PrakramcT Bahoo, from the Maha Wanso. 



149 



Having turned'the course of the river Kdraganga* by means of a 

 great stone embankment, and having,~,by means of a great canal called 

 Akdsa Ganga (Celestial river) conducted its broad stream to the Royal 

 Palace which was a noble one resplendent like the sun,f he constructed 

 the " King of Tanks," (Wdpi Rdjd ) celebrated under the name of "the 

 Sea of Parakkama," which was like unto a second ocean, and which con- 

 tained a perpetual supply of water. 



He likewise built the great tank known by the name of the Lake of 

 Parakkama, having a stone aqueduct constructed over land of difficult 

 access. Also the tanks of Mahinda, Ekciha Wdpi (literally) " the Tank 

 of One day," the Sdgara (Sea)]; of Parakkama, and the waterfall of 

 Kottabaddha. 



In many places, the chief of men, built minor tanks, in number one 

 thousand four hundred and sixty-one. The Ruler of the land con- 

 structed conduits, and channels of stone, in no less than 300 tanks which 

 had been in ruins. 



The King also repaired many ancient tanks, such as the great tank of 

 Manihira (Minnery,) the tank of Mahdddragalla, the tank of Suwanna- 

 tissa, Duraiissa, and those named Kdlawdpi ( Kaldwaica,) and Bruhmang- 

 gdma. The tanks called Ndlikcrathamba, and Eahera, likewise the 

 tanks of Giritalla, and KumbMla Sobbha. The tanks of Kdnawdpi, 

 Padi, and Rati, the tank of Pattapdsdna, the tank of Mabana, the 

 tank of Waadha, and the tank of Mahddanta, the tank of Kdnagdma, and 

 the tanks of Wira, and Wdlahassa, and that called Suramdna, the tanks 



* Major F,orbes states that the river Ambanganga is joined " by a considerable stream/' 

 called Kallvgaiiga. Might not this be the Karaganga alluded to here ? The Pali 

 form of Kalluganga would be Kalaganga, the only difference between it and Kara 

 ganga being the substitution of the letter I for r. 



t Instead of, " which was a noble one resplendent like the sun, 77 (^ (i Q(S<5^d^(S 



^O^o") some MSS. have ("Cp<2530$30g(^C3^o,")which may be trans- 

 lated as follows, u made a shining or splendid Island." 



% This is either a clerical mistake, or there were more than one " Sea of Prak- 

 krama." While on this subject, I may here notice a very curious passage in the Raja- 

 Ratnakara, which speaks of the construction by Prakkrama Bahoo, of three great tanks 

 known by the names " Maha Samudraya/* 7 " Bana Samudraya," and " Mati 77 or " Mani 

 S agar a. 7 7 



This passage is translated by Upham as follows : — " The said king of Ceylon also 

 rendered his fame great by causing to be made in Ceylon three great lakes, the first of 

 which was called Maha Samoodra (i. e. great sea,) the second was called Bcena Samoo- 

 dra ( i. e. allied to the sea,) and the third was called Made Sawgiriya ( i. e. the middling 

 sea.) 77 



It is however, right to add, that this passage is not found in the Saddharma Ratria- 

 kara, from which the author of Raja Ratnakara, has copied almost verbatim the events 

 of this reign. Nor indeed is such a passage found in any other work on Ceylon, 

 which I have seen. 



