Indian Antiquary Vol 45

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple, Devadatta Ramkrishna Bhandarkar
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 277

ALPHABETICAL GUIDE TO SINHALESE FOLKLORE
nose shaped like an elephant-goad, a Rakusu's face, hair dishevelled like a peacock's train, a jacket over both shoulders, a gold necklet, a girdle of 7 strings of pearls, a sword in the right hand, a club in the left, white-mottled belly, a sash, a devanga robe (fine muslin?), a red and white pillow, riding a horse. He is amorous and gluttonous; the flesh of 5 buffaloes and the milk of 500 cocoanuts are not enough to satisfy him. He is invoked also as Mal Kadavara, the Flower god, and is said to bring flowers in dreams and to feed on stones; see Mal Kanavara. The D.-k.-piripats says that this demon appears in dreams with children on his hip, golden ear-jewels, hair hanging loose on his shoulders, and garlands of flowers. He comes to women and falsely promises them children; he takes the form of their husbands and seduces them. He causes miscarriage and painful childbirth, and brings fits, spasms, etc., upon new-born children. He is invoked in Kadavara-vidiya, Kkavi, K.-go!u-pidavila. See also Riri Yaka.
Dala kebvara. Father of Dala Raja.
Dala Raja (D. Kadavara). A demon, son of Hamsavati and Simha Kumara Raja, son of Bam badat, king of Dantapura. To obtain a son Hamsavati offered to Isvara an ivory image made from the tusk (dala) of a living elephant, and Dala was born. Astrologers foretold that he would wed his own sister. When therefore a sister was born, she was hidden in a cave, and was hence called Giri: Devi. Dala heard of this, by the aid of his foster-mother, and feigned sickness, saying that he could only live if his sister cooked gruel for him. He thus gratified his desire. The princess, being with child, hanged herself on an äsala tree (Indian laburnum), but Säkra saved her, and made her body invisible. The king ordered his son to be crushed by an elephant, which in charging him split both its tusks, and rendered him senseless. Senasuru (Saturn), whom Dala, assisted by Rahu, had beaten in gambling, now revenged himself by throwing poison upon him, by which he was turned into a demon with three heads, to whom sacrifices were offered. In another version Säkra took him into his heaven, gave him three heads, and wedded him to Giri Devi. He guarded the body of Palaiga on his death, for which Pattini gave him the right to have three incense-torches offered to him, and made him guardian of the world of men. [D-r.. priliveta.] In one version (D.-kadavara-upata) Säkra is said to have taken away his life when he was attacked by the elephant, and caused him to be reborn in the elephant's tusk. This burst open, and he issued with 3 faces, 8 hands, and a cobra's hood over his head. He rides upon elephants, smites girls with disease and heals them, and is worshipped with offerings and dancing in which he is invoked as D. Kadavara, Demala Ka avara, Sohon K., Mal K, and Aliyama K. Another of his names is Dala-dimba Devatar. [D.-kalavara-upata.
The Dala-raja-upata describes him as son of Deva-aiga Raja of Dappa-dipa. His wife dreamed that an elephant with his tusks (dala) ripped open her body and entered it; subsequently she bore a son, hence called Dala Kumâra. The astrologers having declared that he would go away from the city, a palace was built for him in a forest of Indian-fig trees, where he was brought up. Nothing more is told in this version. The legend told in the Giri-devi-kavi gives the same story of Dala Raja's incest as the D.-t.-piliveta. It adds that at the time of the union she was 16 years of age, and that when Dala Raja missed her he wandered everywhere in search of her. In Heaven he found Senasuru, Kuja, and Rahu playing dice, and he threw dice 7 times with Senasuru and won all the throws. He then went to Säkra, imploring his help, and Säkra told him that he would find her body on an üsala tree in the forest near his home. He did 80, and again implored the gods' help. The poem here breaks off; the legend in other