Mahabodhivamsa (lit: History of the Great Bodhi Tree) is the earliest extant literary work on the sacred Sri Maha Bodhi Tree in Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka (Jayawardhana, 1990).
Sri Maha Bodhi Tree
As described in several ancient chronicles such as Dipavamsa, Mahawamsa (ch. xviii-xix) and Samantapasadika, Sangamitta Theri, the daughter of Emperor Asoka (c.268-232 B.C.) and sister of Arhat Mahinda Thera, brought the southern branch of the sacred Bodhi-tree in Bodh Gaya (India) to Sri Lanka soon after the introduction of Buddhism in the 3rd century B.C. This historic incident is extensively described in later literary works including Bodhivamsa Katha, Mahabodhivamsa, Gantipada Vivaranaya, Dharmapradipika, Sinhala Bodhivamsa, and Sulu Bodhivamsa (Kulatunge, 2018).
Mahabodhivamsa
As mentioned in its introduction, Mahabodhivamsa is a Pali work recording the history of the Great Bodhi Tree and an adaptation of a previously existing work in Sinhalese on the same subject (Jayawardhana, 1990). It doesn't mention the name of its author but the acknowledged tradition is that Ven. Upatissa is the author of this literary work (Jayawardhana, 1990). Scholars believe that this is a work belonging to the 10 century A.D. (Kulatunge, 2018).
Mahabodhivamsa contains 12 chapters,
- Chapters of Mahabodhivamsa (Jayawardhana, 1990)
1) Abhisambodhiathã - The story of Dipankara Buddha followed by several other accounts
2) Anandabodhikathã - Planting of the Ananda-Bodhi by Ananda Thera
3) Dasabala-parinibbãna kathã - Story of Passing-away of the Buddha
4) Pathama-sangiti kathã - About the first council
5) Duthiya-sangiti kathã - About the second council
6) Tatiya-sangiti kathã - About the third council
7) Lankãvatarana kathã - Arrival of Arhat Mahinda in Sri Lanka
8) Nagarappavesana kathã - Story of entering the city (of Anuradhapura)
9) Mahãvihara patiggahana kathã - Acceptance of the Maha Viharaya
10) Cetiyagirivihãra patiggahana kathã - Acceptance of the Viharaya at Mihintale
11) Dhãtvãgamana kathã - Receiving the sacred relics of the Buddha
12) Dumindãgamana kathã - Bringing of the southern branch of the sacred Bodhi tree at Bodh Gaya in India
The last chapter records the planting of the sacred Bodhi tree at Anuradhapura. It further mentions the places where the first eight saplings of the Bodhi tree were planted (Jayawardhana, 1990).
Eight saplings of Sri Maha Bodhi
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1) Jambukola-pattana
2) Tavakka-brahmana gama
3) Thuparama (the Bodhighara has been found)
4) Issara-samana' rama (present Vessagiriya)
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5) Pathamaka-cetiyatthana (outside Anuradhapura eastern gate)
6) Cetiya-pabbata
7) Kacaragama
8) Candanagama
The final phase of Mahabodhivamsa records that besides the Bo fruit which gave eight seedlings, there were another four fruits from which sprang up 32 seedlings (Kulatunge, 2018). It further says that they were planted for the benefit of the dwellers of the island, in Buddhist temples from Yojana to Yojana (Kulatunge, 2018). Although the Mahabodhivamsa doesn't give the list of names where the 32 seedlings were brought, the Simhala Bodhivamsa, a text written during the reign of King Parakramabahu IV (1302-1326 A.D.) of the Kurunegala Period reveals the 32 places where these seedlings were finally planted (Kulatunge, 2018).
Thirty-two saplings of Sri Maha Bodhi
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1) Malwessa Vehera
2) Tantrisamala Vehera (probably Tantirimale)
3) Muhudubada Mahajalika Kevulgama
4) Kottiyarama
5) Polonnaruwa
6) Matale Rusigama
7) Ruhunurata Magama
8) Vilvala
9) Mahiyanganaya
10) Nainge Vilgamvehera near Seruwila
11) Uva Badulle Muthiyangana
12) Buthala Happoru Vehera
13) Ruhunurata Sithulpawwa
14) Vanavasa Vehera to the west of Tangalu Vehera
15) Veligamvehera
16) Paragoda
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17) Meddegama
18) Ganegama
19) Kotmale Pusulpitiya
20) Mayarata Wathura
21) Beligala
22) Pepiliyana
23) Bellanwila
24) Vandurawa
25) Vattarama Raja Maha Viharaya
26) Sulugalla
27) Resveruwa
28) Katiyawa
29) Giriba Vehera
30) Yapahu Sundaragiri Pawwa
31) Kasagalu Vehera
32) Ambalawa Rahatgal Vehera
.
Related works
- Mahabodhivamsa-granthipada-vivaranaya - A Sinhalese commentary work composed to explain the difficult terms in Mahabodhivamsa.
- Dharmapradipikã or Mahabodhivamsa-parikathã - A sub-commentary work on Mahabodhivamsa, written by Gurulugomi.
- Simhala Bodhivamsaya (Elu-Bodhivamsaya) - The Sinhalese translation of Pali Mahabodhivamsa by Vilgammula Maha Thera (Wikramasinghe, 1900).
- Sulu Bodhivamsaya (Minor chronicle of the Bodhi-tree) - The Sinhalese translation of Pali Culabodhivamsa. Written in the 7th year of King Sri Rajadhi Rajasinha (1781-1798 A.D.) by Ven. Sumangala, a pupil of Attaragama Bandara (Jayawardhana, 1990).
Two editions of the Pali Mahabodhivamsa have been published: one in 1890 (Colombo) and the other in 1891 by the Pali Text Society of London (Wikramasinghe, 1900).
Attribution
1) Sri Maha Bodhi, Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka by imke.sta is licensed under CC BY SA 2.0
References
1) Jayawardhana, S., 1990. A survey of literature on the sacred Bodhi tree at Anuradhapura. Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Sri Lanka, 35, pp.23-52.
2) Kulatunge, T.G., 2018. Tantirimale: Tivakka (Tavakka) Brāhmanagāma and Planting of Eight Bo-Seedlings. Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Sri Lanka, pp.91-102.
2) Kulatunge, T.G., 2018. Tantirimale: Tivakka (Tavakka) Brāhmanagāma and Planting of Eight Bo-Seedlings. Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Sri Lanka, pp.91-102.
3) Wikramasinghe, D.M.D.Z., 1900. Catalogue of the Sinhalese Manuscripts in the British Museum: London. pp.xviii,22,157.
This page was last updated on 26 December 2023