Dīpavaṁsa
[The Chronicle of the Island]

XX. [Tissa to Kuṭikaṇṇatissa]

1. The illustrious son of Kākavaṇṇa, known by the name of Tissa, built the Mahāthūpa (and) a Vihāra.

2. He ordered the most excellent Kallakālena monastery to be constructed; and many other Vihāras have been erected by Saddhātissa.

3. The number of the highly precious divisions of the Dhamma is eighty-four thousand; he paid reverence to each single division of the Dhamma separately.

4. Illustrious Saddhātissa constructed a beautiful palace with seven stories, and ordered it to be roofed with iron plates; –

5-6. (hence) it first received the name Lohapāsāda (iron palace). He made a lump of glass (?). Around the most excellent Mahāthūpa he constructed a wall, decorated with figures of elephants, a beautiful enclosure; he (also) constructed a quadrangular tank (and gave it) for a certain time (to the Fraternity).

7. This prince reigned eighteen years. Having done many other meritorious deeds and distributed rich donations, this wise monarch after the dissolution of his (human) body entered the body of a Tusita god.

8. The son of Saddhātissa, known by the name of Thūlathana, constructed a great Ārāma, the Alakandara monastery. This prince reigned one month and ten days. [211]

9. The son of Saddhātissa, known by the name of Lajjitissa, governed nine years and six months.

10. He constructed a … Probably the passage refers to the three “pupphayāna” mentioned in the Mahāvaṁsa (p. 201, 1. 14), though I do not know how to explain or to correct the word used here (tilaṅcanaṁ). at the most excellent Mahāthūpa and established the most delightful Kumbhila Ārāma.

11. He built the Dīghathūpa to the east of the Thūpārāma; in the most excellent Thūpārāma he constructed receptacles cased in stone.

12. After the death of Lajjitissa his younger brother named Khallāṭanāga reigned six years.

13. His commander-in-chief, Mahārattaka by name, put this Khallāṭaka to death and reigned one day, a wicked, ungrateful person.

14. The younger brother of the king, called Vaṭṭagāmani, killed that wicked general and reigned five months.

15. (After that time) the Damila Pulahattha reigned three years, and the general Bāhiya two years.

16. Having killed this (king), Panayamāra reigned seven years. Having killed this (king), Palayamāra reigned seven months.

17. Having killed this (king), a person Dāṭhiya by name reigned two years. These five sovereigns belonging to the Damila tribe governed fourteen years and seven months in the interval (between the two parts of Vaṭṭagāmani’s reign).

18. Then the glorious, great king Vaṭṭagāmani came back and having put to death the Damila Dāṭhika, gained the sovereignty himself.

19. This king Abhaya Vaṭṭagāmani reigned twelve years’ and in the beginning (before the above-mentioned interruption) five months.

20. Before this time, the wise Bhikkhus had orally handed down the text of the three Piṭakas and also the Aṭṭhakathā.

21. At this time, the Bhikkhus who perceived the decay of created beings, assembled and in order that the Religion might endure for a long time, they recorded (the above-mentioned texts) in written books.

22. After his (Vaṭṭagāmani’s) death Mahācūli Mahātissa reigned fourteen years justly and righteously.

23. This king, full of faith, having done many meritorious deeds, [212] went to heaven after fourteen years.

24. The son of Vaṭṭagāmani, known by the name of Coranāga, reigned twelve years living like a robber.

25. The son of Mahācūli, the prince known by the name of Tissa, reigned three years over the Island.

26. King Siva cohabited with queen Anulā; he ruled one year and two months.

27. A king from a foreign country, Vaṭuka by name, a Damila, governed one year and two months.

28. Then followed king Tissa, known by the surname “the wood-cutter”; he then ruled one year and one month.

29. (A person) called Niliya by name, known as the Damila king, ruled the kingdom and governed three months.

30. A woman, Anulā, killed these excellent persons and governed four months over Tambapaṇṇi.

31. The son of Mahācūli, called Kuṭikaṇṇatissa, constructed an Uposatha hall near the Cetiyapabbata monastery.

32. In front of the building he erected a beautiful stone Thūpa; there he planted a Bo branch and constructed a great structure (around the Bo branch?).

33. He built a bath ... for the Bhikkhunīs. He also made a fence round the Padumassara garden.

34. He caused a ditch to be dug for the protection of the town, and a wall to be constructed full seven yards (in height).

35. He (also) caused the ponds Khema and Dugga to be dug (which he gave) for a certain time (?) (to the Fraternity). He (also) caused the Setuppala well and the beautiful Vaṇṇaka dike (?) to be constructed. This prince reigned twenty-two years.