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ALPHABETICAL GUIDE TO SINHALESE FOLKLORE
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and gold. She is also invoked in Tis-päyê kîma (as regent of the 14th pâya, who rose from the churning of the Milk Ocean), Amara-sântiya, Jaya-siri-mangala, Kadavara-tovil, Pirittuva, Rajadhiraja-simha-santiya, Samayan-pädura, Set-kavi. See also Divi Dos, Laksmi, Lily, Visnu.
Siri Yaka. The S.-y.-kavi states that this demon went to the Siri-gal temple and obtained the authority of its god; he also has the authority of Saman. He haunts the Sîrivila. It prescribes for his ritual an arched throne, 3 spans in length and 2 in width, terminating in a cupola. He is connected with the legend of the plague of Visâlâ, q. v. See also Riri Yaka.
Sisi-put. See Budahu.
Sita. According to Pala-väla-dânê, S. was wife first of Upulvan, later of Râma. After Râma's conquest of Ravana, she painted a picture of the latter, and was seen by Rama looking at it. He carried her to a forest and commanded Sumana Devi to cut her in two; but Sumana left her unhurt, as she was with child. A Rşi gave her shelter in a hut near his hermitage, where she gave birth to a son, Sandalindu. One day, in her absence, the babe fell under the bed, and the Rşi, thinking it was lost, created a similar child from a flower and gave it to her. This child became the Mala Raja, q. v. She found Sandalindu; and as she disbelieved the Rşi's tale, he created from some arrow-grass a third babe who became known as Kistiri (Kitsiri Raja.) Râma one day met the children, and on discovering their birth took Sitâ back. The Santana-patuna relates that near an ascetic's hermitage in the Himâlaya there was a pool, from which seven celestial nymphs stole the lilies. They were watched, and the robe of one was hidden, so that she could not follow the others in their flight. She was Sitâ-pati. She then went to the hermitage, where she gave birth to Sandalingu. The birth of Mala Raja and Kistiri and the recognition by Râma are told as in the Pala-väladânê. A Ravanâ-puvata gives a similar account: here Visnu is the watcher, Sitâ the nymph captured and wedded by him; cf. the Ravanâ-hatanê. See also Râma. She is sometimes said to have been born from the blood of an ascetic; see Vali Yaka. A counterpart to the story of the birth of Sitâ's 3 children is given in the Divi-raja-kavi: see Wooden Peacock. Invoked in Tis-päyê kîma as regent of the 28th paya, who had no fear of Râvana, and surrounded herself with a fence of fire.
Sita Yaka. This appears to be a demon who in his previous birth was an adulterer, his story being told in the Sitâ-yak-kam-kavi. As a Hetti or merchant was travelling with groceries, his wife committed adultery with Sitâ, and bore him a child. When the Heṭṭi came home, his wife was in Sîtâ's arms. They set the dog upon him, and apparently
killed him.
Siva (Isvara). The Hindu god. The poem tsvara-malaya narrates that once while Siva was in affectionate intercourse with Umâ, she took charge of his head-dress. Ananga, or Cupid, was then hidden in Umâ's head-dress, having held intercourse with her. Siva and Umâ went to hear the preaching of a Muni, who on their departure blessed them as three persons. His suspicion being aroused, Siva opened her head-dress. Ananga escaped in the form of a bee, and Siva with his third eye in the centre of his forehead burned Umâ to ashes, which he threw into the ocean. He then repented, and ordered the goddess of the sea, Muhuda Mani-mekhalâva, to restore her. She feigned inability; and to punish her Siva drank up the sea. Again he bade her restore Umâ. She promised to obey if he would again fill the ocean, which he did in a Rabelaisian manner. She then created an image of Umâ, which he rejected. At length she took the ashes of Umâ, which she had. kept in a vase, shaped them into a figure of Umâ upon a banana-leaf, and brought it to
