Funday Times - Mahavamsa

During the reign of King Kashyapa V, there was a battle between the Pandyan king and the Chola king. In this fight the Pandyan king, Mara-Varman Rajasinghe 11 was defeated. This Pandya king had been maintaining friendly relations with Sri Lanka. Therefore he asked for military help and gifts too were given in advance. But King Kashyapa V, who was a pious king, was one who detested war. He did not like to see people die. He was kind even towards animals.

Here was a king that the king couldn't just refuse. King Mara-Varman was a long-standing friend of Sri Lanka. Now, the king faced a difficult situation. He assembled the ministers and told them the problem. They had a long discussion and finally decided to send a contingent of soldiers. They were also to be trained before they left.

The ministers were unanimous in their agreement that the Sak-Senevi should be put in charge of this army and that he should be made responsible for their performance. The Sak-Senevi was able to rise to the occasion. When the army was ready, he informed the king. The king was very happy. A date was decided on. When that day dawned, the king also accompanied the army up to the shore.

He spoke to the soldiers and wished them good luck. They set sail and soon reached the country of the Pandyans. The Pandya king was overjoyed. King Mara-Varman Rajasinghe took both Sinhala and Pandyan armies and marched forward. The Chola king too advanced. The Sak-Senevi was able to command the Sinhala contingent very skillfully. The fighting continued for some time.

The Pandya king was very unfortunate. The Sinhala army contracted an infectious disease. It was a very bad infection. The Sak-Senevi suffered immensely and finally died of it. The soldiers too began to die, one by one. When King Kashyapa heard of these developments in South India, he was deeply worried.

He ordered the remaining soldiers to come back home. They were kept under medication back home. The Sak-Senevi's son was appointed to that post. The king organized the priests of all three Nikayas to chant pirith and sprinkle pirith water all over the city. Thus ended all the fear of disease and the country returned to normalcy.

King Kashyapa V is also referred to as Debisavaja. This is because his mother became queen on two occasions. Once when she got married to Sena Yuvaraja, King Sena 1 conferred that honour on her. She became queen for the second time, when the Yuvaraja became king, as King Sena 11.

In the inscription of Sena 11, found in Anuradhapura these facts are mentioned. Chulavamsa too makes mention of these facts. According to the inscription, King Shila-Megha Varna, who was the son of a queen who was crowned twice, built the Mirisavati Sangha Senasana and Kasub-raja Maha Vihara. According to historical evidence this king had prohibited the cutting down of trees.