120 Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal. [N.S., XV, 
Northern India with the Deccan. In the epilogue of his 
commentary on the Vinaya Pitaka he tells us that he com- 
leted his great work in the 2ist year of the reign of king 
Sirinivasa of Ceylon who was his benevolent royal patron. 
Perhaps he refers to the same king under the name of Siri- 
kudda in the epilogue to his commentary on the Dhammapada.” 
It is left to further research to settle whether or not Sirinivasa 
was another name of king Mahanama,’ during whose reign 
he visited Ceylon according to the Mahavamsa. The Revd 
Bhikkhu H. P. Buddhadatta is of this opinion. He points out 
that nowhere else is mentioned a king of Ceylon by the name 
of Srinivasa or Sirikudda. 
Buddhaghosa refers to king bh sda MOR Abhaya,* the 
wines 6g of Ceylon, and to king Coranaga,° son of king Vat- 
tagam e also makes mention of a king Mahanaga whose 
subifonet gifts in connection with the art of healing at 
enambarigana had won for him a lasting fame ; 5 king Maha- 
naga is perhaps no other than king Buddhadasa, ‘father of king 
Mahanama mentioned in the Mahavamsa (Chap. XXX. 171). 
Thera Buddhadatta, another celebrity of the Mahavihara 
of Ceylon, was probably an elder contemporary of Buddhaghosa. 
He was an inhabitant of Cola kingdom, situated below the 
Kaveri. He tells us that his royal patron was king Accuta- 
vikkanta of the Kalamba dynasty. All his works were written 
at the famous rae ned erected by Venhudasa or Kanhadasa 
on the bank of the Kav 
It is doubtful if ee = teachers met each other either 
in India or elsewhere. They drew materials from the same 
source no doubt. This fact can well explain why the Visud- 
dhimagga and the Abhidhammavatara have so many points 
incommon. In point of fact the two teachers wrote indepen- 
dently of each other. Nevertheless, whether prior or posterior, 
the Abhidhammavatara of Buddhadatta can be safely regarded 
as a catechism of the last portion of the Visuddhimagga. Bud- 
dhadatta, too, used the simile of the purblind and the lame 
as an analogy of the relation between nama and rupa.* Bud- 
dhadatta’s division of term into samiha and asamitha is oe 
interesting point.’ It will be remembered that such a divisio 
of terms as this was far in advance of older classifications 
Vififiépana, Visuddhimagga, A. p. 4. Buddhadatta, p. iv. 
asl Pals, yantassa gry: ‘nkeaipaae nirabbudam Ramo sirinivasassa 
samavisatim eme jayasamvacehare do an. 
Araddha ekav ‘ikea sampatte parinitthita 
2 Ibid., p. iv. Dhammapada Comme pete PE.8; pea, 
3 Ibid., pp. 4, 5. 
af ‘ i 
6&6 Tbid., p. 399. 
Ab Laicaasacuies: P.T.S., pp. 13, 14, 16 and 17. 
° Abhidhamméavatara, P.T.S., p. 115. 
% Tbid., pp. 82-3. 
