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JOURNAL, R.A.S. (CEYLON). [VOL. XIV. 



Tato puna setthipi setthitthanabhusito gangodakapunnam ratana 

 mayasamkham ubhohi hatthehi sakkaccam gahetva tassa sfsopari ussa- 

 petvana tassa muddhani abhisekodakam abhisincati, evanca vadeti. 



"Deva tarn sabbepi gahapatigana attanamarakkhanattham imina 

 abhisekena abhisekitam maharajam karonti, tvam rajadhammesu 

 thatva dhammena samena rajjam karehi, etesu gahapatiganesu tvam 

 puttasokanugatanukampasahitacitto ca hitasamamettacitto ca bbava 

 rakkhavaranaguttiya tesam rakkbito ca bhavahiti." Te pana tassa 

 evam vadanta " sace tvam amhakam vacananurupena rajjam karissasi 

 sadhu — na evam tava muddha sattadha pahalatu'ti," evam ranflo 

 abhisapanti viya dhatthabba. 



Imasmim pana dipe devanampiyatissassa muddhani dhammaso- 

 keneva idha pesita khattiyakumariyeva anotattodakapunnena samud- 

 dikadakkhinavattasankhena abhisekodakam abhisincfti veditabbam, 

 tato pubbe pana idisam abhisekagahanam nama natthi. 



The following is a translation of the above : — 



Thus it is written in the Sinhalese commentary of that portion of the 

 Majjhimanihhaya known as Cullasihanadasuttavannand. 



The ceremony of the inauguration of a king is thus described. 



In the first place, he who wishes to be duly inaugurated as king 

 should obtain for this purpose three chanks (golden and otherwise), 

 water from the Ganges river, and a maiden of the Kshatriya race. 



He must himself be ripe for the ceremony,* and be a Kshatriya 

 of noble lineage, and must sit on a splendid udumbaraf chair, well set 

 in the middle of a pavilion made of udumbara branches, which is itself 

 in the interior of a hall gaily decked for the ceremony of ahhiseha. 



First of all, the Kshatriya maiden of gentle race, clothed in festive 

 attire, taking in both her hands a right-handed sea-chank, filled with 

 Ganges water, and raising it aloft, pours the ahhiseha water over his 

 head, and says as follows : — 



" Sire, by this ceremony of ahhiseha all the people of the Kshatriya 

 race make thee their Maharaja for their protection. Do thou rule 

 over the land in uprightness, and imbued with the ten royal virtues.^ 

 Have thou for the Kshatriya race a heart filled with paternal love and 

 solicitude. Let them (in return) protect, and guard, and cherish thee." 



Next, the royal chaplain, § splendidly attired in a manner befitting his 

 office, taking in both his hands a silver chank filled with Ganges water y 

 and raising it aloft, pours the ahhiseha water over his head, and says 

 as follows : — 



* I.e., he must be over sixteen years of age. 

 f Fig tree (Ficus glomerata). 



% They are ddnam, almsgiving ; silam, observance of the precepts ; paric- 

 eaga, generosity ; aModha, freedom from wrath ; avihimsa, mercy ; hJianti, 

 forbearance ; ajjavam, rectitude ; maddavam, mildness ; tapa, self -mortifi- 

 cation ; avirodhana, freedom from enmity. 



§ PuroMta, a Brahmin, who is the king's domestic chaplain. 



