known among the Singhalese. 79 



Nila was thus perhaps what may be called the royal or 

 government colour, and words of that formation may be so 

 derived. There was a <^^e% (nilame) or Nilleme at the 

 head of several of the departments. It was the title usually 

 given to any high official, and it is still the title of the great 

 officer of government in the Temples. 



The term in question may, I conceive, be so rendered ac- 

 cordingly. Thus, when the valiant Gaja bahu rajah, whose 

 city (unlike the banquet house of a great king, as his minis- 

 ters ignorantly represented) had been entered by an enemy, 

 and many captives taken, at length resolved on an expedition 

 for their recovery, he went out from the council with <eo q 

 &cs%qc30 (neela yodayd), the great officer of war. These 

 words, however, have been rendered Neela the giant , and ee the 

 great giant Neela" — * as if were a proper name, and 



not like &z£.c3 (nilaya) and ^jq^q (nilatala), an office, place, 

 or situation. 



Among other terms of high import, g (sree) happy, pros- 

 perous, was a distinguished one, and supposed eminently due 

 to Lakshmi, wife of Vishnu, the goddess of the affections and 

 happiness; commonly known here by the name of Sree 

 or Sriya Kantawa (Clough, voce Lakshmi) or, as we sometimes 

 find it, Siri Kaia, the lucky lass ! The virtuous queen 

 Lelavaty, who is feigned by the poet as possessed of the 

 situmina\ or wishing-gem, a fabulous symbol of grace and 

 beauty known in the East from the earliest times, (e whi- 

 thersoever it turneth, it prospereth," Prov. xvii. 8 — is repre- 

 sented as the very impress and realization of this goddess, 

 winning at once the hearts and minds of all. 



t3Z3z3 Q8 «5545> ®qS<&$ 6>e3 ©-era *QB>&*cnz$ 



pasak siri kata wilasin mulu lo mana nuwangat . 



She is also called Wijeya sree (Clough, sub voce ) from the 

 conqueror of that name, the leader of the great Budhist 



* See the Friend for Sept. 1339, and the Sidath Sangarawa by Mr. Alwis, p. Ixvii. 

 •}• Otherwise written ©^^53 S)0 <5^5532SC3 (chinta manikyaya). 



