________________
110
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[APRIL, 1890.
him." The Burmese legend is given in a still more complete form by Bishop Bigandet,56 from whom most of the later authorities have derived their information "The first one [in Burma] who made an attempt to possess himself of a copy of the sacred scriptures was Budhagosa, a religious of Thaton, of the Ponn457 race. That man embarked at Thaton which was then onsor near the sea. That place is in the Ramagnia58 country, and is inhabited by a people called Moun. He sailed to Ceylon in the year of religion 943, to 400 A.C., under the reign of King Mahânâma. He resided three years on that island, wrote on palm leaves with the Burmese characters, the Pitagat,60 which was found written in the language and characters of Ceylon. In another manuscript we read that he translated into Pâli the scriptures, which were in the language of Ceylon. Buddhagosa remained three years in Ceylon, in order to complete the work which he had undertaken. During his stay in that island, the people were so much pleased with him that they made him many and costly presents on his leaving their country. With him he brought over to Souwana boumi, [Suvarnabhumi] which is in the Ramagnia country, a complete copy of the scriptures. In or about the Pagan [modern Burmese] cra 419 1058 A.D., the 42nd, some say the 44th King of Pagan, named Anaurata [Anawyet'â], having invaded the Ramagnia country, possessed himself of the Moun's territories, and entered triumphant in the venerable city of Thaton. He took away from that place the collection of scriptures brought over from Ceylon by Buddhagósa as well as the most learned among the Rahans.62 With the aid of these distinguished Rahans religion was then firmly established in Pagan."63
B. The Ceylonese Legend.
Down to A.D. 1833 European scholars appear to have known the Buddhaghôsa legend through the Burmese traditions alone. In that year other versions of it, differing in many essential particulars from the Burmese form, were published in Upham's Collection of the Sacred und Historical Books of Ceylon. In the most important of these books, the Mahavansa, the Ceylonese legend is given in these words: "In the reign of this king [Mahanama] there came from Jambu-dwipa [India] to Ceylon a learned priest whose name was Buddagosa, by whom the king caused to be written a great number of sermons of Budhu, and thus illustrated the doctrine." The Rajaratnákari, another of these books, gives the legend in the following form:"The next king who ascended the throne was called Mahanawma Raja, in whose time the priest called Budhu-gosha came from Jambu-dwipa, and added to the three books which contained 257,250 sermons of Budhu, 360,550 serinons more, in the Palee language." The Rájávali, another of these historical books, has the following variation of the legend:66"His son, Manam Rajah was the next king: he reigned for twenty years. In the course of this king's reign the two persons called Bandagot [Buddhaghosa] Nam-watawak and Tenmaha Sin caused to be brought from Jambu-dwipa to Ceylon the books containing the 200,250 orders of Budhu, and the books containing the thres lacs and 100,750 sayings of Budhu, which were written in the Palce language, and ordered the same to be published." Another variation is given in the more recent Sinhalese Compendiu:n of Gautama Buddha's doctrine:67-"In the sixth year of the reign of the king Maha-Naaone, and in the year of Budhu 930, the high-priest Buddothegooseke Terunwahanse, coming to the island of Ceylon, composed the books called Visuddhimarge, &c. Upon his return to Swarna
6 Life of Gandama (2nd edit. 1866), pp. 391, 392. On Bp. Bigaudet's authorities see Sacred Books of the East, Vol. XI. (1881), Introd. pp. xvi., xvii., xxii., xxxii.
[Ponná Skr. Punya - in Burma a Brahman.'-R. C. T.]
.-R. C. T.]
58 Ramaguin Ramangya of Phayre
[Mun, spelt Mwan Talaing.-R. C. T.]
C. T
[Bidagat, spelt Pitakat, is the modern Burmese form of the word Pitaka through (?) Pitakattaya, Situated on a tidal creek in the Gulf of Martaban, between the Sittang and Salween Rivers and not far from the latter.-R. C. T.]
62 [Rahan Burmese Yehân =
अईन्
= अईन्. - R. C. r.]
63 See also the Bishop's notes, Introd. p. ix. and pp. 120, 351, 3S1, 385, 390, 393. Upham, Vol. 11. p. 74. 66 Upham, Vol. II. p. 242.
Upham, Vol. I.
6 Upham, Vol. 111. p. 115.
P.
239.
