No. 63. — 1910.] AGE OF SRI PARAKRAMA BAKU VI. 
35 
Buddha, born of the great Queen Sunetra, who was like a golden 
vine entwining the wish-conferring tree like Lemeni Jayama- 
hala."— V. 27. 
Sri Rahula in the Kdvyasekhara describes in glowing stanzas the 
lineage of the king and the names of his parents. Here too, the 
dynasty is traced to " Prince Sumit of the S61ar dynasty, who was 
maternal uncle of Mahinda, son of Dharma As6ka, 237 b.c." 
(Part XIV., vv. 61, 62.) 
Prince Sumit was invested by Devanampiya Tissa with the rank 
of Jayamahalena, ** Chief Secretary for War," amid great pomp, 
and given the hand of Princess Sumana of Magadha, a novice who 
resided at the temple of Sanghamitta (Part IV., v. 66). 
To them and their descendants was assigned the custody of 
the B6-tree (Part XIX., vv. 67, 68 ; Bodhivansa). 
The following verses {Kavyasekhara, 69-71 in Part XIV.) 
support the other authorities regarding the parentage of the king : 
" In this the thirty-fourth year of the reign of King Parakrama 
Bahu, the celebrated Kdvyaseklmra was composed and terminated 
in language elegant. He was an ocean of gem-like virtues, a diadem 
on the heads of all kings, grandson of Jayamahalena, who was an 
ornament to the Lambakarna race. He came from the good 
lineage of the illustrious Vijaya Bahu of the Sevulu race and of 
the puissant Parakrama the Great and of Agrabodhi and 
Vijaya Bahu." Mr. W. P. Ranesinghe, to whom I am indebted 
for the translation, says that according to these lines, " the 
descent of Sri Parakrama Bahu from all the above kings, including 
Vijaya Bahu, is clear, and confirms the statement in the 
Perakumbd Sirita and the Rdjavaliyay 
Valentyn states that the monarch was " of the unsullied race 
of the Emperor Socca (Asoka) Raja and of the family of Ittaha- 
sammata (Mahasammata), and of Simit (Sumit) Raja, a nephew 
of the Emperor Praccaram (Parakrama) Vije (Vijaya) Raja, and a 
son of the Emperor Savlu Vija (Sevulu Vijaya) Bahu Raja, and 
of the Empress Simittra Dewa (Sunetra Devi)." 
The Rdjdvaliya, although the pages referring to the Chinese 
invasions have been tampered with, says that Vijaya Bahu was the 
father of Parakrama Bahu, and that his mother was Sunetra Devi. 
" Here it must be observed that it was in the year 1958 of the 
illustrious Buddhist era, on Thursday, the seventh day of the 
bright half of the month Wesak , and the asterism Phusa , that King 
Vijaya Bahu was taken captive. Whereupon his Queen, Sunetra 
Devi, left the city and went to Visidagama, taking her son with 
her."— p. 67. 
E. W. Perera. 
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