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

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He had a well dug, near the Bodhi tree. 67. He made a reservoir at the Gaṅgā bank, and a tank at the mountain side. He also increased the Mahāpāḷi, and had a boat made for the ferry. 68. The chief queen also arranged for alms for the bhikkhunīs. Having done such merits, he went to heaven in the tenth year. 69. Thus, kings devoted to merit, possessed of wealth, passed away. Therefore, a wise person, seeing this impermanence, should abandon all attachment to existence by proper means, and with determination, should proceed towards Nibbāna, having entered the monastic life. In the Mahāvaṃsa, composed for the joy and spiritual urgency of good people, the chapter called "The Two Kings" is the forty-first. Chapter Forty-Two The Six Kings 1. Then Saṅghatisso became the king, a sword-bearer, desirous of the growth of the Dispensation and the kingdom, devoted to good policy. 2. Having given appropriate ranks, he gathered the people. At that time, Moggallāna was the general of a minor king. 3. Living in Rohaṇa, hearing of Saṅghatisso's kingship, he established a camp at Mahāgalla for battle. 4. Saṅghatisso, hearing of it, sent an army. Moggallāna, mighty in strength, threatened to fight him. 5. Then, taking elephants and horses, going to a night-dwelling, he gathered his forces and stayed there. 6. The king, hearing again, came to Kadallādīnivātaka, fought him, put him to flight, and sent his own army. 7. He himself returned to the city. He, having lost his army, made it normal again, and came to Karehera. 8. The king's general, sending his son to the robbers, by some means or other, was himself sorrowful and dejected. 9. As if very ill, he, He became bedridden. The king, hearing what had happened, approached him at that moment. 10. "Do not grieve for the prince," he advised, honoring him. "Come, you protect the city, you cannot be with me." 11. "To come to the battlefield, because you are ill," he said. All the people were driven out, the royal food supply cut off. 12. Food cooked in the great kitchen was brought to the king. The king, seeing it, was disgusted, "Until he is no longer weak..." 13. "...even alone," he thought, and came to battle. Mounting an elephant, armored for war, with his son. 14. With a small force, he went to Pācinatissa mountain. Thus, with the minor battle impending on both sides. 15. The general, Mittaddu, began battle from the rear. The king's son, seeing him, said, "I will kill him!" 16. The king spoke, restraining him, "Do not desire this strength. It cannot be endured, he will strike the very weak." 17. The king was in the midst of the two armies. Then the army split in two, the chief of the bandit general. 18. The king's elephant entered the shade of a Madhuka tree. Then his parasol fell, striking a branch to the ground. 19. The bandit's army, seeing it, took it and gave it to their lord. He raised that parasol, standing on the mountain peak. 20. Then the king, thinking "The royal army will surely flee," Went and surrounded him; the king was then alone. 21. Descending from the elephant's back, with his son, minister, and friend, He approached the nearby Merumajjara forest. 22. Moggallāna, having then gained victory, took his vehicle. And the general Mittaddu, and his wicked son. 23. The king, approaching the city, became the lord of the land of Lanka. Then he thought, "There is no happiness while the enemy lives." 24. Hearing, "The former king's son is here," he became angry. And commanded his hands and feet to be cut off quickly. 25. Then the man, commanded by the king, at once proceeded. To cut off his hands and feet; the prince wept, distressed. My hand that ate the cake, if I had cut it then. "I would eat cakes with it," hearing this, the royal officer. Having wept and lamented, afflicted by the king's command, his left hand and foot the wretch cut off. Jeṭṭhatissa, having fled, the king's other son went to another country, Malaya, named Merukandara. Then the king, with his son and minister, went to Veḷuvana in secret; Urged by the monks there, he took the yellow robes. Having taken the monk's garb, intending to go to Rohaṇa, he arrived at Maṇihīra; There were royal servants stationed there. Recognizing the three of them, they bound their feet; They sent a message to the king, who, hearing it, especially (was pleased). Pleased, he commanded them to go, and quickly take the sharp weapons; Then, taking them to Sīhagiri, without trouble, to Tissaṅka. "Cut off the heads there, of the king and his son; But bring the minister alive to me." The men, thus commanded, took the three persons; Leading them to Sīhagiri, they proceeded as instructed. Then the king's son said to the executioners: "First cut off my head, and give me peace." The royal servants did so, afterwards they cut off the king's; See the deed of fools, you who know deeds. Thus impermanent are possessions, unstable, not under control; Attached to them, how can you always not seek happiness, oh! They told the king's message to the minister, his well-wisher; Hearing it, and laughing, he spoke these words. "I have seen my master with his head cut off, while I live; Leaving him, I serve (another), Oh, what a different master!" "Here, having killed him, you will take his shadow; Oh, how ignorant you are, I think you are mad!" Having said this, he took his master's feet and lay down; They, not seeing a way to take him, in whatever way (they could). Cut off his head too, the men took all three (heads); To show the king. great, the king Tusittha, fearless. 43. He gave the wicked army to the Malaya king; And in the place of the sword-bearer, he placed his son. 44. He covered the three stupas with new cloths; And likewise, throughout Lanka, he held great festivals for all stupas. 44. He honored the hair relic and the tooth relic of the Lord, and also the Great Bodhi tree, with great reverence and offerings. 46. He performed all Vesākha Pūjā and other customs as tradition dictated; He purified the entire Dispensation of the Sugata with righteous deeds. 47. He arranged for the recitation of the Piṭakas with great offerings; Giving abundant gifts, he honored the learned ones. 48. He gave robes to all the monks residing on the island; And in all monasteries, he had the Kathina ceremony performed. 49. He also made images, and repaired the old ones; He gave a salt field, more than three hundred, to the Saṅgha. 50. At Kārapiṭṭhi, he built the Moggallāna Vihāra; The Vihāra Piṭṭhigāma, and Vaṭagāmaka with its village. 51. Likewise, he built a Cetiya-house in Rakkhavihāra; To that Vihāra, he gave many villages for its support. 52. Thus, the lord of the earth performed immeasurable meritorious deeds; Remembering the impermanence of prosperity of former kings. 53. Then, for some fault, the Malaya king, angered, Remembering the wrong done by the former king. 54. Having seized him by stratagem, he cut off his hands and feet; Hearing that, the sword-bearer, with his son, went to Rohaṇa. 55. Dwelling there, he quickly made the region his own; He approached the chief disciple, who was hidden in Malaya. 56. Together with him, quickly gathering the country and region; He came to Doḷapabbata, and established a camp. 57. The king, hearing all that, with his forces and vehicles arrayed; Established a camp, going near him. 58. Then, by a plague, many of the king's men Were afflicted and quickly died; Hearing that, the sword-bearer. 59. Began the battle with speed, the king's army weak. Having broken away, he fled, the king also fled after him. 60. Seeing him going alone, near the Lion Rock; The sword-bearer, the great king, killed him and his retinue. 61. He sent a message to kill Jeṭṭhatissa, who was left behind; "Come, be king!" he said. 62. Knowing that, he fled, and returned to Malaya; "How can he give me the kingship, which I obtained with such difficulty?" 63. Thus, having killed that Moggallāna, the lord of men, named Dalla, with his army and forces, after six years. 64. Then the sword-bearer came, to the excellent Anurādhapura; Having become king, he wielded the wheel of command on earth. 65. He, named Silāmeghavaṇṇa, worshipped the Saṅgha and the Bodhi tree; He honored the three stūpas, and promoted the Mahāpāḷi. 66. He gave rice porridge to the Saṅgha, prepared with ghee and treacle; And a water strainer, in times of great hunger and difficulty. 67. He embraced the poor, the destitute, and the merchants with all donations; And gave money for cakes to the princes, with great compassion. 68. He worshipped the Buddha made of stone in the Abhaya Vihāra; And renovated its old house, adorning it with various jewels. 69. Having given the Kolavāpi tank, for the protection of the Conqueror; He offered worship with all offerings, at all times. 70. While that king, a recipient of merit, was dwelling; The leader, named Sirināga, the maternal uncle of Jeṭṭhatissa. 71. Having gone to the other shore, and brought many Damila people; He came to the northern region, and attempted to seize it. 72. The king, having heard that, went, and fought with the king's allies; Having killed him in the villages, along with the Damila people who came with him. 73. He captured the remaining ones, and subjected them to much humiliation; He made them slaves, and gave them to the vihāras here and there. 74. Thus, with victory achieved, the king returned to the city; Having purified the entire country, he dwelt without fear. 75. Then Bhikkhubodhi by name, in the Abhayuttara Vihāra; Seeing many immoral monks, he, though newly ordained. 76. Approached the king. without hesitation, you asked for righteous deeds; The king did not perform righteous deeds in the monastery. 77. The immoral ones, all gathered together, struck him down; Having secretly killed him, they prevented that deed. 78.