" means of the excellent city called Anurādhapura. "Meghasannibhe" means like a great dark cloud, being blue in color all around, like a great dark cloud. "Sīlakūṭamhī" means on the mountain peak of that name. "Haṃsāva nagamuddhanī" means like swans on the mountain top. When did it become established there? He says, "Thus, together with good fortune," and so on. "Parinibbānato" means, taking the year of the Parinibbāna as the boundary, excluding it, and counting upwards, in the thirty-sixth year after two hundred years. This meaning should be understood. How is this to be known? He says, "For Ajātasattu," and so on. "Tasmiṃyeva vasse" means, in that very year, on that very day, on which the Blessed One attained Parinibbāna, in that very year, on that very day, Prince Vijaya arrived on this island, so they say. And this has been said: "In Lanka, the prince named Vijaya, Of firm resolve, landed on Tambapaṇṇi Island; Between the twin Sāla trees, On the day the Tathāgata lay down to attain Nibbāna." "Son of Sīhakumāra" here means the prince born of a lion in the womb of the Kalinga king's daughter, should be known as Sīhakumāra. Because it was previously uninhabited by humans, he says, "he made it inhabited by humans." "Cuddasame vasse" means when the fourteenth year arrived. "Idha Vijayo kālamakāsi" means, on this Tambapaṇṇi island, Prince Vijaya, having reigned for thirty-eight years, passed away. For King Ajātasattu reigned for thirty-two years, and Udayabhadda for sixteen years. Therefore, considering Ajātasattu's eighth year as Vijaya's first year here, and then adding Ajātasattu's twenty-four years and Udayabhadda's fourteen years, Vijaya's thirty-eight years were completed. And thus it has been said: "Vijaya, having come to Lanka, On the day of the Teacher's Nibbāna; Reigned for thirty-eight years, The subduer of Yakkhas." "In Udayabhadda's fifteenth year..." because it was said, “Panduvasudeva attained kingship in this island,” it should be understood that for one year, which was the fourteenth year of Udayabhadda, between Vijaya and Panduvasudeva, this island of Lanka was without a king. For in that year, King Vijaya’s ministers, making a minister named Upatissa their chief, residing in Upatissagama, named after him, ruled the kingdom without a king. This has been said: “When he died, those ministers, awaiting the arrival of a khattiya; Staying in Upatissagama, they ruled the kingdom. “When King Vijaya died, before the arrival of a khattiya; For one year, this island of Lanka was without a king.” There, meaning in Jambudipa. Here, “Panduvasudeva died” means that in this island of Lanka, Panduvasudeva ruled for thirty years and then died. For after Udayabhadda, Anuruddha and Munda ruled for eight years; after them, Nagadasaka ruled for twenty-four years. Therefore, with Udayabhadda’s fifteenth and sixteenth years, the eight years of Anuruddha and Munda, and twenty years of Nagadasaka’s twenty-four years, King Panduvasudeva’s thirty years were completed. Therefore it was said: “Then Panduvasudeva ruled for thirty years.” There, meaning in Jambudipa. “In the seventeenth year” means when the seventeenth year arrived. For after Nagadasaka, Susunaga ruled for eighteen years. Therefore, excluding twenty years from Nagadasaka’s twenty-four years, with the remaining four years, and sixteen years from Susunaga’s eighteen years, King Abhaya’s twenty years were completed here. This has been said: “Abhaya ruled the kingdom of Lanka for twenty years.” Damarika means a warring thief. But Pandukabhaya was Abhaya’s nephew, a king himself, not a thief. However, because the kingdom was seized by force, “ was called "the rebel." It is said that he "took the kingdom" because he took a part of it. For Abhaya, in his twentieth year, had not yet taken the entire kingdom. Thus, from his twentieth year onwards, seventeen years passed for Abhaya, who, while still unanointed, fought and killed his nine brothers, his maternal uncles, here and there. And because of this, those years were called "kingless." And thus it was said: "Between King Paṇḍukābhaya and Abhaya, there were seventeen kingless years." "There" means in Jambudīpa. "Of Paṇḍuka" means of Paṇḍukābhaya. For a designation can be made by a part, just as "Devadatta is Datta." "Seventeen years were completed" means they were completed while he was still unanointed. Here, excluding Kāḷāsoka's sixteenth year, the fifteen years below, and taking Susunāga's seventeenth and eighteenth years, two years, seventeen years are to be counted. These, with one year below, become eighteen. Thus, those seventeen kingless years, together with one kingless year below, between Kings Vijaya, Paṇḍu, and Vāsudeva, become eighteen kingless years. "In Candagutta's fourteenth year, Paṇḍukābhaya died here." In Candagutta's fourteenth year, in this island of Tambapaṇṇi, King Paṇḍukābhaya, having ruled for seventy years, died. Thus, Susunāga's son, Kāḷāsoka,