508 



SCIENCES AND SOCIAL AKTS. 



[Part IV. 



A subsequent king, Amanda, a.d. 20, fixed a chatta 

 (in imitation of the white umbrella which is emblema- 

 tic of royalty) on the spire ^, and two centuries later, 

 Sanghatissa, who reigned a.d. 234 to 246, "caused this 

 chatta to be gilt, and set four gems in the centre of the 

 foLU- emblems of the sun, each of which cost a lac." ^ 

 And now follows the passage which is interesting from 

 its reference, however obscure, to the electrical nature of 

 hghtning. The Mahawanso continues : "he in hke 

 manner placed a glass pinnacle on the spire to serve as a 

 protection against lightning." ^ 



The term " wajira-chumbatan " in the original Pali, 

 which TuENOUE has here rendered "a glass pinnacle," 

 ought to be translated " a diamond hoop," both in this 

 passage and also in another in the same book in which 

 it occurs.^ The form assumed by the upper portion of 

 the dagoba would therefore resemble the annexed sketch. 



' Mahmoanso, oh., xxxv . p. 215. 



2 Ihicl, ck. xxx\d. p. 229. 



3 Ibid., cli. xxxvi. p. 229. This be- 

 lief in the power of averting light- 

 ning by mechanical means, prevailed 

 on the continent of India as well as 

 in Ceylon, and one of the early Beu- 

 galese histories of the temple of Jug- 

 gernanth, written between the years 

 A.D. 470 and a.d. 520, says that when 

 the building was completed, "■ a neel- 

 chukro was placed at-the top of the 

 temple to prevent the falling of 

 thimderbolts." In an account of the 

 modem temple which replaced this 

 ancient structure, it is stated that 

 '' it bore a loadstone at the top, which, 

 as it drew vessels to land, was seized 

 and carried oft' two centm-ies ago by 

 sailors." — Asiat. Res. vol. xv. p. 327. 



* In describing the events in the 

 reign of Dhaatu-Sena, the king at 

 whose instance and during whose reign 

 the Ilahmvfinso was wi-itten by his 

 uncle Mahanamo, between the years 

 a.d. 459, 477, the author, who was 

 contemporary with the occurrence he 

 relates, says, that " at the three prin- 

 cipal chetyos (dagobas) he made a 

 golden chatta and a diamond hoop 

 (^wajira-chumbatan) for each." — 3Ia- 



hawanso, ch. xxxviii. p. 259. Similar 

 instances of gems being attached to 

 the chattas of dagobas are recorded 

 in the same work, ch, xlii. and else- 

 where. 



The original passage relative to 

 the diamond hoop placed by Sangha- 

 tissa runs thus in Pali, " Wisun sata- 

 saliassagghe chaturocha mahamanin 

 majjhe chatunnau suriyanan thapa- 

 pesi mahipati ; thttpassa nmddham 

 tatlia anaiiyhdn wajira-chumbatan,''^ 

 which Mr. De Alwis translates : 

 " The king caused to be set four 

 gems, each of the value of a lac, in 

 the centre of the four emblems of the 

 Sim, and likewise an in valuable ada- 

 mantine (or diamond) i-ing on the top 

 of the thvpa.''^ Some difficulty existed 

 in TtrEjsroTJK's mind as to the render- 

 ing to be given to these two last 

 words " wajira-chumhatan.'''' Prof. 

 H. H. Wilson, to whom I have sub- 

 mitted the sentence, says, '' Wajira 

 is either 'diamond,' or 'adamant/ or 

 ' the thunderbolt of Indra ; ' " and with 

 him the most learned Pali scholars in 

 Ceylon entix-ely concur ; De Saram, 

 the Maha-Moodliar of the Governor's 

 Gate, the Rev. Mr. Gogerly, Mr. De 

 Alwis; Pepole the High Priest of the 



