The Story of Siṃhala

The records of the Buddhist religion say: In the middle of a great iron city on Ratnadvīpa, the Island of Gems,In the middle of a great iron city of this Ratnadvīpa (P'ao-chu)Explanation: Explains the island’s name at its first mention and gives the narrative a self-contained opening. was the dwelling of the Rākshasīs, female demons who ate peoplethe Rākshasī women (Lo-t'sa)Explanation: Explains the creatures before their disguise and their cannibalism become important.. On the towers of this city they set up two high flagstaffs. They showed lucky or unlucky signals according to the circumstances, to lure sailors when merchants came to the island.On the towers of this city they erected two high flagstaffs with lucky or unlucky signals, which they exhibited according to circumstances (to allure mariners), when merchants came to the island (Ratnadvīpa). Then they changed themselves into beautiful women, holding flowers and scents, and with the sound of music they went forth to meet them, and gently invited themcaressingly invited them to enter the iron city; then having shared with them all sorts of pleasure, they shut them up in an iron prison, and devoured them at their leisure.

At this time there was a great merchant of Jambudvīpa, the continent that includes India,At this time there was a great merchant of JambudvīpaExplanation: Explains the traditional geographical name; it is not the island of Sri Lanka. called SiṃhaSāng-kia (Siṁha) whose son was called SiṃhalaSāng-kia-la (Siṁhala). His father had grown old, so the son was put in charge of the family’s business. He therefore set sail with 500 merchants to seek precious stones. Driven by the winds and waves, they came to Ratnadvīpa.His father having grown old, he was deputed to take charge of the house (family); he embarked, therefore, with 500 merchants to seek for precious stones; driven by the winds and waves, they came to Ratnadvīpa.

Then the Rākshasīs, displaying the lucky signal, began to wave it, and went forth with scents and flowers and the sound of music to meet them, and invite them to enter the iron city. The leader of the merchants became the partner of the queen of the Rākshasīs and gave himself up to pleasure and indulgence.The prince of the merchants accordingly, matched with the queen of the Rākshasīs, gave himself up to pleasure and indulgence. The other merchants also selected each one a companion, and so, in the course of time, a son was born to each. After this, the Rākshasīs, feeling tired of their old partners' love, were preparing to shut them up(were preparing to) shut them up in the iron prison, and to seek new companions among other merchants.

At this time, SiṃhalaAt this time, Sāng-kia-la, had a bad dream in the night. Taking it as a warning, he sought a way to escape. When he came to the iron stronghold, he heard pitiful cries from within.moved in the night by an evil dream, and impressed with a sense of its bad augury, sought some mode of escape, and coming to the iron stronghold, he heard the sounds of piteous cries within. At once he climbed a great tree and called to them, "Who are you, tied up like this, and why are you crying so miserably?"Forthwith he climbed a great tree, and questioned them, saying, "Who are you thus bound, and why these miserable cries?" They replied, "Do you not know then that the women who occupy this place are all Rākshasīs? In former days, they allured us to enter the city with festive sounds of music, but when you arrived, they shut us up in this prison, and are eating us one after another. Half of us have already been eaten;and are gradually devouring our flesh. Now we are half eaten up;Explanation: Clarifies that half the prisoners have been eaten, as the Chinese says, rather than that each surviving prisoner is half eaten. Removes the graphic wording while preserving the danger. your turn too will soon come."

Then SiṃhalaSāng-kia-la (Siṁhala) said, "How, then, can we escape this danger?By what device then may we escape this danger?" They replied, and said, "We hear that on the seashoresea-board there is a divine horse, and he will carry anyone safely across if they pray with complete faithwhoever prays with supreme faith he will safely carry him across."

SiṃhalaSiṁhala having heard this, secretly told the merchants his companions to assemble altogether on the sea-shore and there to pray with all their hearts to be rescuedto offer up fervent prayers for deliverance. Then the divine horse came and addressed the men and said, "Each of you must grasp my coat and not look behind. Then I will rescue you and carry you across the sea, away from danger.Each one of you grasp my hairy coat and look not behind; then will I deliver you and transport you across the sea out of danger's way. I will lead you back to Jambudvīpa, to your happy homes in your own country.I will conduct you back to Jambudvīpa, to your happy homes (country)."

Each merchant obeyed his directions exactly. They seized the divine horse’s coat. Then he soared up, travelled through the clouds, and crossed the sea to the other side.Then the merchants, obeying his directions, did each one implicitly as commanded. They seized the hairy coat (of the divine horse). Then he mounted aloft, traversed through the clouds, and passed the sea to the other side.

Then the Rākshasīs, perceiving all at once their husbands had escaped, spoke to one anotherspake one to another in surprise, and asked where they had gone. Then, taking each her child, they flew to and fro through the airthey traversed to and fro the air. Perceiving, then, that the merchants had just left the shore, they called to one another to fly after them togetherthey issued a general order to unite in their flight to follow them. Not an hour had passed but they encountered them, and then, with mingled joy and tears, they came, and for a time restraining their grief they said, "We thought ourselves happy when first we met you, and made it our care to provide you homes, and for long have loved and cherished you, but now you are departing and deserting your wives and children, leaving them desolate. Who can bear the terrible grief that afflicts us! We beg you to stop and come back with us to the city.We pray you stay your departure and turn again with us to the city."

But the merchants were still unwilling to agree.But the minds of the merchants were as yet unwilling to consent. The Rākshasīs, seeing their words had no effect, used sweet words and all their charms to stir the merchants’ feelings. Unable to hold back their affection, the merchants lost their resolve. They hesitated, stopped, and at last returned with the Rākshasīs.had recourse to seductive blandishments, and by their conduct excited the feelings of the merchants; in consequence of which, being unable to suppress their tender emotions, their steadfastness forsook them, and, hesitating to go on, they paused, and at length returned in company with the Rākshasīs. The women, greeting and congratulating each othersaluting and congratulating each other, closely holding to the men, went back.

Now the wisdom of SiṃhalaSiṁhala was deep, and his firm purpose remained unchanged, and so he succeeded in traversing the ocean, and thus escaped the danger.

Then the queen of the Rākshasīs returned alone to the iron city; on which the other women addressing her said, "You have neither wisdom nor cunningYou are without wisdom or astuteness, and so you are abandoned by your husband; since you have so little cleverness or capacity you cannot dwell here." On this the Rākshasī queen, taking her child, hastened her flight after SiṃhalaSiṁhala. She showered him with sweet words and tenderly begged him to return.She indulged before him in excessive blandishments and entreated him tenderly to return. But SiṃhalaSiṁhala recited some magic charms and, brandishing a swordrepeated with his mouth some spiritual charms, and with his hand brandishing a sword, he said, "You are a Rākshasī and I am a man, humans and demons belong to different worlds and cannot be marriedmen and demons belong to different classes, there can be no union between such; if you keep troubling me with your pleasif you trouble me further with your entreaties I will take your life."

The Rākshasī woman, knowing that more talk would be uselessknowing the uselessness of further parley, darted through the air and disappeared. Coming to SiṃhalaSiṁhala's house, she addressed his father SiṃhaSiṁha, and said, "I am a king's daughter belonging to such and such a country. SiṃhalaSiṁhala took me as his wife, and I have borne him a son. Having collected gems and goods, we were returning to my lord's country when the ship, driven by the winds and the sea, was lost, and only I, my child, and SiṃhalaSiṁhala were saved. After crossing rivers and mountains with great difficulty, hungry and worn out, I said something that displeased my husbanda word displeasing to my husband, and I found myself deserted, and as he left me he spoke bitterly and raged at mehe let fall bitter words and raged on me as if he were a Rākshasa. If I attempt to return, my native country is a very long distance off; if I stop, then I am left alone in a strange place: staying or returning I am without support. So I have dared to tell you what really happened.I have, therefore, dared to tell you the true state of things."

SiṃhaSiṁha said, "If your words be true, you have done right." Then she went to live in Siṃha’s house.Then she entered the king's house to dwell there.Explanation: Corrects Beal’s confusion: the Chinese says she enters the father’s house. Siṃha is a merchant, and the king enters the story later. The printed error remains in Original. Not long after SiṃhalaSiṁhala came, and his father addressing him said, "Why did you value riches and gems so much and care so little for your wife and child?How is it you esteemed riches and gems so much and made so little of your wife and child?" SiṃhalaSiṁhala said, "This is a Rākshasī." Then he related the whole previous history to his father and mother; then his relatives angry on account of the whole affair, turned on her to drive her away; on which the Rākshasī went to the king and entreated him. The king wished to punish SiṃhalaSiṁhala, but SiṃhalaSiṁhala said, "A Rākshasī has great power to deceive.The delusive influence of Rākshasī is very great."

But the king thought Siṃhala was lying. Bewitched by her beauty, heMoreover, the king, regarding his son's words as untrue, and being moved in his mind (feelings) by her fascination,Explanation: Corrects the mistaken relationship in Beal: the speaker is not the king’s son. The Chinese and Julien identify him as the merchant’s son; the original wording is preserved. addressed SiṃhalaSiṁhala and said, "Since you have decided to reject this woman, I will now protect her in the private rooms of my palacein my after-palaceExplanation: Explains the old term for the inner palace.." SiṃhalaSiṁhala said, "I fear she will cause you some misfortune, for the Rākshasas devour living creaturesthe Rākshasas eat only flesh and bloodExplanation: Exceptional softening of blood imagery; retains the concrete warning of devouring.."

But the king would not listen to SiṃhalaSiṁhala's words, and accordingly took her as his wife. In the middle of the night following this, flying away, she returned to Ratnadvīpa, and calling together 500 Rākshasa demon women, they all came to the king's palace. There, by destructive spells, they killed and devoured every person and animal in the building. They carried what remained back to the Island of Gems., and there, by means of destructive charms and sorceries, they killed all living things within the building and devoured their flesh and drank their blood, whilst they carried off the rest of the corpses and with them returned to the "island of gems."Explanation: Exceptional softening of graphic flesh, blood drinking and corpse details; preserves the massacre, devouring, victims and removal of the remains.

The next day, early, all the ministers were assembled at the king's gates, which they found tightly shutfast closed, and not able to be opened. After waiting a long time, and not hearing any sounds of voices within, they burst open the doors and gates, and rushed into the building togetherpressed forward together (into the house). Coming to the palace hall, they found no living creature there, only bonesno living thing therein but only gnawed bonesExplanation: Exceptional removal of the graphic gnawing detail; preserves the evidence found by the ministers.. The officers looking at one another in astonishment, then bent down their heads in their confusion, and uttered lamentable cries. They could not understand what had caused the disaster, so Siṃhala told them the whole story from beginning to end.Being unable to fathom the cause of the calamity that had happened, Siṁhala related to them from beginning to end the whole story. The ministers and people then saw where the evil had come fromfrom whence the evil came.

On this, the ministers of the country, the aged men and different officers, considered in turn who was best suited to become kinginquired in order as to the best person to appoint to the high dignity (of the throne). All turned to Siṃhala, so outstanding in religious merit and wisdom.All looked in the direction of Siṁhala, (so conspicuous for) religious merit and wisdom. Then speaking together, they said, "Choosing a ruler is no small matter;With respect to a ruler, the selection is no trivial matter; he needs to be devout and wise, and also quick-wittedand at the same time of quick natural parts. If he be not good and wise, he would not be able to bring honour to the thronegive lustre to the succession; if he has no skill or tactif he have no natural parts (skill or tact), how could he direct the affairs of state? Now this SiṃhalaSiṁhala appears to be such a man: he discovered in a dream the origin of the calamity; by the effect of his virtue he encountered the divine horse, and he has loyally warned the king of his danger. By his prudence he has preserved himself; the succession should be his."

The result of the deliberation being known, the people joyfully raised him to the honourable position of king. SiṃhalaSiṁhala wished to declinewas desirous of declining the honour, but was not able to do so. Then keeping to the middle course, he respectfully saluted the different officers of state, and at once accepted the kingshipforthwith accepted the kingly estate. On this, he corrected the former abuses, and promoted to honour the good and virtuous; then he made the following decree, "My old merchant friends are in the country of the Rākshasīs, but whether alive or dead I cannot tell. But in either case I will set out to rescue them from their danger; we must equip an army. To avert calamities and to help the unfortunate, this is the merit of a kingdom; to preserve treasures of precious stones and jewels, is the advantage of a state."

On this he assembled his troops and set sailhe arrayed his troops and embarked. Then on the top of the iron city the flag of misfortune began to wavethe evil flag was agitated.

Then the Rākshasīs seeing it, were filled with fear, and using their charms, went out to lure and deceive themputting in practice their seducing arts, went forth to lead and cajole them. But the king, knowing all their tricksthoroughly understanding their false artifices, commanded the soldiers to recite some charmed words and to show their strength as warriorsto exhibit their martial bearing. Then the Rākshasīs were driven back, and fled in hastefled precipitately to rocky islets of the sea; others were swallowed up and drowned in the waves. On this they destroyed the iron city and broke down the iron prison; they delivered the captive merchants, obtained large stores of jewels and precious stones, and then Siṃhala called on the people to move there. He founded his capitalthen summoning the people to change their abodes, he (Siṁhala) founded his capital in the "island of gems," built towns, and so found himself at the head of a kingdom. Because of the king's name the country was called SiṃhalaSiṁhala. This name is also connected with the Jātakas, stories of the Buddha’s former lives.the Jātakas, relating to Śākya Tathāgata.Explanation: Explains the literary and religious terms in the conclusion.