NO. 43. — 1892.] SIRIVADDHANAPURA. 



209 



the thunder of the clouds, — whereat also the voice of religion was 

 heard from pulpits reverently set up by the faithful at divers places, 

 whereon sat preachers of the sacred law, who, with beautiful fans in 

 their hands, proclaimed the good law that convinced the hearts of the 

 hearers thereof,- — a feast which also was made pleasant by the shouts 

 of the four classes of Buddha's disciples, who went hither and thither 

 viewing all things with admiration and congratulating each other as 

 they praised the virtues of the three sacred gems, exclaiming, " Oh the 

 Buddha ! Oh, the Dhamma ! Oh, the Sarigha ! "—-whose praises also 

 were sung in strains like those of the Nandisf by the masters of the 

 ceremonies^ as they stood in crowds on every side invoking the blessings 

 of Buddha. 



And for seven days the lord of the land held this great feast in 

 honour of the three sacred objects (Buddha, the Law, and the Church) 

 in such a manner as if he were showing here (on earth) how even the 

 chief of the gods held the feasts of Buddha in heaven, and as if he 

 proclaimed how the kings of the olden time, the great rulers of the 

 Sinhalese, held their feasts in honour of the supreme Buddha, and as 

 if he proclaimed to all men how the perfections of the Omniscient 

 Buddha, like unto the wish-conferring tree of heaven, yield fruit in 

 and out of every season. 



And afterwards when he (the king) had made the Maha Vihara the 

 property in common of the brethren, he dedicated it to the great 

 priesthood, and thus filled the measure of his merit and his fame. 



No one can hear this passage without feeling how well it 

 fits Kandy, and wondering what other city there can have 

 been — since Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa are out of the 

 question — that can have deserved such a description. But it 

 would not be right to put the passage in this its English 

 dress before you without at once pointing out that there are 

 two details — one really of essential importance, and one 

 important in its effect on the total impression produced by 

 the passage— in which it does not accurately represent the 

 true original. 



First, the distance, eight yoduns and one usabha, — which 

 would make 97 miles, — represents what I may confidently 

 call a false reading of the original, which is " half a yodun 



* Monks, nuns, lay disciples, and female devotees. 



f Speakers of prologues in a drama, or panegyrists. 



% Bali-bhojakn-jettha. This is an obscure word ; but I believe it is 

 meant here for the chiefs of servers or managers in festivals, who were 

 entitled to enjoy the surplus or remains of food offered during the cere- 

 monies. 



