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Mahāvaṃsa -(Great History)(English | 中文 | བོད་ཡིག)

English

Then Sīlākāḷa, whose mind was deceived by greed for the kingdom, Went to the southern Malaya region, gathering a great force. 11. Plundering the border, he reached near the city; Hearing this, the elder Kassapa, mounted on a choice elephant, 12. Having reassured his father, and taking his companions, Left the city and went to meet Sīlākāḷa. 13. Thus, in seven or eight encounters, he fled, hiding his actions; Having taken control by stratagem, in the eastern and western regions. 14. To fight again, he came to the Pācina-Tissa mountain; Kassapa too, with his companions, mounted on an elephant, 15. Went there, put the rogue to flight, and on the mountaintop, He mounted the great elephant, hence he was called Girikassapa. 16. Sīlākāḷa, arrogant with pride, further broke up the country; Having brought everything under his control, with an invincible army, 17. He came and besieged the city, the king's servants, Having fought, became few, and he He, Kassapa, thought. 18. By the city's destruction, all beings are shattered; The king's strength is diminished, blind and old is he. 19. Having made Merukandaraka my mother and father, Having seized the strength later, the thief oppressed me, so he thought. 20. At night, he, with his companions and the king's forces, Taking his parents, began to go to Malaya. 21. Then, not knowing the way, the guides were confused; Near the city, they wandered hither and thither. 22. Silākāḷa, hearing that news, quickly gathered; The battle surrounded them, there was a terrible fight. 23. As a great battle, like that of gods and asuras, raged, His companions fell, the great elephant sank. 24. Giving to the elephant-driver, cutting off his own head, Wiping the blood, making it, a sword-sheath, a sword-daughter. 25. Placing both hands on the elephant's forehead, he fell down; Upatissa, hearing that, died, struck by the dart of sorrow. 26. Thus, after a year and a half, Upatissa having gone to heaven, Silākāḷa became king, together with his former name. 27. They called him Ambasāmaṇera-Silākāḷa; He ruled the island by righteousness for thirteen years. 28. He gave precious royal food at the Great Alms-hall; He increased provisions in hospitals, for the welfare of the people. 29. Daily he worshipped the Bodhi tree, and had images made; He gave three robes to all the bhikkhus on the island. 30. He caused no killing to be done for all beings on the island; He duly worshipped the hair relic he himself had brought. 31. He gave the Raheradaka water-supply to Abhayuttara; That was the vihara Kunthanāma of the eastern theri. 32. Bringing a seat there, he placed it in the king of trees; He performed countless meritorious deeds throughout his life. 33. Moggallāna, and Dāṭhā, and Upatissaka, His son, to Asumagga, giving the eastern region. 34. Giving the rank and the title of chief, he sent him forth; "Go and dwell there," he said, and he, having gone, he lived. 35. The place, the peak of Malaya, giving the southern region; For the protection of the sea, he appointed the middle one. 36. Upatissa he caused to live, very near to himself; Especially cherishing, the youth of good appearance. 37. In his twelfth year, he went to the city of Kasi from here; He brought the Dhamma from there, then the merchant youth. 38. The king, seeing him unable, to discern Dhamma and non-Dhamma; Like a moth falling, onto the island, mistaking it for gold. 39. Recognizing it as the Buddha's Dhamma, he took it well; Having paid respects and honors, in a house near the royal palace. 40. Having kept it there, every year, he brought it to the great Jetavana; He caused the practice to be done, thinking it beneficial for beings. 41. Thus having done, Silākāḷa, much meritorious deed; In the thirteenth year, he met his karma. 42. Dāṭhappabhuti, having taken the kingdom, his brother's share; Preventing his aggression, he had the unwise one killed. 43. Moggallāna, hearing that, took the kingdom that was not his; "He killed my younger brother, a speaker of Dhamma, without cause. 44. I will make him king today," he became enraged; Taking a great army, he went to the Agārāhera mountain. 45. The king too, hearing, with his army of elephants ready; Pitched camp on the mountain, Moggallāna, having observed that. 46. "Those people, inhabitants of the island, are guilty towards me or you; If one dies, the kingdom, will not be for both of us. 47. Therefore, let us both fight, here with another; Let us have an elephant fight," he sent a message to the king. 48. He too, saying "So be it," with five weapons bound, mounted an elephant; And attacked immediately, like Māra against the Sage. 49. Moggallāna too, ready, mounted the best of elephants; There they came, those great elephants, met each other. 50. A sound was heard from the clash, like the roar of thunder; From the striking of tusks, flames arose like lightning flashes. 51. The elephants, smeared with blood, were like evening clouds; Mo Struck by Moggallāna's elephant, the king's elephant retreated. 52. The king, seeing that, began to cut off his own head; Then Moggallāna, bowing, begged, "Do not do this!" 53. Even though he was begged, honoring his resolve, he severed his royal ties; He abandoned the kingdom in six months and days. 54. Then Moggallāna became king, powerful on the island. And because of this uncle, they called him by the name Cūḷa. 55. He was of extraordinary poetic skill, devoted to the Triple Gem. Pure in giving and self-restraint, an abode of virtues like gentleness. 56. By giving and by pleasant speech, and by beneficial conduct, and by impartiality, he won over the great populace. 57. With alms-food and monasteries, and with medicines and robes, he gathered the community of monks, and with righteous protection. 58. With abundant offerings, having honored the Dhamma-reciters, he had the three Piṭakas recited, along with the commentaries. 59. Having cherished the princes, with provisions as they wished, he always had the Dhamma recited, the great-minded lamp of Dhamma. 60. And having established the lamp of Dhamma, majestically thus, the best of men had it recited in the Dhamma-residence in the city. 61. He had a dam built, and a river from the midst of mountains. And a lake of flat stones, and a very deep lake of wealth. 62. He had deeds undertaken with reverence for the sake of long life. And he had the good Dhamma written down, and performed offerings of cloth. 63. He, having compassion for the world, like a mother for her own son, having given and eaten as he wished, died in his twentieth year. 64. His chief queen, having killed his relatives by poison, having consecrated her son to the kingdom, herself ruled the kingdom. 65. Thus consecrated, that king Kitti-Sirimegha, the lord of men, covered with tin leaves the chief mountain. 66. For the poor, travelers, and merchants, he instituted great alms. Such a protector of the path, he became beneficial to all. 67. That chief queen was always foremost in all deeds. Therefore, her kingdom was in a state of fluctuation. 68. The great ministers, from the king's feet, became devoted to bribes. Weak and those who harassed them, powerful people of the countryside. 69. In the time of Silākāḷa, in the village named Saṅgilla; A man named Bhayavasī, was born of the Moriya lineage. 70. He was the son of Sīva, named Aggabodhi; His nephew was also, known as Mahānāga. 71. The nephew Mahānāga, and the handsome Aggabodhi; Having a noble disposition, Mahānāga was very powerful. 72. Abandoning farming, he committed banditry in the forest; Having caught an iguana, he sent it to his aunt. 73. Seeing the iguana and knowing its state, she sent back the last of the grain; He also sent a hare to the blacksmith, who did likewise. 74. His sister Māyā begged for seeds, and for his seed-gathering; Knowing him to be a servant, she secretly sent food and drink. 75. At that time of famine, a man skilled in mantras; For the sake of alms, begged in the guise of a monk. 76. Entering that village, having received no food; Overcome by hunger, he departed trembling. 77. Seeing him, Mahānāga, full of great compassion, pitying him; Took his bowl and wandered, throughout the village. 78. He could not even get a little gruel, then giving his upper robe; He brought food, and the monk, having eaten it, was pleased. 79. Thinking, "I will make him king in this island," he took him and quickly went, to the great ocean at Gokaṇṇaka. 80. Then sitting there, reciting mantras according to the ritual; He summoned the king of nāgas with a mantra, on the night of the full moon of Phussa. 81. He commanded the great nāga, saying, "Touch Mahānāga!" But the nāga, afraid, did not touch him, when he came in the first watch. 82. Likewise in the middle watch, but in the last watch, he took a ploughshare; And threw it, touching him with three fingers. 83. He then declared, seeing it, "My effort is fruitful; You will fight with three kings, and kill the fourth. 84. Being old, you will not live as king for three years; And so will be the kings, three men of your lineage. 85. Go and serve the king, afterwards you He tied the belt. Having said this, he sent him, and he went to the king. 86. Having seen him, he attended him, the king, a worker from Rohaṇa. He made him rise to that position, and he brought much treasure. 87. The king, pleased with him, gave him the rank called Andhasenāpati, and sent him to that very place. 88. Taking the son of Bhayasīva and his own nephew, he went to that region and completely transformed it. 89. Having made Rohaṇa his own personal domain, he lived there, and being very powerful, he went to fight with Dāṭhappabhūti and others. 90. Fearing Moggallāna, he went and lived in Rohaṇa. Having heard of the prosperity in the reign of King Kittisirīmeghavaṇṇa, 91. thinking, "It is time to seize the kingdom,"