and the Hill Temple of Mehentélé. 467 
over him.” Hence they reverence the tree, and consider the cobra-de-capella 
as the emblem of watchfulness and of benevolence. I have endeavoured 
to ascertain why the Bogaha is held in respect by the followers of Bupp’Ha 
in other places, and find all authorities concur in attributing it to one of the 
causes assigned, and that the tree was in consequence adopted as an emblem 
of Buddhism, but it does not appear to form any part of their religious 
ceremonies. Dr. Bucuanan (Hamitrton) says that the Burmese hold the tree 
in reverence as a relic of the god, but that it does not appear to be of im- 
portance, as it is not mentioned in the summary of religious duties.* 
The Bogaha, or Bo-tree, is stated by some to be the Ficus religiosa, Or 
Pipala-tree of the Hindis, but this is a mistake ; the Bogaha is the F. indica ; 
and so far from being held in reverence by the Hindis, it is extirpated with 
great care in the northern parts of the island, where their religion predo- 
minates. It has been suggested to me that this tree was selected in conse- 
quence of its being generally found growing out of old buildings; that the 
practice of building around it is typical of the religion of Bupp’ua having 
risen out of, and destroyed some other predominant faith ; and that it is this 
allegorical meaning which has caused the hostility I have mentioned. 
In the particular case before us, we find in the Rdjaratndcari, that Ana- 
rddhepura was one of the consecrated spots visited by the first Bupp’Ha, 
that it was then called Abayapura, and that the right-hand branch of the 
Bogaha under which he sat, was transferred there in a miraculous manner ; 
the same is said to have been the case with the Bogahas of the second and 
third Bupp’nas. We also find that the whole of the three records concur in 
attributing the transfer of the Bogaha of the fourth or present Bupp’Ha to 
Anarddhepura, in the two hundred and thirty-sixth year after his death, to 
the eighteenth year of the reign of king Duarmaséca, and during that of 
king Dewani Patissz. This event is thus described in the Mahdvansi : 
“ Dewant Parisse thus addressed the king:—O King Duarma Soxa, 
when Bupuu was yet living, he declared that the time would come when 
a king of the name of Duarma Soxa would appear in Jambudwipa, and in 
that king’s time the right hand branch of the Bo tree should be brought to 
Ceylon, and that the virtues of the said tree were so strong that he, Bupuu, 
sitting with his back to the same, had repelled the force of ten thousand 
bembaras of gods, who opposed his becoming Bupuv, and had there been 
* Vide Asiatic Researches, Vol. vi. p. 177. 
Vor. III. 3 P 
