NO. 48. — 1897.] DAMBADENIYA. 



27 



The king also — 

 Built round about the city many monasteries for the whole Order 

 in common (Sangharama) , that were fit places for the abode of the 

 eight great elders of the eight establishments and for learned and 

 thoughtful elders who dwelt in villages and in the forests. And these 

 were buildings of great breadth, and were adorned with many mansions 

 composed of open halls in great number, with ponds of divers kinds, 

 and covered walks surrounded by gardens of fruits and flowers that 

 served as retreats both by day and night. ° 



He also brought elders learned, in the scriptures from 

 India, and the books that were necessary for them. The 

 " Bhaysujja Mafijusd " — a Pali work — was composed about 

 this time by the learned and benevolent elder, the chief of 

 the monks of the Pancha Parivena. 



The king " caused the priests of Lanka to be taught in all the 

 branches of religion, and logic, and grammar, and all the other sciences, 

 and made learned men of many priests."f He adorned the royal 

 palace like the palace of the chief gods, and decorated the city 

 befittiagly like unto the city of the gods. 



On the murder of Vijaya Bahu IV. by his treacherous 

 general Mitta, Bhuwaneka Bahu I., who had fled to Yapahuwa, 

 was brought from that city and anointed king at Damba- 

 deniya, where he took up his abode. After some years he 

 removed his seat of government to Yapahuwa. 



The " Dambadeni Asna," after giving a rambling account 

 of the city, describes graphically the war between Pandita 

 Parakrama Bahu and the Tamils, and the hand-to-hand com- 

 bat between the king and " Tamalingomu," in which the 

 former came off victorious. 



The kings who reigned at Dambadeniya appear to 

 have encouraged the cultivation of useful arts and sciences 

 amongst their subjects, and possessed a large collection of 

 valuable books of medicine in their public library. 



The Modern Temple Library. 

 In this connection it may not be uninteresting to note the 

 state of the modern library. Mr. D. M. de Z. Wickremasinha, 



Mahawansa, LXXXIV., 18-20 (p. 284). 



t Ibid, 27 (p. 285). 



