English
Mahasona, Gotayimbara, and Theraputtabhaya, these three, performed their duty at the other three gates. And that city was surrounded by three moats, with strong ramparts and gate towers, fitted with iron gates. Kandula, standing on his knees, breaking stones, mortar, and bricks, reached the iron gate. Then the Tamils, standing in the gate tower, hurled various weapons, both cooked iron balls and uncooked stone shards, onto the elephant's back. Then Kandula, afflicted by pain, went to a water place and plunged into the water. Then Gotayimbara said, "This is not a drinking party. It is called breaking down the iron gate, go and break down the gate." Hearing that, filled with pride, making an elephant roar, he emerged from the water and stood on land. Then the elephant doctor washed the shards and applied medicine. Then the king, mounting the elephant, touching the temples with his hand, pleasing him, said, "I give you the kingdom over the entire island of Lanka," and having fed him choice food, wrapped the wound with cloth, made it golden, and having bound seven layers of buffalo hide on the elephant's back, and having bound oiled leather over that, he released him. He, roaring like thunder, went and pierced the door frame with his tusks and struck the threshold with his foot. The gate, along with its frame, the iron gate, fell to the ground with a great noise. Seeing the fuel and supplies in the gate tower falling onto the elephant's back, Nandimitta, striking with his arms, turned them away. Then Kandula, with his tusks, He threw away the mud. Then Kaṇḍula looked at Nandhimitta to climb onto his back. He, saying, "By what path shall I not enter?" struck the eighteen-cubit-high wall with his arm, and demolishing an area of the wall about eight thousand cubits, looked like a god. He too, not wanting the path made by him, leaped over the wall and fell inside the city. Goṭhayimbara too, Soṇa too, Theraputtabhaya too, each broke down a gate and entered. Then, "Taking an elephant, Rathacakka-mitto, a cart, a cage, A coconut tree, Goṭha, Nimmala, an excellent sword; A palmyra tree, Mahāsoṇa, Theraputta, a great club, Separately they went through the streets, the Damila were without snuff." Thus, having destroyed the city in four months, and having killed the Damila, then going to a place called Gariloka, he captured the Damila of the mountain. Then going to the city of Mahela, in four months he captured the king of Mahela. Then, as the king was going to Anuradhapura, he established a camp at a place called Paritokāsapabbata, and having a pond made there, he played water sports in the month of Jeṭṭhamūla. Eḷāra too, having heard of Duṭṭhagāmaṇi's arrival, having consulted with his ministers, made the decision, "Tomorrow we will fight." The next day, armed, mounting the elephant Mahāpabbata, surrounded by a great army, he went out. Gāmaṇī too, having consulted with his mother, had thirty-two strongholds made, and placed royal figures holding umbrellas in each. He himself stood in the inner stronghold. Then, as the battle was raging, Eḷāra's king's great warrior named Dīghajattu, taking sword and shield, rising eighteen cubits into the sky from the ground, cutting down the royal figure, broke down the first stronghold. Thus, breaking down the remaining strongholds as well, he came to the stronghold where Mahāgāmaṇī was standing. Then, seeing the king passing by, Suranimmala, announcing his name, challenged him. Having heard that, Dīghajantu, thinking, "First I will kill this one," Having abandoned the sky, descending upon himself, seeing that, Suranimmala presented his shield. The other, thinking "I will split that with the shield," struck the shield. The other released the shield, the long-bodied one, cutting through the shield, fell to the ground. Suranimmala struck him with a spear, Phussadeva blew the conch at that moment, it was like the sound of thunder, the people were as if driven mad. Then the Tamil army scattered, Elara fled, even then they killed many Tamils. "There was water in the tank, stained with the blood of the slain, Therefore, it became known by the name Kulatthavapi; Having paraded the drum there, the lord Duṭṭhagāmiṇi, 'He will not kill Elara, unless he releases me,' he said; Armed, he himself mounted, the armed Kaṇḍula elephant, Pursuing Elara, he came to the southern gate; In the southern part of the city, the two kings fought, Elara threw a dart, Gamani evaded it; He pierced that elephant with his teeth, with his own elephant, Elara threw a dart, he fell there with the elephant; Then, victorious in battle, with his combined army and vehicles, Having made Lanka one parasol, he entered the city;" Then the king, having paraded the drum in the city, having gathered the people within a league all around, having made great honor to the body of King Elara, having taken it to a pavilion, having cremated it, having made a monument there, gave offerings. Even today, kings, having reached that place, do not sound the drum. Thus, King Duṭṭhagāmaṇi Abhaya, having killed thirty-two Tamil kings, made the island of Lanka one dominion. When Duṭṭhagāmaṇi seized the conquered city, then the warrior Dīghajantu, having approached Elara, having declared the warrior status of his nephew Bhalluka, sent him to his presence for the purpose of coming here. Bhalluka also, on the seventh day from the burning of Elara, having landed with sixty thousand men, having heard of the king's death, Thinking, "I will fight with shame," he departed from Mahātittha and established a camp in a village named Kolambahālaka. The king, hearing of his arrival, fully armed, mounted Kandula, surrounded by warriors, marched out with a great army. Phussadeva, equipped with the five weapons, sat on the king's rear seat. Bhalluka, armed with the five weapons, mounted an elephant and advanced towards the king. Then Kandula slowed his pace, retreating little by little. The army also retreated in the same way with the elephant. The king asked Phussadeva, "This elephant, which never retreated in twenty-eight battles before, why does he retreat now?" He replied, "O King, this is our victory. The elephant, looking at the victory ground, retreats, and will stand firm upon reaching the victory ground." The elephant retreated and stood near the Mahāvihāra boundary behind the king. Then Bhalluka, coming towards the king, mocked the king. The king, covering his face with his sword hilt, cursed him and shot an arrow, thinking, "I will pierce his face." The arrow struck the sword hilt and fell to the ground. Bhalluka, thinking, "He pierced my face," shouted loudly. Then Phussadeva, sitting on the king's rear seat, while adjusting the king's earring, shot an arrow into his face. As he fell, making the king his support, he pierced his knee with another arrow and severed his head, causing it to fall. The king, having gained victory, returned to the city. Having the arrow brought, and placing it upright with the feathers, he made a pile of kahāpaṇas equal to its measure and gave it to Phussadeva. Thus, having unified the kingdom of Lanka, the king gave positions appropriate to the warriors. Theraputtābhaya, however, did not accept the position offered. When asked why he did not accept it, he said, "There is still a war, O Great King." When asked, "Now that the kingdom is unified, what war is there?" he replied, "I will fight with the thief of defilements." The king repeatedly dissuaded him, but he repeatedly requested permission. With the king's permission, he was ordained. Having conquered, doing the work of insight, attaining arahantship, he had a retinue of five hundred arahants whose defilements were destroyed. Then the king, lying on his royal bed in his palace, surveying his great wealth, remembered the Akkhobhini army slaughter. As the king remembered, great sadness arose in him, thinking, "May there be an obstacle to my attainment of heaven." At that time, the arahants on Piyangudipa, knowing the king's thoughts, sent eight arahants to reassure him. They came, announced their arrival, ascended to the palace; the king, having greeted the elders, seated them on seats, and asked the reason for their arrival. The elders, having stated the reason for their arrival, informed the king that his action would be an obstacle to heaven and liberation, and then departed. The king, having heard their words, regained reassurance, and having greeted them, dismissed them, and lying on his royal bed, thought again. "Our parents made us swear that we should never eat food without the Sangha. Is there anything eaten without giving to the Sangha, or is there not?" Thinking thus, through forgetfulness, he saw a single peppercorn eaten at breakfast time without giving to the Sangha. Having seen it, he thought, "An improper deed has been done by me; a punishment should be imposed on me." Then, after the week of the umbrella festival had passed, with great royal power and great festivities, the king went to Tissa Tank to play water sports, in order to maintain the tradition of the anointed kings. All the king's paraphernalia, including shoes and umbrellas, were placed in the area of the Peppercorn Vihara. There, too, the royal officials erected the king's spear with relics straight in the place of the stupa. The king, having played for part of the day surrounded by the women of the palace, said in the evening, "We will go to the city; raise the spear." The royal officials, taking hold of the spear, were unable to move it. The royal army, seeing that marvel, gathered together and honored it with garlands of incense and so on. The king, too, seeing the great marvel, delighted in his heart, arranged protection all around, and entered the city. Then the king, having the spear thrown around the shrine, had it enclosed and built a monastery. The monastery was completed in three years.