In the time of Load Buddha, who was the ruler in the eastern region in Lanka?

The Cave Indashaala

The information about the people who lived in Lanka in Load Buddha's time has been set aside in the chronicles. The act of discussing this matter is forbidden. And also some people are not interested in discussing this matter in public. But, most of them do believe that these incidents have a relationship with the two clans called Yakkha and Naga. The Buddhist scholars living in Sri Lanka may not be interested in considering them as human beings.

Mr. C. W. Nicholas claims a great position as a scholar who showed a special interests in disclosing facts related to ancient  Lanka. This great effort made by him is portrayed in his great book titled 'Historical Topography of Ancient and Medieval Ceylon'. Amongst the other great information disclosed by this book, there is one special statement and it is as follows.

'The King Pachina means the king for the eastern region. A king bearing this name cannot be found in the historical chronicles' (Page 129). This statement is in great importance as it is considered as something dates back to the period of  B.C. In fact, the value of this statement is a great wealth and for that a special investigation has to be executed. Then, who is this king in the east? It is necessary to look in to this matter.

First, we need to keep our close eyes on the inscription presented by Mr. Nicholas to understand this particular matter. This inscription has been presented in Lanka Shilaalekhana Sangrahaya[i] under the inscriptions of Ambulambe[ii] (Inscriptions of Ceylon[iii], Page 64).

831.        Pachina rajaha putha thishayaha lene agatha anagatha chathudisha shagasha dine 

(The cave of the prince Tissa, the son of King Pachina,[iv] was given for Sangha who came from   all  four directions)

832.        Pachina rajaha putha thisha ayaha bariya upashika rakiya lene Agatha anagatha chathudisha shagasha

(The cave of Upasika[v] Raki, the wife of prince Tissa who is the son of King Pachina, was given for           Sangha who came from all four directions).

(Sinhala Shilalekhana Sangrahaya, Page 142)

Ambulamabe, where these inscriptions are found, was called Ambasandaa in the ancient times. In the time of Buddha, there had been a village of Brahamans called  Ambasandaa, Sakkapannya Suthra discloses. This is disclosed in the said Suthra as follows.

"Evan me suthan ekan samayan bhagawa magadhesu viharathi, pachinatho rajagahassa ambasandaa naama brahakmanagaamo, thassuththaratho vediyake pabbathe indasaalaguhaayan thena kho pana samayena sakkassa dewaanammindassa ussukkan udapaadi baghawaththa dassnaaya." (Diganikaya, Sakkapanya Suthra).

The palace of Pachina, Bahaman village called Ambasandaa, the rock called Vediya and Indasala cave  are stated in the back ground story of this Suthra. Above mentioned both inscriptions explain the fact that King Pachina and the village called Ambasanda had been situated in Lanka. And let us look in to the two other inscriptions which help to identify the locations of the rock called Vediya and the cave called Indasala. Two inscriptions found in Bambaragala can be taken as examples for this matter.

814. Pachina rajaha nagayaha jayha bamana kojayhara jhithaya upashika dathaya lene

817.  indashala guha shagasha

These inscriptions confirm that The Enlightened One had preached the Sakkapanna Suthra at the Indasala cave located at Rajamaha Vihara in Bambaragala, Theldeniya in Kandy.

Now, its time to investigate the nature of the king in the eastern region of whom no any  disclose is found chronicles. For that, it is necessary to examine the Atanatiya Suttha found in the Pirith Potha[vi] and it present some information to identify this king in the eastern region.

" Itho sa pajjimaa disaa

ithi nan aachikkhathee jano

yan disan abhipaalethi

mahaa raajaa yasassiso

viroopakkho ithi namaso "

The king for the Naga clan who reigned the east is called Viroopakkha, it explains. This has been well confirmed by 'Pachina rajaha nagayaha' which is found in the inscription.

Hence, it is evident that the ruler in the east was someone who ruled the east in Buddha's time.

[i] This title can be translated as The collection of inscriptions in Lanka .

[ii] Ambulambe is a village in Sri Lanka.

[iii] Inscriptions of Ceylon is the well recognized book written by Prof. Senarath Paranavithana.

[iv] This is pronounced as Paacheena.

[v] This is pronounced as Upasikaa - the lay female disciple of The Enlightened One.

[vi] The book which is comprised with discloses\suttas.

Translated by Amal Meemanage (amalmeemanage@gmail.com)