1837.] Account of the Tooth relic of Ceylon. 867 



of departure. Thereupon the two illustrious brahmans (in disguise) in their 

 anxiety to reach Sihala, expeditiously made off to the vessel (in a canoe) and ex- 

 plained their wishes to the commander. He, influenced by their persuasive en- 

 treaty, and conciliating demeanour, readily had them hoisted on board." The 

 relic is, all this while, concealed in the hair of the princess. A great storm is en- 

 countered the first night. During the voyage the rajas make offerings, one festi- 

 val lasts ten days. 



The fifth chapter describes the landing of the relic in Ceylon at the port of 

 LaJcputanan, a place I am not able to identify, where it is concealed in the Jcow- 

 ila of a dewdli. The disguised prince and princess are directed in their journey 

 to Anuradhapura, the capital at that period, by an itinerant brahman, and they 

 proceeded hither in the night. There they learn for the first time, and with 

 dismay, the death of Maha'se'no, the raja whose protection they were taught to 

 expect on their landing. They are assured, however, that the reigning monarch 

 (Sirime'ghawanno) is a rigid and a pious Buddhist ; and they divulge their 

 having brought the relic to a priest resident at the Meighagiri wiharo at Anu- 

 radhapura, who was reputed to be in the king's confidence. This priest 

 receives the relic into his own residence, and hastens to report the event to 

 the " pious" raja-, whom he finds, in the midst of his recreations, in the royal 

 garden, surrounded by his " pleasure-women.' r 



Two other sections have been subsequently added to the Ddthddhd- 

 tuwanso bringing the history of the relic down to the middle of the 

 last century, — into the particulars of which it would be out of place 

 to enter here. Suffice it to say that this atom of idolatary has ever since 

 that period been considered by the Ceylonese Buddhists to be the palla- 

 dium of the country, and its possession has been deemed indispensible 

 to perfect the title of sovereignty over the land. Between A. D. 1S03 

 and 1314, in the reign of Bhuwanekabahu first, Ariyachakkawati 

 the commander of an army sent by Kulasf/kara king of Pandi to 

 invade Ceylon, got possession of the relic and transferred it to Pandi. 

 To treat for its recovery the next monarch of the island Parakka'mo 

 the third, proceeded to Pandi in person, and was successful in his mission. 

 According to Rebeiro it was captured by Constantini de Braganza 

 during the wars of the Portuguese in 1560, and destroyed upon that 

 occasion. The native authorities, however represented that the relic 

 was safely concealed at Delgamoa in Saffragam, during those wars. 

 It was surrendered to the British, together with the Kandyan kingdom, 

 in 1825; and for the tranquillity of the country it has been found 

 necessary to keep this object of superstition strictly in its own custody. 

 In Dr. Davy's history of Ceylon will be found a drawing of the 

 relic, and an account of its abstraction from the temple, and its 

 subsequent recapture, during the general rebellion in 1818. Should 

 my conjectural reading of these inscriptions prove correct, it would 



