508 



SCIENCES AND SOCIAL ARTS. 



[PART IV. 



A subsequent king, Amanda, A.D. 20, fixed on the 

 spire a chatta (in imitation of the white umbrella, em- 

 blematic of royalty) 1 , and two centuries later, San- 

 ghatissa, who reigned A.D. 234 to 246, "caused this 

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

 four emblems of the sun, each of which cost a lac." 2 

 And now follows the passage which is interesting from 

 its reference, however obscure, to the electrical nature of 

 lightning. The Mahawanso continues : " he in like man- 

 ner placed a glass pinnacle on the spire to serve a$ a 

 protection against lightning." 3 



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

 which TURNOUR has here rendered "a glass pinnacle," 

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

 passage and in another in the same book in which 

 it occurs. 4 The form assumed by the upper portion of 

 the dagoba would therefore resemble the annexed sketch. 



1 Mahaivanso, ch. xxxv. p. 215. 



2 Ibid., ch. xxxvi. p. 229. 



3 Ibid., ch. 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 Ben- 

 galese histories of the temple of Jug- 

 gernauth, written between the years 

 A.D. 470 and A.D. 520, says thatwhen 

 the building was completed, " a ncel- 

 chukro was placed at the top of the 

 temple to prevent the falling of 

 thunderbolts." In an account of the 

 modern 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 off two centuries ago by 

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



4 In describing the events in the 

 reign of Dhatu-Sena, the king at 

 whose instance and during whose reign, 

 the Mahawanso was written 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 chetyas (dagobas^) he made a 

 golden chatta and a diamond hoop 

 (loajira-chumbataii) for each." Ma- 



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- 

 tissaruns thus in Pali, " Wisun sata- 

 sahassagghe chaturocha mahamanin 

 majjhe chatunnan suriyanan thapa- 

 pe"si mahipati ; thupassa muddhani 

 tatha anagghdn wajira-chumbat(ut j "' 

 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 

 sun, and likewise an invaluable ada- 

 mantine (or diamond) ring on the top 

 of the thupa (the shrine)." Some diffi- 

 culty existed in TURN OUR' s mind as to 

 the rendering to be given to these two 

 last words " wajira-chionbaffiti.'' Prof. 

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

 mitted the sentence, says, " TT'c/yV/v/ 

 is either ' diamond/ or ( adamant,' or 

 ' the thunderbolt of Indra ; '" and with 

 him the most learned Pali scholars in 

 Ceylon entirely concur ; DE SARAM, 

 the Maha-Moodliar of the Governor's 

 Gate, the Eev. Mr. GOGERLY, Mr. DE 

 AI/VVIS, PEPOLE the High Priest of 



