Paṇá¸ukÄbhaya
King of Sri Lanka (377-307 B.C.). He was the son of DighagÄmaṇī and UmmÄda CittÄ and was protected from death in infancy by Citta and KÄlavela, who afterwards became yakkhas. He was brought up by a man in DvÄramaṇá¸alaka, but several times his uncles, discovering his whereabouts, tried to kill him, for it had been foretold that he would slay his uncles in order to obtain possession of the kingdom. At the age of sixteen he was apprenticed to the brahmin Paṇá¸ula, who taught him various arts and provided him later with the necessary money for an army. Paṇá¸ula’s son, Caṇá¸a, was given as friend and counsellor to Paṇá¸ukÄbhaya. Paṇá¸ukÄbhaya married, by force, a maiden named SuvaṇṇapÄlÄ«, and declared war upon his uncles, all of whom, except the eldest, Abhaya, had determined to slay him. With the help of the Yakkhiṇī CetiyÄ, who dwelt in DhÅ«marakkhapabbata, Paṇá¸ukÄbhaya made all preparations for a final campaign against his uncles. For four years he lived in DhÅ«marakkha, and then for seven in Aritthapabbata. Following the counsel of CetiyÄ, he enticed his uncles into a trap, and slew them and their followers at LÄbugÄmaka. He then proceeded to AnurÄdhagÄma, where he set up his capital, which, thenceforward, came to be called AnurÄdhapura. His uncle, Abhaya, was made Nagaraguttika, and to him was given over the government of the city by night.
After establishing peace in the land, Paṇá¸ukÄbhaya proceeded to lay out his capital as a city, and among the buildings which he erected were hermitages for the Nigaṇá¹has — Jotiya, Giri and Kumbhanda, and dwellings for the Ä€jÄ«vakas, the brahmins, etc. He also marked out the boundaries of the villages throughout the island. He ruled for seventy years, and died at the age of 107. He was succeeded by his son MutasÄ«va. Mhv.ix.28; x.1ff.; xi.1; Dpv.v.69, 81; x.9; xi.1 12.
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