Dīpavaṁsa
[The Chronicle of the Island]
IX. [Vijaya’s Story]
1. Laṅkādīpo ayaṁ ahū sīhena Sīhalā iti.
dīpuppattiṁ imaṁ vaṁsaṁ suṇātha vacanaṁ mama.
1. The island of Laṅkā was called Sīhala after the Lion (sīha); listen ye to the narration of the origin of the island which I (am going to) tell.
2. Vaṅgarājassāyaṁ dhītā araññe vanagocaraṁ
sīhasaṁvāsaṁ anvāya bhātaro janayī duve.
2. The daughter of the Vaṅga king cohabited in the forest with a lion dwelling in the wilderness, and in consequence gave birth to two children.
3. Sīhabāhu ca Sīvalī kumārā cārudassanā
mātā ca Susimā nāma pitā ca Sīhasavhayo. |
3. Sīhabāhu and Sīvalī were beautiful youths; the name of their mother was Susimā, and their father was called the Lion.
4. atikkante soḷasavasse nikkhamitvā guhantarā
māpesi nagaraṁ tattha Sīhapuraṁ varuttamaṁ.
4. When their sixteenth year had elapsed, (Sīhabāhu) departed from his cave, and then built a most excellent town called Sīhapura.
5. Lāḷaraṭṭhe tahiṁ rājā Sīhaputto mahabbalo
anusāsi mahārajjaṁ Sīhapuravaruttame. |
5. The son of the Lion, a powerful king, ruled over a great kingdom, in Lāḷaraṭṭha, in the most excellent town of Sīhapura.
6. battiṁsa bhātaro honti Sīhaputtassa atrajā,
Vijayo ca Sumitto ca subhajeṭṭhabhātarā ahuṁ.
6. Thirty-two brothers were the sons of Sīhabāhu; Vijaya and Sumitta were the eldest among them, beautiful princes.
7. Vijayo nāma so kumāro pagabbho āsi asikkhito
karoti vilopakammaṁ atikicchaṁ sudāruṇaṁ. |
7. Prince Vijaya was daring and uneducated; he committed most wicked and fearful deeds, plundering the people.
8. samāgatā jānapadā negamā ca samāgatā
upasaṅkamma rājānaṁ Vijayadosaṁ pakāsayuṁ. |
8. The people from the country and the merchants assembled; they went to the king and complained against the bad conduct of Vijaya.
9. tesaṁ vacanaṁ sutvāna rājā kupitamānaso
āṇāpesi amaccānaṁ: kumāraṁ nīharatha imaṁ,
9. The king, having heard their speech, full of anger, gave this order to the ministers: “Remove ye that boy.
10. paricārikā ime sabbe puttadārā ca bandhavā
dāsīdāsakammakare nīharantu janappadā. paricārike? bandhave? |
10. Let them remove from the country all those attendants, his wives, children, relations, maid-servants, man-servants, and hired workmen.”
11. tato taṁ nīharitvāna visuṁ katvāna bandhave
āropetvāna te nāvaṁ vuyhittha aṇṇave tadā.
11. He was then removed, and his relations were separated from him; so they went on board ship, and (the ship) sailed away on the sea.
12. pakkamantu yathākāmaṁ honti sabbe adassanaṁ
raṭṭhe janapade vāsaṁ mā puna āgamicchati. yantu sabbe adassanaṁ? –
12. “May they drift wherever they like; they shall not show their faces again nor shall they ever come back to dwell in our kingdom and country.”
13. kumārānaṁ ārūḷhanāvā gatā dīpaṁ avassakaṁ,
nāmadheyyaṁ tadā āsi Naggadīpan ti vuccati. |
13. The ship in which the children had
14. mahilānaṁ ārūḷhanāvā gatā dīpaṁ avassakaṁ
nāmadheyyaṁ tadā āsi Mahilāraṭṭhan ti vuccati. |
14. The ship in which the wives had embarked was helplessly driven to an island, the name of which was then called Mahilāraṭṭha.
15. purisānaṁ ārūḷhanāvā apilavantā va sāgaraṁ
vippanaṭṭhā disāmūḷhā gatā Suppārapaṭṭanaṁ.
15. The ship in which the men had embarked went, sailing on the sea, losing her way and her bearings, to the port of Suppāra.
16. orohetvāna Suppāraṁ sattasatañ ca te tadā
vipulaṁ sakkārasammānaṁ akaṁsu te Suppārakā.
16. The people of Suppāra then invited those seven hundred men to disembark, and offered them lavish hospitality and honours.
17. tesu sakkariyamānesu Vijayo ca sahāyakā
sabbe luddāni kammāni kurumānā nabujjhakā,
17. During this hospitable reception Vijaya and all his followers unnoticed (?) committed barbarous deeds.
18. pāṇaṁ adinnaṁ paradāraṁ musāvādañ ca pesuṇaṁ
anācārañ ca dussīlaṁ ācaranti sudāruṇaṁ. |
18. They made themselves guilty of drinking, theft, adultery, falsehood, and slander, of an immoral, most dreadful, bad conduct.
19. kakkhalaṁ pharusaṁ ghoraṁ kammaṁ katvā sudāruṇaṁ
ujjhāyetvāna mantiṁsu: khippaṁ ghātema dhuttake. katā sudāruṇaṁ ujjhāyitvāna? |
19. (The people) indignant at such cruel, savage, terrible and most dreadful deeds being committed against themselves, consulted together: “Let us quickly kill those rascals.”
20. Ojadīpo Varadīpo Maṇḍadīpo ’ti vā ahū
Laṅkādīpo ca paṇṇatti Tambapaṇṇīti ñāyati.
20. There is an island (formerly) called Ojadīpa, Varadīpa, or Maṇḍadīpa, the (recent) name of which is Laṅkādīpa, and which is (besides) known by the name of Tambapaṇṇi.
21. parinibbānasamaye sambuddhe dipaduttame
Sīhabāhussāyaṁ putto Vijayo nāma khattiyo |
22. Laṅkādīpaṁ anuppatto jahetvā Jambudīpavhayaṁ.
byākāsi buddhaseṭṭho: so rājā hessati khattiyo. jahitvā? |
21-22. At the time, when Sambuddha, highest of men, attained Parinibbāna, that son of Sīhabāhu, the prince called Vijaya, having left the land called Jambudīpa, landed on Laṅkādīpa. It had been foretold by the most excellent Buddha, that that prince one day would be (its) king.
23. tato āmantayi satthā Sakkaṁ devānam issaraṁ:
Laṅkādīpassa ussukkaṁ mā pamajjatha Kosiya. |
23. The Teacher at that time had addressed Sakka, the chief of gods: “Do not neglect, Kosiya, the care of Laṅkādīpa.”
24. sambuddhassa vaco sutvā devarājā Sujampati
Uppalavaṇṇassa ācikkhi dīpaṁ ārakkhakāraṇaṁ. |
24. Sujampati, the king of gods, having heard the Sambuddha’s command, committed to Uppalavaṇṇa the business of guarding the island.
25. Sakkassa vacanaṁ sutvā devaputto mahiddhiko
Laṅkādīpassa ārakkhaṁ sapariso paccupaṭṭhāti.
25. Having heard the command of Sakka that powerful Devaputta with his attendant demons kept guard over the island.
26. tayo māse vasitvāna Vijayo Bhārukacchake
ujjhāyetvā janakāyaṁ tam eva nāvam āruhi.
26. Vijaya, having stopped three months at Bhārukaccha and exasperated the inhabitants, went again on board his ship.
27. ārohitvā sakaṁ navaṁ pilavantā ’va sāgaraṁ
ukkhittavātavegena nadīmūḷhā mahājanā ukkhittā vāt°? –
27. That crowd of men having gone on board their ship, sailing over the sea, were driven away by the violence of the wind, and lost their bearings.
28. Laṅkādīpam upāgamma orohitvā thale ṭhitā,
patiṭṭhitā dharaṇītale atijighacchitā have
pipāsitā kilantā ca, padasāgamanaṁ jāyati.
28. They came to Laṅkādīpa, where they disembarked and went on shore. Standing on dry ground, being exhausted
29. ubhopāṇīhi jannūhi yogaṁ katvā puthuviyaṁ
majjhe vuṭṭhāya ṭhatvāna pāṇī passanti sobhaṇā.
29. They crawled about on the ground with both hands and knees; afterwards, when they rose and stood upright, they saw that their hands were resplendent (copper-coloured).
30. surattaṁ paṁsu bhūmibhāge hathapāṇimhi makkhite,
nāmadheyyaṁ tadā āsi Tambapaṇṇīti taṁ ahū. surattapaṁsu A. –
30. The red-coloured dust of the ground covered their arms and hands; hence the name of that place was called Tambapaṇṇi (copper-palmed).
31. paṭhamaṁ nagaraṁ Tambapaṇṇi Laṅkādīpavaruttame,
Vijayo tahiṁ vasanto issariyaṁ anusāsi so. |
31. Tambapaṇṇi was the first town in the most excellent Laṅkādīpa; there Vijaya resided and governed his kingdom.
32. Vijayo Vijito ca so nāvaṁ anurakkhena ca
Accutagāmi Upatisso paṭhamaṁ to idh’ āgato. v. 32 is wanting in B G2 Z. –
32. Vijaya and Vijita together with Anurādhanakkhatta, Oldenberg’s preferred reading, against the text. Accutagāmi, and Upatissa are those who came first to this country.
33. ākiṇṇā naranārīhi bahū sabbe samāgatā
tahiṁ tahiṁ disābhāge nagaraṁ māpesi khattiyo. bahū sattā? comp. 12, 27; 13, 10. |
33. Many people, crowds of men and women, came together; (hence each) prince founded a town in the different parts.
34. Tambapaṇṇi dakkhiṇato nadītīre varuttame
Vijayena māpitaṁ nagaraṁ samantāpuṭabhedanaṁ. |
34. The town of Tambapaṇṇi surrounded by suburbs was built by Vijaya in the south on the most lovely bank of the river.
35. Vijito Vijitaṁ māpesi, so Uruvelaṁ māpayi,
Nakkhattanāmako ’macco māpesi Anurādhapuraṁ.
35. Vijita founded Vijita(pura), the same founded Uruvelā. The minister who was called after the asterism (Anurādha) founded Anurādhapura.
36. Accutagāmi yo nāma Ujjeniṁ tattha māpayi,
Upatisso Upatissaṁ nagaraṁ suvibhattantarāpaṇaṁ
iddhaṁ phītaṁ suvitthāraṁ ramaṇīyaṁ manoramaṁ. |
36. He who was called Accutagāmi then founded Ujjenī, Upatissa founded Upatissanagara which had well arranged markets, which was prosperous, opulent, large, charming, and lovely.
37. Laṅkādīpavhaye ramme Tambapaṇṇimhi issaro
Vijayo nāma nāmena paṭhamaṁ rajjaṁ akārayi. |
37. The king called Vijaya by name was the first ruler who reigned in Tambapaṇṇi over the delightful island of Laṅkā.
38. āgate sattavassamhi ākiṇṇo janapado ahū.
aṭṭhatiṁsati vassāni rajjaṁ kāresi khattiyo. |
38. When seven years (of his reign) had passed, the land was crowded with people. That prince reigned thirty-eight years.
39. sambuddhe navame māse yakkhasenaṁ vidhamitaṁ,
sambuddhe pañcame vasse nāgānaṁ damayī jino,
sambuddhe aṭṭhame vasse samāpatti samāpayi.
39. In the ninth month after (Gotama) had become Buddha, the host of Yakkhas was destroyed; in the fifth year after his attaining Buddhaship the Jina conquered the Nāgas; in the eighth year after his attaining Buddhaship he completed the Samāpatti meditations (in Laṅkā).
40. imāni tīṇi ṭhānāni idhāgami tathāgato.
sambuddhe pacchime vasse Vijayo idham āgato. |
40. On these three occasions the Tathāgata came hither. In the last year of the Buddha Vijaya came hither.
41. manussāvāsaṁ akārayi sambuddho dipaduttamo.
anupādisesāya sambuddho nibbuto upadhisaṅkhaye. |
41. The Sambuddha, the most excellent of men, made (the island fit for) the residence of men; the Sambuddha (afterwards) reached complete Nibbāna by the entire annihilation of the substrata of existence.
42. parinibbutamhi sambuddhe dhammarāje pabhaṅkare
aṭṭhatiṁsati vassāni rajjaṁ kāresi khattiyo. |
42. Prince (Vijaya) reigned thirty-eight years after the Parinibbāna of the Sambuddha, the light-giving king of Truth.
43. dūtaṁ pāhesi Sīhapuraṁ Sumittavhassa santike,
lahuṁ āgacchatu ’mheko Laṅkādīpavaruttamaṁ.
43. He despatched a messenger to Sīhapura to the (prince) called Sumitta, (with this message): “Come one (of you) quickly to us, to the most excellent island of Laṅkā; –
44. n’ atthi koci mam’ accaye imaṁ rajjānusāsako,
niyyādemi imaṁ dīpaṁ mamaṁ kataparakkamaṁ.
44. there is nobody to govern this kingdom after my death. I hand over to you this island which I have acquired by my exertions.”
bhāṇavāraṁ navamaṁ.
[The Ninth Section for Recitation.]