67 



expected, she was enabled to wash away her sorrow. She clothed herself 

 with the shining colours which issued from the body of Buddha. Through 

 the favor of the god it also rained gold, sweet smelling flowers, and 

 all kinds of perfumes; the sea lifted up its voice and roared aloud with 

 joy, which served as cymbals to celebrate the joyous day; all kinds of 

 music were supplied by the humming of the Brangaya ; the earth and 

 the heavens clapped hands in concert, the trees of the field blossomed 

 with flowers, and all nature shouted for joy. Thus Buddha comforted 

 the woman of Ceylon by stamping the impression of his foot on the said 

 mountain, from which place he departed, and visited the monument at 

 the place called Anurawdapura Nuwera," &c, &c. 



The authority, or perhaps I might say, authorities, on which this 

 and all other Sinhalese accounts of later date than the 5th century 

 rest, are the writings of Mahanama, the priestly author of the first 

 portion of the Mahawanso, describing events from 543 B.C. to 

 301 a. d., written between the years 459 and 477, during the 

 reign of his nephew, king Dhatu Sena ; and those of Buddha- 

 ghosa, the great propagandist of Buddhism in Burmah, who in the 

 year 400 a. d.* visited Ceylon for the purpose of translating from 

 Sinhalese into Pali the sacred Canon and the Comments thereon. 

 His stay in the island lasted three years, during which time he 

 himself composed comments on the Pitakas. These Comments 

 are so highly prized by Buddhists, that they are considered 

 divinely inspired, and of equal authority with the original texts 

 which they illustrate and explain. 



* This is the date given by Bp. Bigandet, on the authority of Burmese records. 

 Tumour, in his Introduction to the Mahawanso, says " the precise date is not 

 specified of either Buddhaghosa's arrival at or departure from the island." But he 

 fixes the reign of Mahanamo at a.d. 410 — 432, and it -was apparently, in the early 

 part of this king's reign, that Buddhaghosa's visit took place. This discrepancy is 

 however of no moment as regards the argument in the text. The visit of Buddha- 

 ghdsa and that of Fa Hian, (413-415) may have happened at one and the same time, 



