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This
article is part of a continuing series on the ‘Mahavamsa’,
the recorded chronicle of Sri Lankan history
King Dutugemunu sets forth for the great battle
King Dutugemunu was excited at the news of the arrival of Tissa.
“Where is that rogue?”, asked the king. The chief
priest then said, “O’ King, what’s the big hurry?
Have patience and be quiet for a while”. The king cooled
down. Then the Thera said that Tissa was at the foot of the stairs.
On hearing this, Queen Viharamahadevi, ran and embraced her younger
son and began to weep. King Dutugemunu too followed his mother.
As Dutugrmunu saw Tissa, he was reminded of their happy childhood
days and that brotherly love kindled in his heart.- The king’s
anger vanished completely. He kept gazing at the brother. Tissa
glanced innocently. The mother watched all this in silence. Soon,
the brothers embraced each other. Then the mother and the two
sons went to the place where the Theras were. They too were silently
enjoying this scene. Then King Dutugemunu addressed the monks
and said, “Venerable Sirs, why did you bother to come? You
should have sent my brother through a few novice monks”.
The Theras smiled.
- The king
went on, “I am sure you would have wasted a lot of time.
I presume that you advised my brother. But, Venerable Sirs, how
good it would have been if he was advised earlier. If that happened,
we could have saved a lot of lives. We lost the soldiers, whom
we could have used in the battle against the enemy”. The
Theras kept quiet for a while. The chief priest, Gotama, then
said, “Let bygones be bygone. All of us, do make mistakes.
Now the two brothers should make peace, in our presence”.
-
 The
brothers then hugged each other in the presence of the monks.
Tissa begged pardon from his brother for all the wrong he had
done before. Gemunu stroked his head and pardoned him. Then the
chief priest, Gotama, preached a sermon, detailing the virtues
of King Kavan-Tissa. He reminded the brothers of the promise they
had made to their father. Both brothers began to weep, realizing
their mistake. The Thera advised them, never to fight in future.
- Once the
brothers made peace, the priests went back to the temple. The
brothers spent a few days in Magama and got organized to fight
the enemy. Tissa went back to Digamadulla, to improve agriculture
and store food-stuffs. Dutugemunu also advised his men to cultivate
the fields around Magama – before the
 battle
started.
- The people
too realized the importance of cultivation and strived hard, to
make the country self-sufficient in food. Now the time was ripe
to go to the battle front. King Dutugemunu consulted the astrologers,
regarding an auspicious day, to set forth. He gathered his army,
and led by the ten great warriors, he set out, on the appointed
day to fight the great battle against the Tamils.
- To begin
with, the king visited Tissamaharama. There, he worshipped the
Bikkhus and obtained their blessings. He told them he was proceeding
beyond the Mahaweli river, to re-establish Buddhism. He wanted
the chief priest to permit some monks to accompany them. Five
hundred monks volunteered to accompany the king. The king then
set off, taking his mother, Viharamahadevi too with him.
- They marched
in procession and on the first day, they rested in Kaluwala.
The second stop was at Guttahalaka. The army then marched forward
passing Kiriyagama, Niyamulla and Medagama respectively. The next
stop was at Kasatapitiya.
By:
Halaliye Karunathilaka
Edited and translated by:
Kamala Silva
Illustrated by:
Saman Kalubowila |
