SRI LANKA HOLIDAYS: King Wattha Gamini Abhaya (Valagambahu)
Tour the ancient island of Sri Lanka, The Land of Delights with My Sri Lanka Holidays, Sri Lanka.
In the days of Pandukhabhaya, the son of famous princess Unmada Chithra & prince Diga gamini, stood Tittharama monastery of Jain ascetics. It was still allowed to flourish during the reign of Wattha Gamini Abhaya, nephew of the hero of the nation, King Duttha Gamini,
Having heard the great splendour of the city of Anuradhapura
As was in the epic battle of Sri Lanka during the reign of King Dutugemunu, his nephew too had to defend the island The King was defeated in a great battle outside the northern gate of the city. King Dutugamunu's son Prince Saliya had forfeited the right to crown by marrying lower caste Asokamala of Lanka.
Honour the decree even while on the run for the life
King Watta Gamini while fleeing from those maruading Dravidian Invaders from Southern India, got off from his chariot & in deference to King Dutugamunu's (Duttha Gamini) proclamation made sixty years before, honoured the Dravidian invader Elara by passing his monument on foot.
Return the favour
For next fifteen years in exile, the king was supported by the Buddhist monks. Dambulla caves became his refuge for the time. Upon regaining his kingdom, following a great battle against the marauding Dravidian invaders from southern
Retain the purity
As he fled past Tittharama Jaina monastery, the high priest, Giri, taunted the royal fugitive, saying “the great black Sinhalese is on the run for the life”, The king stung by the impertinent remark of the ungrateful Dravidian who had been allowed a heretic Nigatha’s monastery in the land of Buddha’s heritage, even while fleeing made a vow to regain his kingdom & destroy the monastery
For fifteen years the great king roamed the hilly forests south of Anuradhapura building up formidable Sinhalese forces to wage war against the Dravidian invaders. During that time, five of the Tamil Chiefs, who had defeated King King Watta Gamini Abhaya, each successively killing his predecessor, occupied the kingdom of Anuradhapura. At the end, the lion –hearted nephew of hero of the nation, King Dutugamunu, defeated the marauding Dravidians in battle at Anuradhapura
Like Uncle, Like Nephew
The king then gave the Abhayagiri monastery to Thera Mahatisa, previously the abbot of the Vessagiri monasteries. He was subsequently charged with a serious breach of the rules & expelled from the Order.
It was at the Abhayagiri Dagoba the that the Vaitulya heresy found soil & grew into powerful Dhammaruci sect, which became supreme in the reign of King Mahasena Later he was joined by other ‘heretics’ to form a community following the Mahayana Buddhism. This doctrine, born of schism from the Theravada school, introduced the concept of the bodhisattva. Bodhisattvas are men who have reached the stage of Buddhahood but, by compassion & for altruistic reasons, postpone their entering into nibbana to help the others on the difficult way of enlightenment.
Although Buddha has seized to exist, the sublime Dhamma which he unreservedly bequeathed to humanity still exists in its pristine purity. Although the Master has left no written records of His Teachings, His distinguished disciples had preserved doctrine by committing to memory and transmitting them orally. The king fearing the effect of the new heresies decreed that the tenants of the faith as preached by Mahinda be written down & preserved.
It was at this convocation in
The Ultimate Loss
The ultimate misfortune of King Wattha Gamini Abhaya was to lose the Begging Bowl of Gautama Buddha, which the marauding Dravidian invaders from Southern India carried of to
In his flight he took with him his first & second queen, his son & his nephew. The car was over laden & could make but slow progress. The second queen, the beautiful Somadevi, was left at the sanctuary of the Kadambappuppha forest, at her own request, & with a portion of the Crown jewels. But she was captured by a Tamil chief of the marauding Dravidian invaders, who was enamored of her beauty that he took her back to
Fifteen years later the king retrieved his captive queen & in memory of her sacrifice, erected in her honour, to commemorate the event the Manisomarama monastery & The Queens Pavilion on the spot on which she left the chariot.
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