Funday Times

This article is part of a continuing series on the ‘Mahavamsa’, the recorded chronicle of Sri Lankan history
Prince Vasabha flees
1. It was the commander’s wife, Metta, who was responsible for getting all the ingredients necessary for the chew of betel and packing it for the commander. She was so concerned about it, that Metta did it faithfully, to the commander’s taste. As usual, the commander stopped on the way and took out the little bag, to have his chew. That day, the ingredient that was really essential, namely, ‘chunam’ was not there. The commander was in a little difficulty. He could neither ask anybody for a little chunam nor could he go back home again to get some.

2. The commander looked at Vasabha, who was also watching him all this time. The prince asked him why he did not partake of his usual chew. The commander said that it was incomplete and so he could not have it. Prince Vasabha offered to help by going back home and bringing a little chunam for the commander. The commander said, “all right, but come back soon”. So the prince hurried home.

3. The commander’s wife was watching the road. She was awaiting the return of the prince. She rightly guessed that her husband would send Vasabha back to get the chunam. The prince who was ignorant of all this, rushed home. Metta was quite disturbed and when the prince asked her why, Metta told him about the impending danger to his life. She said she purposely kept back the chunam, needed for the commander’s chew. Metta gave the prince a bag of money and asked him to run away and save his life.

4. Prince Vasabha started talking, expressing his gratitude to his aunt. But her only advice was not to tarry but to flee. The prince disguised himself and went to the Maha Vihara for shelter. The priests there gave him food and lodging. The prince decided to stay a few days in the temple, serving the priests in whatever way he could. Whilst attending to work in the monastery, he went for a walk in the neighbourhood, whenever he had the time to spare.

5. Once, on his rounds, he met a man who had a rash all over his body. This man could foretell the future. The prince started talking to this man and in the course of the conversation he said, “My dear friend, this King Subha, whatever good deeds he does now, is not a righteous king. He killed his own friend, Yasalalaka-Tissa. This evil will come back on him one day and he will have to pay for it. A prince named Vasabha will kill him and wrest the throne.”

6. The prince took to heart the forecast of this man. He left the temple and planned to get rid of the king. He organized a gang of youth, who would initially help him in this task. They began looting the villages and creating unrest. Days passed. There came orders from the king to arrest this gang. They soon fled to Ruhuna. There, they gave up their gang warfare.

7. They behaved well to win the hearts of the people of Ruhuna. The prince meanwhile, raised an army. He gave them a good training. When his army was well trained, Vasabha attacked the villages and brought them under his control, one by one. The first village to be conquered was ‘Kalpala pura’ (Kabalapura). He established his authority there.

8. One by one, a number of villages fell under his rule. Before long, a large part of Ruhuna, came under the control of Prince Vasabha. He enrolled youth from these villages too and strengthened his army. They too were given a good military training. This went on for nearly two years. Then the prince decided to take his army and march towards Anuradhapura. When King Subha got to know this, he quickly summoned his Commander-in-Chief and accompanied by the royal army, marched forward to fight Prince Vasabha.

By Halaliye Karunathilake
Edited and translated by Kamala Silva
Illustrated by
Saman Kalubowila

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